Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies are fun and easy to make. Made with a spicy gingerbread dough, they are crisp around the edges and soft in the middle, and make the most perfect cut-out cookies!
Hi! I am just popping in to share this gingerbread cookie recipe with you!
Until this year, I didn't have many holiday cookie recipes on my blog. When I first started my baking blog, I felt a bit weird about making recipes for cookies or holiday bakes that are super nostalgic and not being able to do them justice. 100% a me problem, and something I've overcome, but it took me a long time - I've been running this blog for 7 years now.
Anyway, now i'm deep in the holiday / christmas cookies spirit, and having the best time - top hits include my snickerdoodle recipe, my gingerbread loaf cake, and my easy gingersnap recipe.
I hadn't posted a gingerbread cookie recipe here for the same reason I waited to post my cut out sugar cookie recipe - I wanted it to be just what I wanted, and something that is really worth carving out time during the busy holiday season to make.
So here it is - what is to me, the best gingerbread cookie recipe, perfect for your gingerbread men cookies (or gingerbread people!), cut out gingerbread cookies, and whatever else you might use a classic gingerbread cookie recipe for. A super simple gingerbread cookie dough, and a very versatile gingerbread cookie.
Why I love this Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
I love this easy gingerbread cookie recipe for many reasons, here are some of them:
- Easy to work with dough. I wanted a gingerbread cookie dough that was easy to work with and wasn't going to be a hassle. I feel like so often roll out cookies have a difficult dough to work with, and honestly, I just don't have time for that. We get around this by rolling the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper directly after making it, and it chills that way, so when it comes time to cut it out, you are all ready to go.
- Tastes delicious. I like a pretty spicy gingerbread cookie, but it has to be a good blend of spices. There are quite a few in this recipe, but you can sub them out or mix and match depending on what you have on hand. This recipe uses molasses which gives an amazing depth of flavour too, without making the dough too hard to work with.
- Soft and Chewy gingerbread texture. I prefer my cookies a little on the softer side, with more resistance around the edges. You can bake these gingerbread cookies as much or as little as you like if you prefer them a little more firm.
- Easy to make ahead. I love a recipe which gives options on how to make ahead - whether that be preparing the dough ahead of time, or storing the finished gingerbread cookies in the freezer.
How to make gingerbread cookies
This Gingerbread Cookies recipe does require some chill time, but it is great to make ahead.
- Make the gingerbread cookie dough. I have a separate post on how to make gingerbread cookie dough, which covers spices, ingredients in gingerbread cookies, and all my tips and tricks on rolling out the dough. You can either do this in a stand mixer or with an electric mixer in a large mixing bowl.
- Chill. This gingerbread cookie recipe needs at least two hours of chill time, or this step can be done up to a few days in advance.
- Cut out. Use whatever cutters you feel like to make gingerbread cookies - either something seasonal, or just simple geometric shapes.
- Bake. I prefer soft and chewy gingerbread cookies, so I bake them until they are just done, but you are welcome to change the bake time if you prefer a more crunchy gingerbread.
- Decorate. I ran out of time when I was shooting these gingerbread cookies, but they are amazing decorated with the cookie icing of your choice - I have a full recipe on my website for sugar cookie icing which would be perfect with these gingerbread cookies, particularly the lemon version! It's just a powdered sugar and milk situation, but is so good!
Can gingerbread Cookies be made ahead of time?
This is the same information that is on my sugar cookie post, but it also applies to this gingerbread cookie recipe!
This is a great recipe to make ahead, and you can break up the workload in a number of ways:
- Make the gingerbread cookie dough ahead of time. Gingerbread cookie dough can be made and stored in the fridge in parchment paper for up to three days before you cut out the dough and bake.
- Store the cut-outs in the freezer. Once you have cut out the shapes, you can flash freeze them and store in the freezer, then bake from frozen. See more on this in my how to make sugar cookie dough post.
- Make the cookies in advance and store at room temperature. The baked gingerbread cookies will store up to a week at room temperature in an airtight container, so they can easily be made ahead.
