I couldn’t wait to share this Soft Gingerbread Recipe where I combine sugar-cookie structure and gingerbread spice to make cookies that read more like a snack cake than a typical gingerbread man.

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I never set out to reinvent gingerbread, but somehow these turned into a cross between a soft sugar cookie and a gingerbread snack cake, not your typical gingerbread man cookies! I’m not gonna lie, I keep poking and eating them cause they’re weirdly pillowy, and the warm bite of ground ginger with a dark kiss of molasses keeps pulling me back.

I’ve seen recipes called Soft Ginger Cookies With Icing and even Yummy Gingerbread Cookies, yet this batch feels different, like a secret hybrid you don’t expect. If you like ginger that sings instead of shouts, you’ll wanna know more about these.

Ingredients

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All purpose flour gives structure and chew, mostly carbs, it’s some protein.
Unsulphured molasses adds deep bittersweet sweetness, plus iron and other minerals.
Dark brown sugar brings caramel notes and moisture, its mostly sugars though.
Unsalted butter adds richness and tender crumb, high in saturated fat.
One egg binds the dough, adds moisture and protein, helps browning.
Ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg give warm spice and aroma, tiny antioxidants.
Cornstarch keeps cookies soft and tender, it reduces chew by limiting gluten.
Vanilla adds depth and aroma, milk thins dough a bit, not much nutrition.

Ingredient Quantities

2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed dark brown sugar, kinda packed

1 large egg, room temp

1/3 cup unsulphured molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats; spoon and level 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour so you dont pack extra.

2. Whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt in a bowl.

3. In a large bowl cream 3/4 cup (170 g) softened unsalted butter with 1 cup packed dark brown sugar, kinda packed, until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.

4. Beat in 1 large room temp egg, 1/3 cup unsulphured molasses and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until combined; if it looks curdled thats ok.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions, mixing on low until just combined; dont overmix or the cookies will get tough.

6. If the dough is too stiff to scoop, add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, one tablespoon at a time, until it’s soft and scoopable; if it’s too sticky chill 20 to 30 minutes to firm up.

7. Portion dough with a 1 to
1.5 tablespoon scoop or spoon into balls, place 2 inches apart on prepared sheets and gently press each ball to slightly flatten.

8. Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until edges are set and centers still look a little soft; dont overbake or theyll dry out.

9. Cool on the baking sheet 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling; they will firm but stay soft inside.

10. Store airtight at room temperature up to 4 days or freeze for longer; warm briefly to revive that fresh just-baked softness.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350°F / 175°C)
2. Baking sheets plus parchment paper or silicone baking mats
3. Large mixing bowl and a medium mixing bowl
4. Hand mixer or stand mixer (or a sturdy wooden spoon if you dont have one)
5. Measuring cups, measuring spoons, and a kitchen scale for accuracy
6. Whisk and rubber spatula for scraping and folding
7. Cookie scoop (1 to 1.5 tbsp) or a tablespoon and spoon for portioning
8. Wire cooling rack for finishing cooling

FAQ

Q: How do I keep these gingerbread cookies soft? A: Dont overbake, pull them when the edges are set but centers still look slightly underdone, they firm as they cool. Use the cornstarch in the recipe, it helps tenderness. Pack the brown sugar kinda packed like the recipe says, and store baked cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep moisture for a few days.

Q: Can I freeze the dough or baked cookies? A: Yes. Scoop dough into balls, freeze on a tray till solid, then bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, add 1 to 3 minutes to the bake time. Baked cookies freeze fine too, thaw at room temp or warm 5 to 8 seconds in the microwave to revive softness.

Q: My cookies spread too much or didnt spread, what went wrong? A: Too much spread usually means butter was too soft or you used less flour than called for. Chill the dough 20 to 60 minutes if theyre flattening. If they didnt spread, you may have overmeasured flour, or dough was too cold when it hit the oven. Weigh flour if you can, that fixes a lot of mystery.

Q: How should I measure the flour for best results? A: Use a kitchen scale and go with 280 g. If no scale, spoon the flour into the cup then level it off with a knife dont scoop with the cup, that packs too much and makes dry tough cookies.

Q: Can I swap the molasses or dark brown sugar? A: Dark brown sugar and unsulphured molasses give that classic gingerbread depth. You can use light brown sugar but flavor will be milder. Substituting molasses with honey or corn syrup changes taste and texture, so do it only if you dont care about classic flavor; use slightly less liquid if you use honey.

Q: Want them chewier or more cake like, how do I tweak it? A: For chewier, use a tiny bit more molasses or a touch less flour, bake on the shorter side so centers stay soft. For cakier, add a smidge more baking powder or a tablespoon of milk and bake a minute or two longer. Dont go crazy tho, small changes make big differences.

Soft Gingerbread Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All-purpose flour: swap with cake flour for an even softer, more tender cookie, 1:1 works fine. If you want a nuttier, slightly denser bite use whole wheat pastry flour but only replace up to half the AP flour, otherwise the cookies get dry.
Cornstarch: use tapioca starch or arrowroot 1:1 to keep that pillowy texture. If you only have extra flour, add 1 tablespoon extra flour and reduce baking time a bit, but it won’t be quite as soft.
Unsalted butter: replace with solid coconut oil or vegan butter 1:1 for a dairy free version. Use chilled coconut oil if you want less spread, and know it will add a faint coconut note, which can be nice with ginger.
Packed dark brown sugar: make your own by mixing 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 to 2 tablespoons molasses (1 for light, 2 for dark) or use coconut sugar 1:1 for a more caramel like flavor.

Pro Tips

– Weigh the flour if you can, you’ll thank me later. A scale fixes the whole “too dry or too flat” issue, but if you gotta use cups, spoon into the cup and level it off, dont pack it down.

– Chill the dough overnight for way better flavor and thicker cookies. Cold dough spreads less, and the spices mellow and meld overnight. If it’s rock hard when you scoop, let it sit 10 to 15 minutes to soften slightly.

– Toast the spices for 20 to 30 seconds in a dry skillet before mixing them in, or stir them into the warm molasses for a minute. It wakes up the ginger and cloves and gives a deeper aroma, trust me.

– Want them extra tender? Add one more tablespoon of cornstarch. Want them chewier? Add a tablespoon more molasses and shave a bit off the sugar. Small tweaks like that change texture without breaking the recipe.

– Freeze shaped dough balls on a tray, then transfer to a bag so you can bake fresh cookies anytime. Bake from frozen, add a minute or two to the time, and watch the centers so you dont overbake.