Ingredients
Scale
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
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, all the spices (ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves), and salt. Set aside.
- 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.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract until combined.
- 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!)
- 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.)
- Prep: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- 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.
- 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!)
- 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.
- 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!
- Prep Time: 20
- Chill Time: 180
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American