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
Kassandra M says
Oh my word. These are unbelievable! And came together very quickly during my baby’s nap time IYKYK haha.
I used salted butter and did the called amount of salt in the recipe and delicious! Did a heaping teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of ginger, perfection! Rolled in mixture of brown and white sugar and rolled off excess with my hands. Can bake 8 balls at a time for 11 minutes, they flatten while baking and turn into beautiful slightly cracked cookies, I wish I could add a photo! My dough was a bit crumbly not like the video so I wasn’t sure how they would turn out but can report that they’re DELICIOUS. Used Crosby’s Fancy molasses (Canada here!) I think I’ve put all the notes/tips here and hope this review helps someone feel confident they can do it!!!
Christi Johnstone says
So glad you enjoyed them, thank you for the comment!
Cathy says
Delicious cookies! I did add extra seasonings as well. The cookies did come out a bit flattened. Perhaps , I beat the butter/sugar too long?
Sam says
I am terrible at baking but for some reason signed up to make ginger bread cookies for my daughters’s class at Christmas time 😂 one of my friends warned me that gingerbread cookies would be tough to bake. This recipe is fantastic, easy and turned out great! Thanks!
Christi Johnstone says
I’m so glad you were happy with it!!!
Suzy says
Great cookies!! Omg! The recipe is so easy and the cookies after oh so delicious!
Kathryn says
My friend loves gingerbread cookies, so I made this recipe (primarily because it did not require chilling)- she LOVED it so much, she immediately rushed the cookies out to her car so NO ONE else could ask for one! LOL!!!! She had such a look of love on her face when she tried one! A recipe for my files! Thank you!!!!! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy 2024!
Tiffany says
Absolutely delicious!! The flavor is on point!
Lesley says
Absolutely love these cookies. Made them for some friends and they turned out really well.
If I want to make them into Christmas shapes should I chill the dough before rolling it? Or is it too moist for that?
Also if I want to make a gluten free version would Almond flour be a good substitute for the plain flour?
Bailea says
I’ve made this recipe 3 years straight. Hands down my favorite holiday cookie recipe!
Christi Johnstone says
I’m so glad you like it! It’s truly one of my all time favorite as well. Happy Holidays!
Judy says
Just made these for the first time! Wow, are they ever amazing!! I think next time I will add a little bit more ginger, bur they are amazing just the way they are! I will be adding them to my cookie trays for my neighbors. Can’t wait to here what they have to say about them! And like you say, they are very easy and also quick to make. And I love that they are soft and chewy and not hard like some gingerbread cookies are. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. I always try to add one new one every year and this is the one for this year, and it is definitely a keeper!!
DANIELL G VALDEZ says
If I chill the dough ahead of time will the consistency change