Kick start your holiday baking with this EASY gingerbread cookie recipe! Made with brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and molasses, these light and fluffy cookies are bursting with flavor. Topped with cream cheese frosting and gingerbread sprinkles, they’re perfect for Christmas cookie season!

Nothing gets me in the holiday spirit quite like baking a batch of my famous gingerbread cookies! Their scent alone is absolutely intoxicating… and fills my home with the sweet smell of Christmas. And as a die-hard ginger lover, their taste is to-die-for, they’re just the right combination of sweet and spicy! 

Unlike gingerbread men that are crispy and covered in royal icing. These gingerbread cookies are soft, chewy, and covered in cream cheese frosting. I also love that I don’t have to worry about having cutters to cut them or hoping they hold their shape when baking. And they’re my most requested Christmas cookie from friends and family… and they always gets RAVE reviews.

These cookies also freeze great once baked, so you can bake a huge batch and pop them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Then thaw at room temperature and make the icing recipe. Then you can just frost them and viola, they’re ready to serve. Future you will feel so happy to have these cookies in your freezer ready to share… or devour.

Gingerbread Cookie Recipe: The Secret Ingredients 

• Flour: This recipe has ONLY been tested with all-purpose flour. I don’t suggest subbing nut flours, spelt flour, or wheat flout. A gluten free 1-1 flour may work, if you’re up for experimenting.
• Spices: Ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves are our spices! You can increase them for a more boldly spiced cookie or decrease the amount called for a more mild flavor! 
• Baking Soda: Our leavening agent that will help the cookies both spread and slightly puff up in the oven. Make sure your baking soda is fresh and not expired. And do not substitute this ingredient with baking powder. 
• Salt: You’ll add a pinch of salt to the cookie dough to help balance out the sweetness and increase the flavors. I like using fine sea salt for my baking, but use what you have on hand.
• Butter: I always prefer baking with unsalted butter, but salted butter will work in a pinch. I would suggest you reduce the salt called for in the recipe by 1/2. Make sure to soften your butter to room temperature before baking.
• Sugars: Granulated sugar and light brown sugar add structure, sweetness, and moisture. You’ll use confectioners’ sugar in the cream cheese icing recipe.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds signature rich flavor and enhances the other flavors in the recipe. Always use real vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla which tastes like chemicals. 
• Eggs: Use large eggs and bring them to room temperature before baking. I don’t suggest baking this recipe without eggs and don’t have an egg substitute to offer. 
• Molasses: For the best flavor, be sure to use a variety of mild molasses, not blackstrap!
• Cream Cheese: Full-fat block-style cream cheese works best. But a reduced-fat variety will work. I don’t suggest using whipped cream cheese. Let it to come to room temperature before using.
• Lemon: My “secret ingredient” is lemon. I use lemon juice and lemon zest. It adds a pop of bright flavor to the cream cheese icing recipe! But fresh orange zest could also work, it would just slightly change the flavor profile.
• Gingerbread Man Sprinkles: BECAUSE THEY’RE SO DARN CUTE!!! These are optional, but if you can find them, I highly recommend using them! They don’t add a ton of flavor to the gingerbread cookie recipe. But they do add a ton of cuteness and are a great conversation starter.

You’ll also need an electric mixer and parchment paper lined baking sheets. Plus, gingerbread sprinkles to make your gingerbread cookies look cute and just like mine. 

Let’s Bake Gingerbread Cookies

1. Make the Cookie Dough: In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. With an electric mixer bear the butter, sugars, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and molasses and beat until the wet ingredients are combined. Slowly add dry ingredients, beating just until combined.
2. Chill the Cookie Dough: Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. If you skip chilling the cookie dough, the cookies won’t hold their shape when baked. They also won’t be as chewy and flavorsome so don’t skip this step. 
3. Baking Prep: 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Bake the Cookies: Roll the dough into 2″ balls and them arrange on the parchment lined baking sheets. Space them about 2 inches apart for spreading! Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until puffed and lightly golden. 
5. Cool the Cookies: This is a 2 part process! Allow the gingerbread cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled completely, top each gingerbread cookie with a swirl of cream cheese frosting and then decorate with sprinkles

These gingerbread cookies are so tasty that you can leave them unfrosted. But why would you want to? Fluffy cream cheese frosting and sprinkles make everything better!

How Can I Make These Gingerbread Cookies in Advance?

1. Make the cookie dough as directed. Chill the dough and roll the dough into balls. Then place the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the cookie dough balls into the freezer for up to 2 months, and bake when needed! 
2. Make the cookie dough, chill, then bake as directed. Allow the cookie to cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw when needed, then eat plain or cover with frosting.

Note: If you bake the cookie dough from the freezer, you’ll want to let it thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes. Or in the fridge for up to 24 hours. You may also need to add a few extra minutes onto the bake time since the cookie dough is starting off so cold. 

So go on and spoil yourself with a batch of these frosted gingerbread cookies! We love to invite neighbors over and serve them with good coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. But they’re equally delicious with a tipple of amaretto or sweet wine. 

Frosted Gingerbread Cookies

Ashley Manila

Frosted Gingerbread Cookies are soft, chewy, and so delicious!

4.94 from 16 votes

PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cookies

Servings 2 dozen cookies (more or less depedning on how large you roll them)

Ingredients

 

For the Gingerbread Cookies:

• 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces (170g) unsalted butter room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (156) light brown sugar packed
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1/4 cup molasses mild

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 4 ounces (113g) block-style full-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla pure extract
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
• 2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Sprinkles, optional

Instructions

 

For the Gingerbread Cookies:

• In a large bowl whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• Add butter, both sugars, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-speed until light and fluffy; scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 2 minutes.
• Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, continuing to scrape the sides as needed. Add the molasses and beat until combined.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients, beating just until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours (or up to one day).

When ready to bake:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
• Roll the dough into 2″ balls and arrange on prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Lightly press down on the center of each cookie. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 9-10 minutes, or until puffed and lightly golden.
• Remove pan from oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with all cookie dough. Once cool, frost with cream cheese frosting, top with sprinkles (if using), and serve.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• In the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on medium-high speed until completely smooth; about 2 minutes.
• Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sifted confectioners' sugar. Once all of the sugar has been added, increase speed to medium-high and beat for 1-2 minutes.
• Add in lemon juice and lemon zest and beat for an additional minute. Once the cookies have completely cooled, spread the frosting over the top of each cookie and decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

Tried it and loved it?Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram @Bakerbynature and by using the hashtag #BakerByNature