Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
Last Updated on September 18, 2026 by Kiersten James
Make soft and chewy gingerbread cookies with molasses and warm spices. They hold their shape for cutting and decorating without turning hard.
Every December, gingerbread cookies seem like such a good idea until you bite into one, almost break your tooth, and remember their only purpose is to look cute on a cookie tray – not actually be eaten by real humans.
These aren’t like that.
These gingerbread cookies stay thick and soft with chewy centers, tons of molasses, and lots of spice.
They hold their shape well enough for cookie cutters and decorating, but they’re actually good to eat afterward.
The dough does need to chill before its rolled out, so I usually make it one day and then refrigerate it until we’re ready to bake the following day.
Once it’s chilled, it rolls out easily and holds its shape well when cut.
Why You’ll Love These Gingerbread Cookies
The Trick to Soft Gingerbread Cookies
The biggest thing is not overbaking them.
Pull the cookies from the oven once the edges have set, and the centers are still slightly puffed. They’ll continue to set as they sit on the hot baking sheet.
Thickness matters too. I roll these about 1/4″ thick. If you roll gingerbread dough too thin, you’re naturally going to end up with a much crisper cookie (see the picture at the bottom lol).
Use a Food Processor for the Dough
For this particular dough, it makes a big difference.
The melted butter, molasses, and milk are worked directly into the dry ingredients rather than creaming softened butter with the sugar first.
The food processor gets everything evenly mixed quickly without adding in extra air or having to work the dough too much by hand.
How to Make Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients:
[Ingredient list goes here]
Instructions:
Add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cloves, and salt to a food processor. Process until everything is evenly combined.
Add the melted butter, molasses, and milk. Process until a soft dough forms and there are no dry streaks of flour left. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Flour your counter and turn out the dough. Knead it just until it comes together into a smooth ball. It will be very sticky from the molasses. If it’s too sticky to work with, oil or flour your hands first.
Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a disk about 5 inches across. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Work with one disk at a time and keep the other refrigerated. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper until it is about 1/4″ thick.
Remove the top sheet of parchment and cut the dough with your cookie cutters.
Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3/4″ between them. Gather the scraps, reroll the dough, and continue cutting.
Bake for 9 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the cookies are puffed and the edges are just set. Don’t wait for the centers to look completely firm. It’s very important not to overbake these.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cookies are completely cool, decorate them with icing if you want, or leave them plain.
Decorating Gingerbread Cookies
You don’t have to get elaborate. Mine usually get two eyes, a smile, and 3 buttons.
Just make sure the cookies are completely cool before decorating them. If there’s any warmth left, the icing will soften and run.
They definitely don’t have to look perfect. Half the fun of making gingerbread cookies is seeing what everyone comes up with.
How to Store Gingerbread Cookies
Once completely cool, store the gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
If you’ve decorated them, place parchment or wax paper between the layers so the icing doesn’t stick to the cookies above it.
They’re best within about 3 days when they’re at their softest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my gingerbread cookies hard?
They were most likely rolled too thin or baked too long. Keep the dough around 1/4″ thick and remove the cookies from the oven when the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
Do gingerbread cookies spread?
These spread slightly as they bake but should still keep the shape of your cookie cutter. Make sure you chill the dough for at least an hour before rolling it out.
How long does gingerbread dough need to chill?
Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling. You can also make it ahead and refrigerate it for 24 hours.
Can I freeze gingerbread cookie dough?
Yes! Wrap the dough disks tightly in plastic, then aluminum foil and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling and cutting the cookies.
How thick should I roll gingerbread cookies?
For soft and chewy gingerbread cookies, roll the dough about 1/4″ thick. Rolling it thinner will give you a crisper cookie.
Can I leave gingerbread cookies undecorated?
Absolutely! We eat plenty of them plain. Decorating them is fun for Christmas, but they don’t need icing to taste good. You can also hang some on the Christmas tree.
More Christmas Cookies to Make
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Italian Pignoli Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Snickerdoodles
Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
Thick, soft and chewy gingerbread cookies made with molasses and warm spices. They hold their shape beautifully when cut and baked but stay soft in the center.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup molasses (I use Grandma’s Original)
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cloves, and salt to a food processor. Process until combined.
- Add the melted butter, molasses, and milk. Process until a soft dough forms, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Turn the dough onto a floured counter and knead briefly until smooth. It will be very sticky from the molasses. If it's too sticky to work with, oil or flour your hands first.
- Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Working with one disk at a time, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to approximately 1/4” thick.
- Cut the dough into shapes and arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 3/4” apart. Gather and reroll the scraps as needed.
- Bake for 9 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cookies are puffed and just set around the edges.
- Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate the completely cooled cookies with icing, if desired.
Notes
Don’t overbake these. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool. Taking them out of the oven while the centers are still soft is what keeps them chewy.
