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.
Absolutely perfect!! Love this recipe, definitely a keeper. I made as written. Honestly did have doubts per others review. But, I always make as written first. And this is perfect. Thank you so much for sharing what will be my new family favorite recipe. 🥰🎄
Super-easy very yummy!
Thanks for it. ☺️
Really yummy! I got molasses powder and vanilla bean paste from OliveNation. Found their vanilla bean paste to be really amazing with no alcoholic taste to it. Highly recommend!
I found that the recipe calls for way too much molasses, it was so overpowering I couldn’t taste the ginger or any spices. But the consistency of the cookies were great. I’ll try the same recipe but with golden syrup instead of molasses.
These tasted delicious, but the dough was difficult to work with. I followed the refrigeration instructions, and worked quickly rolling the dough out in my floured butcher block. However, it was so sticky that I had a hard time getting the cookies off the counter and onto the tray. They ended up a little smooshed. They also spread some during baking, so my gingerbread men looked a little chunky! Very tasty though, will make again.
Sorry I forgot to rate them! Ten stars! 😋😋😋
Best gingerbread cookies ever!
baked the ginger bread cookies today & they’re great only found one brand of gingersnaps in store that comes close.
thanks for sharing
My mom loves gingerbread cookies. I made these for her at Christmas. They were perfect. I’m making them for her at Valentines day. They stay soft and the flavor is wonderful. Love them.
I made these but substituted molasses for honey. They tasted just as good, were soft chewy and sweet.
good to know for the future