Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
These thick and chewy cutout gingerbread cookies have an intense gingerbread flavor with a delicious and surprising soft chewiness.
Gingerbread is a classic holiday flavor. I love it. But I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of thin and crispy gingerbread cookies. I much prefer gingerbread cookie similar in texture to a really good, soft and chewy sugar cookie.
This recipe fits the bill. These cookies are packed with gingerbread flavor but the texture has a delicious and surprising soft chewiness that is unique for gingerbread and absolutely delicious.
Making Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
The dough comes together quickly, but in a bit of an unusual manner. In this recipe the dry ingredients are actually mixed together first:
- flour
- brown sugar
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- ginger
- cloves
- salt
And then the butter is added and mixed in until there are tiny pieces of butter throughout (similar to pie crust). Once the molasses and milk is mixed in, it comes together like soft gingerbread cookie dough.
There are no eggs in the recipe (it’s not a mistake!). They are egg-free and delicious.
Chill the Dough
It is essential to chill the dough so the cookies will hold their shape when baked.
Split the dough in half, roll each piece out about 1/4-inch thick on a piece of parchment paper, and then stack the dough on a baking sheet and refrigerate for a couple hours or freeze for 15-20 minutes.
Cut gingerbread people shapes out of the chilled dough. Or, if you don’t want to go the gingerbread people route, the dough can be cut into circles with a round cookie cutter (or really any other shape).
Don’t over bake!
The gingerbread cookies only bake for 8-9 minutes, and since we’re going for a soft and chewy cookie here, we definitely don’t want to over bake the cookies!
The Best Icing For Decorating Gingerbread Cookies
These soft cutout gingerbread cookies are delicious without any icing or frosting.
But, how can you resist putting a few smiley faces (er, or other funny emoji faces) on a gingerbread person cookie?
I use a simple icing for these gingerbread cookies. Once piped, it sets enough that you can stack a few cookies, but it doesn’t harden as much as royal icing (which is why I like it).
Gingerbread cookie icing: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 tablespoon corn syrup, a splash of vanilla and a pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth. Add more milk (just a few drops at a time) if the frosting is too thick. It should be thick but still able to be spread or piped.
The texture of these soft cutout gingerbread cookies is amazing. Soft and chewy, they beat out thin and crispy gingerbread cookies all the way, in my opinion.
They are one of my favorite holiday cookies, and friends and family always rave at how good they are.
I promise they’re worth the mildly bothersome rolling and chilling step. (Maybe it’s just me, but I’m lazy and I hate chilling cookie dough.) Truly, they are one of the best gingerbread cookies ever!
FAQs for Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
I always use salted butter.
Yes. They stay soft for several days if kept in a well-covered container. The baked cookies can also be frozen.
I use a simple frosting that’s easy to mix together: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 tablespoon corn syrup, a splash of vanilla and a pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth. Add more milk (just a few drops at a time) if the frosting is too thick. It should be thick but still able to be spread or piped.
Yes! These cookies are meant to be soft and chewy, not crisp like a traditional gingerbread cutout cookie.
I use unsulphured molasses. Blackstrap molasses usually has a darker appearance and a stronger flavor.
The recipe is correct – these cookies are egg-free.
Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups (426 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (159 g) packed dark or light brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (248 g) unsulphured molasses (not black strap)
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- With an electric mixer (stand or handheld), stir together the flour, brown sugar, soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Add the butter and mix at medium-low speed until the mixture is sandy and resembles fine meal, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the molasses and milk, and mix on low speed until the dough is evenly combined, 30-45 seconds.
- Scrape the dough onto a work surface and divide it in half. Working with one portion at a time, roll or press the dough ¼-inch thick between 2 large sheets of parchment paper. Leaving the dough sandwiched between the parchment paper, stack the dough on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, 15 to 20 minutes. (Or refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or overnight.)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove one dough sheet from the freezer or refrigerator and place on the counter. Peel off the top parchment paper. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into gingerbread people (or you can use a round cutter to cut circle cookies). Work quickly; the dough softens and can be harder to work with the longer it's out of the refrigerator.
- Transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheets, spacing about an inch apart. You can use a thin metal spatula to help transfer the cookies to the baking sheets. If the dough is sticking and hard to peel up after cutting into shapes, pop the tray back in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Repeat with the remaining dough until the baking sheets are full. Because flour is not added during rolling, dough scraps can be rolled and cut as many times as necessary.
- Bake the cookies until just set, about 8 to 9 minutes. Don't overbake! Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Frost or pipe, as desired (see notes for the frosting recipe I use).
- Store the gingerbread cookies at room temperature or in the refrigerator in a covered container.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from The New Best Recipe Cookbook by ATK
Recipe originally posted December 2009; updated November 2021 with new photos, recipe updates, etc.
These cookies. I have no words. They’re amazing! So good in fact, I must have missed the memo that gingerbread is only for Xmas (cause I just baked another batch the other night). And can I tell you a secret? When my husband and kids aren’t looking, I totally sandwich vanilla ice cream between two cookies. Whoa. If they knew what mom was doing those cookies would be gone in a heartbeat!