- Freeze the baked cookies. If you want to freeze the baked cookies themselves, you can also do this - I personally prefer them freshly baked, but you can freeze them if you like!
How to freeze gingerbread cookies
Yes - if you want to freeze the baked gingerbread cookies, layer the cooled cookies with parchment paper in an airtight container, then freeze for up to three months. Defrost at room temperature before eating.
How to get a clean cut on gingerbread cookies
Gingerbread cookie dough can be a little finicky to work with, but the best way to mitigate this is to chill your dough. Rolling out the dough while it is warm means that it is easy to roll out, and easy to get a nice even thickness, but then chilling it down means that you get a nice sharp cut out on your cookies and it makes it far easier to work with.
As you are cutting out the gingerbread cookies, if your dough starts to warm up too much or is too hard to work with as it is soft, just pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes or into the freezer for 5 minutes to let it firm up, then remove it and keep cutting.
How to roll out gingerbread cookie dough
I roll out my gingerbread dough between two pieces of parchment paper. I use pre-cut paper (16.5" x 12.25" / 42x32cm), and the dough, rolled to the correct thickness, should fill the space between the two sheets.
I also use rolling pin guides, which are silicone strips which lay down either side of the dough and the rolling pin presses down onto them to help the dough be rolled to an even thickness.
Can I re roll the scraps?
Yes, you can press the scraps of the gingerbread cookie dough together after cutting and re-roll. However, be aware that the more you work the dough and add extra flour, the tougher it will be and you may not get a nice neat surface. I like to use small cookie cutters to cut out little pieces of dough to make the most out of each roll out - they make very good snacks!
For all my tips and tricks on super easy gingerbread dough, check out my post: How to make gingerbread cookie dough
How to tell when gingerbread cookies are baked
Look for the edges and surface of your gingerbread to be set, and just starting to colour around the edges. Remember that they will finish up baking and set up on the cookie sheet as they cool.
Separate the cookies by size on baking sheets if you are making multiple sizes, as smaller cookies bake for less time. I like to check for doneness after 10 minutes for smaller cookies, or 13 minutes for larger cookies.
If you would like your cookies to be on the crisper side, simply increase the baking time - you may want to do a test bake first to find your ideal gingerbread cookie texture.
Best icing for Gingerbread Cookies
There are a bunch of ways you can finish gingerbread cookies - I ran out of time to shoot these all decorated, but if you want a great icing recipe that is perfect for decorating, my sugar cookie icing would work great here. There are a bunch of flavour suggestions in the post too!
Frequently Asked Questions
What tools and equipment do you use?
You can find a full list of the tools and equipment I use on my products page
How many cookies does this gingerbread cookie recipe make?
This recipe makes about 20-30 gingerbread cookies, depending on how big your cutters are. I used a 3" / 75mm cookie cutter to make most of the round ones, along with a slightly smaller round cutter and got about 20 cookies, with one round of re-rolling the dough.
Can this recipe be used to make gingerbread houses?
I haven't tried it sorry, so i'm not too sure. It is definitely something that I want to give a go, but I can't say for certain if this particular gingerbread cookie recipe works for houses as it does puff a teeny bit, but if you baked it for longer and left out the baking soda it might work!
Can I bake two trays at a time?
If you trust your oven, by all means go ahead and bake two trays at once. You will want to switch the trays top and bottom half way through. However I prefer to bake them one tray at a time - you can just store extra cookies in the freezer until you are ready to bake them.
How do you store gingerbread cookies?
The baked gingerbread cookies will store up to a week at room temperature in an airtight container, so they can easily be made ahead.
Can these be made as drop cookies?
No - these are a cut out gingerbread cookie. If you are after a spicy drop cookie (a scoop and bake), check out my ginger molasses cookies, or my thin and crispy gingersnap cookies.
For more easy roll-out cookies, check out:
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Easy Gingerbread Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 20 servings 1x
- Category: cookies
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Description
Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies are fun and easy to make. Made with a spicy gingerbread dough, they are crisp around the edges and soft in the middle, and make the most perfect cut-out cookies!
