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!
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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
Helen says
I’m so excited to try this recipe and include them in my holiday cookie tins for friends & family! I am splitting the baking over 2 weekends so I planned to freeze. The texture of my cut out sugar cookies improve after freezing but I’ve never frozen soft drop cookies before. Are they just as good if frozen right after cooling?
Thank you!
Chrys says
Can you roll them and use a cookie cutter for them or only in scoops?
Christi Johnstone says
No, for that use my Gingerbread Man cookie recipe, this one is too soft. You will find the link to it just above this comment section and below the recipe itself. Enjoy!
Keone says
Made these cookies for my son’s Christmas potluck and they came out great! I will definitely be making them again but next time I’ll try adding a little more ginger… first time I followed the 1/2 tsp directions, next time will try a full tsp.
Charlotte says
This is literally the best gingerbread cookie I have ever had! My family was literally eating them straight out of the oven. Thank you so much!!
Misty says
I like my gingerbread extra spicy, so I doubled the cinnamon and ginger, added allspice and cloves, and then ground up crystallized ginger and added it to the final mix of the dough. I also use turbinado sugar instead of regular granulated for that satisfying crunch. So good 🤌🤌🤌
Jody says
Would substituting half the butter with shortening work in this recipe?
Christi Johnstone says
I’m not really a fan of shortening except for in certain frosting recipes, so personally I wouldn’t.
Dora Holbrook says
Can you use salted butter?]
Christi Johnstone says
Of course. Honestly I never notice any difference in taste personally – in any recipe.
Denise says
O.M.G. i made these for a cookie exchange at work tomorrow , and they turned out PERFECT. I did increase the ginger as per the suggestion, and the flavor is amazing. They are the perfect soft-cookie consistency. I did buy myself a new cookie dough scooper, and using that I got 2doz + another 11 cookies for us to eat! The cookies were puffed up when I took them out of the often , but flattened out a bit after sitting on the tray 10min.. I’m SO PLEASED and so glad I bought enough molasses for a 2nd batch! 🙂
Christi Johnstone says
I’m so glad you liked them!
Kyla says
These are the most perfect cookies I’ve ever made. Chewy, and warm and just the best.
Elizabeth says
Is there any benefit to using molasses & regular sugar over just using brown sugar? If it compromises any softness/moisture at all is there a way to compensate for it like maybe 2 eggs instead? Thanks for this recipe btw, I get asked for it every time I make these!
Christi Johnstone says
I haven’t tried it, if you do let us know how it goes!