This post may contain affiliate links. Read disclosure policy
Our Soft Ginger Cookies are always a hit during the holiday season, with just the right blend of spices, these cookies are extra soft and chewy!
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
I know that ginger snaps are always a big hit with people, but I almost always prefer soft and chewy cookies.
These soft ginger cookies have a similar vibe to a ginger snap without all the…snap. 😉 They’re soft, they’re ultra chewy, they’re loaded with ginger, and honestly they just taste like Christmas.
Pretty sure Santa will leave you an extra gift if you leave these out for him on Christmas Eve. At least, that’s what I’m telling my kids.
I found these cookies in an old Taste of Home magazine…anyone else have piles of those magazines laying around? I dig through them anytime I’m in the mood for something new, but not really in the mood to experiment myself. I’ve found some real winners in there!
Whip up these ginger cookies, my snickerdoodles without cream of tartar, and our famous Christmas Crack for a delicious holiday. Oh, and don’t forget the spiked eggnog!
Cookie Baking Tips:
Butter: Make sure your butter is at room temperature for the best results. If you soften it in the microwave, don’t overdo it. You should be able to lightly indent the butter when you press with a finger, but it shouldn’t fully squish or melt.
Cookie Scoops: Using cookie scoops ensures that each cookie is the same size and that means they’ll bake evenly.
Parchment Paper: We much prefer to line our baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent cookies from sticking. Spraying the baking sheet with non-stick spray can cause your cookies to have a greasy bottom.
Baking: Every oven is different, so keep in mind that the time listed for baking is just a guide. Start watching your cookies 1-2 minutes before the time is up and pull them out just when the edges look nicely set and the cookies are puffy. We like them to still look a bit underdone in the center so they can finish baking to perfection on the hot cookie sheet as they cool.
Soft Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add the egg and molasses and beat until combined.
- Add the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt to the bowl and beat until combined.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out dough. Roll the dough between your hands to shape. Roll each cookie dough ball into sugar to coat the outsides.
- Place on prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and puffy. Cookies will flatten slightly as they cool.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Ingredient Notes:
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate and member of other qualifying programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Dry Ingredients – This ginger cookie dough starts with some pretty standard ingredients: flour, granulated white sugar, and baking soda.
Wet Ingredients – You’ll also need some room temperature butter, molasses, and an egg. It’s important to start with room temp butter or it won’t mix as well.
Spices – These are ginger cookies so you will of course need some ground ginger. I’m also adding in ground cinnamon and cloves, plus a little bit of salt.
What We Love About This Recipe:
- Ginger cookies are a classic Christmas cookie recipe and we love to serve them up at holiday parties!
- These cookies are easy to make, no need to chill the dough, and they’re ready to eat in no time!
My Favorite Hand Mixer!
It’s so easy to whip up dessert with this cute hand mixer. It doesn’t take up much space and is a must for any kitchen!
How to Make Ginger Cookie Dough:
Mix: This ginger dough comes together really easily with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
You’ll just beat together butter and sugar, beat in some molasses and an egg, and then stir in the flour and spices.
Feel free to adjust the amount of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves based on your preferences. I’m not a huge fan of cloves fan, so I only add 1/4 teaspoon, but you can up to 1/2 teaspoon if you enjoy that flavor.
Roll: To get perfectly even sized cookies use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out the dough, and then roll the dough into balls. Next roll the balls of dough through some sugar, and then place them on a baking sheet.
These cookies will flatten out as they bake, so be sure to space them a couple of inches apart from each other.
Bake: After arranging the balls of dough on a prepared baking sheet you can start baking them at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until they’re golden brown and puffy!
Serve: Let the cookies cool before serving. They will flatten a bit as they cool. These ginger Christmas cookies are best served with a glass of cold milk!
FAQs:
These soft ginger cookies will stay nice and chewy at room temperature in an air-tight container for 3-4 days on the counter.
If you store these in a cookie jar with other cookies, they’ll likely “share” some of their ginger flavor. I like to store them separately to avoid that!
You can freeze these ginger cookies in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before serving.
You can also make the ginger cookie dough and freeze it before baking, if preferred. Place the balls of dough on a cookie sheet, freeze for 1 hour, and then transfer to an air-tight container. They’ll require an extra minute or two to bake through if baking from frozen
MORE CHRISTMAS RECIPES!
- Christmas Crunch Bars
- Air Fryer Christmas Tree Cookies
- Christmas Sangria
- Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies (reader favorite!)
- Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
- Oreo Christmas Cookie Bars
- Keto Peanut Butter Fudge
Joyce says
This sounds perfect for our cookie baking day with my daughters. Would it be ok to make gingerbread men with the dough or will it be too soft?
Karly says
Hi Joyce! This dough is more soft and chewy than a traditional gingerbread man. I don’t think you’ll be able to roll it out.
Paul says
Wow! This looks awesome! A must try recipe I would say!
Karly says
Hope you love them!!