Description
These Soft Gingerbread Cookies are a festive favorite, perfect for holiday gatherings or cozy afternoons. Featuring a tender, chewy texture with classic warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, this recipe delivers a rich, molasses-sweetened cookie that’s beautifully complemented by a smooth vanilla icing decorated with colorful sugar sprinkles. Chilling the dough ensures easy rolling and shaped cookies that bake to perfection. Ideal for decorating with family and friends, these gingerbread cookies balance softness and spice in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies:
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ⅔ cup molasses
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Red and green sugar sprinkles
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until evenly combined. Set aside to prepare wet ingredients.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream the softened unsalted butter with packed dark brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. This helps to aerate the dough for softer cookies.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, and molasses to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until all the wet components are fully incorporated, creating a smooth and glossy batter.
- Combine Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing thoroughly after each addition to ensure even incorporation. Continue until the dough forms a consistent, firm mixture.
- Chill Dough: Divide the dough into two large balls. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, flatten into disks, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Chilling the dough is crucial to prevent stickiness and makes rolling easier.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two to three baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and allow even baking.
- Roll and Cut Dough: On a heavily floured surface, roll out each chilled dough disk to about ¼ inch thickness. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Re-roll scraps as needed to maximize cookie yield.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the cookie cutouts about 1 inch apart on the lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-11 minutes, until edges are set and centers appear puffed. Avoid overbaking to keep cookies soft.
- Cool Cookies: Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Prepare Icing: In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk (start with 2 tablespoons and add more if needed), and vanilla extract until smooth. The icing should be thick yet fluid enough for dipping.
- Decorate Cookies: Dip each cooled cookie face down into the icing, allowing excess to drip off. Return cookies to the baking sheet or rack and promptly sprinkle with red and green sugar sprinkles. Let icing set before serving.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. To maintain softness, place a slice of white bread in the container and replace it every couple of days as it hardens.
- Baked and decorated or plain cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Ensure they are well wrapped to prevent freezer burn.
- The unbaked cookie dough discs can be frozen for up to 3 months as well. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling and baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
