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The Best Soft Gingerbread Cookies Recipe for Holiday Baking

A stack of dark brown, chewy soft gingerbread cookies, one broken open to show the texture.
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You need a reliable recipe for soft gingerbread cookies that hold their shape for cutting and decorating. This easy recipe delivers thick, chewy gingerbread men with rich, warm spice flavor, perfect for your Christmas baking tradition.

Ingredients

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  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For decorating (optional): Royal icing or simple glaze

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Set this dry mixture aside.
  2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Beat in the egg until just combined. Mix in the molasses and vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
  5. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. Chilling helps these soft gingerbread cookies hold their shape.
  6. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use your favorite cookie cutters (like gingerbread men) to cut out shapes.
  8. Place the cut-out cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.
  9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. For the softest cookies, pull them out when the edges are just starting to set but the centers still look slightly soft.
  10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Decorate your chewy gingerbread cookies once they are fully cooled.

Notes

  • To achieve the thickest, softest gingerbread cookies, chill the dough thoroughly. This prevents spreading during baking.
  • If you want to decorate them later, bake them plain and store them in an airtight container. Decorate just before serving.
  • For an extra warm spice flavor, slightly increase the ginger measurement.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://yumdrizzle.com/soft-gingerbread-cookies-recipe-chewy/