Here is my favorite gingerbread cookies recipe and one of the most popular Christmas cookie recipes on this website. Soft in the centers, crisp on the edges, perfectly spiced, molasses and brown sugar-sweetened holiday goodness.
Whenever I think of Christmas cookies, gingerbread cookies come to mind first. Well, after Christmas sugar cookies of course! Their spice, their molasses flavor, their SMILES, and their charm are obviously irresistible. Gingerbread cookies, you have my heart.
Key Ingredients in Gingerbread Cookies
The full written recipe is below, but let’s review a few key ingredients here first. Gingerbread cookie recipes all start the same and mine comes from my mom. To her recipe, I add a little more molasses and increase the amount of spice flavors (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice). Because of the added sticky sweetener (molasses), I add a little more flour to help soak it all up. Just like when we are making pinwheel cookies, a bit of extra flour helps the cookies can keep their shape.
- Molasses + spices for flavor
- Egg so the gingerbread cookies have structure and richness
- Brown sugar instead of white granulated sugar. I always use brown sugar when its flavor fits.
How to Make Gingerbread Cookies
Let’s walk through the gingerbread cookie recipe so you feel confident when you begin baking.
Chill the dough: The dough is sticky once it’s all beaten together in your mixing bowl and therefore, it absolutely MUST be chilled for at least 3 hours. Give yourself enough time in the kitchen or make the cookie dough and chill it overnight. You want your cookie dough firm so the cookies hold their shape and you want your cookie dough manageable so you can work with it. You won’t have either unless you have chilled cookie dough!
Wrap up the dough: It’s easiest to wrap the dough in plastic wrap before chilling. Scoop out 1/2 of the prepared cookie dough, plop it onto a long sheet of plastic wrap, wrap it up, and flatten it out into a disc. Repeat with the other 1/2 of dough. Then chill. See that photo above? That’s what you’re doing, but you’ll have 2 discs. Why are you doing this? It’s easier to roll out the chilled cookie dough when it is in a disc shape. Also, the cookie dough chills faster when there is less volume. And it’s just easier to work with smaller portions when rolling/shaping!
Roll it out: After chilling, roll out the chilled cookie dough discs until about 1/4-inch thick. Don’t be afraid to flour your hands, rolling pin, work surface, and everything in the world. By that, I mean: the cookie dough can become sticky as you work. So, don’t be scared to add more flour to the work surface. The flour spots on top of your shaped cookie dough will bake off.
Place the cut-out cookies onto a lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart. The cookies won’t really spread, but you want to make sure they have enough room to breathe. They are gingerbread people, after all. 😉
How to Decorate Gingerbread Cookies
After they’ve baked and cooled, it’s time to decorate the cookies. We’re talking smiles, eyes, bow-ties, buttons, squiggles, whatever your gingerbread cookie loving heart desires. This is when it’s really fun to have a friend or little baker in the kitchen with you. You can use the easy cookie icing or my traditional royal icing recipe, whichever you prefer.
Tint the icing with a couple drops of food coloring to spice things up, too.
Many of the tools I include in my list of favorite cookie decorating supplies will be helpful for decorating these cookies.
It’s difficult not to love this recipe which is why they’re my favorite gingerbread cookies!
- The dough comes together easily
- The flavor is spot on—lots of molasses, ginger, cinnamon, all-spice, and cloves
- The edges are slightly crisp
- The centers are soft and chewy
- They’re so easy to decorate.
Don’t forget the other Christmas classics: Peanut Butter Blossoms and Snowball Cookies. And if you can’t get enough gingerbread flavor, try these chocolate ginger cookies, iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies, gingerbread cookie bars (no dough chilling!), gingerbread cake, and gingerbread waffles next!
PrintGingerbread Cookies
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 four-inch cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: German
Description
This is my favorite gingerbread cookies recipe and it’s also loved by millions. Soft in the centers, crisp on the edges, and perfectly spiced. I played around with the spices a lot and really loved the flavor of these cookies when using a full Tablespoon each of ground ginger and ground cinnamon. Make sure you chill the cookie dough discs for a minimum of 3 hours.
Ingredients
- 3 and 1/2 cups (440g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon ground ginger (yes, 1 full Tablespoon!)
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 10 Tablespoons (2/3 cup; 145g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2/3 cup (160ml; about 200g) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: easy cookie icing or royal icing
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat on medium high speed until combined and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Next, beat in egg and vanilla on high speed for 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. The butter may separate; that’s ok.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and beat on low speed until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick and slightly sticky. Divide dough in half and place each onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap each up tightly and pat down to create a disc shape. Chill discs for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough. I always chill mine overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Remove 1 disc of chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator. Generously flour a work surface, as well as your hands and the rolling pin. Roll out disc until 1/4-inch thick. Tips for rolling—the dough may crack and be crumbly as you roll. What’s helpful is picking it up and rotating it as you go. Additionally, you can use your fingers to help meld the cracking edges back together. The first few rolls are always the hardest since the dough is so stiff, but re-rolling the scraps is much easier. Cut into shapes. Place shapes 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Re-roll dough scraps until all the dough is shaped. Repeat with remaining disc of dough.
