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. For something even easier, you can decorate the gingerbread cookies with cookie decorating buttercream, and feel free to add a little cinnamon to it for extra spice flavor.
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. For more inspiration, here is my full tutorial on how to decorate sugar cookies (video included!).
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 gingerbread blossoms, chocolate ginger cookies, gingerbread latte cookies, iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies, gingerbread cookie bars (no dough chilling!), gingerbread cake, gingerbread cinnamon rolls, and gingerbread waffles next!
Gingerbread 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 (142g) 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, royal icing, or cookie buttercream
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?
Reader Comments and Reviews
I just baked these for the first time and they look great! I was wondering which size piping tip you used. Thanks for all the awesome recipes!
Hi Cassie! We usually use Wilton tip #4.
Hi there! The molasses in my pantry currently is labeled unsulphured, but it does say it’s blackstrap molasses. Would this still be a no go for this recipe?
Hi Kallie! The flavor of blackstrap molasses can be quite intense, which is why we advise against it.
Can I include chopped candied ginger in this recipe and if so how much?
Definitely! Make sure it’s finely chopped. We would add 1-2 Tbsp.
Would a tablespoon of chopped candied ginger work in this with the ground ginger?
Definitely! Make sure it’s finely chopped.
About to make the cookies and don’t have enough brown sugar.. can I use regular granulated sugar instead?
Hi Paula! We would use the rest of the brown sugar you have and make up the difference with white sugar.
Would this be a good recipe for molded (silicone) cookies, which are thicker with lots of detail?
Hi Kim, we haven’t tried it, so are unsure of the result. If you decide to try it, please let us know how they turn out!
Can I use fresh grated ginger? If so what is measurement?
Thank you!
Hi Katie, 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.
This is the best recipe for gingerbread cookies. My husband hates gingerbread, but he is devouring these.
Hello 🙂 I’m about to gingerbread men today and would love to use your recipe but it needs to be dairy free. Can I substitute the butter for a non-dairy spread like Nuttelex Buttery? Thanks!
Hi Angelica, we haven’t tested this repipe with vegan butter, but let us know if you do.
Another question, in your prelude, you mention adding extras to your mom’s recipe…are those extras already reflected in the ingredient list for this recipe?
Hi Sherry, yes!
Can this recipe be doubled?
Hi Sherry, We recommend making two separate batches. It’s easier to work with less volume of dough at a time.
That’s what I’ll do then…thanks for your quick reply!
Hi, can I use grape molasses?
Hi Marie, Grape molasses has a different flavor so we wouldn’t recommend it here.
Is it okay to refrigerate the dough for a day or two?
Hi Hunter, You can chill this dough for up to 3 days.
Loved it! I made both a Gluten Free batch and a regular batch. I iced them with my royal icing recipe and they turned out fantastic. Also made them with margarine (as I usually bake cookies with it!) and it still worked perfectly. SO SOFT, so chewy, absolutely scrumptious. I also made them as gingerbread moose! Too cute.
This recipe is my Christmas go too! Its delicious, easy, and addicting! I have experimented with the recipe a little over the years, and found that I like to add a little extra molasses to give the dough a bit more softness. I also only bake for 8 min @350. Overall a lovely recipe that I have shared with many!!
Wanted to pass along a tip. Instead of chilling the whole disc of dough, I roll it out to the correct thickness and place it on parchment in half sheet trays, then into the fridge. When it’s firm, take out the already rolled dough and cut out the cookies. Chills faster that way too, and you can use the same parchment to bake them.
Love the taste and texture but for me the dough spread A LOT (my cutters are 3.5″ high and the height after baking is 4″. I made the dough and let sit overnight. Not sure why it’s spreading when the recipe said it wouldn’t spread much, any thoughts? The taste is delicious!
Hi Kimberly, thank you for giving these a try! We’re glad you enjoyed them. If you had troubles with the cookies spreading and the dough being a bit too soft, it sounds like your butter may have been a bit too warm. Here’s more about what room temperature butter really means, as well as our best tips to prevent cookies from spreading. Hope this is helpful!
Thank you for the tip. Maybe that’s what the trouble was. I’ll try again sometime with not as soft butter. The taste is awesome! First time making gingerbread so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Thank you for getting back to me!
Can the discs stay in fridge for a couple days . Btw you are my go to for all recipes
Hi Lise, Tightly wrapped unbaked cookie dough discs can stay in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
Holy cow these were fantastic! I’m not a big cookie person but I could polish off a dozen of these. They just became a holiday tradition! Thank you so much for the recipe and the well written instructions!
Love the recipe but can I press the dough into my silicone gingerbread man mold? If not what adjustment could be made to your recipe so I could do this. Thanks.
Hi Linda, we have never tried baking these cookies in molds but it should work. Let us know if you give it a try!
I made this recipe last year for the first time and now multiple times this year. They taste great. I love how they aren’t hard and still soft days later. My go to recipe now.
I started making these in 2020! Now I make a triple batch and they are a staple in my cookie boxes
So glad you love them, Morgan!
Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter?
Hi Wendy, if using salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
I have made these for several years, and they always taste really good. I do have a question though. It says that we can freeze if we want after the 3rd step. Can we cut out the cookies and freeze them instead of the discs? Thank you.
Hi Hope, can’t see why not!
Hi, I was wondering if this recipe would work using treacle instead of the molasses? Thanks
Hi Becca, Molasses is key to that signature gingerbread taste, but some readers have swapped treacle or golden syrup in its place. The flavor profile will be a bit different. Let us know if you try it!
Have been making these cookies for 4 years and they turn out perfect every time! Everyone I gift these to say they are so delicious! Thank-you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much for this glowing review, Druanne! These are definitely a favorite cookie.
I’ve come to trust Sally’s recipes and this is a good one. The texture is a cross between a ginger snap and a cake like sugar cookie. The flavor is big and yummy. Not the right recipe for building things or making tree ornaments. These are for eating. Ho ho ho.
Says the dough should feel sticky??? Followed this recipe to a T and the dough is crumbly. This is the 2nd batch. 1st was another 5 star site, again followed to the exact recipe, same thing??? What is going on???
Hi Sherry! Does the dough seem too dry? How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
Came out perfect. So easy & so delicious. Substituted the ground cloves with ground nutmeg. Thanks for sharing
I made this recipe at my mother-in-law’s house and decorated the cookies with my little niece and my kids. The recipe is delicious! I under-chilled at 1.5 hours and under-baked them at 5 minutes because I like them a little chewy, and they still came out perfect. I haven’t had homemade gingerbread cookies since I was about ten years old, and this was so nostalgic for me!
We’re so glad you enjoyed these cookies, M Randall! Thanks for giving them a try.