This Soft Gingerbread Cookie Recipe is tailor-made for Christmas cut-out cookies! Perfect for all holiday gatherings and for gift-giving. And they make a fun decorating activity for kids!
I have a confession to make: we make these chewy gingerbread cookies every single year. Every single year, I take photographs of them and share them on social media. And every single year, I neglect to post them on this blog.
Until now!
What makes this soft gingerbread cookie recipe so special?
At long last, I am finally posting my Soft Gingerbread Cookie Recipe. The kids and I have made a LOT of gingerbread cookies over the years. A. LOT. And this is the recipe that has won out over all other recipes.
Inspired by two different gingerbread cookie recipes from All Recipes and Martha Stewart, I've tweaked how we make these over the years. The recipe I am sharing here is the one we have made the last two or three years. We love it!
These gingerbread cookies aren't the crisp, crunchy kind. This recipe has brown sugar, in addition to granulated white sugar, which makes the cookies soft and chewy. Just the way me and the kids like them (and apparently many of our happy friends & family who have had these!)
They are SO GOOD.
Tools and Equipment
Here's what you'll need to make this soft gingerbread cookie recipe:
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cloves
- Ground ginger
- Ground nutmeg
- Unsalted butter - softened to room temperature
- Brown sugar
- Sugar
- Molasses
- Egg
How to make these soft gingerbread cookies
Whisk together the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices - until well blended.
In a stand mixer, combine softened butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, then add the molasses and egg and mix until combined.
Incorporate the dry ingredients, then form the dough into a disc. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until it is approximately ¼" thick all around.
Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely before icing.
Recipe FAQs
It makes three to four dozen cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutters. Perfect for bringing to any holiday party!
I've found that these shapes are excellent to decorate: trees, gingerbread, people, snowflakes, stockings.
They will stay fresh at room temperature if stored in an airtight container for 3-5 days. You can refrigerate these for about a week, and you can freeze undecorated cookies for up to two months.
Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 4-½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1-½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1-½ tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices - until well blended. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, cream together softened butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the molasses and egg and mix until combined.
- Add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Form dough into a disc and wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator and roll out onto a lightly floured surface. Continue rolling out until dough is approximately ¼" thick all around.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to cooking racks and cooling completely before icing.
Notes
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
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Deanne says
I made 2 batches today ...they will be in the freezer until Wed when I bake them.
Krissy Allori says
This is the best chewy gingerbread cookie recipe!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
Thank you so much, Krissy!
Limitless Allergies says
Looks easy to make, will try
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
They really are! Thank you!
Tracy says
Yay! Thank you for finally sharing! I've seen the on social media and always wondering when we'd see the recipe. Your decorating skills are on point, too!!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
Thanks so much, Tracy!
tayler says
Thanks for the rotating pan recomendation! I never knew about that
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
Of course! It helps a lot! :)
Juli says
These look great! I am going to have to make these with my kids today!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
Yay! I hope you like them!