Nothing brings the magic of the holidays home quite like the aroma of soft and chewy gingerbread cookies baking in the oven! Packed with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and clove, and a deep, rich flavor from molasses, these cookies are perfect for cold autumn nights. Our favorite way to enjoy them is with a tangy apple cider cream cheese frosting, and the best part? This recipe can be made up to three days in advance, ensuring you always have these delightful treats on hand for gatherings or quiet evenings!
Why You’ll Love This Gingerbread Recipe
- Perfectly Soft and Chewy: This recipe is designed to stay soft for days, with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Intense Holiday Flavor: It’s packed with 4.5 teaspoons of ginger and a full tablespoon of cinnamon (plus cloves and allspice) for a deep, rich, spiced flavor.
- No-Spread Rolled Cookies: You can chill the dough, roll it into balls, and they bake up perfectly round and chewy without spreading flat.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: The dough improves with time and can be made up to 3 days in advance.
What You Will Need:
- 10 tablespoons of room temperature butter
- 3/4 cup of packed brown sugar
- 2/3 cup of unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 4 1/2 teaspoons of ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon of allspice
The Flour and Spices
The first step is to combine all the dry ingredients. The flour, baking soda, sea salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. It may seem like there is a lot of ginger but in the end, you will find that it is just the right amount. Sifting the dry ingredients will help avoid the cookies having any pockets of flour or baking powder. Also it will help in mixing.
Butter, Molasses, and the Other Ingredients
Creaming the butter is next. This is just whipping the butter so it is soft and light. After creaming the butter, add the molasses and the brown sugar. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Ingredients can get stuck on the bottom of the mixing bowl and they want to be a part of the fun. The egg and vanilla are next. Add them to the bowl and get them introduced to the rest of the ingredients. After mixing them in, start adding the flour mixture.
Combine the flour in two batches to keep the kitchen from getting covered in flour. Keep your mixer at a slow speed until both batches are combined. The dough will be very sticky. Divide the dough into two discs about five inches across and 1/2 inch thick, and cover in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to three days.
Making the Gingerbread Cookies
Roll pieces of the chilled dough to a ball the size of a walnut and roll the ball in sugar. I usually press the balls down slightly to make sure they flatten out. The baking time and temperature are the same. 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Check them at 8 minutes to see if they are flattened out to your liking. If not, bake them for a couple minutes more. They will remain chewy. Make sure to store them in an airtight container.
The gingerbread cookie recipe is a great cookie to keep on hand through the holiday. It is a great addition to a cookie exchange! Try them iced with my Apple Cider Cream Cheese Frosting! Another make ahead cookie are the lime meltaways! Enjoy!
For more holiday baking, explore all of my cookies page for more ideas!
FAQ’s:
You can prepare the dough for these soft and chewy gingerbread cookies up to three days in advance, storing it covered in the fridge. This makes them perfect for holiday prep!
Sifting the dry ingredients helps to ensure they are well-combined and eliminates any lumps of flour or baking powder. This results in a smoother dough and prevents pockets of unmixed ingredients in your baked cookies.
Chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes (or up to three days) helps it firm up, making it easier to roll out and work with. It also allows the flavors to meld, contributing to a richer final taste.
Once baked and cooled, store these gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. This will help them retain their soft and chewy texture for days.
The Best Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons room temperature butter
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅔ cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 3 ½ cups of unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon of sea salt
- 4 ½ teaspoons of ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
Method
- In an appropriate sized bowl, sift together or whisk the flour, baking soda, sea salt, ginger, cinnamon cloves and allspice then set aside.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or with a stand mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. About one minute.
- Add brown sugar and molasses to the butter mixture and mix until combined and creamy.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that it is all combined.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add in the dry ingredients and combine.
- The dough will be sticky.
- Divide the dough in half. Form each half into rough squares about five inches by five inches and an 1/2 inch or so thick.
- Wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to three days.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Roll pieces of the chilled dough to a ball the size of a walnut and roll the ball in sugar. Place the sugared balls on a lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Checking after 8 minutes to make sure they are spreading out to your liking. If not, bake them for a couple minutes more.
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