This recipe for 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.
Cutout gingerbread cookies are a holiday classic and a family favorite.
Be sure to check out all of our Classic Christmas Cookie recipes.
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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.
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
How to Make Soft Gingerbread Cookies
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 ¼ inch thickness.
- Cut into shapes.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes.
- Let sit 4-5 minutes then place on a cooling rack.
Combine all spices into a large bowl and mix thoroughly into lean ground beef
Form into ball shape with your hands
Press into patties on the tray
Place into oven at 350 fahrenheit
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.
Recipe FAQs
More Great Cookie Recipes
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.
📖 Recipe
Soft Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter
- ¾ cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon molasses
- 1 large egg
- 2 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour scooped and leveled, plus more for rolling
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 ¼ inch thickness.
- Cut into shapes.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes.
- Let sit 4-5 minutes then place on a cooling rack.
Nutrition
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Tamara
I ADORE soft gingerbread cookies. They are the best. Crispy ones are good too, but these are my first choice.