Ingredients
- 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 150g brown sugar
- 125g molasses (regular or blackstrap work fine)
- 1 large egg (50g without the shell), at room temperature
- 400g all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cardamom
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp allspice
- A few turns of freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, brown sugar, and molasses. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. This step can also be done in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer.
- Add the egg and mix well to combine.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Flour the top lightly and pat gently into a rectangle shape with your hands.
- Top with a second piece of parchment paper, and roll to a thickness of 0.25" / 6mm.
- Transfer the dough, still between the two pieces of parchment paper, to a sheet pan. Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours to allow the dough to firm up, and up to three days ahead.
- When you are ready to bake the gingerbread cookies, preheat the oven to 325°f /165°c with a rack arranged in the middle of the oven. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove the top sheet of parchment paper from the gingerbread dough. Cut out shapes of your choice using the cutters of your choice, and arrange on the prepared baking sheets, leaving a little room for spreading and arranging by size if you are using multiple sizes of cutters - small cut out gingerbread cookies together and larger ones together etc.
- Once you have cut out your cookies, place the baking sheets with the cut out dough on them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm up slightly.
- Re-roll scraps of dough by pressing them together, flouring lightly, then rolling the dough out between two sheets of parchment again. Chill or freeze for 10-15 minutes before cutting out more cookies.
- Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until they are set around the edges and just beginning to go golden. Different sized cookies may need more or less time depending on their size, so check after 12 minutes for doneness.
- Remove the gingerbread cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Notes
If you only have salted butter, that is fine, just omit the salt from the recipe.
For more notes on making gingerbread dough, check out my post on how to make gingerbread cookie dough.
For decoration suggestions and a simple icing recipe, see my sugar cookie icing post.
Comments
Vanessa says
I made this gingerbread cookie recipe today and it was a major WOW. I got comments from all who I gave them to. Perfectly spicy and a bit soft. Keeping this recipe for Christmases to come. Thank you!
Catherine says
Excellent, reliable recipe. I rolled the cookie dough out between two sheets of parchment paper, and didn't end up needing any flour. That made it possible to re-roll the scraps ad infinitum, which is a real asset when your cookie-cutting-assistant cuts two cookies out of the very middle of each rolled out dough (sigh). Delicious, spice-y but not too hot (for kids) flavor, goes perfectly with the recommended 2-ingredient icing (made using lemon juice). I'll be making this one again.
Beck says
Get out your kitchen scale and make this gingerbread! It’s pretty quick, definitely easy and basically foolproof. We couldn’t get enough of it and will 100% be making this again and again and again.
Megan says
Exactly as described and loved by ALL three kids - not an easy feat. Substantial, yet still soft with a nice spice mix. Second batch coming up!
Megan says
These were superb! Used Golden syrup instead of molasses because that's all I had and were still very yummy! I imagine molasses would have enhanced the flavour more but golden syrup was a fine sub.
Sandra says
Just perfect - easy to follow recipe, great taste and texture. This will be our go to Christmas cookie recipe!
Meredith Bubner says
Absolutely thrilled. Recipe gave superb results for big and small biscuits (cookies). Delicious spicy flavour- not too sweet.
The method of chilling rolled dough worked perfectly for me on hot Australian days and enabled me to cook a small batch at a time.
The icing using milk was new to me, but was excellent, flowing extremely smoothly.
Thoroughly recommended.
Kendall says
I tripled this recipe and made a truckload of gingerbread for a gingerbread decorating party with a big group of friends and these were a hit! Not only did they hold their shape well, they were so tasty and left the house smelling like Christmas. Will be using this recipe again next year.
Ashleigh says
This gingerbread recipe is so delicious and so spicy in all the best ways. It’s been the perfect holiday gift accompaniment and I just ate one on Friday that I baked on Sunday and it’s still just as good. They really hold up. I doubled the recipe which was super easy and made 100 cut out cookies.
