These Soft Gingerbread Cookies are the ultimate easy Christmas bake. They're soft, doughy and perfectly spiced, with a deliciously warm gingerbread flavour that isn't too strong for little ones. And the best part? There's no chilling, rolling or cutting out shapes - simply roll the dough into balls and bake!
Ready in around 20 minutes, they're perfect for an easy Christmas baking session with the kids, a festive afternoon treat or even homemade edible Christmas gifts.
These Soft Gingerbread Cookies are hands down my favourite thing to bake and eat throughout the festive season. They are just the doughiest cookie you'll ever make. And they are super addictive, to the point where I will tell the kids they are all gone (when they aren't), just so I can keep them for myself (shhhhh!).
I've spiced them just at the right level for little kids to enjoy too BUT if you like your gingerbread really strong I've also included a higher amount of ground ginger you can go to - but personally, even for me, they are spiced to perfection just as they are. And another thing you are going to love about this recipe?! You can make them in 20 minutes!
Unlike regular gingerbread cookies, we aren't going to chill or roll the dough out and cut it into shapes, which is fun of course when you have the time, but sometimes you just want a quick easy Christmas bake and this is it for sure! You'll get ALL the gingerbread goodness without all the hard work.
So, if you love gingerbread you MUST try these out. Just the nostalgic smell of Christmas that fills the house as they bake will put you in the festive mood. So put on some Christmas music, call the kids in to help and get your festive bake on!
Why you'll love this Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- Soft and doughy rather than crunchy
- Ready in around 20 minutes
- No chilling required
- No rolling out the dough
- No cookie cutters needed
- Mildly spiced so they're suitable for the whole family
- Easy enough for children to help make
- Perfect for Christmas baking and edible gifts
Why these are the best easy gingerbread cookies for busy families
Traditional gingerbread biscuits are lovely, but they can involve chilling, rolling, cutting and decorating - which isn't always what you want when you're looking for a quick Christmas bake.
These soft gingerbread cookies are much easier. The dough is simply rolled into balls, placed onto baking trays and baked for 8 minutes. There's no rolling pin, no cookie cutters and no waiting around for the dough to chill.
The result is a batch of soft, buttery, warmly spiced gingerbread cookies with a deliciously doughy centre
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST SOFT GINGERBREAD COOKIES
Measuring you ingredients
If you are in the US, I have given cup measurements, but I'd always say for accuracy when baking, weigh out your ingredients instead. And you want these Soft Gingerbread Cookies to turn out just perfect!
Don't over bake them
The most important thing is not to overbake these cookies. They only need around 8 minutes in the oven and should look just set rather than browned and firm.
They will continue to set as they cool, so don't worry if they seem very soft when they first come out.
Leave plenty of space
The dough spreads considerably during baking, so leave plenty of room between each ball of dough. I like to bake 5 cookies max per tray.
Keep the size consistent
I like to use a small ice cream scoop to form the cookies ready for baking, which makes 11 large cookies. You can just roll the dough into balls roughly walnut size (about 1 ½ inch in diameter) instead.
If you're making them with children, you can simply roll the dough into balls by hand.
Don't open the oven
The bake on these cookies is super quick - just 8 minutes! This ensures the perfect level of doughiness. When you put them in the oven, put the ones at the top of the oven in last and when they are done, take these out first as they will have cooked the most. And don't be tempted to open the oven during cooking - put them in and leave them alone.
Baking these gingerbread cookies with kids
These are a great Christmas bake to make with children because there's no rolling pin or cookie cutters involved.
Kids can help measure the ingredients, mix the dough and roll it into balls ready for baking. They can also help decorate the cooled cookies if you decide to add icing or sprinkles.
And because they're ready in around 20 minutes, you don't need to dedicate an entire afternoon to baking!
Give the Gift of Gingerbread
These easy gingerbread cookies make a lovely homemade Christmas gift for teachers, neighbours, friends and family.
Once completely cool, place them in a cellophane treat bag and tie with ribbon or festive string. You could also add a little handwritten gift tag to make them extra special.
They're particularly handy when you need a homemade Christmas gift that doesn't take hours to make!
These gingerbread cookies will make a great Christmas gift for teachers or friends and family you visit through the festive season.
FAQ's for my Soft Gingerbread cookies
These aren't traditional gingerbread biscuits that you roll out and cut into Christmas shapes. The dough is soft and buttery and the cookies are baked for just 8 minutes, which gives them their wonderfully soft, doughy centre. There's also no need to chill the dough before baking. In fact, skipping this step helps you achieve the soft texture these cookies are known for.
Just be careful not to overbake them! They should look set around the edges but still be soft in the middle when you take them out of the oven.
