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.
I agree with folks who rated this with 1 star. I have thrown the rest of the dough away…. Added extra flour. Still ended up with a super soft mess. The few cookies I was able to get cut out spread to over twice their original size and never did cook through. Yuck
I made this recipe for Christmas, gave some to a friend and she ordered 2 more dozen. They are the absolute best! Am about to make another batch. Thank You!
It is too wet. I rolled out on pan and baked with no cut out. Dough was in fridge overnight. You have to be able to work it very fast.
Sounds like you needed to add a little more flour!
Maybe you used the dry cup measurer for the wet or vice a versa?
Amanda.
Such an Unkewl rating!
Obviously, you messed something up. Not the recipe …
Dough is way too wet, couldn’t work with it at all. Ended up just randomly smacking the wet dough on the baking sheet hoping for the best
Has anyone tried making a gingerbread house with this recipe, or would it be best to stick to a hard gingerbread recipe for that?
I’m not sure if I want to rate these.
Please help! I’ve tried this recipe 2yrs in a row. Is it me, or are these cookies a bit dense???
Last yr was a complete and utter fail – hard and heavy. Likely my doing …
This yr … somewhat chewy, but still quite dense. I’ll bake them less for the next attempt. I still have 3/4 of the dough. I’m tempted to split the dough into a small amt, add a tad bit more baking soda, and I’ll see what that does. I already added an additional tbsp of milk and 1 of water. Like last yr, I found mine a bit crumbly.
I do wonder how someone else complained about this being “wet!” LOL, and a poor rating to boot! Not kewl at all. 😉
Flavor – A+
Thank you Liz! Make sure your ingredients are fresh. Baking soda and powder are only good for about 6 months once opened.
So the recipe failed for you twice yet you knock someone else for low rating? And also said it was them not the recipe? I appreciate their reviews especially on cut out cookies that are time consuming. Here’s a hint: try a different recipe!
Way to wet. 0 stars. Can’t do anything with the dough and it was chilled for 8 hours. Garbage recipe.
I’m sorry Amanda, but but it sounds like something definitely went wrong in the preparation. The dough should not be wet at all. Were you able to watch the video of me walking through the recipe step by step?
There doesn’t seem to be a video. Is it because I’m on my phone not a laptop?
You should see it on either device…Click the “jump to video” button on the top of the post, and it will take you there. On mobile the video will show at the top of your phone as you scroll down.
I had this same issue on my phone, and I clicked “Jump to Video”
If it was too wet you did something wrong….mine was very firm after chilling and actually had to warm up a little to roll out well. Cookies turned out perfectly….and look beautiful! The dough should be pretty stiff when done…so you can shape it into a ball before refrigerating. Sounds like you used too much liquid (milk)….or not enough flour.
This is the best recipe ever! My 5 year old twins and I made these today in the shapes of sea creatures. They’re slightly crunchy on the outside and wonderfully perfectly chewy on the inside. Thank you for posting your recipe!
Can you use Maple syrup instead of molasses?
I wouldn’t suggest that. The molasses is what gives the cookies their signature flavor. Molasses is also much thicker than maple syrup!
Can you use Maple syrup instead of molasses, will it taste different ?
In this recipe, Maple syrup is not a good substitute!
Delish! Great flavor and consistency. I did not mix as directed~ just blended the wet ingredients and dry separately and then mixed it all together and turned out perfect.