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!
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Recipe
Gingerbread Man Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer optional
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375 g)
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar , packed (150 g)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda (4 g)
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon (8 g)
- 1 Tablespoon ground ginger (6 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (1 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 Tablespoons butter , room temperature, cut into 12 pieces (170g)
- 3/4 cup molasses (dark molasses) (180 ml)
- 2 Tablespoons milk (30 ml)
For the frosting:
- 2 Tablespoons butter , room temperature (28 g)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (240 g)
- 2 Tablespoons milk (30 ml)
Instructions
- Add flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt to a mixing bowl and mix.
- Add the butter pieces and use a pastry blender to cut the butter in until the mixture resembles fine meal.
- With a mixer running on low speed gradually add the molasses and milk and mix until combined, about 30 seconds.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
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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
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This is my second year making this recipe and it is a winner. The softest and best tasting gingerbread cookies.
The cookies were too crispy and the dough was too soft while rolling with the rolling pin.
Blah
I followed the recipe exactly – I chilled them overnight in the refrigerator overnight. I couldn’t roll them without them sticking to rolling pin and cookie cutters. I ended up with odd shaped cookies and the flavor was too strong. Sorry, but will not make again.
Hi Liz, make sure to use plenty of flour when rolling them out, so they don’t stick.
I like your recipes a lot they are very good, but I also might like Sallys a little better.
Is the recipe missing ingredients? It’s very powdery. I mixed everything exactly as directed, but it isn’t coming together into a doughy texture. Thank you
I am another reviewer that wishes I had read the latest reviews before trying this recipe. The whole family agrees these do not taste like gingerbread at all and have an overpowering taste of molasses. I am looking for another recipe as I type and tossing these out.
And roll to 1/2″ thick? Really? How has this typo not been fixed?
Designed for kids; very easy to make. Very light on ginger taste.
For my liking too much Molasses and butter, it’s got a oily soft brownie texture, not a good cookie bite to it.
I wouldn’t make again, but good for people baking with kids.
These are actively gross. If you like drinking bc straight molasses then these are for you. Very disappointed I did not read the reviews and only trusted the rating
Didn’t taste bad but there was NO ginger taste. It was like puffy nothing.
This was such a waste of of ingredients really wish I would have read the reviews before I made the dough
So sorry it didn’t work for you–can you give me more info as to what you didn’t like? There are tons of positive reviews for these cookies. The negative reviews are mostly from people who don’t like the strong gingerbread/molasses taste.