Gingerbread Cookies (soft & chewy cutouts)

These soft and chewy Gingerbread Cookies are my favorite gingerbread cut out cookies! Frosted with an easy royal icing, they’re the perfect holiday cookie. I’ve been making these cookies my entire life – and everyone loves them.

The BEST Soft Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

My dad and I both love gingerbread. I cannot get enough of the flavor and texture of these cookies! When I was young, we’d make this recipe every Christmas. I remember going to the cookbook cabinet and sorting through to find the Christmas one that held this recipe. Back then we only had a hand mixer so I remember how, by the 4th cup of flour, mixing would get hard. Usually my dad was called in to help finish up the dough.

I make these gingerbread cookies every year. We normally make sugar cookie cutouts and these because I cannot decide which to make. If you’re wondering how to make chewy gingerbread cookies that are also soft AND keep their shape, this is the recipe for you.

Gingerbread Recipe Ingredients

• Butter: make sure it’s softened to room temperature
• Molasses: I use the regular kind you find at the grocery store – unsulphured or blackstrap molasses.
• Sugar: This recipe uses granulated sugar. I wouldn’t substitute brown sugar; they’re soft enough by design and brown sugar might make them too soft.
• Egg, vanilla, salt: regular cookie ingredients!
• Baking Soda: You’ll need 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda – this makes a lot of cookies.
• Vinegar: the SECRET to soft and chewy gingerbread cookies! This activates the baking soda to keep them nice and soft. Substitute lemon juice if you don’t have white vinegar.
• Flour: All-purpose flour, be sure to spoon and level it into the measuring cup.
• Spices: A teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger and a teaspoon ground cloves.

How to make Gingerbread Cookie Dough

1. Cream butter and sugar: Beat butter, sugar, and molasses in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or very large bowl with a hand mixer) on medium speed until smooth.
2. Add wet ingredients: Mix in the egg, then add the vinegar, baking soda, salt, and spices. Mix until combined (mixture may look a bit curdled, that’s normal.)
3. Add Flour: Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough forms. Divide dough into two or three sections (depending on how much space you have for rolling out).

Hack for Rolling Out Cookie Dough

I roll out my cookie dough before I chill it – between sheets of parchment paper or wax paper – making it easier to roll and removing the mess of using a lightly floured surface.

1. Roll dough: Cut the cookie dough in half or into thirds, like you normally would. Then, sandwich each half between two sheets of Parchment Paper. Roll out the dough to 1/4″ thick using a rolling pin, and use the guidelines on the parchment paper to help with your rectangular shape.
2. Chill the dough: Once you’ve rolled out your cookie dough between the sheets of parchment, cover with plastic wrap and chill it until it’s firm.
3. Cut your shapes: use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out your cookies, re-rolling the dough scraps between the parchment as needed. My favorite shapes are the gingerbread men! NOTE: if your dough is too soft to remove to the cookie sheet, chill the dough first.
4. Before baking: Once you cut your shapes, I like to chill it again because the chances of spread are reduced if you bake these COLD. Plus, baking a cold cookie ensures softness and lessens the likelihood of an overdone cookie.

Royal Icing Recipe

Once cooled, I make a simple royal icing to decorate with. You can definitely use regular sugar cookie frosting, but I love making a simple royal icing. Royal icing comes together fast and dries hard, so you can stack the cookies for giving.

• Powdered Sugar – be sure not to pack it (spoon it into the measuring cup)
• Meringue Powder – powdered egg whites; this is why the icing hardens
• Vanilla Extract – for flavoring (use any extract you like)
• Water – the amount depends on how thick you want your icing

1. Whisk the powdered sugar and meringue powder.
2. Start with 5 tablespoons water and mix on high speed until it’s no longer glossy, then add more water as needed for consistency (whether you plan to pipe, flood, or frost).
3. Mixing will take 7-10 minutes. It’s done when it’s no longer glossy.
4. Pipe or frost as desired!

Other Holiday Favorites

• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Russian Tea Cakes
• I also use this rolling method for my cutout sugar cookies.
• Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
• Peanut Butter Blossoms

Last Updated on February 29, 2024