Name: Delicious Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; 2 tsp ground ginger; 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1/4 tsp fine sea salt; 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature; 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar; 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses or dark molasses; 1 large egg, room temperature; 2 cups powdered sugar; 2-3 Tbsp milk; 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

There’s something magical about the warm, spicy aroma filling your kitchen that makes these Delicious Gingerbread Cookies Recipe truly special. They’re soft yet sturdy, perfectly spiced, and an absolute joy to bake and share during any cozy gathering.

A pile of gingerbread cookies shaped like little people is shown on a white marbled surface. There are about eight cookies visible, all brown with simple white icing details like dots and zigzag lines to show eyes, mouths, and clothes. One cookie is on top of another, with a bite taken out, revealing a soft, crumbly inside in a darker brown shade. The image focuses on this bitten cookie with clear texture of the crumbs, while others are slightly out of focus behind it. The lighting is warm, highlighting the rich brown color of the cookies. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Delicious Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Delicious Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Delicious Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This recipe has always been a favorite in my house—its blend of spices feels just right, not overpowering, and the texture is just perfect: tender with a hint of chewiness. It’s truly a crowd-pleaser that never fails to bring a smile.

Authentic Spice Blend: The combination of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves offers a classic, cozy flavor that hits all the right notes.
Easy Dough Handling: Wrapping and chilling the dough makes rolling and cutting a breeze without sticky frustration.
Versatile Decorating: Icing these cookies is a fun way to personalize them, perfect for holiday parties or gifts.
Soft but Structured: Baking just until edges brown gives you cookies that stay soft inside but hold their shape beautifully.

The image shows ten gingerbread cookies in the shape of people, placed on crumpled brown paper over a white marbled surface. Each cookie is decorated with white icing for faces, outlines, and clothing details like zigzag hems and buttons. Some have red or green candy pieces used as buttons or bows. The cookies vary in size and have smiling faces. Small candy pieces in red, green, and white along with small brown clusters are scattered around the cookies. The scene looks festive and warm. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Ingredients & Why They Work

Each ingredient in this Delicious Gingerbread Cookies Recipe plays a key role, balancing flavor and texture. From warming spices to silky molasses, here’s what makes the magic happen.

Flat lay of a small mound of unbleached all-purpose flour, a small white ceramic bowl with ground ginger, a small white ceramic bowl with ground cinnamon, a small white ceramic bowl with baking soda, a small white ceramic bowl with ground cloves, a small white ceramic bowl with fine sea salt, a few small cubes of unsalted butter softened, a small white ceramic bowl filled with light brown sugar, a small white ceramic bowl holding dark molasses, and one large whole uncracked egg placed next to the bowls, all arranged in perfect symmetry, placed on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Unbleached all-purpose flour: Provides a sturdy foundation that’s perfect for rolling out and cutting shapes without crumbling.
Ground ginger: The star spice that gives gingerbread its signature warmth and slight zing.
Ground cinnamon: Adds sweet, woody notes that perfectly complement ginger.
Baking soda: Helps the cookies rise a little for a tender crumb without puffing up too much.
Ground cloves: A little goes a long way for depth and subtle spice complexity.
Fine sea salt: Enhances the flavors and balances sweetness.
Unsalted butter: Room temperature for easier beating, it makes the dough rich and tender.
Light brown sugar: Its molasses content adds moisture and chewiness.
Unsulphured molasses: The heart of the gingerbread flavor, contributing that deep, dark sweetness.
Large egg: Binds ingredients together and adds richness.

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Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

I love how adaptable this Delicious Gingerbread Cookies Recipe is. Over time, I’ve found that small tweaks let you make it truly your own—whether you want to spice it up, lighten it, or decorate for an occasion.

Spice it up: Sometimes I add a pinch of black pepper or cardamom for an unexpected warmth that guests rave about.
Make it gluten-free: Swapping in a gluten-free flour blend works surprisingly well if you watch the dough’s moisture, adding a bit more flour if needed.
Vegan variation: You can substitute the butter for vegan butter and egg replacer, plus use maple syrup instead of molasses—though the flavor shifts slightly, it’s still delicious!
Decorate with flair: I like to invite friends or family over for a cookie-decorating party, adding colorful sprinkles and festive icings for fun.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Delicious Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

Step 1: Mix Your Dry Ingredients Thoroughly

I always start by sifting the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, and salt together. This helps distribute the spices evenly, so every bite is bursting with flavor. Plus, sifting keeps the dough light and makes mixing easier.

