The Best Soft Gingerbread Cookies (Easy Recipe for Decorating!)

Oh, my goodness, if there is one smell that truly is Christmas to me, it’s the smell of warm gingerbread cookies baking in the oven.

I can still picture my mother’s old, dented cookie cutter tin. It was full of wonderful shapes, a little star, a snowman, a candy cane, but my hand always went right for the little gingerbread man.

This recipe is the one I’ve perfected over all these years to be just like that cozy memory. It makes the most wonderfully soft and chewy cookies, not the hard, crunchy kind, and they’re perfectly spiced with ginger and cinnamon.

They’re just a joy to make, and they’re the perfect, simple Christmas cookie for an afternoon of decorating with your family. That first warm, spiced bite… well, that’s when the holiday has truly begun for me! 💛

Why You’ll Love This Christmas Cookie Recipe

• Perfectly Soft & Chewy. This is my most important promise! This recipe makes a wonderfully soft and chewy cookie, not the hard, crunchy kind that’s better for building houses with. It’s a cookie you’ll just love to eat!
• Holds Its Shape Beautifully! This is the magic of the recipe! My secret is a good, old-fashioned chill of the dough. This step is not optional, and it’s the #1 trick to making cookies that don’t spread into little blobs in the oven. Your gingerbread men will look perfect!
• Wonderfully Spiced (But Not “Hot”!) This recipe is so cozy and warm. It has lots of wonderful ginger and cinnamon, but it’s not “spicy” or “peppery,” so it’s a christmas baked goods recipe that the whole family (even the little ones!) will just love.
• So Fun to Decorate! This is the best part, isn’t it? These cookies bake up with a lovely, flat surface, making them the perfect “canvas” for all your fun icing and sprinkles. It’s one of the best christmas cookies recipes for a baking day with your family!

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Soft Gingerbread Cookies:

• All-Purpose Flour: 3 cups.
• Baking Soda: 1 teaspoon.
• Our “Cozy” Spices:
  • 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves (This is just a little touch for warmth!)
• Salt: 1/2 teaspoon.
• Unsalted Butter: 3/4 cup (that’s 1 1/2 sticks). It’s very important that it’s softened to room temperature, but not melty!
• Light Brown Sugar: 1/2 cup, packed.
• A Large Egg: Just one, at room temperature.
• Unsulphured Molasses: 1/2 cup.

Ellie’s Tip: Please be sure to use “unsulphured” or “regular” molasses! It’s sweet and has that classic, cozy flavor. Do not use Blackstrap molasses it’s very dark and bitter and will make your cookies taste burnt!

• Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon.

For the Easy, “Ellie-Proof” Royal Icing:

• Powdered Sugar: 2 cups, sifted (this helps get rid of any lumps!).
• Meringue Powder: 1 1/2 tablespoons.

Ellie’s Tip: This is my “no-fail” secret for perfect icing! It’s so much easier and safer than using raw egg whites, and it makes your icing set up perfectly hard and shiny. You can find it in the baking aisle of most craft stores or grocery stores!

• Warm Water: About 3-4 tablespoons.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Part 1: Make the Dough (It’s so easy!)

1. First, let’s get our dry ingredients ready. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together your 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, all those wonderful, cozy spices (ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves), and the 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Set that aside.
2. In a separate large mixing bowl (or your stand mixer), add your 3/4 cup of softened butter and 1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar. Beat them together on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until they’re light and fluffy.
3. Beat in your 1 large egg, 1/2 cup of molasses, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again until it’s all lovely and combined. (It will smell so good already!)
4. On the lowest speed, slowly add your dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix just until the flour disappears and a soft, slightly sticky, dark dough forms.

Part 2: The “Must-Do” Chilling Step!

This is the most important step in the entire recipe!

1. Divide your soft dough into two equal halves. Place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap and pat it down into a flat disk (about 1-inch thick).
2. Wrap the disks up very tightly in the plastic wrap.
3. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

Ellie’s Tip: This is not optional, I promise! This is the #1 secret to cookies that hold their shape and don’t spread into puddles! A cold dough is a happy dough. You can even make the dough and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days!

Part 3: Roll, Cut, and Bake!

1. When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Take one of your cold dough disks from the fridge. (Leave the other one in there!) Place it on a well-floured counter or a floured piece of parchment paper.
3. Roll out the chilled dough until it’s about 1/4-inch thick.
4. Now for the fun part! Use your favorite Christmas cookie cutters to cut out your shapes. Place them about 1-2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Ellie’s Tip (The “Soft” Secret!): The secret to soft gingerbread cookies is to pull them from the oven when they still look a little puffy and soft in the center! The edges should be just set. They will firm up as they cool on the pan but will stay wonderfully soft and chewy!

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (this is when they “set”!) before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Part 4: Make the Icing & Decorate!

1. Once your cookies are all the way cool, you can make your icing.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together your 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons of meringue powder.
3. Add 3 tablespoons of warm water and whisk (or use an electric mixer on low) until it’s smooth and glossy. If it’s too thick, add a tiny bit more water (1/2 teaspoon at a time!).
4. Spoon the icing into a piping bag with a small round tip (or just use a Ziploc-style bag with a tiny corner snipped off!).
5. Now, have fun! Give your gingerbread cookies decorated buttons, smiles, scarves, and squiggles!

