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The Ultimate Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies: Perfectly Spiced Every Time

Close-up of several soft gingerbread cookies piled on a white plate, dusted with powdered sugar; one cookie is broken open showing the soft interior.
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Make the best soft gingerbread cookies for your holiday baking. This easy recipe uses molasses and warm spices to create chewy cookies that stay soft for days, perfect for cutting and decorating.

Ingredients

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  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Set the dry ingredients aside.
  2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix the dough.
  5. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape for cutting.
  6. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes. This recipe works well for cut out gingerbread cookies.
  8. Place the cut-out cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.
  9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. For the softest cookies, bake closer to 8 minutes; they should look slightly underdone in the center.
  10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This step helps them set without becoming hard.
  11. Decorate with your favorite royal icing or a simple maple glaze once completely cool. These homemade gingerbread cookies stay soft for several days.

Notes

  • To keep these cookies soft, avoid overbaking. Pull them out when the edges are set but the center still looks slightly puffy.
  • If you skip chilling, the dough will spread more, resulting in thinner, crisper cookies. For chewy gingerbread cookies, chilling is key.
  • For a richer flavor, use dark molasses instead of light molasses, but be aware it may slightly darken the final cookie color.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://tastethisplate.com/soft-gingerbread-cookies/