Super soft gingerbread cookies that you’ll actually WANT TO EAT!

We’re so excited for Christmas this year. The Christmas music has been going strong and cookie baking season is in full swing! My sweet sister-in-law Nicole shared this recipe with us years ago for the most soft gingerbread cookies. They’re so good! If you love gingerbread, you’ll want to make them! So get all your cookie cutters ready, because you are definitely going to want to make these this season.

What you’ll need to make Soft Gingerbread Cookies:

molasses
dark brown sugar
butter
cold water
flour
baking soda
allspice
ginger
cloves
cinnamon
salt

For the Frosting:

butter
sweetened condensed milk
powdered sugar
salt
vanilla

How to make Soft Gingerbread Cookies:

The complete recipe card is shared below, but here’s a look at the step by step:

Cream butter and sugar: Start by making the cookie dough the night before you’ll be baking them. Cream the butter and sugar together.
Mix wet ingredients: Now mix the water and molasses in with the butter and sugar.
Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Mix together: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix together well.
Refrigerate: Move cookie dough to two disk shapes and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Roll and cut: When you are ready to start rolling out the dough the next day, flour the clean surface really well. You can also use a silpat for rolling out the cookie dough or parchment paper. Before beginning to roll out the cookie dough, preheat your oven to 350. Roll the dough out to 1/4″ thickness and cut with cookie cutters into shapes.
Bake: Place cookies on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for approx. 10-11 minutes. Let cookies rest on the pan for another 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

How to make the Frosting:

Mix ingredients: Mix together the butter, salt and vanilla together. Add powdered sugar and condensed milk to desired consistency. If using a frosting decorator like a squeeze bottle, you’ll want the frosting to be a bit thick.
Decorate: Decorate your cookies and enjoy!

How to store Soft Gingerbread Cookies:

In order to keep your gingerbread cookies soft, you will want to store them in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for about two weeks!

Make Ahead:

When it comes to doing cut out cookies with the kids, it helps to make the cookie dough and the frosting the night before, allowing for more time on the creative part…rolling and cutting the cookies out with cookie cutters, baking and decorating.

Tips and Tricks:

Here are some tips to help with success when making this recipe:

To avoid too sticky dough, make sure you let the dough chill in the refrigerator overnight. This is a must to avoid sticky dough, plus it needs this time to rest. When rolling out, make sure you are rolling out on a well floured surface. A silpat works great for rolling on as well.
To avoid too dry dough, be sure that your dough is rolled to the right thickness before cutting with cookie cutters. 1/4 inch thick is a good guideline. Also under bake them in the oven then let them sit on the hot pan out of the oven after baking for at least 5 minutes.
Make sure you allow your oven the time to preheat this step is so important.
Please note: there are not any eggs in this recipe.

How to make Custom Cookie Cutters:

I have a fun little trick to share with you. If you ever find yourself wishing you had a specific cookie cutter shape, but you don’t…try this technique:
Print off a template from any shape you like online. Cut out the paper shape with scissors and then just use it as a template to cut the cookie dough with a sharp pairing knife. It’s a little more time consuming than just pressing a cookie cutter down, but in a jam it’s a great solution, plus you can get really creative. I was wanting a specific reindeer shape, but didn’t have it right when I needed it, and this trick worked great!

Super Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Soft gingerbread cookies with a creamy white frosting.

Course Dessert

Keyword Gingerbread Cookies

Author Kami | NoBiggie.net

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups dark molasses
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup cold water

Dry Ingredients:

6 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp allspice
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

For the Frosting:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
6 cups powdered sugar (add more depending on desired thickness)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Make the Cookie Dough:

Start by making the cookie dough the night before you'll be baking them. Cream the butter and sugar together.
Now mix the molasses and water in with the butter and sugar.
In a separate bowl, whisk, all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix together well.
Divide the cookie dough to two disk shapes and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
When you are ready to start rolling out the dough the next day, flour a clean work surface really well. You can also use a silpat for rolling out the cookie dough or parchment paper. Before beginning to roll out the cookie dough, preheat your oven to 350. Roll the dough out to 1/4″ thickness and cut with cookie cutters into shapes.
Place cookies on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for approx. 10-11 minutes. Let cookies rest on the pan for another 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

For the Frosting:

Mix together the butter, salt and vanilla together. Add powdered sugar and condensed milk to desired consistency. If using a frosting decorator like a squeeze bottle, you’ll want the frosting to be a bit thick.
Decorate your cookies and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Here are some tips to help with success when making this recipe:

-To avoid too sticky dough, make sure you let the dough chill in the refrigerator overnight. This is a must to avoid sticky dough, plus it needs this time to rest. When rolling out, make sure you are rolling out on a well floured surface. A silpat works great for rolling on as well.

-To avoid too dry dough, be sure that your dough is rolled to the right thickness before cutting with cookie cutters. 1/4 inch thick is a good guideline. Also under bake them in the oven then let them sit on the hot pan out of the oven after baking for at least 5 minutes.

-Make sure you allow your oven the time to preheat this step is so important.

-No, there are not any eggs in this recipe.

Making This Recipe? Tag us on Instagram: @NoBiggie using the hashtag #NoBiggieRecipes, so we can see what you are making in the kitchen!