As always, thanks so much from Canada!
Sonya 🙂
Sonya – you sound like me; known to do crazy things like putting ice cream in between two cookies when no one is looking. 🙂 Glad you loved these!
As I started making these my husband (aka Cookie Monster) said ‘just so you know I’m not a huge fan of gingerbread’- well after they came out of the oven he had a change if heart, ‘you can make those again anytime!’ So they have all been devoured and I’m doubling it for the Christmas batch! Thanks for the recipe.
Suzanne, I too was worried about so much molasses, and about so much spice. This was my first gingerbread making experience, but I could not be happier with the result! Not too strong flavored, good and chewy. Great recipe, Melanie!
The bottle doesn’t say blackstrap molasses, it just says Wholesome Sweeteners organic molasses unsulphured.
Thats the kind i used and its actually made with blackstrap molasses. It says it in the ingredient list.
Hi Mel! I’m wondering if my particular type/brand of molasses is extra strong b/c I made the same chewy gingersnaps my sister made and hers turned out much lighter in color and less molasses tasting. Accordingly, I’m worried about using the full amount of molasses in these cookies, but really want to try them, do you know if it would affect the cookies much if I dialed back the amount of molasses and if I should add something in it’s place?
Suzanne – are you using blackstrap molasses? That kind will definitely have a darker appearance and much stronger flavor. I usually use plain old unsulphured molasses.
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I have been trying to find the perfect soft gingerbread recipe. It’s our family tradition to gather around and decorate gingerbread men. Ill let you know how they turn out. I usually use Grandma’s brand molasses is this ok?
That’s the same brand I use!
Hi Mel! I tried these today and I don’t think they were cold enough. I’m going to try them again tomorrow. Do you have a recipe for your simple white icing? Thanks! Laura
Hi Laura – I just mix powdered sugar with a bit of milk until it is thick but still able to pipe out of the corner of a ziploc bag without running all over the place. Sometimes I add a touch of vanilla, too.
Just wanted to say thanks for posting both your gingerbread recipes! My daughter has an egg allergy, so we’re always on the look out for new yummy Christmas treats to make. I’m sure they’ll become family favorites along with your other great recipes that I’ve tried!
I absolutely love these cookies. I make them every christmas to put in my gift baskets.
They are the perfect gingerbread cookie!
I just wanted to say how much I appreciate this recipe, I made them for the first time almost a year ago. Before I made these, I never had any luck making rolled cookies. But these are phenomenal, my children love them and I have been making them all year (it seems in our house gingerbread men are just as delicious in July!). I am making another batch today. Just recently I started doing before and after school childcare for a fellow mom I know and there has been a little tension in this busy house! Gingerbread men to the rescue (and to put a smile on four little faces)
You may have ended my search for an egg-less gingerbread cookie recipe. I have fond memories of cooking class in junior high school making an egg-less dough….then taste testing it before baking. I only wish I had made digital copies of all the recipes I got from my teacher Miss Munzer. I am still on the search for the clover rolls recipe. They were so good!! Now have to search for molasses in Japan.
We wanted to make these for an evening treat, and I was not about to leave them in the fridge overnight, so I’m glad to know the freezer trick. I wonder if that would work for sugar cookies. ? These are super yummy straight out of the oven and good cold too. My father-in-law loves gingerbread; I think I might move up to favorite d-i-l status if I make these for Christmas!
Made these last night with my granddaughter and daughter. They turned out soo good.. I rolled them out a little thicker and put the dough in the frig overnight rolled out between the parchment paper. LOVE THIS!!!
Stacy – I’ve never tried them that way but it’s worth an attempt. I don’t know how they’ll spread/flatten as they bake so I’d start with smaller-sized dough balls.
My family loves the hard crispy Peparkakor gingerbread men, I love a chewy cookie but don’t want to go the effort of making another cutout, could you just roll this dough into balls, maybe then in some sugar and bake? Would they turn out the same?
Hmmm…made these cookies 2 days ago….they were gone by that night (hey, I didn’t eat them ALL…I have four growing boys in this house!)….so I’m making more today…except it will be a double batch!! My husband can’t stop talking about them, and he’s like me, could care less about gingerbread before!! They ARE that amazing!! 🙂
Thanks Mel!!
Best eaten within one week – are you kidding me? These will certainly disappear the minutes they hit the serving plate! Can’t wait to make them….
These cookies are fabulous!! I’m not a gingerbread fan…NORMALLY….but these, well, I ate three before they were even decorated!! My 11 yr old is decorating them as I write this…and I’m enjoying a cup of hot tea, eating ANOTHER cookie, and relaxing!! Thanks Mel!!!
