These soft Gingerbread Cookies get more compliments than any other cookie recipes I have ever made. Even people who say they don’t like gingersnaps end up loving these easy homemade cookies!
No exaggerating, every time I make these gingerbread cookies, people go crazy for them. The responses are always the same. “These are the best ginger cookies I’ve ever had.” “I didn’t even know I liked gingersnap cookies until now.” “You have to give me this gingerbread cookie recipe.”
Hands down, these are the best gingerbread cookies that I, and most of my friends and family, have ever tasted. Truth be told I’ve never been a big fan of gingerbread. My feelings on gingerbread and ginger cookies have always been lukewarm at best.
Often in the past ginger bread cookies didn’t even make it on to my Christmas cookies list. These easy gingerbread cookies totally changed that. This past year at our Christmas gathering, my friends and family inhaled them so fast that I made a second batch Christmas night.
If you are wondering how to make soft gingerbread cookies or looking for the best gingerbread cookie recipe, I’ve got you covered.
Easy Soft Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread Cookies
Everyone seems divided on what to call these. Are they ginger cookies, gingersnaps or gingerbread cookies? Maybe they are molasses cookies or ginger molasses cookies! Clearly they aren’t gingerbread man cookies, but is there a hard fast rule on ginger cookie names? To me a gingersnap should have, well, some snap.
Given that these ginger cookies easy to make, and are soft and chewy gingerbread, I call them easy gingerbread cookies. Call them whatever you like, just make them. Trust me, you won’t regret it!
How To Make Gingerbread Cookies
The only thing that might be better than the taste of these cookies is how easy they are to make. There is nothing complicated about this gingerbread cookie recipe. They are quite similar to making snickerdoodles actually.
Chilling the dough isn’t even required for these, so as a result you can whip these cookies up in no time. If you need a great cookie for a cookie exchange or Christmas party but are short on time, I would certainly recommend these.
Ingredients At A Glance (printable recipe at bottom):
- Butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Molasses
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon and Ginger
Directions At A Glance:
- Combine the wet ingredients, then combine the dry ingredients, then mix together.
- Scoop dough into balls and place on baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Molasses Cookies
Molasses is not something I use often. These molasses cookies and my gingerbread bars are probably the only recipes I use it in. Growing up my Dad would put molasses on all the things. He’d use it on pancakes, in oatmeal, anything was fair game. Between you and me, for that reason it kind of always turned my stomach a bit.
If you think about it, molasses looks a lot like tar. That is probably why I steered clear of gingerbread recipes for a long time. However this gingerbread cookie recipe has helped me get over my molasses phobia. So if you are thinking I don’t like molasses, don’t worry, I don’t either. But I sure do love these ginger molasses cookies! Now let’s get baking!
CLICK TO PIN & SAVE THIS RECIPE
Want more delicious holiday and Christmas Cookie recipes? I have some great recommendations for you below the recipe card. Don’t miss them. And if you like this recipe, sign up to get my free Favorite Cookies e-Cookbook!
Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup molasses unsulphured
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon if you like a strong cinnamon flavor, increase to 2 tsp total
- ½ tsp dried ground ginger if you like a strong ginger flavor, increase to 1-2 tsp total
- Optional: granulated sugar to roll cookie dough balls in
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- First, mix together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer.
- Next, add egg and molasses and mix well.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger, stirring to combine.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Form or scoop balls of dough that are slightly smaller than a golf ball. If desired, roll dough balls in granulated sugar after forming. Place them on a baking sheet approximately 2” to 3” apart to allow room for cookies to spread.
- Finally, bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking for approximately ten minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Video
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
If you are looking for Gingerbread Man Cookies, I’ve got those for you as well!
I hope you and your family enjoy these delicious soft gingerbread cookies as much as my family does! Also check out all the cookie recipes and Christmas cookie recipes here on Love From The Oven!
Looking for more delicious gingerbread recipes? These are certainly some of my favorites!
- Fun Gingerbread Snowballs by Crazy For Crust
- Breakfast ready Gingerbread pancakes by Love From The Oven
- Easy Gingerbread Fudge by Spend With Pennies
- Slow Cooker Gingerbread Latte by The Cookie Rookie
- Crunchy Gingerbread Biscotti by She Wears Many Hats
- Gingerbread Loaf Cake by Crunchy, Creamy, Sweet
- Party ready Gingerbread Martini from Nutmeg Nanny
Now grab that ginger, run to the store for some molasses, and get baking!
Originally published September 2018
Hannah says
I love love love everything about these cookies. My girls are in pre-k now and want “gingerbread men” but with this exact amazing flavor and texture. Think they’ll turn out okay using the cookie cutters? Any advice?
Christi Johnstone says
I haven’t tried it, as I use my gingerbread men cookie recipe. If you do try it, let us know how it works out!
Mimi says
These cookies are so delicious I’ve never made ginger cookies I’ve only made chocolate chip and sugar .cookies these are truly delicious cookies thank you so much for sharing your recipe
Tammy says
These cookies were just as the recipe states, easy and delicious!
I will definitely make these again!
Julie says
Best gingerbread cookie recipe I have found (in 50 years).
Made exactly as printed; used half to make a 12 inch gingerbread cookie (with a grand child), and rolled the remaining dough into balls and rolled in sugar to bake.
The large gingerbread man was perfect @ 18 minutes. The remaining cookies baked 11 minutes.
Excellent!! thanks
Christi Johnstone says
Thank you so much, Julie! So glad you liked it!
alisha says
can we cool the cookie dough in the fridge before we bake them?
Christi Johnstone says
I have not chilled the dough prior to baking, so I can’t speak to the results. If you do, I would suggest letting it come to room temp prior to baking, otherwise I feel like the cookies might not spread correctly.
Laurie Lipscomb says
When my boys kept asking me to buy ginger-bread houses–and they just ate the walls and roofs, I realized I would have to break down and make these cookies. I love baking, but I’m not that into ‘ginger’. BOY WAS I WRONG!!! They really do only take a few minutes. I substituted brown sugar for white, and didn’t use nutmeg (beause–eww)–but they were AMAZING. Truly amazing. I just made them 2 days ago but will be making a double recipe in a few minutes. Delicious hot or cold. They made the house smell absolutely wonderful. GREAT RECIPE and now I don’t have to buy anymore ginger-bread houses!
Christi Johnstone says
I’m so glad you like these! I am the same way, I never was really someone who cared for gingerbread, gingersnaps, and so on, but this cookie changed that!!!
Anonymous says
So far is was a easy r Recipe
Margaret Smith says
Yay! Love these. Didn’t have white sugar so used 3/4 cups of honey. Also used bobs gluten free flour.
Butter mixed with lard too.
El says
I was looking for a ginger bread cookie recipe for the holidays, and I found this one. I have not made it yet, but based on other’s reviews they sound great! I like my gingerbread cookies to be softer like this recipe, but I wanted to shape them into gingerbread people with cookie cutters. Is it possible to roll these out and cut them with cookie cutters or do they need to be put in the oven in more of a drop cookie form? Also, I have always loved cookies with granulated sugar on the outside. But the only time I tried making cookies rolled in sugar, the sugar on the bottom burned even though the cookies were baked at the same temperature and time they usually are without being rolled in sugar. How can I prevent this from happening with these cookies?
Dave says
Can I use brown sugar instead
Christi Johnstone says
I haven’t tried it, but it would likely work fine. Let me know how you like them!