I've spiced these gingerbread cookies to be suitable for the whole family to enjoy. Sometimes ginger can be overpowering but not here! If you would like them to have an extra strong ginger flavour however, you can add in an extra ½ teaspoon of ground ginger. I've also said in the recipe that adding a pinch of all spice is optional, so you can add it if you have it but there's no need to go out and buy it for this recipe alone, they are delicious without it too.
I haven't tested it but I can't see why not! Just adjust the cooking time accordingly so if you make them smaller, they will cook quicker and if you make them bigger, they will need a minute or two longer.
The butter needs to be softened before making the dough. Softened butter will cream together properly with the brown sugar and help give you the right cookie texture. You don't want the butter melted, though - it should be soft enough to press easily with your finger but still hold its shape.
No - this particular recipe isn't designed for rolling out and cutting into shapes. The dough is deliberately soft, which is what gives the cookies their lovely doughy texture. If you want traditional gingerbread men that you can roll out and decorate, you'll need a firmer gingerbread dough.
Yes! The allspice is completely optional. It adds another little layer of warm spice, but you don't need to buy it specially for this recipe. The cookies are delicious with just the ginger and cinnamon, so simply leave the allspice out if you don't have any.
If you make this gingerbread dough ahead of time and chill it for more than 30 minutes, the end result will be less doughy and more chewy so I don't recommend it for this particular soft gingerbread cookie recipe. The only time I recommend chilling the dough is if its a hot day and your kitchen is very warm and the butter was very soft and shiny. Then chill for up to 30 minutes before scooping.
Because of how soft these cookies are, I wouldn't personally. If you want gingerbread cookies to bake, then go for a traditional recipe where you roll out the dough and then cut Christmas shapes. Plus these are so delicious as they are they honestly don't need any extra touches.
These cookies are designed to spread, but if yours spread excessively, the dough may have been particularly warm. If your kitchen is warm, or your butter was very soft, chill the prepared dough for 30 minutes max before baking. This will help the cookies hold their shape.
Also make sure you're measuring the flour accurately, as too little flour can result in cookies that spread more than expected.
Yes! You can easily double the ingredients if you're baking for a larger group or making cookies as Christmas gifts. You'll need to bake them in batches rather than overcrowding the baking trays. The cookies only take around 8 minutes per batch, so they don't take long to bake.
If you make this gingerbread dough ahead of time and chill it for more than 30 minutes, the end result may be less doughy and more chewy so I don't recommend it for this particular soft gingerbread cookie recipe.
No, I've deliberately kept the ginger flavour fairly mild, so these cookies are suitable for the whole family to enjoy. If you prefer a stronger ginger flavour, you can increase the ground ginger from 1½ teaspoons to 2 teaspoons. Personally, I think the original amount gives them just the right amount of warm gingerbread flavour without being overpowering.
Don't worry - that's exactly what you want! These cookies are designed to have a soft, doughy centre, so they will still feel very soft when you first take them out of the oven. Leave them on the baking tray for around 10 minutes and they will continue to set as they cool.
Try not to bake them until they're firm in the oven, as this is likely to result in a harder, less doughy cookie.
Store the cooled gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. They are best enjoyed within the first few days when they're at their softest.
For more on safe food storage and reheating read here >
Yes, these cookies can be frozen. Once completely cool, place them in an airtight freezer-safe container or bag, separating layers with baking paper if needed. Defrost at room temperature and allow them to come back to room temperature before serving, or better yet to do what we do in microwave them for a few seconds before serving to bring them back to their dough warm goodness.
My Soft Gingerbread Cookies are suitable for nut-free diets. They are NOT suitable for those on gluten, dairy or egg-free diets.
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SOFT GINGERBREAD COOKIES
Special Equipment
- Measuring scales / cups
- 2-3 baking trays / sheets + baking paper
- Small ice cream scoop , optional
Ingredients
- 125 g unsalted butter softened
- 160 g dark brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger see note 2
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of all spice optional
- ⅛ teaspoon or large pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan/350ºf/gas 4. Line 2-3 baking trays/sheets with baking paper.
- Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk on medium until creamy, then add in the egg and vanilla and beat again.
- Add in the flour, spices and salt and beat on the lowest speed, until a dough has formed.
- Use a small ice cream scoop or roll the dough into walnut-size balls and add to your baking trays/sheets, with a good amount of space around each one to allow them to flatten and spread. I like to do two rows of 3 cookies per tray.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 8 mins, or until just dry and not looking wet in the centre. When done, leave to cool for 10 minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool further or serve immediately to enjoy warm. They will keep in an air tight tin or container for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition - per serving
Lubna says
Absolutely delicious I love how clear the recipe was and it was so easy to make yet so delicious the smell filled the whole house my mouth was watering waiting for them in the oven I took these with me to school my friends absolutely loved them thank you so much
togethertoeat says
Thank you so much for the lovely comment and rating, I really appreciate it! Love that you and your friends enjoyed them so much 🥰 They are one of our faves, I make them on repeat around Christmas!