Storing Your Christmas Cookies

• To Store: This is so important for your gingerbread cookies decorated! You must let that icing dry completely. I let mine sit out on a wire rack for at least 6-8 hours, or even overnight.Once the icing is perfectly hard and set, you can store your cookies in an airtight container or a cookie tin at room temperature for up to a week. I love to put a little wax paper between the layers! They’ll get even softer and chewier as they sit!
• To Freeze: These cookies freeze beautifully! This is my favorite holiday “lifesaver” tip.
  • You can freeze the dough disks (wrapped very tightly in plastic wrap and then placed in a freezer bag) for up to 3 months! Just thaw the dough in the fridge overnight before you roll it out.
  • You can also freeze the baked, undecorated cookies! Let them cool completely, then store them in a freezer-safe container. When you’re ready, just let them thaw on the counter and decorate!

Common Questions (FAQ)

Do I really have to chill the dough for 3 hours?

Oh, yes! I know it’s so hard to wait, but I promise this is the most important step! This dough is very soft, and chilling is the only way it will be firm enough to roll out and hold its beautiful shape. It’s the #1 secret to perfect gingerbread cookies!

What’s the difference between unsulphured and blackstrap molasses?

This is such a great question! For baking, you always want to use unsulphured (or ‘regular’) molasses. It’s sweet, light, and has that classic, cozy gingerbread flavor. Blackstrap molasses is very dark, thick, and has a strong, bitter taste that will make your cookies taste burnt. Please be sure to check the jar!

My cookies spread and lost their shape! What went wrong?

Oh, this is the most common little hiccup! It’s almost always one of two things:

1. Your dough just wasn’t cold enough. It really does need that full 3 hours (or even overnight!) to get rock-solid.

You might not have used enough flour when you were rolling it out. Be sure your counter and your rolling pin are well-floured!

How long do I have to wait for the icing to dry?

This is so important for gingerbread cookies decorated that you want to stack or share! My meringue powder icing is a lifesaver because it dries much faster than regular icing.

I like to let my cookies sit out on the counter, uncovered, for at least 6-8 hours (or even overnight!) just to be 100% sure the icing is perfectly hard and set before I stack them in a cookie tin.

The Coziest Scent of Christmas

That wonderful, warm smell of these gingerbread cookies baking is just the official start of the holiday season in my home!

These christmas baked goods are so much more than just a cookie. They’re a tradition, a fun afternoon project with your family, and the coziest, most delicious way to fill your home with the scent of Christmas.

I truly hope this soft and simple recipe brings as much joy to your kitchen as it does to mine. It’s the perfect cookie to add to your holiday platter, right alongside my Soft Christmas Thumbprint Cookies and my snowy Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies!

If you make these for your family, please come back and leave me a comment and a rating below! I would just love to hear how your decorating party went!

And, of course, if you want to save this treasured recipe for every holiday to come, please pin it to your favorite board on Pinterest!

Happy baking! 💛

The Best Soft Gingerbread Cookies (Easy Recipe for Decorating!)

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This is truly the best gingerbread cookies recipe! It’s my secret to perfectly soft and chewy cookies that also hold their shape beautifully for decorating (no spreading!). This from-scratch, no-fail recipe has the perfect, cozy blend of ginger, cinnamon, and molasses. It’s my favorite of all our christmas cookies recipes to make with my family!

• Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 30-36

Ingredients

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For the Soft Gingerbread Cookies:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses (do not use blackstrap!)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Easy Royal Icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 tbsp meringue powder
• 3–4 tbsp warm water

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Instructions

1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, all the spices (ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves), and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract until combined.
4. Combine: On low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. (Do not over-mix!)
5. CHILL THE DOUGH (The #1 Secret!): Divide the dough into two halves, press each into a flat 1-inch disk, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight. (This is not optional! It’s the secret to cookies that don’t spread.)
6. Prep: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Roll & Cut: On a well-floured surface, roll out one of the cold dough disks to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes with your favorite cookie cutters. Place them 1-2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
8. Bake (Don’t Over-bake!): Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should look puffy and soft in the center. The edges will be just set. (This is the secret to a soft cookie!)
9. Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (they will “set” here!), then move them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
10. Make the Icing: In a medium bowl, whisk the sifted powdered sugar and meringue powder. 11. Add 3 tablespoons of warm water and beat with an electric mixer on low-medium speed until it’s smooth, glossy, and forms soft peaks (about 2-4 minutes). If it’s too thick, add the last tablespoon of water. 12. Transfer to a piping bag and decorate your cooled cookies! Let the icing dry completely (6-8 hours) before stacking.

Notes

• You Must Chill the Dough!: I can’t say it enough! Chilling the dough for at least 3 hours is the only way to make sure your gingerbread cookies hold their shape and don’t spread!
• Do NOT Over-bake!: The secret to soft gingerbread cookies is to pull them from the oven when they still look a little puffy and soft in the center. They will firm up as they cool.
• Easy Icing Secret: Using meringue powder (find it in the baking aisle!) is my “no-fail” trick for perfect icing that’s safe (no raw eggs!) and dries hard for gingerbread cookies decorated that you can stack and share.
• Molasses Matters: Be sure to use unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap! Blackstrap molasses is very bitter and will change the taste of your cookies.
• Freezing: This dough freezes beautifully! You can freeze the well-wrapped dough disks for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the baked, undecorated cookies!

• Author: Ellie
• Prep Time: 20
• Chill Time: 180
• Cook Time: 10
• Category: Cookies
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American