Tristan – I do, actually! We make these gingerbread sleds every year and the dough is great for gingerbread houses:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2007/12/gingerbread-sleds.html
Mel,
Do you have a recipe for gingerbread house-worthy cookie dough? My daughter needs to make one for school and I would much rather log some quality kitchen time then buy something pre-made! Thanks so much for any help- Tristan
I made a big batch of this dough a few days ago and froze it in the rolled out sheets like you suggested and then covered the whole tray in seran wrap so it would stay fresh through the week. Worked like a charm. The cookies were baked today and they are OH SO TASTY! I’d definitely err on the thicker side when rolling out the dough to make it easier to cut and transfer to the tray. I also would only bake mine for about 7 minutes.
And yes, I’m making gingerbread men cookies in September… they are for my kids Candy Land birthday party this coming weekend and of course, we had to have gingerbread men to decorate! 🙂 Thanks for another great go-to recipe!
Okay, so I made these and they were a hit! Wowzers, they blew my socks off. I love that they were so soft and not too spicy. Best recipe for gingerbread ever!!!! Thanks!
Andrea – high praise! I’m so glad you loved these!
I’ve made the dough and am going to bake these with my girlfriends tomorrow morning! Yay for Christmas and yay for delicious gingerbread men recipes posted by Melanie! Merry Christmas!!
Sara – I love this idea of sandwiching the cookies together! Thanks for letting me know that you liked this recipe.
Ruby – oat flour? Wonderful idea. Thank you for letting me know you liked these!
Just an FYI, I used gluten free oat flour for the all purpose and it worked very very well. No gums or other weird ingredients. No one could tell they were gluten free. I did weigh my flour and use potato starch for rolling. Great recipe for those gluten free!
That’s awesome! Thanks for the update!
I made these and substituted 1/4 cup flour for oat flour and they turned out soooo chewey. Thanks for the recipe!
Karin – I’m so glad these cookies were a hit. Thank you so much for letting me know! I’m glad they turned out perfectly.
Just wanted to let you know that I tried these and they were delicious. I am never happy with how my cookies turn out-it’s very sad. These were easy to work with and turn out perfect.
I think I’m going to try making these later, mine came out hard and crunchy. I like chewy cookies better so I can’t wait to give these a try.
Definitely coming back to look at more cookie recipes later.
thanks
Email from my Aunt Marilyn:…..loved the ginger bread cookies! of course I had to make them in the last 30 minutes I had left before I had to be out the door. They were delicious.
Kandi V – I’m sorry these didn’t work out for you. If you haven’t thrown away the dough yet, just freeze or refrigerate again. My guess is that the dough wasn’t cold enough to cut the dough. If you refrigerated the dough, try freezing it next time. The dough needs to be quite firm to cut out into shapes. Good luck!
I was excited to make these, and my kids were excited to eat them. So imagine my dissappointment when I pulled them out of the fridge and they were too soft to be cut! They fell apart as I slid my spatula underneath to lift them! We are bummed! Any ides on what happened? Thanks!
Don’t you just love gingerbread cutouts. I think of all the Christmas cookies, this is one that defines the season. They are adorable!
Leslie, you are correct, there are no eggs.
Pat – haha, very funny!
Jenni and Christian – these cookies are definitely too soft for gingerbread houses. If you want a fantastic recipe for gingerbread houses (or sleds like we make in our house), email me at mykitchencafe at gmail dot com and I’ll send you my tried-and-true recipe.
This looks delicious. I have discovered the joys of ginger in cookies and cakes.
I am so excited! I lost my old recipe that I loved and have been sad that other recipes were not so great. Am I reading it right that there are no eggs?
I want to make gender-neutral gingerpeople cookies for the local ACLU holiday party. These will be great! I don’t suppose you have a recipe for feminist frosting?
would these be good in shapes to make gingerbread houses too.. or are they too soft for that?
Wow–I needed this recipe!! The gingerbread I have tried in the past has been dissapointing! Fun–I love your sugar rush! Merry Christmas Mel!
I had this bookmarked in my cookbook at home for when my nephew comes over to make gingerbread men. Looks delicious!
Oh Sugar Rush! Bring it on, baby! These Sound wonderful. I’m with you on the hard crunchy cookies, not for me. I’m taking dinner to a friend tonight, this just might be the treat!
I love gingerbread men and decorating them. Mine always turn out too hard. I’ll have to try these! They look sooo good!
These sound divine! I have all the ingredients…sounds like a good afternoon kid activity!
i always eat the limbs first, then the head, then the body, unless the head has the most glaze, and then i save it for last. 🙂
Mmm, gingerbread cookies are one of my favorite Christmas cookies because that’s the only time I make them!
These will be perfect for my kids to decorate and take to their friends. I was going to have them take sugar cookies, but these are much more fun. I agree, a soft and chewy gingerbread cookie is the only way to go. I can’t wait for the next eleven recipes. -Liz K.
Sounds like a winner to me!
I also really enjoy soft cookies, so I´m sure this recipe would be perfect. Unfortunately, I can´t head straight to my pantry to bake these up, as I do not have molasses around (yet!), but this recipe is going directly to my files. Thanks for sharing.