Step 2: Cream Butter, Sugar & Molasses – The Flavor Base

Using an electric mixer, I beat the room-temperature butter, brown sugar, and molasses until the mix gets light and fluffy—usually about 2 to 3 minutes. This step is where the magic starts: you’re building a moist, rich base that holds all those lovely spices.

Step 3: Add Egg & Combine Everything Gently

After creaming the butter mixture, I add the egg and beat it in well. Then, carefully on medium-low speed, I add the sifted dry ingredients. The dough becomes soft and moist—you want to stop mixing just as everything comes together to avoid overworking it.

Step 4: Chill and Shape Your Dough

Now, transfer the dough to a floured surface. If it feels sticky, sprinkle some flour on top so you can pat it into a disk. I divide it into three disks, wrap them individually, and refrigerate for at least an hour. This step makes rolling easier and helps your cookies keep their shape.

Step 5: Roll, Cut, and Bake with Care

When you’re ready, roll out one disk on a well-floured surface to about ¼-inch thick. Keep turning the dough so it doesn’t stick. Use your favorite 4 to 5-inch cookie cutters to create shapes, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 9-10 minutes—watch for edges just turning brown to keep them soft inside.

Step 6: Cool and (If You Like) Decorate

Once out of the oven, I move the cookies to a wire rack to cool. If you want to get fancy, whip up a simple icing, grab some piping bags and sprinkles, and have fun decorating. My favorite part? Seeing everyone’s creative designs come to life!

Top Tip

From my experience making this recipe countless times, a few small tricks help you get those perfect gingerbread cookies—here’s what to keep in mind so yours turn out bakery-level every time.

Chill the Dough Well: Don’t skip resting your dough; it makes rolling easier and prevents cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Butter and egg soften better and mix more smoothly, giving your dough the right consistency.
Watch Your Oven Time: Every oven is different, so start checking at the 9-minute mark. Slightly underbaked is better than overbaked for softness.
Flour Your Surface Liberally: Keeps the dough from sticking without drying it out—just don’t add too much or cookies get tough.

How to Serve Delicious Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

gingerbread cookies - Serving Suggestion

Garnishes

I usually keep it simple with white royal icing piped in delicate lines or dots. But I also love sprinkling some edible glitter or vibrant red and green nonpareils for a festive touch. They’re not just pretty—they add a little crunch and sweetness contrast too.

Side Dishes

Pair your gingerbread cookies with a warm cup of spiced chai tea or a glass of cold milk. Around the holidays, I like serving them alongside whipped cream-topped hot cocoa or a fresh fruit salad to balance the richness.

Creative Ways to Present

For gift-giving or parties, I arrange gingerbread cookies in a festive tin layered with parchment paper. I also love building little gingerbread cookie “houses” or garlands by stringing decorated cookies with ribbon—cute and crowd-pleasing!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

I keep leftover gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay perfectly soft and flavorful for up to a week—sometimes even longer if you add a slice of bread to maintain moisture.

Freezing

Freezing works great! I freeze the baked cookies in a single layer on a tray, then transfer them to a resealable freezer bag. When ready to eat, just thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours. The texture holds up surprisingly well.

Reheating

To refresh stored cookies, I warm them for a few seconds in the microwave or pop them in a 300°F oven for 3-5 minutes. This softens them up and revives their fresh-baked charm.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I make the dough ahead and freeze it before baking?

Absolutely! Once you’ve prepared and portioned the dough into disks, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. When ready, thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling and baking.

Why do my gingerbread cookies sometimes come out too hard?

Overbaking is the usual culprit. To keep cookies soft, bake just until edges start to brown and avoid rolling the dough too thin. Also, don’t add too much extra flour when rolling—you want moist dough for tender cookies.

Can I use a different sweetener instead of molasses?

Molasses provides that classic deep gingerbread flavor, but you can substitute with dark corn syrup or maple syrup in a pinch. Just know the flavor and texture might shift slightly, so I recommend sticking with molasses for best results.

How do I prevent my gingerbread cookies from spreading too much during baking?

Chilling the dough before baking is key—it firms up the butter and stops the cookies from flattening out. Also, avoid using too much butter and don’t over-flour the dough, which can cause spreading differences. Baking on parchment paper with proper spacing helps too.

Final Thoughts

There’s something truly heartwarming about baking and sharing this Delicious Gingerbread Cookies Recipe. They bring back memories of holidays, laughter, and those sweet moments spent with loved ones around the kitchen. I hope you enjoy making them as much as I do—trust me, these cookies will become one of your favorites to bake over and over again!