Name: Homemade Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; 2 tsp ground ginger; 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1/4 tsp fine sea salt; 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature; 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar; 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses (or dark molasses); 1 large egg, room temperature

If you’re craving a festive treat that’s bursting with cozy spices and buttery goodness, you’re going to love this Homemade Gingerbread Cookies Recipe. These cookies have been a family favorite of mine for years — I absolutely love how they turn out chewy, richly spiced, and perfect for decorating with fun royal icing. Whether you’re baking for a holiday party or a quiet afternoon at home, this recipe is foolproof and super rewarding. Stick around, and I’ll walk you through everything to get it just right!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Classic Flavors with a Twist: The perfect balance of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves creates a warm, inviting spice blend.
Easy to Handle Dough: You’ll find the dough soft yet manageable after chilling, making rolling and cutting a breeze.
Great for Decorating: These cookies hold their shape beautifully, so you can get creative with icing and sprinkles.
Perfect Texture: Chewy on the inside but slightly crisp at the edges—just the way gingerbread cookies should be.

The image shows four gingerbread cookies on crumpled brown paper over a white marbled surface. The largest gingerbread cookie is in the center, shaped like a person with white icing outlining the body, two red round candies as buttons, two white dots for eyes, a curved white icing smile, and a green bow tie made of icing and a green candy. To the right, a smaller gingerbread man with white icing suspenders and shorts, two red round candy buttons, and a smiley face made with white icing. At the top right corner, part of another gingerbread cookie has white zigzag icing, while the top left shows a bigger cookie with white icing zigzag and borders. Scattered around are small candy decorations in green, red, and white shaped like snowflakes, Christmas trees, and candy canes. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7 - Homemade Gingerbread Cookies, gingerbread cookies recipe, festive spice cookies, holiday cookie ideas, easy gingerbread cookies

Ingredients You’ll Need

This Homemade Gingerbread Cookies Recipe uses simple, pantry-friendly ingredients that come together to create something magical. A few notes on choosing them to get the best flavor and texture:

Flat lay of a small mound of unbleached all-purpose flour in a simple white ceramic bowl, a few rustic sticks of cinnamon arranged beside a small white bowl filled with golden molasses, a small white bowl of light brown sugar with a soft, fluffy texture, a smooth slab of unsalted butter at room temperature, a single large whole egg with a clean shell, a small white bowl containing fine ground ginger powder, a tiny white bowl of ground cloves, a small white bowl with fine sea salt, and a small white bowl holding baking soda, all ingredients fresh and natural, perfectly balanced and symmetrically arranged in a professional flat lay style, placed on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p awthu7i m7354615311229779997 - Homemade Gingerbread Cookies, gingerbread cookies recipe, festive spice cookies, holiday cookie ideas, easy gingerbread cookies

All-purpose flour: I always opt for unbleached; it gives a nice texture and flavor without any chemical aftertaste.
Ground ginger: Freshly ground is best if you can find it, but good-quality pre-ground works just fine.
Cinnamon: Use a fragrant, true cinnamon rather than cassia for that warm, sweet spice aroma.
Baking soda: Helps lighten the dough for the perfect chew.
Ground cloves: A little goes a long way; it adds that signature depth to gingerbread.
Sea salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweetness and highlight the spices.
Unsalted butter: Room temperature is key so it creams well with sugar.
Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and a subtle molasses flavor that complements the spices.
Unsulphured molasses: This is the soul of gingerbread—dark molasses works if that’s what you have; it makes cookies richer.
Large egg: At room temperature to help the dough come together nicely.

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Note: You’ll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Variations

I love how versatile this Homemade Gingerbread Cookies Recipe is — over time, I’ve tinkered with it to suit different tastes or occasions. Feel free to make it your own!

Spice it up: Sometimes I add a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom for a more complex spice mix, which my family absolutely adores.
Gluten-free version: I’ve swapped the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free blend with xanthan gum, and it still works beautifully.
Vegan adaptation: I substitute the butter for coconut oil and the egg for a flax egg; they turn out slightly different in texture but still so tasty.
Mini cookies: Rolling the dough thinner and using smaller cutters makes perfect bite-sized snacks for parties.

How to Make Homemade Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

Step 1: Sift and Mix the Dry Ingredients

Start by sifting your flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, and sea salt into a medium bowl. This is a little extra effort but trust me—it helps keep the dough smooth and avoids clumps of spice. I like to give everything a good whisk after sifting to make sure it’s beautifully blended.

Step 2: Cream Butter, Sugar, and Molasses

In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat your unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and molasses until the mixture is light and fluffy—about 2 to 3 minutes at medium-high speed. This step is where your cookies get that dreamy richness. Then, beat in the egg until everything is fully combined and smooth. Using room temperature ingredients really helps here.

