Name: Soft Gingerbread Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter; 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar; 2 tbsp + 2 tsp molasses; 1 large egg; 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp allspice; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 1/4 tsp salt; 3 cups all-purpose flour (scooped and leveled, plus more for rolling)

These soft gingerbread cookies will be your new favorite holiday treat. Mix up a batch with your kids and enjoy the magic of gingerbread men together.

Sure to be a family favorite, this gingerbread cookie recipe bakes up soft and brings back memories of Grandma’s house.

Why This Recipe

Soft gingerbread cookies always elicit surprise and delight because the typical gingerbread is hard and crunchy and barely edible. Your guests will be so excited to find a new favorite cookie because they had no idea gingerbread could taste so good.

Gingerbread men are an iconic favorite for the holidays and cut-out cookies made from this soft gingerbread cookie recipe will be the star of any party table. With or without decorations, this cookie is a show stopper. Be sure to play this song for your family and friends when you serve these cookies!

These are so much fun to decorate too!

How to Make Soft Gingerbread Cookies

To mix up these cookies, follow our simple step-by-step ingredients spelled out below.

Cream the butter and sugar together.

Add the eggs and other liquid ingredients. Add the spices.

Stir in the flour a little at a time. Roll out cookies and use a floured cookie cutter to cut out shapes.

Set cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake cookies as directed.

That’s it! Your cookies will come together fast and are well worth the effort to roll out.

Ingredients for Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Butter. Use unsalted butter for this recipe. It should be pulled out of the refrigerator a couple of hours ahead so that you have softened butter.

Light Brown Sugar. Pack when measuring.

Molasses. This gives our delicious soft gingerbread cookies a traditional, deep flavor.

Egg. Buy large eggs for baking as this is the size commonly used in recipes.

Cinnamon. Ground.

Allspice. Ground.

Ginger. Ground.

Salt. Finely ground regular table salt. Do not use coarse salt.

All-purpose Flour. Scooped and leveled, plus more for rolling

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together.
Mix in the egg and molasses, scraping down the bowl to make sure its all incorporated.
Stir in the spices and salt with a rubber spatula.
Stir in the flour, one cup at a time, with a spatula.
Only add flour until it pulls away from the side of the bowl in a ball.
Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut into shapes.
Bake for 8-9 minutes.
Let sit 4-5 minutes then place on a cooling rack.

Equipment Needed

Parchment Paper. Lining your cookie sheets makes washing dishes so much easier!
Cookie Sheet. At least one, but a few extra always helps.
Cooling Rack.
Mixing Bowl.
Spatula. Use this to scrape the sides of the bowl.
Measuring cups.
Rolling Pin.
Rolling mat (optional). These mats are great to help you keep from getting dough stuck to your counter. They provide a nice, clean, dry surface for rolling dough.

FAQ

What should I do if my brown sugar has lumps?

If you have any brown sugar lumps, you should crush them up, pull them out or warm it in the microwave for 10 sec at a time until the brown sugar is easy to move.

What do I need to do to make a gingerbread house?

To use this recipe to make a house you’ll need to bake them for 14-16 mins as opposed to 8 min.

Can Soft Gingerbread Cookies Be Kept?

Store at room temp in an airtight container for 7-10 days. You can also freeze these cookies in a freezer-safe plastic baggy and thaw as needed.

Why do my soft gingerbread cookies need four to five minutes on a cooling rack?

Cooling your cookies completely will give them time to firm up so that they are not easily broken. Because this is a soft cookie, they will continue to set once removed from the oven for four to five minutes and should not be stacked on a serving tray until that time has passed.

I don’t have molasses. What should I do?

Molasses is what gives gingerbread cookies that deep, rich, sassy flavor we all know and love. Without malosses, it’s really not a gingerbread cookie any more. I recommend a trip to the store or a few minutes on Amazon should do the trick.

More Great Cookie Recipes

Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies. Use holiday M&Ms to dress up these cookies.

Christmas Meringue Cookies These are so pretty on a holiday table.

Reindeer Cookies. Adorable thematic cookies perfect for Christmas eve or any night in December really.

Hot Chocolate Cookies. Reminiscent of a hot cup, these comfort cookies will bring a smile to every face.

White Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies. A little something different and delicious for your holiday cookie exchange.

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