Soft, chewy and perfectly spiced, these Iced Gingerbread Cookies are the perfect holiday cookie!
I love a good crisp gingerbread cookie, but these soft gingerbread cookies have quickly become my favorite way to make gingerbread. After testing this recipe a few times (and passing plenty of samples to my taste testers), I have found that the best gingerbread flavor comes from using blackstrap molasses.
I've tested this recipe using regular molasses, which is great, but the deep, rich flavor you get from the blackstrap molasses wins every single time! I seriously cannot get enough of these cookies!
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Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Molasses-For the best flavor I love using blackstrap molasses. Regular molasses works good too.
- Spices-A mixture of ground cinnamon, ginger and allspice for a fantastic gingerbread flavor. If you want a milder flavor, you can replace ½ teaspoon of the ground ginger with cinnamon.
How To Make Iced Gingerbread Cookies
Not only are these cookies fantastic, but they are super easy to make. Here is my process:
Step 1
Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices together in a bowl until evenly mixed.
Step 2
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the egg, then add the molasses and vanilla until fully combined.
Step 3
Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined.
Step 4
Scoop onto a parchment lined baking sheet, gently press the tops down and bake for 10-11 minutes. Cool before icing.
Step 5
Dip the tops in the icing, letting the excess drip off, and place on a cooling rack to set before serving. Enjoy!
👉 Tips
- Don't have blackstrap molasses, no worries, use regular molasses.
- These cookies are delicious with or without the icing.
- If skipping the icing, roll the cookie dough in a little sugar before baking for extra sweetness and sparkle.
- Let the iced cookies rest for at least one hour so the icing can fully set.
I hope you'll be adding these delicious Iced Gingerbread Cookies to your Christmas cookie tray this year. I know I will be!
-Sky🩷
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📖 Recipe
Iced Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup molasses use blackstrap if you have it
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon all spice
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons milk
- 1 splash vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice until well combined.
- In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the egg and mix until fully incorporated.
- Mix in the molasses and vanilla extract, scraping down the bowl as needed to ensure everything is well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing just until the dough comes together.
- Using a 1-ounce portion scoop (or two rounded tablespoons), scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Gently press the tops of each cookie to flatten slightly.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before icing.
Icing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Once the cookies have cooled completely, gently dip just the tops into the icing, letting any excess drip off.
- Place the iced cookies back on a cooling rack and allow the icing to set for at least 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don't have blackstrap molasses, no worries, use regular molasses.
- These cookies are delicious with or without the icing.
- If skipping the icing, roll the cookie dough in a little sugar before baking for extra sweetness and sparkle.
- Let the iced cookies rest for at least one hour so the icing can fully set.
Jen says
The ingredients don't list flour? How much do I need?
Sky Pilgreen says
Hi Jen! The recipe calls for 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour.