Description
These Best Soft Gingerbread Cookies are thick, soft, and deeply flavored with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Perfectly soft and chewy, these cookies are easy to roll out and bake, then decorated with a simple royal icing or a dusting of powdered sugar for a festive touch. Whether for holiday celebrations or everyday treats, these gingerbread cookies are a crowd-pleaser and can even be made vegan with simple substitutions.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter, softened at room temperature (preferably salted)
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup molasses (do NOT use blackstrap)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled (390 grams)
- 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Royal Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp meringue powder
- 4-6 tbsp water
Instructions
- Make the Cookie Dough: Beat the softened butter in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer on high speed until creamy. Add the brown sugar and continue mixing until well combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the molasses until fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients—flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt—and mix until a dough forms. If the dough feels crumbly, add 1-2 teaspoons of milk to help bring it together.
- Roll and Chill: Divide the dough into two halves. Roll each half out to about 3/8 inch thickness between sheets of parchment paper using a ruler or eyeballing halfway between 1/4 and 1/2 inch. Transfer the rolled dough, still sandwiched in parchment, onto a baking sheet. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or freezer for a shorter time until firm and completely chilled.
- Cut Out Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge, peel off the parchment, and cut shapes with cookie cutters. Arrange cookies a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. If the dough softens while working, return the tray to the fridge or freezer for 5-15 minutes to keep the cookies firm so they hold their shape when baked. Roll and cut additional cookies from the scraps, chilling again as needed.
- Bake: Bake cookies for 8-9 minutes. They should appear just set and slightly puffy, with centers possibly looking a bit underdone—do not overbake. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate: For royal icing, combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water in a large bowl. Mix at high speed for about 1 1/2 minutes until the icing reaches a drizzle-able consistency. Adjust with water or powdered sugar as needed. Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton #1 tip to pipe designs on cooled cookies. Optionally, add gel food coloring or sanding sugar for sparkle.
- Serve and Store: Let icing set completely before storing cookies. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-6 days, or refrigerate for 6-8 days, bringing cookies to room temperature before serving. Cookie dough and royal icing can be prepared ahead and stored refrigerated for 1-2 days.
Notes
- These cookies are ultra thick, soft, and packed with warm spices for classic gingerbread flavor.
- They can easily be made vegan by substituting the butter with a vegan alternative and using a suitable egg replacer in the icing.
- Rolling the dough between parchment paper makes handling easier and prevents sticking.
- Chilling the dough helps maintain the cookie shape during baking and ensures soft, chewy texture.
- Decorate with powdered sugar, royal icing, or glaze depending on your preference.
- Store decorated cookies in airtight containers to preserve freshness and softness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 330 kcal
- Sugar: 36 g
- Sodium: 207 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
