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Best-Ever Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

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  • Prep 1 hr 30 min
  • Total 3 hr 30 min
  • Servings 90
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While the crisp, classic gingerbread cookie is inarguably delish, there’s just something about one that is pillowy soft. This gingerbread cookie recipe has the perfect combination of sweetness and spice with a chewy crumb that melts in your mouth. It’s absolutely irresistible. And speaking of irresistible, we guarantee that the aroma coming from your kitchen as you bake will make it the #1 gathering place in the entire house. While that scent (and those flavors) are especially welcome when temperatures outside start to dip, these tender cookies are welcome at any time of year.
Updated Nov 20, 2023
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What ingredients do you need for chewy gingerbread cookies?

This gingerbread cookie recipe calls for plenty of brown sugar and butter, with molasses to add a bit of depth to the flavor. But the real star of the show is that signature blend of spices. Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice combine for that warm and wonderful taste you know and love. It’s perfect for any season, but especially delightful around the holidays!

Where did gingerbread cookies originate from?

Food historians believe that gingerbread first originated in Greece around 2400 BC. China developed a gingerbread recipe during the 10th century. By the late Middle Ages, Europeans had developed their own version of gingerbread which eventually made its way to the United States. Wherever it originated, we’re just happy it’s here!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 2 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher (coarse) salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2/3 cup granulated or coarse sugar
Make With
Gold Medal Flour

Steps

  • 1
    In large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg and molasses. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours.
  • 2
    Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper or silicone baking mat. In small bowl, place granulated sugar. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. On cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart.
  • 3
    Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until set and soft in center. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Store tightly covered up to 1 week.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

  • tip 1
    You can use light or dark molasses in this recipe.
  • tip 2
    The order in which ingredients are added in a recipe is a crucial element in baking success. That goes for the actions the recipe directs as well. For instance, creaming butter and sugar together in the first step not only blends the ingredients together, it creates a texture of open air pockets that makes it possible for the next ingredients to be properly integrated into the batter. In other words, follow your recipe to the letter and you’ll have the best chance at an ideal result.
  • tip 3
    Spices, being a dry ingredient, might seem like they can loiter in your drawers and cabinets forever, but they’re as much subject to time and aging as anything else. If your grandma kept spice jars around for decades, now is the time to break with that family tradition. The spices in this recipe are the flavor, and the fresher your ingredients, the better your cookies will be. If you’re concerned about buying more than you need and ending up with waste, check your grocery store’s bulk section for ingredients you can buy in smaller portions. Just be sure to ask your grocer when the bins were last filled with a fresh supply.
  • tip 4
    Storage is an important consideration when you’re making soft and tender cookies like these. Left on the counter or in a cookie jar with a loose-fitting lid, they’ll lose their freshness and become stiff and dry in a short amount of time. A tightly sealed container will help ensure that these stay just the way you want them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze chewy gingerbread cookies?

Yes! Though this gingerbread cookie recipe is so yummy, there may not be many cookies left over. To save some of your chewy gingerbread cookies for later, simply place cooled cookies in a plastic storage bag or airtight container and pop them in the freezer.

Do you have to roll your gingerbread cookies?

With this gingerbread cookie recipe, you can skip the step of rolling out the dough—simply combine your ingredients, shape the cookies into sugar-covered balls and place them on your parchment-lined cookie sheet. It couldn’t be easier!

Can you ship gingerbread cookies?

This hearty gingerbread cookie recipe can most definitely handle a trip through the mail. Make sure to put your cookies in an airtight container, and add cushioning material to the package like bubble wrap or kraft paper. Because it’s firm, not overly moist and not especially delicate, this cookie is practically tailor-made to ship and share.

Nutrition

50 Calories, 2 1/2g Total Fat, 0g Protein, 8g Total Carbohydrate, 5g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Cookie
Calories
50
Calories from Fat
20
Total Fat
2 1/2g
4%
Saturated Fat
1 1/2g
7%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
10mg
3%
Sodium
45mg
2%
Potassium
30mg
1%
Total Carbohydrate
8g
3%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
5g
Protein
0g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
0%
0%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
0%
0%
Iron
0%
0%
Exchanges:
0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1/2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

  • Looking for a sweet and spicy cookie that’s more cushy than crunchy? You’ve come to the right recipe! These soft and chewy treats take everything we love about classic gingerbread cookies—the warming blend of spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice), the multi-faceted sweetness and the unmistakable aroma that fills the kitchen. We’ve just tweaked this wonderful gingerbread cookie recipe for a delightfully different, much softer cookie.
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