This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.
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
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Whisk the powdered sugar and meringue powder.
- 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).
- Mixing will take 7-10 minutes. It’s done when it’s no longer glossy.
- Pipe or frost as desired!
Tip From Dorothy
Expert Tips
- You can also freeze the dough once it’s rolled out or in balls. Allow it to thaw before rolling.
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to a month.
- Don’t feel like making Royal Icing? Make sugar cookie icing or use my buttercream for cookies recipe.
- This will be one of your favorite Christmas Cookie recipes I promise!
FAQs
The dough is a sticky dough, so make sure to chill the rolled out sheets until they are hard (they shouldn’t move if you pick them up). I use a spatula sometimes to help me release them up from the parchment paper. If you’re still having trouble, cut your cookies then chill again, then try moving them.
Yes you can use any vinegar (or lemon juice) instead of white distilled. But don’t use red wine or balsamic – you don’t want to taste it.
As long as you follow the recipe you shouldn’t have this problem: be sure to chill the cookies before baking and to measure the ingredients correctly.
Chewy & Soft Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (237ml) molasses
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 5 Cups (620g) All purpose flour Sifted
For the frosting:
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 4 cups (452g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons water
Instructions
Make the cookies:
- Beat butter, sugar, and molasses in a stand mixer (or very large bowl with a hand mixer) until smooth. 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.)
- Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough forms. Divide dough into two sections.
- Lay out a sheet of Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper with SmartGrid on your work surface. Add half the cookie dough and add a second sheet of parchment paper on the top. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/4″ thick, in between the pieces of parchment. Periodically, gently lift the parchment off the layer to make sure it’s not sticking. Repeat with second half of dough.
- Chill the rolled out dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two cookie sheets with Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper with SmartGrid. Cut shapes from chilled dough, placing on the prepared pans. Chill another 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on cookie size. Re-roll any scraps of dough and re-chill and repeat.
- Cool cookies completely before frosting.
Make the frosting:
- While cookies are cooling, make the frosting. Add meringue powder, powdered sugar, vanilla, and water to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until peaks form and it’s lost it’s glossy sheen, about 7-10 minutes. Add a bit more water as needed for piping consistency.
- At this point you can color the frosting if you want, using food coloring. Frost cookies and top with sprinkles. (I used a small piping tip in a disposable pastry bag.) Let set for at least an hour before stacking.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Recipe Nutrition
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
This post was sponsored by Reynolds Kitchens in 2018; I know you’ll love the simple hack for rolling out the cookies I do with their parchment paper.
I absolutely love this parchment paper because it comes with a SmartGrid to help you with placement and it also helps you cut the paper to fit your baking sheet. I use parchment paper because it offers a non-stick cooking surface and easy clean-up, but the SmartGrid is a major added bonus. Plus: you can reuse this parchment paper up to three times, reducing waste, and it’s compostable. You can bake ALL your gingerbread cookies on two cookie sheets, easy peasy.
Last Updated on February 29, 2024
We just made these and they are the BEST gingerbread cookies I have probably ever eaten! So yummy! We loved how soft they are, and they held their shape beautifully. And I loved the roll out tip using parchment paper, definitely using that more often! Thank you!!
Perfect softness. Perfect taste! The 1/4″ thickness of the dough is important; too thin and the cookie comes out crispy- too thick and it becomes a more cake-like texture.
The trick with the parchment paper and rolling pin saves on both muscle and mess.
The texture of these cookies is PERFECT especially if you stick to the recommended 1/4” rolling thickness. I did increase the spices A LOT. I used about 1 Tbps powdered ginger, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1tsp allspice, 1 tsp turmeric, etc. and they still came out pretty mild. I don’t think the spices called for in the recipe would be enough to flavor adequately. Thats the only reason for 4 stars. Xoxo
By far the best and easiest gingerbread cookies I have ever made. I made these for a community function but me, my kids and husband ate every one! I had to bake more, which was easy and made my house smell so delicious! They are so soft but still stable for decorating. Definitely stick to 1/4! This is the only recipe I will use for now on.
I want to bake these for my students next week! Can I double the recipe?
The dough tastes good, so the cookies will probably taste good. But my god, the dough is way too sticky! Half an hour to chill? Lol. No. I couldn’t get the dough off the parchment paper, nor could I lift the shapes I cut without destroying them. I was so excited to have these for a themed party, and now I’m just going to have to make regular round cookies. I hope they bake okay, because I used up the last of my parchment paper trying this technique.
Did you follow my directions for lifting the wax paper during rolling, and did you chill them? If the dough is chilled properly they won’t stick.
I’ve been making gingerbread/cutout cookies for over 30 years and these cookies are the BEST ever – hands down!!! They have amazing flavor and are so soft and chewy on the inside as touted by all of our family and friends who couldn’t stop eating them. I use the recipe to make varying sizes of gingerbread men throughout the year with chocolate chip morsels for decorations as eyes and belly buttons. I’m very happy to have stumbled upon this recipe – thanks!
This was my first time baking gingerbread cookies. The recipe was easy to follow and the cookies turned out delicious. I poured myself a big glass of milk, dipped in a perfectly cut gingerbread man and savored every moment!
These were so easy and so tasty. Seriously the only ginger cookie recipe I will use from now on! And the rolling technique is a life changer.
Made these over the weekend with my daughter. They were the soft gingerbread I was hoping for, without being too unstable. My biggest tip would be to stick to the 1/4″ thickness that the recipe calls for. I have a tendency to try and squeeze every last ounce out of things, so I rolled my first rectangle thinner than 1/4″. Those cookies came out thin and crispy, not at all soft. I let my daughter play with rolling and cutting cookies from the scraps and she did some super thick cuts (~1/2″) that I baked just for the heck of it. Those cookies were SO fluffy and soft and wonderful. They were a *little* more prone to breaking if they were large cookies, but overall still pretty stable… Next time around, I will definitely go for 1/4″ or thicker cuts, the fluffier cookies are to die for.
Also, are there really 63g of fat in a single cookie??? I’m thinking the nutrition estimates must be for the whole recipe, right?
These are AMAZING! I didn’t make this glaze or icing but the cookies are DELICIOUS! They are so soft even after three days. I cannot stop eating them!
Featured In
Rate This Recipe