- Bake cookies for about 9-10 minutes. If your cookie cutters are smaller than 4 inches, bake for about 8 minutes. If your cookie cutters are larger than 4 inches, bake for about 11 minutes. My oven has hot spots and yours may too—so be sure to rotate the pan once during bake time. Keep in mind that the longer the cookies bake, the harder and crunchier they’ll be. For soft gingerbread cookies, follow my suggested bake times.
- Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Once completely cool, decorate as desired.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Baked and decorated (or not decorated) cookies freeze well – up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough discs (just the dough prepared through step 3) freeze well up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then continue with step 4.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Rolling Pin or Adjustable Rolling Pin | Gingerbread Cookie Cutter | Cooling Rack
- Gingerbread House: This cookie dough is not sturdy enough for gingerbread houses. Here is my gingerbread house recipe.
WHAT HAVE I DONE?
I made these Christmas 2020 while on Covid Lockdown and they were amazing! I love ginger cookies and have never found a recipe that I like until this one. the spice level was awesome and they stayed nice and soft for days! I also used your Favorite Royal Icing and to decorate my gingerbread men and houses…..and they were awesome! I can’t wait to make these again this weekend! Thank you!
Made these last year & turned out perfect. This year my dough is very crumbly when making pucks. Any advice to add moisture when rolling? Thanks!
Hi Keri, a little spritz of cold water will help– just flick a few drops on the dough with your fingers as you roll it out.
I you use sorghum molasses much milder and does very well in this recipe ps I have to get it at farmers markets and orchards with the little stores. . I used the same recipe for over 30 years but this one replaced it last year.
Do the cookies stay soft on the inside if baked and then frozen for 2 weeks?
Yes – we’ve had great success freezing these cookies 🙂
Hi can this recipe be doubled? Thanks!
Hi Rajinder, we recommend making two separate batches. It’s easier to work with less volume of dough at a time.
Hi – love this recipe but am out of all purpose flour – can I use cake flour?
Thanks!!
Hi Anar, we don’t recommend it — the cookies will be too soft and flimsy with cake flour. Best to wait until you can use all-purpose flour here!
This was my first time making gingerbread from scratch and I was very surprised at how well they turned out!! This recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and spice – I will definitely be making these again!
I made these gingerbread cookies last year and will be making them again next week for my Christmas cookie boxes! Such a delicious recipe and easy to make!!
Hi if I make drop cookies with your recipe should I still chill dough? I’m xcited to try recipe
Hi Terrie! This dough is best as a roll-out cookie. For a drop cookie, you can try our soft molasses cookies (my favorite!) or crisp molasses cookies instead.
Delicious!!! I carefully followed your directions because never made gingerbread cookies before, and I surprised myself, they turned out so perfectly and taste so good too. I used your royal icing recipe, again turned out just great. Of course my decorating skills I’d only give 3-4 stars but It was my first try. Thank you for sharing! I’ll be trying more of your recipes!
Is the cookie supposed to be mildly bitter? I made these using the Grandma’s molasses and it is mildly bitter, not horrible but I’m not sure if it’s the molasses I used?
Hi Kate! Molasses definitely has a robust flavor profile, but I wouldn’t say bitter. Grandma’s molasses is the brand we usually use – check to make sure the one you used was the original version that says “unsulphured” on the label.
Hi, how do you prevent cracking?
Hi Sam! Perhaps the flour wasn’t spooned and leveled, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed during the rolling process. Tips for rolling that we’ve always found useful if your dough is crumbly– try picking it up and rotating it as you go. Additionally, you can use your fingers to help meld the cracking edges back together. The first few rolls are always the hardest since the dough is so stiff, but re-rolling the scraps is much easier. Hope this helps for next time!
Sorry, I meant cracking after baking. I used a scale to measure and I had no issues with rolling out. While baking, they started to crack. They taste good, but, it’s not a smooth top. It looks like cracks in a cement floor.
This is a terrific cookie! Thank you! I don’t have access to molasses where I live, so I used golden syrup instead. The taste profile is a bit different, but it a delicious cookie!
No flavor. Bake time much too long—that’s not the case with other recipes in my oven, so I don’t think it’s me. Won’t be baking it again.
These are so good! My daughter and I made them and they were our first attempt at cookie cutter cookies. Our first batch came out perfect thanks to the amazing detail and description you provide to the process! Thank You!!!
What kind of molasses is best for this recipe? I’ve always been scared of using it because of the smell, but I hear light molasses isn’t as bad. Would that be okay to use, or does gingerbread need dark molasses? Thank you!
