Gingerbread Cookies (Soft, Spiced & Perfect for the Holidays!)
These easy homemade gingerbread cookies are soft, sweet, and packed with warm spices—ideal for holiday baking and decorating with the whole family.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American, European
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
3¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Wet Ingredients:
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
½ cup unsulphured molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing (for decorating):
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2–3 tablespoons milk
Food coloring (optional – red, green, or festive colors)
Instructions
Prepare the Dough:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes).
Beat in egg, molasses, and vanilla extract.
Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, mixing just until a dough forms (do not overmix).
Divide dough in half, roll between parchment to ¼-inch thick. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Bake the Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Use cookie cutters to cut shapes from the chilled dough. Re-roll scraps and repeat.
Place on parchment-lined baking trays.
Bake times:
8 minutes: soft and chewy
9 minutes: soft with crisp edges
10 minutes: crisp and crunchy
Let cookies cool completely before decorating.
Decorate with Icing:
In a bowl, mix powdered sugar and milk until smooth.
Adjust consistency (thicker for outlines, thinner for flooding).
Add food coloring as desired.
Use piping bags to decorate cooled cookies.
Allow icing to dry fully before stacking or storing.
Notes
Fresh spices = bolder flavor. Use fresh ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
Dough can be made ahead and chilled up to 2 days.
Iced cookies store well in an airtight container at room temp for 4–5 days.
