Soft Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Our favorite soft gingerbread cookie recipe is no good for building gingerbread houses, but perfect for eating and enjoying!

On this page, we'll cover how to make gingerbread cookies as well as share our favorite recipes for soft gingerbread cookies.

This first recipe makes gingerbread that's softer than traditional house-building gingerbread. You CAN cut shapes out of it but I wouldn't try making structural cookies (like walls of a gingerbread house). Great for snacks and gifts though!!

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup molasses
• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
• ⅛ cup butter, softened
• ⅓ cup water
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves

Steps - Prep:

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the molasses, brown sugar, softened butter, and water until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, allspice, cloves and cinnamon.
3. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture until all is absorbed.
4. Chill dough in covered container for at least 3 hours.

Steps - Bake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness.
3. Cut out into desired shapes or even just squares (Note: these cookies are a bit softer than the other recipes and so smaller details may break off more easily.)
4. Place cookies onto ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Cool on wire racks.

Chewy Ginger Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose Flour (+ extra flour for rolling)
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
• ¾ teaspoon Cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon Ground Cloves
• ¾ cup softened Margarine
• 1 cup Sugar (+ extra sugar for rolling)
• 1 Egg
• 1 tablespoon Orange Juice (or Water)
• ¼ cup Molasses

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
3. In a separate, large bowl, mix together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until well blended (NOTE: not ALL of the sugar.)
4. Beat in the egg, orange juice, and molasses.
5. Stir in the separate, sifted ingredients a small amount at a time.
6. Chill dough in refrigerator for about an hour (optional - makes it easier to work with)
7. Form dough into small balls and roll in sugar.
8. Place dough balls on ungreased cookie sheets and flatten a bit with a fork.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Tips:

• Larger dough balls make these cookies soft and moist. Want something more crisp - like ginger snaps? Just make the dough balls smaller and cook a little longer.
• These can also be rolled out and cut with cookie cutters. It's a very versatile soft gingerbread cookie recipe!
• Candied ginger is always a terrific addition to any ginger cookie recipe, soft or crisp! Mix some in OR place one small piece of candied ginger on top of each cookie.
• Store in an airtight container for lasting softness.
• Try less margarine (1/2 cup) and sugar or substitue Splenda for some of the sugar for a healthier version.

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Click here to see recipes for more traditional (harder) gingerbread cookies.

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