Step 3: Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients

Add the sifted flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Use your mixer on a medium-low speed to gently bring the dough together. Don’t overmix—it should come together into a soft, moist dough. This dough is a little sticky but that’s totally normal. If it feels too sticky, don’t fret—we’ll handle that in a moment.

Step 4: Chill and Shape the Dough

Transfer the dough onto a well-floured surface. If it’s sticking to your hands, lightly dust the top with some extra flour. Pat it into a disk, then divide it into three smaller disks and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour—or if you’re like me and prepping ahead, up to 24 hours. This step firms up the dough so it’s much easier to roll and cut.

Step 5: Roll, Cut, and Bake

Preheat your oven to 375°F with a rack in the center. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. On a floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to about 1/4-inch thick. I like to keep turning the dough as I roll to keep it from sticking. Use 4 to 5-inch cookie cutters to cut out shapes—gingerbread people are a classic choice. Place cookies about an inch apart on your baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, just until the edges start to barely brown. This keeps them chewy rather than crunchy. Let cool on racks and repeat with the remaining dough. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

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Pro Tips for Making Homemade Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

Chilling Is Key: Don’t skip refrigerating the dough — it makes rolling and cutting much easier and ensures your cookies don’t spread too much in the oven.
Flour Your Surface Generously: This prevents sticking without drying out the dough.
Watch the Edges: Baking just until the edges turn light brown keeps cookies chewy while making sure they’re fully set.
Re-roll the Scraps Quickly: If dough gets too warm when re-rolling, pop it back in the fridge to chill before cutting again.

How to Serve Homemade Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

The image shows a group of gingerbread cookies on crinkled light brown paper placed on a white marbled surface. The main cookie in the center is a gingerbread person with a smiling face made of two small white dots for eyes and a curved white line for the mouth. It has three green round candy buttons on its torso. White icing decorates the edges of the arms and legs with zigzag lines and outlines the entire body. Surrounding it are other gingerbread cookies with white icing details and red and green small candy pieces scattered around. The lighting is warm, highlighting the texture of the cookies clearly. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7 - Homemade Gingerbread Cookies, gingerbread cookies recipe, festive spice cookies, holiday cookie ideas, easy gingerbread cookies

Garnishes

I love decorating these gingerbread cookies with classic royal icing—it dries hard so you can stack or gift them easily. Adding colorful sprinkles, edible pearls, or tiny candies turns these into festive masterpieces. My kids get so creative with decorating, and it’s become a fun family tradition.

Side Dishes

Pair these cookies with a cup of hot cocoa, mulled cider, or a creamy chai latte. It’s that cozy combo that instantly makes everyone slow down and savor the moment. For holiday gatherings, they’re also great alongside cheese platters or spiced nuts.

Creative Ways to Present

For parties, I’ve arranged the cookies on pretty trays lined with festive tissue paper, and tied small bundles with twine and cinnamon sticks as edible favors. Another hit is using cookie cutters to create shapes that match the event theme—stars, hearts, or even little trees—and displaying them on tiered stands for that wow factor.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

After cooling completely, store your gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. I’ve found that layering them between sheets of parchment paper keeps them from sticking together. They stay fresh and chewy for up to a week, though mine never last that long!

Freezing

I freeze leftover baked cookies wrapped individually in plastic wrap, then placed in a freezer bag. When thawed, they essentially taste like fresh-baked. You can also freeze the dough disks before rolling for up to a month—just thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.

Reheating

If you want to freshen up cookies that have softened a bit, pop them in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes to crisp back up without drying out. Just avoid microwaving—they tend to get chewy in a way that’s not as delicious.

FAQs

Can I make this Homemade Gingerbread Cookies Recipe without molasses?

Molasses is key for that classic gingerbread flavor and chewy texture, but if you don’t have it on hand, you can substitute with dark corn syrup or honey, though the taste will be slightly different. I recommend molasses for authentic results.
How long can I store gingerbread cookies?

Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these cookies stay fresh for about a week. You can also freeze them for longer storage. Just be sure they are completely cooled before storing to avoid sogginess.
Why are my gingerbread cookies spreading too much?

This usually happens if the dough is too warm or too soft when rolling and baking. Make sure to chill the dough well before rolling, flour your surface generously, and avoid over-softening the butter.
Can I decorate these cookies with icing ahead of time?

Absolutely! Once the cookies have cooled, you can decorate them with royal icing. The icing hardens nicely, making them perfect for gifting or storing in layers.

Final Thoughts

This Homemade Gingerbread Cookies Recipe holds such a special place in my heart because it brings everyone together—whether it’s baking side by side, decorating with little fingers covered in icing, or just enjoying the smell of spices filling the house. I hope you give this a try and find it as comforting and delicious as my family does. Trust me, once you start baking these, they’ll become your go-to for holiday celebrations and beyond!