Soft Gingerbread Cookies are chewy, full of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and molasses flavor! Not every ginger cookie has to snap because these cozy holiday cookies stay soft for days and make your kitchen smell incredible.
Recipe Highlights
- Simple to make. No complicated steps or fancy equipment — just a reliable, easy recipe that delivers bakery-quality cookies every time.
- Soft and chewy texture. These aren’t your typical hard gingersnaps — they’re perfectly soft, chewy, and full of cozy holiday flavor.
- Warm, spiced flavor. A blend of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and molasses gives every bite that classic gingerbread taste and makes your kitchen smell incredible.
- Surprisingly addictive. Even gingerbread skeptics fall in love with these. I wasn’t a fan until I tried this recipe — and my husband couldn’t stop eating them!
- Stay soft for days. They hold their texture beautifully and taste just as amazing a few days later, making them perfect for gifting or holiday parties.
Ingredients in Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- Shortening: Gives these cookies their signature soft and chewy texture. It helps the dough hold its shape while keeping the centers tender instead of crisp.
- Sugar: Sweetens the dough and balances the deep, rich flavor of the molasses. It also adds a little sparkle and slight crunch if you roll the dough balls in sugar before baking.
- Egg: Helps bind the ingredients and adds just the right amount of moisture for soft, bakery-style cookies.
- Molasses: The star of the show! Molasses gives gingerbread its dark color, warm flavor, and subtle bitterness that makes the cookies taste rich and complex.
- Flour: Provides structure and gives the cookies their soft, cake-like crumb. Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly for this recipe.
- Baking soda: Adds lift and helps create that slightly puffy texture while keeping the cookies light instead of dense.
- Ground ginger: Brings that classic gingerbread warmth — just the right amount of spice without being overpowering.
- Cinnamon: Adds depth and sweetness that pairs perfectly with the molasses and ginger.
- Cloves: A little goes a long way! This spice gives the cookies that bold, festive flavor that makes them taste unmistakably like the holidays.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out all those warm, spiced flavors.
Tips for Perfectly Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
Full instructions on how to make these cookies can be found on the recipe card below, but here are a few helpful tips.
- Don’t overbake! The cookies should still look slightly underdone when you pull them out. They’ll firm up as they cool on the pan. I bake mine for 10 minutes exactly, and they turn out soft and chewy every time.
- Cream longer than you think. Mix the shortening, sugar, egg, and molasses for about 2–3 minutes. This gives the dough a smooth consistency and helps the cookies bake evenly.
- Use quality cookie sheets. Thin or dark pans burn the bottoms before the centers set. I love using silicone baking mats — they prevent sticking and promote even browning.
- Preheat the oven. Starting cold can throw off the baking time and texture, especially with molasses-based doughs.
- Scoop evenly. A cookie scoop gives you perfect, uniform rounds — and they’ll bake at the same rate.
Storage and Freezing Tips
- At room temperature: Keep the cookies in an airtight container, and they’ll stay soft for 2–3 days.
- To keep them extra soft: Add half a slice of white bread to the container. The moisture from the bread keeps the cookies tender (just replace it after a couple days).
- Freezing: Cool completely before stacking in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature — they’ll taste just as fresh.
FAQs
What type of molasses should I use?
Use cooking molasses or full-flavor molasses for the best balance of sweetness and spice. These are rich and dark without being bitter. Skip blackstrap molasses unless you prefer a very strong flavor.
Where can I find molasses in the store?
Check near the pancake syrup or baking aisle by the honey — sometimes it’s even in the coffee section.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! The dough keeps well in the fridge for up to two days. Let it soften slightly before baking.
Can I use butter instead of shortening?
You can, but the cookies may spread more and won’t stay quite as chewy.
Do Gingerbread Cookies freeze well?
Yes. Cool completely, store in an airtight container, and freeze up to one month. Thaw at room temperature.
How do I keep them soft?
Store in an airtight container for 2–3 days. Add half a slice of white bread to keep them extra soft.
More delicious gingerbread cookie recipes to try:
- Soft, thick, and perfectly spiced, Gingerbread Cookie Bars are the easy way to enjoy classic gingerbread flavor without scooping individual cookies — especially delicious topped with cream cheese frosting during the holidays.
- With cozy flavors of molasses, pudding mix, and warm spices, No Bake Gingerbread Cookies let you skip the oven and still enjoy a festive, easy-to-make holiday treat.
- Christmas Gingerbread Cookie Bites pack all the flavor of traditional gingerbread into fun, one-bite cookies that are perfect for parties and holiday trays.
- Soft, chewy, and full of spice, Frosted Gingerbread Sugar Cookies are topped with buttery frosting and come together easily without any chilling or rolling required.
- After years of testing, I can say with confidence that these are the Best Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies — the dough keeps its shape, bakes perfectly, and delivers that classic spiced gingerbread flavor every time.
Soft Gingerbread Cookies are chewy, delicious, and the perfect cookie for the holidays! Packed with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and molasses, these cookies deliver classic gingerbread flavor with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture that lasts for days.
Mo says
I love these and have made them for a couple years now! Do you think I could freeze the dough?
Jessica says
You sure can freeze the dough Mo!
Mary says
My cookies spread quite a bit, (I think I needed to chill the dough) but even though they spread they tasted great and were still soft and chewy. I took them to work and I got lots of compliments. I’ll try chilling the dough next time to see if I can keep them from spreading.
Cheryl Wilkins Krause says
I made these as the cookie part of ice cream sandwiches. I selected the recipe because you need a soft cookie to make a good ice cream sandwich. Sadly these were not. I backed the baking time down to 8 minutes and they still didn’t come out soft. Also, that’s an incredibly small amount of ginger for a ginger cookie. Very little ginger taste. Won’t make again
Nellie says
Sounds like something went wrong! These cookies should be very soft and stay soft for several days. And you can definitely add more ginger if you prefer a stronger flavor.