A soft gingerbread cookie recipe that is perfect for decorating! These festive cookies are packed with flavor and won’t disappoint!

I have long been on the hunt for the perfect gingerbread cookie recipe. I wanted something soft but good for decorating like my cut-out sugar cookie recipe but also really flavorful. I often found that I was disappointed in many of the gingerbread cookie recipes I tried – either they were too greasy or they were bland and dry. 

This recipe truly is the best gingerbread cookie recipe!! It’s so easy but packed with flavor and has a perfect texture. 

I do refrigerate the dough – but only for 5 minutes! The trick is to make the dough, roll it out and cut it, and then refrigerate the cut-out cookies on the baking sheets for just a short time. This makes certain they won’t spread too much. 

Gingerbread Icing

Told you it was perfection! My icing skills though, obviously need some work! Ha! But I’m sure there are much more creative people out there. I use a simple icing – just milk and powdered sugar with a little bit of vanilla.

This icing hardens nicely on the cookies after they are finished and is great for jobs like this where the icing isn’t really the star of the show – just an accent piece.

I do love the cute little gingerbread man cookies, but I love decorating the other shapes too. The trees and stars are my favorites, but I think that is because it’s easy for me to make them look decent. 🙂 

Tips for Perfect Gingerbread Cookies

Always remember when baking that the amount of flour you use may need adjusting based on your elevation and even the weather. This dough needs to be thick enough to roll out and cut pretty easily, it will stick if there isn’t a little bit of flour on the board. 

And don’t forget!! I have a huge, helpful post about freezing, storing, and making Christmas cookies ahead of time. Check it out!

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The Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

A soft gingerbread cookie recipe that is perfect for decorating! These festive cookies are packed with flavor and won't disappoint!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword easy gingerbread recipe, gingerbread cookie recipe, gingerbread icing

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Refrigeration 5 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 32 cookies

Calories 211 kcal

Author Alli

Ingredients

For the Gingerbread Cookies

• 4 1/3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspooon maple extract

For the Icing

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Gingerbread Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. 

2. Sift together dry ingredients.

3. Cream butter and brown sugar together until well incorporated, about 1 minute. 

4. Add egg and molasses, mix until well combined. 

5. Add the orange zest, maple extract, and vanilla extract. Mix. 

6. Add dry ingredients, mix until combined. The texture of the dough should be firm and very slightly sticky. Add more flour if needed. 

7. Roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick, or your desired thickness. Cut out into desired shapes. 

8. Place on lined cookie sheet, leaving 1/2-1 inch between cookies. Place sheet tray with cut-out cookies in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. 

9. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges and the tops are set. 

10. Let cool on the sheet tray 5 minutes. Remove from sheet tray and cool completely before icing. 

For the Icing

1. Combine powdered sugar, vanilla and half of the milk. 

2. Gradually drizzle in the milk while mixing until the icing is soft but not runny. A peak should slowly fall back onto itself when a whisk is pulled out. 
   

Nutrition Facts

The Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 211 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4g 6%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Cholesterol 16mg 5%

Sodium 83mg 3%

Potassium 201mg 6%

Total Carbohydrates 40g 13%

Sugars 27g

Protein 2g 4%

Vitamin A 2.9%

Vitamin C 0.2%

Calcium 4.1%

Iron 7.7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.