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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
The best ginger bread cookie I have ever had.
It will be on my holiday cookie list from now on.
Try it . You will love it.
Can I substitute fresh ginger? I did this in pumpkin pie, and will not go back! Thanks-
I have never tried it – if you do let me know if it works!
Wow what a fantastic bake this was the kids loved making it tastes amazing
This is my favorite recipe. Gonna recommend chilling in the freezer not the fridge though. First time I made these, 30 minutes in the fridge was not enough and I was in tears trying to get the cut out cookies onto the tray because they were so sticky. Gave them another try the next christmas, froze them for 30 instead of chilling in the fridge, no tears at all, super easy to work with. Adore these cookies so im really glad i gave them another try.
I’m looking for a recipe to try. Can I switch molasses to honey?
Thank you!
Natalia
I have never tried honey in these so I am not sure.
Love, love, love this gingerbread cookie recipe. It’s quick, shapes don’t spread, and of course they are delicious!! My 92 year old father says they taste as good as the one his gramma made so many years ago.
Thanks for sharing.
Can I half this recipe? If so do I use half an egg?
I haven’t halved it – but you can either weigh the egg and use half, or probably just use the yolk. Let me know how it works!
This has been my go-to recipe for a few years now and I never even want to try another one! The cookies are so soft and delicious every time! Thank you!
I was wondering if , I can pre make the gingerbread dough and then freeze it for a couple of weeks. This is because we have to buy a new wall oven because ours went caboom ish.
I’m trying to make some of my doughs ahead of time while we wait for the oven . I look forward to hear from you .
Joy
Yes you can! I’ve done that and it works just fine.
Thank you Dorothy
Tip for using half an egg. Scramble the egg first then you can use half.
I always thought my mom’s recipe for gingerbread men was the best. I now stand corrected! This past Christmas of 2020, I just needed to be swept away in the joys of cookie baking to soothe away the crumminess of everything that had transpired last year–namely Covid and the ugliness of the elections! My favorite Christmas cookie of all time has always been the traditional gingerbread men but I could not for the life of me find my mom’s recipe! To make matters worse, my own mother could not find her original recipe! So what’s a gal to do but search Google for the “best gingerbread recipe?” Lo & behold, your recipe was the first one to pop up! And I have to say, YOURS will now be my go-to recipe! (Shhhhh, don’t tell my mother)
And do you want to know why this is now my favorite recipe for gingerbread men?! They really ARE soft & chewy, which is how I prefer my cookies! My mother’s always turned out rock hard and crispy until you frosted them and placed them in Tupperware to bring out that amazingly soft, chewy texture. BUT yours have remained soft & chewy without even having to frost them! I know, it’s a kind of cookie decorating blasphemy not to frost a gingerbread man & give him a little bit of life. But I have to say, I kind of prefer them without the frosting. And my mother-in-law had gifted me with the cutest cookie cutters which actually gave my gingerbread men eyes and a mouth, plus the words “Happy Holidays” across his tummy, so that gave him a little bit of life right there. Today is Jan. 19th and I am STILL enjoying these cookies since I’m the only one in my family who likes gingerbread (I know, they’re crazy, right?!) Oh well–more for me and I can make them last longer! There is absolutely NOTHING better than a gingerbread cookie & coffee in the morning!
Anyway, I know I wrote a short little novella here, but KUDOS to you & your YUM-A-LICIOUS gingerbread recipe. I will be using nothing else for the rest of my Christmases to come! Happy 2021!
I’m so glad you like them! And I love your story 🙂
You’re quite welcome! I’m now on your e-mail list for more recipes. You hooked me with this gingerbread cookie recipe. I look forward to more recipes 😋
This dough was a dream to work with. I made it exactly as said-tastes delicious, nice and soft. A definite keeper-thank you!
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