My Favorite Gingerbread Cookies

Soft in the center, slightly crisp on the edges, and full of warm spice and molasses flavor, these classic gingerbread cookies are perfect for decorating and gifting all season long. The dough is easy to work with as long as it’s well chilled, and the cookies hold their shape beautifully when baked.

Prep & Bake Time

• Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus chilling)
• Chill Time: 3 hours
• Bake Time: 8–11 minutes per batch
• Total Time: About 4 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: About 24 four-inch cookies

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups (440 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves

Wet Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons (142 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• ¾ cup (150 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• ⅔ cup (160 ml, about 200 g) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Decorating (optional)

• Royal icing, simple cookie icing, or cookie buttercream
• Food coloring, sprinkles, candies, etc.

Instructions

1. Mix the Dry Ingredients
   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Set aside.
2. Cream Butter, Sugar, and Molasses
   In another large bowl, using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter on medium speed for about 1 minute, until smooth and creamy.
   Add the brown sugar and molasses. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is well combined and creamy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
3. Add Egg and Vanilla
   Add the egg and vanilla. Beat on high speed for about 2 minutes. The mixture may look slightly separated; that is fine.
4. Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures
   Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Beat on low speed just until the flour is fully incorporated. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
5. Shape and Chill the Dough
   Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Place each portion on a large piece of plastic wrap, form into a flat disc, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is essential so the dough is firm and cookies hold their shape.
6. Prepare for Baking
   When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2–3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
7. Roll Out the Dough
   Remove one disc of dough from the refrigerator. Lightly flour your work surface, rolling pin, and hands. Roll the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. If the dough cracks slightly, pick it up and rotate as you roll, pressing any cracks back together with your fingers.
8. Cut Out Shapes
   Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gather and re-roll the scraps, continuing until all the dough from the first disc is used. Repeat with the second disc.
9. Bake the Cookies
   Bake one sheet at a time for 9–10 minutes for standard 4-inch cookies.
   • Smaller cutters: about 8 minutes
   • Larger cutters: about 11 minutes
     For soft cookies, avoid overbaking. Rotate the pan once during baking if your oven has hot spots.
10. Cool Completely
    Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
11. Decorate
    Once fully cooled, decorate with royal icing, simple cookie icing, or buttercream. Allow icing to set before stacking or storing.

Make-Ahead and Freezing

• Chilled Dough: Keep wrapped discs of dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before rolling and baking.
• Freeze Dough: Wrapped dough discs can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then roll and bake as directed.
• Freeze Baked Cookies: Baked (decorated or undecorated) cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Layer with parchment in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature.

Storage

Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Keep layers separated with parchment or wax paper to protect decorations.

Pro Tips for Perfect Gingerbread Cookies

1. Chilling Is Non-Negotiable
   The dough must be well chilled to roll cleanly and hold sharp shapes in the oven. If it softens as you work, return it to the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes.
2. Flour Your Surface Generously
   Don’t be afraid to flour your work surface, rolling pin, and cookie cutters. Any flour marks will bake off and won’t affect the finished cookies.
3. Control Texture with Bake Time
   For softer cookies, bake on the shorter end of the time range and remove them when the edges are set but not dark. For crisper cookies, add 1–2 extra minutes.

Nutrition Information

Approximate nutrition per cookie (assuming 24 cookies from the batch):

Serving Size	Calories	Carbohydrates	Protein	Fat	Saturated Fat	Sugar
1 cookie	130	20 g	2 g	5 g	3 g	10 g

Disclaimer: Nutrition values are approximate and calculated using standard online databases. Actual values will vary based on specific ingredients, brands, and cookie size.

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