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Soft and chewy Gingerbread Cookies recipe made with a simple gingerbread recipe and decorated however you like! Everyone loves this classic recipe and they taste delicious!
Looking for more holiday treats? Don't miss our Ginger Molasses Cookies, Caramel Popcorn, or Chocolate Fudge! And don't miss my Christmas Dinner Menu Ideas!
When I was young, we often decorated the “kids” Christmas tree with gingerbread cookies and it made the house smell amazing. This is the BEST recipe for soft, chewy gingerbread cookies.
What I LOVE about them:
- Soft and Chewy: Gingerbread cookies have a reputation for being hard and crispy, but not this recipe! Follow my baking tips and they will turn out perfectly soft and chewy.
- Make Ahead or Freeze: You can prepare the chewy gingerbread cookies or dough in advance. See tips below in the post.
- Fun to Decorate: Kids of all ages love decorating Christmas gingerbread man cookies so plan it for your next Christmas party! You can make the soft gingerbread cookies and frosting ahead of time so that the kids can just enjoy decorating.
How to make Gingerbread Cookies:
Gingerbread is made with the following simple ingredients: brown sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, butter, milk, and molasses!
Make the Gingerbread: Mix flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add chunks of butter and incorporate them with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Mix in the molasses and milk until combined.
Refrigerate: Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 2 hours or overnight.
Roll the Dough: When ready to bake, roll out the dough to ½ inch thickness, use cookie cutters to cut gingerbread men, and place them on your cookie sheet. Bake them for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Once cool, frost and decorate, if desired! You can use any kind of frosting or icing, and candy. It really is the best gingerbread cookies recipe!
Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Make the gingerbread and store it, well covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Roll out and cut into cookies when ready to bake. You can also bake the cookies and freeze them.
To Freeze: wrap the dough really well in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag. Freeze for 2-3 months. Allow the dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before attempting to roll. Baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
For more holiday magic, try roasting chestnuts!
Gingerbread Man Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer optional
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, , packed
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 Tablespoons butter, , room temperature, cut into 12 pieces
- 3/4 cup molasses, (dark molasses)
- 2 Tablespoons milk
For the frosting:
- 2 Tablespoons butter, , room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Add flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt to a mixing bowl and mix.3 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup dark brown sugar, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 Tablespoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the butter pieces and use a pastry blender to cut the butter in until the mixture resembles fine meal.12 Tablespoons butter
- With a mixer running on low speed gradually add the molasses and milk and mix until combined, about 30 seconds.¾ cup molasses, 2 Tablespoons milk
- Divide the dough in half, forming each into a ball. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, or place in the freezer for about 20 minutes, until firm, if you’re in a hurry. (Refrigeration is mandatory or the dough will be too sticky to handle).
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove one dough sheet from the fridge/freezer and place on a well floured counter. Lightly flour the top of the dough and the rolling pin and roll out the dough (dust with a little more flour if needed), until it’s about ½ inch thick. Cut gingerbread men and place them on prepared baking sheets.
- Refrigerate the gingerbread men for 5 minutes (meanwhile you can roll out the other dough ball).
- Bake the cookies until set in the centers and the dough barely retains and imprint when touched very gently with fingertip, 8 to 11 minutes (depending on the size of your cookie cutter). Do not overbake!!
- Remove the cookies to a wire rack. Allow to cool to room temperature before frosting.
- Store gingerbread cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
For the frosting:
- Add butter, milk, and 1 cup of powdered sugar to a bowl. Mix until smooth. Add additional cup of powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add frosting to piping bag if desired.2 Tablespoons butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons milk
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe December 2018. Updated December 2020 and November 2022.
Process photos by Nikole from The Travel Palate
This is my second year making this recipe and it is a winner. The softest and best tasting gingerbread cookies.
Not a fan. The combination of spices tasted off – not really very gingerbread like
I am so happy with this recipe. The amount of molasses and spices were just right – not too spicy like some are. I rolled the dough out to just a bit under 1/2 inch and they came out perfectly. The cookies stayed soft and chewy and as long as the dough is chilled before baking, they won’t spread and lose their shape. I actually forgot to chill my first batch of gingerbread men and they ended up looking like chubby Pillsbury Doughboys. Overall, an excellent recipe, a keeper.
Super easy gingerbread recipe! It was really nice to have a simple cookie dough to mix up with my two year old. Dough mixed up really nice and I did have to use a hand held mixer till it was all mixed up at the end. When rolling out I did use a little flour and I rolled it to more like 1/4 inch. Baked for about 6 min and they turned out great! My daughter loves them.
I have never made a Gingerbread cookie, I researched many recipes and chose this one. I bake and cook all the time. This recipe is absolutely delicious! A pro chef had a video and he said if the dough was the right consistency to roll out immediately, mine was and I did! They came out perfect, soft inside, strong enough to decorate. And now we ate the batch before Christmas so now I have to make more! Thank you for a delicious cookie…and Merry Christmas..Joy
I followed the instructions to the “T” and they came out perfect. Great recipe and I’ll be making these again! Soft and chewy and delicious.
This is not royal icing, it will not hold a gingerbread house together. I should have realized but wish that was mentioned. That said, the cookies worked perfectly and taste AMAZING! We rolled thinner than stated and let them cool on the sheet a few minutes before removing. So delicious and easy enough for my kids to roll/cut!
This is the second time I’ve made these and the first time I realized there’s no eggs in the recipe 😅. That’s pretty great if you’re craving a cookie and don’t have eggs but anywhoooo… the recipe is the best for chewy cookies. I’m not sure what others are doing wrong but it is a true gingerbread recipe. Strong flavor and delicious texture.
I did put it in my stand mixer for all steps the second time I made them and happy to report, they came out as great as the first time. I will be making them again and again. They taste just like the ones from my local European bakery but better 😄!
10 out of 10!
Sara, you didn’t follow the recipe. Sorry
BEWARE! The cookies worked fine but this icing recipe is buttercream, NOT royal icing. So sad for my kids to watch their gingerbread house creations fall apart before our eyes. This will not dry hard or hold anything together. I would imagine it also needs to be kept in the fridge. Please change this to a traditional gingerbread icing to save others from disaster 🙁
Where in this recipe did it state anything about making gingerbread houses? Your kids just got a lesson in life. Live and learn.
This recipe is the best! I’m not the best baker but these cookies were easy to make and looked and tasted great! The frosting recipe was also amazing. Fun craft for the whole family… what a hit! Thank you and Merry Christmas!
Not impressed by the recipe. I have tried twice to make these cookies and it’s been a disaster. The dough in the video doesn’t look anything like the dough I made from the recipe. I planned on giving these cookies for a Christmas teacher appreciation day and now I’m coming up with Plan B.