Description
These soft gingerbread cookies are perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, featuring a tender texture and rich molasses flavor. They are easy to make and can be enhanced with an optional simple glaze, making them ideal for holiday baking or a cozy treat any time of the year.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Simple Gingerbread Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 – 1½ tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and sea salt. Mix well and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar for 1-2 minutes until the mixture turns light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and beat for 60-90 seconds until smooth and well combined.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined to form the cookie dough.
- Chill the Dough: Transfer the dough to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight to allow flavors to develop and the dough to firm up.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Shape Cookies: Use a small cookie scoop to portion out 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of dough. Roll each portion into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 11 minutes, or until the tops are just set and edges begin to look firm but the center remains soft.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes after baking, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Simple Glaze (Optional): Whisk together powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk. Add more milk slowly (up to ½ tablespoon) until the glaze reaches a thick but pourable consistency.
- Glaze Cookies: Drizzle the glaze over cooled cookies and allow it to harden at room temperature or in the refrigerator before serving.
Notes
- Do not overbake the cookies; they should be just puffed and set around the edges. Cookies continue to cook slightly after removal from the oven.
- For softer, more doughy cookies, bake closer to 9 minutes; for firmer but still soft cookies, bake up to 11 minutes.
- Salted butter can be substituted with unsalted or vegan butter.
- Dark brown sugar can be used instead of light brown sugar for a richer molasses flavor.
- Use unsulphured or light molasses, avoiding blackstrap molasses for this recipe.
- For gluten-free cookies, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
- Fresh, high-quality spices are crucial for balanced flavor; adjust cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to taste if desired.
- Cookie dough can be frozen in balls on a baking sheet then stored in an airtight container; thaw before baking as instructed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 199 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 130 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
