Soft Gingerbread Swig Sugar Cookies {No Rolling or Cutting Out}
Gingerbread meets sugar cookies in these soft gingerbread sugar cookies with creamy vanilla frosting. So easy (no rolling or cutting out!)
I couldn’t let this holiday season pass without honoring my favorite style of sugar cookies (no rolling! no cutting out!) with a new flavor variation.
As a recap, we already have a:
Now it’s time for a gingerbread version. And wow, these super soft gingerbread sugar cookies are amazing.
They just scream holiday baking!
Easy as Cookie Dough
The dough for these super soft gingerbread sugar cookies comes together quickly. You can use an electric stand mixer or a handheld mixer.
Either way, the dough is pretty basic and super quick to mix together.
A touch of molasses and a smattering of warm, subtle spices gives the dough a fragrant gingerbread flair that smells (and, yes, tastes) amazing.
No Rolling or Cutting Out
These gingerbread sugar cookies are dreamy – not only in taste and texture but also because there is a wonderful lack of cookie cutters and rolling pins.
I’m definitely not opposed to a classic sugar cookie when the need arises.
But there’s something to be said for an equally delicious sugar cookie that can be rolled in your hands and pressed with a sugar-dipped glass in about two seconds.
Bake Them Fast
The key to these gingerbread sugar cookies is to not over bake them. In fact, under baking by just a tad is even better.
Perfectly baked, and they will be soft and velvety in texture.
The gently spiced gingerbread cookie + the creamy vanilla frosting + a little peppermint crunch is one of the yummiest holiday flavor mashups ever.
A Few Variations
If you are skeptical about the peppermint crunch on top, you can leave it off. But. You’ll be missing out a really delightful flavor pairing.
Gingerbread + peppermint is a fantastic combo. I first learned that lesson with one of the oldest cookies on my site (ignore picture, focus on recipe, applaud Mel’s photography progress).
You can dust the tops with freshly grated nutmeg as an alternative to the peppermint, or just leave them alone and let the frosting speak for itself.
Also, in the notes of the recipe, I’m giving a couple ideas for eggnog frosting. I’m thinking gingerbread + eggnog is another flavor profile we must explore together soon. Yes?
I hope you love these soft gingerbread sugar cookies! They are such a unique, beautiful, and delicious holiday cookie.
And another reminder to me that I will never get sick of sugar cookie variations. Never. Ever.
One Year Ago: Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup {Quick and Easy}
Two Years Ago: Gingerbread Cookie Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Three Years Ago: Easy Pecan Pie Bars {+ Chocolate Variation!}
Four Years Ago: One Pot Creamy White Lasagna Chicken Soup
Five Years Ago: Overnight Cinnamon and Sugar Sweet Rolls
Six Years Ago: Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Seven Years Ago: Salty Sweet Granola and Coconut Yogurt
Eight Years Ago: Killer Crunch Brownies
Soft Gingerbread Swig Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup neutral-flavored oil
- ⅔ cup (141 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (38 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- ¼ cup (85 g) unsulphured molasses, not black strap
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (426 g) all-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar for pressing the cookies
Frosting:
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) salted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (see note)
- 3 cups (342 g) powdered sugar
- 1-3 tablespoons milk or cream (see note)
- Crushed peppermints or Andes peppermint crunch baking chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 degrees F for convection bake) and line several half sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl using a handheld electric mixer), add the butter, oil, granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Sprinkle the cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg across the top of the sugars. Mix until well-combined and super creamy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the egg, sour cream, molasses, and vanilla and mix until well-combined, 1-2 minutes, again scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour (see note below) and mix until no dry streaks remain and the mixture is evenly combined; don’t overmix.
- Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon size balls (I use a #40 cookie scoop; you can make them smaller or larger) and roll into balls.
- Place the cookies several inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly spray the bottom of a flat-bottomed glass with cooking spray and dip into granulated sugar. Press each cookie to about 1/4-inch thick. (Repeat dipping the bottom of the glass into sugar as needed.)
- Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes until just set. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Err on the side of under baking just slightly.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting, in a medium bowl (can use a handheld or stand mixer) combine the butter, sour cream and vanilla. Mix until thick and smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and cream, and mix until well-combined and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add additional cream, if needed, to adjust the consistency of the frosting so it is thick but still soft and spreadable.
- Frost the cooled cookies and decorate with crushed peppermints, if desired.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Made these on a whim for a Christmas cookie competition. I was up against some stiff competition but these babies were so good I ended up WINNING by a landslide! The flavors paired so perfectly and they were so soft and delicious! Everyone raved about them, these are a new favorite for sure! Thanks for the big win Mel!
These are so yummy and easy to make!! I increased the spices just a smidge for our own personal taste and added cinnamon to the frosting which paired nicely with the cookies. Will definitely be making these again! 🙂
Unfortunately this was not a winner in my book. My husband tried a cookie hot out of the oven without frosting and said it was not good. With frosting and the peppermint crunch on top it was okay but not excellent. It’s not a very strong ginger cookie either, instead it has a pretty strong molasses flavor. Try one of Mel’s other cookies instead!
I definitely prefer these cookies chilled – so yummy that way! 🙂
Can these be frozen?
Yes! They freeze great as baked cookies and they also freeze great already frosted, too.
New favorite Christmas cookies. We love the combination of these flavors!
These are pretty good – but they need double the spices and much less baking time as they aren’t as big as the original or chocolate Swig cookies on your site. I ended up overbaking the first batch as I was timing them to 8 minutes, which is fine because they were too mild tasting for my liking. BUT – overall a good recipe.
Great recipe – I made soft properly cooked cookies first time, which I’ve never managed before!
A little light on the ginger for my tastes, but my family love them as they are – so I’ve had to promise to only increase the ginger n half of the mixture!
These were delicious! I swapped in “egg replacer” for the egg, vegan butter, and a Tbsp coconut cream for the sour cream to make them egg/dairy free.
They worked beautifully, and will be so fun to munch on as we decorate gingerbread houses. Thanks for another winner, Mel!
On a side note, I was realllllly questioning the 7-8 minute cook time when we took them out at 8 and they just felt like dough. I put them back in for 1 minute then pulled them out although they were still looking underdone. But trusting your all-knowing kitchen wisdom, my daughter and I said “Mel knows all” and we let them cool. They were perfect; thanks for the ALL CAPS reminder to slightly underbake. 🙂 Love your guts — Merry Christmas!
Haha! Sorry to be so bossy! But I’m telling you, these cookies are so much better slightly underbaked! Merry Christmas, Alicia!
These are LIFE. Thank you for such a fun recipe! (I will just caution that the option for grapeseed oil is not neutral and really ruins baked goods, but I DO use it to wash my face and shave my legs with. haha).
Haha. You’re actually right. I took the grapeseed oil out because it doesn’t do well in recipes like this.
Made these they are delicious! I tripled the recipe and made over 100 – 2T cookies. No need to triple the icing double would be plenty. Added the eggnog & rum. Mild spice flavor. Love your recipes – Thank you!
Pretty good. I liked the combo of peppermint + ginger, but they still can’t compete with our go-to gingersnaps.
One note: the peppermint did dissolve and bleed into the frosting, so were I to do these again, I would add it right before eating.