These soft, molasses-rich gingerbread cookies are flavored with cozy spices and bake up thick and chewy. They’re extra festive dipped in melted white chocolate and finished with sprinkles.
When I think of Christmas baking, gingerbread cookies are always among the first things that come to mind, right up there with kolacky, cinnamon roll sugar cookies, and maybe a batch of bourbon balls, too. Ah, I just love the holidays!
These soft gingerbread cookies bring all the cozy Christmas vibes we crave. Warm cinnamon, plenty of ginger, and that deep molasses flavor make them thick, chewy, and beautifully crinkled every single time. They’re nostalgic without being overly spiced, festive without being complicated, and they make the kitchen feel like December! Grab some eggnog and let’s get to it.
Reasons To Make My Gingerbread Cookies Right Now
- Irresistible texture. Soft, chewy centers with lightly crisp edges and those gorgeous crinkly tops that make gingerbread cookies look straight out of a bakery.
- Perfectly spiced. A blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice with plenty of molasses for that rich, classic gingerbread flavor. They’re delicious plain and even better dipped in creamy white chocolate.
- Easy, no-spread dough. The dough comes together in minutes, chills quickly, and bakes up thick every time.
- Holiday-friendly. Great for making ahead, freezing, gifting, or filling up your Christmas cookie trays.
The Ingredients
A few simple ingredients make all the difference in getting soft gingerbread cookies that hold their shape. Below is a list of what you’ll need to make the cookies, but please scroll to the recipe card for full instructions.
- Molasses – I prefer regular unsulfured molasses because it gives the cookies their deep color, soft texture, and classic gingerbread flavor. You can use light or dark molasses, depending on how strong you like the flavor.
- Brown sugar – I use light brown sugar for a balanced sweetness, but dark brown sugar will also work if you want a deeper, richer molasses flavor.
- Butter – Unsalted softened butter is best for sweet treats.
- Egg – A room-temperature egg helps the dough come together smoothly and keeps the cookies soft.
- Spices – Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice give these cookies that cozy gingerbread flavor; you can bump up the ginger for extra spice or swap in a little pumpkin pie spice if that’s what you have on hand.
- Cornstarch – This is optional, but it helps the cookies bake up extra soft and thick; you can leave it out for a slightly firmer, more classic gingerbread texture.
- Granulated sugar – Rolling the dough balls in granulated sugar gives you that pretty, sparkly finish. You can use coarse sugar or sanding sugar instead for even more crunch and shine.
- White chocolate – I like using Ghirardelli white melting wafers because they melt smoothly and set nicely, but you can also use chopped white baking bars or white chocolate chips with a little bit of neutral oil stirred in to help them melt and thin out.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip chilling the dough. It prevents spreading and gives you thicker, chewy cookies.
- Slightly underbake. Pull the gingerbread cookies from the oven when the centers still look a little soft.
- Use room-temperature butter and egg. This helps the dough mix evenly and creates a smoother, softer dough.
- Bake one sheet at a time. It keeps the heat consistent so the cookies rise and crack nicely.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet first. A few minutes on the warm sheet helps the gingerbread cookies set without overbaking.
- For picture-perfect cookies… “Scoot” them inside a round cookie cutter while warm to shape them into perfect circles.
Make Ahead & Freeze
To make ahead, roll the cookie dough into balls and freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. When you’re ready to bake, place the frozen dough balls on a baking sheet and bake as usual, adding 1–2 extra minutes to the bake time.
FAQs
Yes. You can refrigerate the dough for up to 48 hours. If chilled longer than 1 hour, let it soften slightly before scooping.
Yes, but avoid blackstrap because it’s bitter and intense. Use regular unsulphured molasses for balanced flavor.
Most commonly: not chilling the dough long enough. Chilling the dough helps it firm up so the cookies hold their shape better in the oven. Another possible cause is that the butter was too soft. When the butter melts too quickly, the cookies spread before they have a chance to set. An oven that runs a little hot can also cause the cookies to flatten more than expected.
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Cream the butter and sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
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Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla. Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla until fully combined.
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Whisk the dry ingredients. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cornstarch.
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Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix with the mixer until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
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Refrigerate. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes to help it firm and prevent excess spreading.
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Prep the oven and baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Shape the cookies. Scoop out 1½ tablespoons of dough for each cookie. Roll the dough into balls, then roll them in granulated sugar before transferring them to the baking sheet.
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Bake. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the gingerbread cookies for 9–11 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers are still slightly soft.
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Let them cool. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. If any cookies bake slightly unevenly, use a round cookie cutter or a small bowl to scoot them into a perfect circle while they are still warm.
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Melt the chocolate and decorate the cookies. Melt the wafers according to package instructions. Dip half of each cooled cookie into the melted white chocolate and place on parchment to set. Add sprinkles while still wet.
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Serve. Once the chocolate is set, serve your gingerbread cookies or store them for later.
- Cornstarch helps the cookies stay extra soft and tender. You can leave it out for a slightly firmer, classic texture.
- Chocolate melting wafers melt smoothly without additional oil. If substituting white chocolate chips, add ½ to 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to help thin them out. White chocolate bars melt well, too. The cookies taste delicious undipped as well. They are soft, flavorful, and delicious on their own.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring well between intervals. Add a touch of oil only when needed.
- Pull the cookies from the oven while the centers still look slightly underdone. They will finish setting as they cool.
- If you want perfectly round cookies, you can scoop them inside a round cookie cutter while they are still warm.
- Freeze baked cookies (plain or dipped) for up to 3 months.
- To freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls: First, freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for 3 months. Bake from frozen and add 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
Serving: 1Cookie | Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 157IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How To Make Gingerbread Cookies
- Cream the butter and sugar, and add molasses, egg, and vanilla. Beat the butter and brown sugar for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Mix in the molasses, egg, and vanilla until fully combined.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Stir in the cornstarch.
- Mix the dough. Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
- Chill the dough. Cover and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes, just until the dough firms up and becomes easier to scoop.
- Scoop and roll. Use about 1½ tablespoons of dough per cookie. Roll into balls, then coat each dough ball in granulated sugar.
- Bake. Arrange the dough balls on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 9–11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. They’ll finish setting as they cool. For perfect circles, gently swirl each cookie inside a round cookie cutter while they’re still warm.
- Cool completely. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dip in white chocolate. Melt the wafers, dip half of each cooled cookie, and finish with sprinkles if you want a festive look.
Decoration Ideas
These cookies are beautiful on their own, but dipping them in white chocolate gives them a sweet contrast and a fancy look. You can try adding:
- holiday sprinkles
- crushed peppermint
- gold sanding sugar
- a drizzle of dark chocolate
- edible glitter for gifting
They’re also stunning arranged on a Christmas cookie tray alongside snowball cookies, thumbprint cookies, chocolate fudge, and peach cookies, to name a few.
How To Store
- On the counter. Keep the gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The longer they sit, the better they taste, in my opinion. Gingerbread cookies stay soft for days, making them ideal for gifting or cookie trays.
- Freezer. Sealed in a freezer bag or an airtight container, the baked cookies keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature.
