These Soft Gingerbread Cookies are perfectly spiced and a great addition to the holiday cookie swap! They’re also freezer friendly!
Cookies are a must-make this time of year, and we love having these soft gingerbread cookies for holiday cookie swaps! Everyone loves our vegan chocolate chip cookies, cherry chocolate chip cookies, raspberry cookies, and pumpkin oatmeal cookies, but there are many other cookie options out there as well.
The beauty of this recipe is you can make them however you want! You can roll some in sugar for a bit of added sweetness and sparkle or bake some a little longer to have a crispy gingerbread cookie.
Soft gingerbread cookie ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour – We use unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Baking Soda – Make sure to use baking soda, not baking powder.
- Cornstarch – Adding cornstarch to cookies helps give the cookies a softer consistency.
- Spices – Since these are gingerbread cookies, we use warming spices like cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, and clove.
- Sugar – We mix granulated and light brown sugar for a good flavor and texture balance.
- Butter – You can easily swap out for plant butter in this recipe to make it dairy free.
- Egg – We use one egg in this recipe, which can be swapped for 1/4 cup applesauce to make it egg free or vegan with the vegan butter.
- Molasses – This gives the cookies the signature flavor of gingerbread cookies, bold and flavorful. Make sure it’s not blackstrap as blackstrap molasses is bitter.
- Vanilla – We always add vanilla as it gives a sweet floral note to the cookies.
How to make soft gingerbread cookies
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and set aside.
Combine the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and spices in a bowl.
Combine the sugars and butter in another bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Then add the egg, molasses, and vanilla and mix until combined.
Next, mix the dry mixture with the wet mixture until combined.
Now, you can use a small cookie scoop to make the cookies or roll them in your hands after scooping and rolling into some extra granulated sugar.
Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cook for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Recipe Tips and Alterations:
- Add a drizzle of white chocolate or a vanilla glaze to dress them up.
- Cook longer for crispier cookjes.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Roll into granulated sugar for extra sweetness on the exterior.
How to store, reheat, or freeze:
- Room temperature: Store leftover gingerbread cookies in a container for up to a week on the couner.
- Freeze: You can freeze the gingerbread cookie dough for up to 3 months or baked gingerbread cookies for up to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
We use Grandma’s Molasses, the yellow jar. We do not recommend using blackstrap molasses as it’s bitter.
No, this is a recipe for a standard cookie, not shaped cookies.
Yes! You can freeze scooped cookie dough or freeze the cookies after baking.
Soft Gingerbread Cookies
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Print Pin SaveIngredients
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cup butter salted
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup molasses we like Grandma's brand
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Granulated sugar for rolling – optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and ground cloves into a bowl.
- In another bowl, combine the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla and mix until just combined.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture until combined.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet. Optional: Scoop the cookie dough between your palms to create a smooth ball, then roll it in granulated sugar.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to stay on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
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Nutrition
The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.
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