Hi Skye, we recommend and use regular dark unsulphered molasses. Blackstrap molasses is quite bitter, strong, and extremely dark, so we don’t recommend using that if your family does not like the strong taste. Light molasses should work in a pinch for a lighter flavored and colored cookie. Let us know what you try!
I know it says you can freeze the dough in a ball, then thaw and roll out when you need it. Could you roll the dough out and cut out your desired shapes, freeze on a cookie sheet then transfer to a sealed container and bake from frozen? Thanks!
I can’t see why not!
I’m making these cookies for a xmas party next week. Should i make the dough and leave in fridge for 5 days before cookie cutting and baking? The kids will be decorating them at the party.
Hi Dana, We recommend a max of 3 days in the fridge for this dough!
Can I use whole wheat flour instead of white flour? What if my dough comes out too dry? How should I adjust the recipe?
Hi Janell, The dough may be a little dry if you try whole wheat flour. We would add 1 Tablespoon of water when you add the molasses or increase the butter by 2 Tbsp.
Thanks! I will try that!
Hello! I’m so excited to try these cookies. I was wondering, what would be the difference if you only chilled the discs for 3 hours instead of overnight? I’m on a time crunch and want to make sure that would work. Let me know! Thanks!!
Hi Saige, These will still work if they are chilled for 3 hours!
The only thing I’m missing is ground cloves. Do you think it would make a huge difference omitting it?
Greetings! I really want to try this recipe and I am wondering if I can use salted butter if I omit adding 1/4 tsp salt?
Thank!
Rémy
Hi Remy, Yes absolutely! Enjoy
Anne Sherman ~ here at 89 !! Last year was my first year for making these ginger bread men cookies and I hope I can still make them next year when I will be 90 !! Actually, I send the cookies to my family as Christmas presents. Often, I would not hear from them with other gifts, but raves when cookies arrive. Thanks
Hi Anne, We are so glad your family loves these cookies! We can’t wait to hear from you when you make them again next year!
Hey there. Does it have to be liquid molasses or can it be powdered? What other substitutions can I use in place of the molasses?
Hi Melanie, liquid molasses is what you need for this recipe. It should be quite thick. Unfortunately there isn’t a comparable substitute for molasses that will give the cookies that signature gingerbread taste. Best to wait until you can find molasses to make these gingerbreads.
What measurement would I use if I wanted to use fresh grated ginger?
Hi Rebecca, We haven’t tested it but you should be able to use fresh grated ginger. We are unsure of the exact amount but just remember that fresh ginger isn’t as strong as ground dried ginger so you will need to use more, and you should grate it as finely as possible.
I must try this!
But I must ask, is there a way to make a cake with gingerbread dough mixed in with the batter?
Hi Logan, We have never tried that! We do have many gingerbread flavor cakes though including gingerbread snack cake, gingerbread cupcakes, gingerbread whoopie pies, and chocolate gingerbread bundt cake.
These cookies are terrific– can’t have too much ginger for me!! I was a little concerned that they would only yield 24 cookies, but I used smaller cookie cutters and easily got 5 dozen from the batch. Normally I hate to do cut out cookies but the tips concerning rolling out dough were very helpful and the dough was good to work with. This will be my go-to gingerbread recipe. Many thanks!!!
hi i wanted to ask if you changed the amount to make 5 dozens?
Hi Sally! What molasses can I use? Will blackstrap unsulphered molasses work? Also my family is not a huge fan of overly sweet cookies, so is it possible to cut the sugar and molasses by half? It will be great if I could get your feedback on this.
Hi Veronica, Blackstrap molasses is quite bitter, strong, and extremely dark. We recommend using regular dark unsulphured molasses. The cookies are not overly sweet as written. You can certainly try to reduce the sugar a bit, but keep in mind that sugar is used for moisture and texture so changing the amount may yield different results.
I you use sorghum molasses much milder and does very well in this recipe ps I have to get it at farmers markets and orchards with the little stores. . I used the same recipe for over 30 years but this one replaced it last year.
How could you make these a bit more crispy without burning? I like a crispier cookie 🙂
Hi Quinn, You can certainly try to roll them a bit thinner and add a minute or two to your bake time for a crispier cookie.
Normally I cant stand people who write about how they change recipes but this is a compliment on the recipe’s adaptability! My son has an egg and dairy allergy making baking challenging. In this recipe I put in pumpkin puree instead of egg and a vegan butter and they turned out great! We did thin crisp cookies and thicker chewy cookies. Its great to find a recipe that is so easy to adapt to our needs and no one would know the difference. Thank you!
That’s great, I’m glad i read your comment.. as i always feel bad for my husband when we bake holiday cookies as well because of his allergies. I will be making them with vegan butter this year