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These classic gingerbread cookies are simple to make and fill my home with festive spice. Soft, flavorful, and perfect for decorating, they’re a holiday favorite for both kids and adults. Great for gifting or sharing at holiday parties!
The Best Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread cookies are such a classic holiday treat, and they never fail to bring that cozy “It’s almost Christmas” vibes. The perfect blend of warm spices—ginger, cinnamon, and cloves—makes my kitchen smell like pure Christmas magic. Whether I’m baking with my son (he is a big boy now!) or prepping for a holiday party, this recipe is always my go-to. It’s super easy, beginner-friendly, and, honestly, foolproof.
The molasses and dark brown sugar give these cookies a deep, rich flavor, and they bake up with a crisp exterior and just a hint of chewiness inside—just the way I like it. I also love getting creative with shapes. Gingerbread men are a must, of course, but stars, trees, and snowflakes? Yes, please!
I’ve got a few tricks for nailing the texture every time, so read on for my helpful tips below. These cookies always end up being a crowd-pleaser, whether you’re munching on them yourself or sharing with friends and family during the festive season. So grab your rolling pin and holiday cookie cutters—it’s gingerbread time!
Looking for more Christmas cookie recipes? Here are a few of my favorites: the best butter cookies, raspberry jam thumbprint cookies, and cute Christmas tree-shaped sugar cookies.
Why Everyone Loves These Cookies
- Rich flavor. Thanks to the molasses and dark brown sugar in the recipe, these gingerbread cookies are totally satisfying with rich flavors.
- Chewy texture. The cookies are crisp outside and chewy inside, giving me a fun texture with every bite.
- Beginner-friendly. This recipe is super easy and foolproof, making it perfect for me as a beginner baker who wants to enjoy the process without any stress.
- Amazing results. Even as a beginner, with my tips, these cookies always come out looking and tasting amazing!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All purpose flour
- Baking soda – make sure your baking soda is fresh! It is the key to getting that perfect texture.
- Ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground cloves -Make sure your ground spices are fresh, as old, bottled spices that have been sitting around for years can lose their flavor and impact the taste of your gingerbread cookies. It’s a great idea to clear out your spice rack and grab new bottles this time of year!
- Black pepper and salt
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar – get dark brown sugar because it has more molasses.
- Egg
- Molasses – I used Grandma’s brand molasses, both original and dark molasses are fine.
- Lemon juice – I used freshly squeezed lemon juice for that extra hint of citrusy freshness.
- Confectioner’s sugar
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.
How To Make Gingerbread Cookies
Step 1: Prepare the royal icing by combining the ingredients until smooth. Add water to thin it out or more sugar to thicken. Set aside.
Step 2: Prepare the cookie dough by whisking together the flour, baking soda, all spices and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Step 3: In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, then add the dark-brown sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Next, mix in the eggs and molasses.
Step 4: Gradually add the flour mixture and combine on low speed until a dough forms. Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Place one-third of the dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to about 1/8 inch (⅓ oz) thick, then use a lightly floured cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Re-form any leftover dough into a ball and roll it out again until you’ve used up all the dough. If your cookies are getting warm, pop them back in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill. Bake until crisp and just set, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 6: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, decorate with royal icing.
Helpful Tips For Home Bakers
- I always make sure to chill my dough for at least an hour before rolling it out. This helps the cookies keep their shape and makes them easier to handle.
- I lightly flour my rolling surface and rolling pin to stop the dough from sticking while I roll it out.
- Ovens can be tricky, so I check my cookies a minute or two before the recommended baking time. They should be crisp around the edges and just set in the middle.
- After baking, I let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack. This helps them firm up and reduces the chance of breakage.
Frequently Asked Questions
These cookies become hard if you overbake them or if the dough is too dry. To keep them soft, make sure to use enough molasses and butter, roll the dough thicker, and take them out of the oven as soon as they’re just set.
Absolutely! You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in an airtight container. Thaw it in the fridge before rolling it out.
Your gingerbread cookies are done when the edges are slightly crisp, and the center is set but still soft. If you gently press the top, it should spring back a bit.
When stored in an airtight container, gingerbread man cookies can last for about two weeks at room temperature.
The cookies are 189 calories per dozen.
What To Serve With Gingerbread Cookies
This dish is best served as dessert. For easy holiday desserts, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
Royal Icing
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar, powdered sugar
Cookie Dough
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, 1.5 sticks, room temperature, softened
- 3/4 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup molasses
Instructions
For the Royal Icing:
- Combine the ingredients until smooth. Add water to thin it out or more sugar to thicken. Set aside.
For the Dough:
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, all spices and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, then add the dark-brown sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Next, mix in the eggs and molasses.
- Gradually add the flour mixture and combine on low speed until a dough forms. Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Place one-third of the dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to about 1/8 inch (⅓ oz) thick, then use a lightly floured cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Re-form any leftover dough into a ball and roll it out again until you’ve used up all the dough. If your cookies are getting warm, pop them back in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill. Bake until crisp and just set, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, decorate with royal icing.
Notes
- I always make sure to chill my dough for at least an hour before rolling it out. This helps the cookies keep their shape and makes them easier to handle.
- I lightly flour my rolling surface and rolling pin to stop the dough from sticking while I roll it out.
- Ovens can be tricky, so I check my cookies a minute or two before the recommended baking time. They should be crisp around the edges and just set in the middle.
- After baking, I let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack. This helps them firm up and reduces the chance of breakage.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very good!
How long can I store these cookies with icing? Will this cookies last for 4 weeks?
Not four weeks, perhaps 2 weeks.
Hi, RasaMalaysia. I followed the recipe, but the texture was crumbly. How do I fix it? Add more liquid? Like milk? Thank you.
Hello. These cookies looks delicious. But I can’t seem to find Mollasses in the supermarket near me. Can I replace it with raw Brown sugar? Or palm sugar?
Thank you.
I think you can use raw brown sugar.