Sarah says
Fab recipe! Easy to follow and made very tasty gingerbread which held shape when baked. Went perfectly with the simple icing too! My sons loved them!
Erin Clarkson says
Ahhh they look so good!
JJ says
How many degrees to bake the cookies?
Erin Clarkson says
It's in the recipe - step 7
Emma says
Such fabulous cookies. Easy to make and absolutely delicious. Thank you Erin for yet another banging recipe
Natalie says
These are awesome! Love the metric measurements and the double recipe option - super easy to follow. I’ll definitely make these again next Christmas.
Sarah says
Love that it's in grams, it's so much more accurate than cups.
Spice level was spot on and recipe was very easy to follow with my children. I used mixed spice instead of all spice and only refrigerated for like 20 minutes but it still held its shape. I would roll a little thicker next time.
Sarah says
Hi is this baked on fan bake or regular?
Erin Clarkson says
Everything is on regular 🙂
Lucette says
Such an easy and yum recipe with great spice! I made a huge batch of gingerbread men and the recipe was really simple to follow. Thanks so much!
Kate says
I made these for some friends and I love how easy they were! They turned out beautifully. I did some simple white icing on top and they looked lovely.
Nadya Sharif says
Love this recipe so much!! This dough has given me the best cut out cookie results, not too poofy or spread out. I especially love the addition of the cardamom. I have gotten so many compliments on these and the sugar cookies.
I also want to thank you, Erin, for always putting any liquid measurements in grams because it drives me nuts when recipes have it in ml despite everything else in grams.
Ebony says
Made these yesterday as a Christmas treat for a friend and they were simply delightful ! Recipe was super easy to follow and the dough was the perfect consistency. I love that everything is in grams so I can accurately measure out ingredients and I'm also glad your recipe allows for blackstrap molasses because every other recipe I've seen online always specifies not to use it. Will definitely be using this recipe way more in the future ^-^
Brandi says
These are so freaking good. As someone who loves gingerbread flavors but hates a hard cookie, this was everything. Seriously so soft and delicious! My husband said they were his favourite cookie this year.
Sami says
Soft and tasty gingerbread! Easy recipe to follow and ingredients were already in my pantry.
Lisa Gibson says
Loved this recipe! It’s exactly what it claims to be, super easy! I melted some Whittakers white chocolate and did a few of Erin’s easy Xmas designs on them too and they looked awesome. Loads of great feedback from the crew at the gym for the delicious gingerbread post workout treats 😀 highly recommend as a Xmas treat or even as gifts. Thanks Erin, keep the awesome recipes coming!
Ellen Heartlein says
Great recipe! Rolling the dough between parchment sheets ahead of time is a game changer and makes the cut-outs super easy. Will be my go-to gingerbread recipe for sure!
Katy says
I made these twice over the holiday season and had multiple people ask for the recipe both times!
They’re so very well spiced and are very more-ish
Pears says
Are these stamped cookies also made with this recipe ? I never have luck when it comes to stamped recipe. Could never get the designs like yours after baking
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Do you mean the shapes? Yep they are made with the recipe!
Bonnie Sutherland says
Lovely, classic gingerbread cookie recipe. A keeper!
Priya Patel says
Came out perfect, for extra sweetness you can ice them!
Lauren says
I've made these twice this Christmas season, they're a perfect balance of spice (just enough to not scare the little kids off) and the texture melts in your mouth. They're great for a cookie decorating party!
Susan says
Love this recipe. Just cooked it again and decided to roll the dough out and cut it into squares. Lazy solution when my blood pressure won't let me stand for long. Anywway, very happy with the results. Cooked for a little too long but that was my bad judgement nothing else.
Hannah Allan says
The perfect gingerbread biscuits. That have a lovely chewy texture. I was worried with them not holding their shape but they came out of the oven perfect. I was also apprehensive about the amount of ginger but they are perfectly spiced. I just dipped them in a simple glaze and they are so delicious. I will never doubt a cloudy kitchen recipe again. They never fail.