Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Notes from My Test Kitchen

Getting gingerbread cookies to hold their shape isn’t just about chilling the dough (although that is definitely a must!). The amount of baking soda matters, too!

When I first tested these cookies, I used 1½ teaspoons of baking soda. They tasted great, but the gingerbread men spread more than I wanted, leaving their arms and legs looking a little less defined.

So I went back to the kitchen and reduced the baking soda to ¾ teaspoon. The difference was noticeable! The cookies held their shape while still baking up soft and chewy. And because a picture is worth a thousand words, you can see the difference in my side-by-side baking test:

• All-purpose flour: Be sure to spoon and level your flour for the most accurate measurement. Scooping directly from the bag can pack in too much flour, making the dough stiff and difficult to roll.
• Baking soda: Gives the cookies just the right amount of lift without too much spreading. See my test kitchen comparison above!
• Ground ginger, cinnamon and allspice: This trio gives gingerbread its signature warm, spiced flavor.
• Unsalted butter: Make sure it’s softened to room temperature so it creams easily with the brown sugar. Check out my guide on how to soften butter quickly.
• Light brown sugar: Adds sweetness, moisture and a subtle caramel flavor that pairs perfectly with the molasses and spices.
• Molasses: The star ingredient! For the best flavor, use regular unsulphured molasses, which is the standard variety you’ll find in most U.S. grocery stores. My go-to is Grandma’s Original Unsulphured Molasses. Avoid blackstrap molasses, which is much more bitter and can overpower the warm spices.
• Egg: Helps bind everything together and gives the cookies structure.
• Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract (or homemade vanilla extract) rounds out the flavors.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

If you’ve ever made cutout sugar cookies or chocolate sugar cookies, you already know that chilling the dough is key to getting cookies that hold their shape. The same goes for these gingerbread cutouts. Here’s a quick overview of how they come together:

1. Make the dough. Cream the butter and brown sugar, then add the molasses, egg and vanilla. Don’t worry if the mixture looks a little separated at this point. That’s completely normal! Once you add the dry ingredients, you’ll have a thick, soft dough.
2. Roll and chill. Divide the dough in half, roll each portion between parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. I’ll explain why I roll before chilling below!
3. Cut into shapes. Use your favorite cookie cutters to make gingerbread men, Christmas trees, stars or whatever shapes you like. You’ll get about 24 cookies from one batch if you use 3- to 4-inch cookie cutters. I love these gingerbread man cookie cutters and Christmas-themed cookie cutters.
4. Chill once more. Refrigerate the cutouts for 15 minutes or freeze for 5 minutes before baking. This final chill helps prevent spreading.
5. Bake and cool. Bake just until the edges are set and the centers are still slightly soft. Let the cookies cool completely before decorating.

My Trick: Roll Before You Chill

Here’s my favorite trick for making cutout gingerbread cookies: Roll the dough BEFORE chilling it.

Why? Because trying to roll out a big ball of cold, stiff dough is harder than a Pilates workout. Instead, I divide the freshly made dough in half and roll each portion between two sheets of parchment paper. This keeps the dough from sticking to the rolling pin without needing to add extra flour, which can make your cookies dry.

And here’s another trick: Tape the edges of the bottom sheet of parchment paper to your counter so it doesn’t slide around as you roll. Placing it on top of a silicone baking mat works well, too.

How thick should you roll the dough? About ¼ inch. Rolling the cookie dough fairly thick helps these gingerbread men bake up soft and chewy. And if you want all the flavor of gingerbread without the rolling and cookie cutters, try my drop-style chewy ginger molasses cookies instead!

Once the dough is rolled out, transfer it (still sandwiched between the parchment) to a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Don’t worry about making room for two baking sheets in your refrigerator! You can stack the rolled-out dough sheets on a single baking sheet with parchment between them.

Cut out your shapes. Work with one sheet of dough at a time, keeping the other refrigerated. If the dough starts to soften or stick, pop it back into the fridge for a few minutes. You can reroll the scraps, too.

One last chill! Once your cookies are cut out and arranged on the baking sheets, refrigerate them for 15 minutes or freeze them for 5 minutes before baking. This firms up the butter again after handling the dough and helps keep those little gingerbread arms and legs looking the way they’re supposed to.

Watch the edges, not the clock. Just like when baking chewy chocolate chip cookies, you’ll want to bake these just until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool, so don’t wait for them to feel completely firm in the oven.

Let’s Decorate!

Once your gingerbread cookies are completely cool, it’s time for the fun part: decorating! I love keeping my gingerbread men simple with little eyes, a smile, a few buttons and squiggly icing lines along their arms and legs.

You can use my easy sugar cookie icing or my favorite royal icing, which is what I used for the cookies you see here. Royal icing dries firm, making it perfect for stacking cookies in tins or packaging them for holiday gifting. For a softer, tangier finish, try the cream cheese frosting from my gingerbread cookie cups. It’s delicious with gingerbread, but it won’t set firm like royal icing, so it’s best for cookies you plan to serve rather than stack or package.

Storage & Freezing Tips

• Store baked cookies: Once completely cool, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If decorated with royal icing, let the icing dry completely before stacking. Cookies with cream cheese frosting should be refrigerated.
• Freeze the cookies: Freeze completely cooled, undecorated cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, with parchment paper between layers. Thaw at room temperature before decorating or serving.

My favorite make-ahead trick: Bake the cookies ahead, then save the decorating for the day you’re assembling cookie boxes or hosting a cookie-decorating party.