Soft, frosted gingerbread cookies are a sure hit for the holidays! This recipe is one of my absolute favorite cookie recipes! I love soft, chewy cookies and am not really a crunchy cookie person. I wanted some gingerbread cookies, but I wanted some soft ones, and some frosted ones. A little twist on the traditional, but still true to all the classic, warm spiciness of traditional gingerbread.

So here you have it! Soft frosted gingerbread cookies. A nice soft cookie, with balanced spices and topped with a perfect compliment; cream cheese frosting. It really doesn’t get any better than this in my opinion.

These cookies are easy to make and so full of flavor! They come together easily and quickly. I used my stand mixer, but you could use a hand mixer as well to combine your ingredients.

Making the cookies

A very important step in making these soft, frosted gingerbread cookies is chilling the dough. I recommend a minimum of 2 hours but you can also chill it up to a day. The reason this is so important is to let all the flavors blend and mix together well. When first making this recipe, I tried a bit of the dough immediately after mixing. I was worried that the spice blend was off and I almost adjusted it. I decided to wait until the chilling was done, and I am so glad I did! The spices really harmonized during the chill time.

I have done the minimum 2 hour chill and I have chilled my dough overnight. Once you hit the 2 hours, it really doesn’t make a difference. The spices won’t blend any differently if left longer. It is just about your time. Somedays I can start cookies in the morning and work on them throughout the day. Other times it works better for me to mix up a dough before bed and bake the next day.

Let your cookies cool completely before mixing up your frosting. Frosting the cookies before they are completely cool will result in your frosting melting into your cookie.

I am including some links below to items I found helpful in making this recipe.

Measuring cups/spoons https://amzn.to/3AisVKS

Measuring cups pyrex https://amzn.to/3AmEKzJ

KitchenAid mixer https://amzn.to/4e6OM5G

Hand mixer https://amzn.to/4f2BB7o

Mixing bowl set https://amzn.to/4e9omR5

Spatulas https://amzn.to/4hr8FaM

Cookie sheets https://amzn.to/40va8Xg

Cookie scoops https://amzn.to/48Ss6oM

Would you like to receive an email notification every time I post a new recipe? Leave your email address to be added to my mailing list! (I won’t sell your info!)

Soft Frosted Gingerbread Cookies

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Equipment

• 1 Mixer
• 1 Measuring Spoons
• 1 Measuring Cups
• 2-3 cookie sheets with silicone sheets or lined with parchment paper
• 1 Spatula
• 2-3 wire cooling racks

Ingredients

  

Gingerbread Cookies

• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup molasses regular, not blackstrap

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

 

Gingerbread Cookies

• In a medium bowl, mix together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In mixer bowl (use paddle attachment) add butter, both sugars and vanilla. Beat on medium until light and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, for about 2 min.
• Add eggs, one at a time, and mixing well after adding each.
• Add molasses and beat until combined.
• Reduce mixer speed to low, and slowly add in dry ingredients, beating until just combined. Scrape down sides of bowl to be sure everything is completely mixed.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours (up to 1 day).

Baking

• Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
• Use medium cookie scoop to scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets approx 2 inches apart. Press top of each cookie lightly.
• Bake 1 cookie sheet at a time 10-12 minutes. Cookies should be puffed and the tops beginning to split.
• Remove pan from oven, and cool for 5 min before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• In mixer bowl (with paddle attachment) beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla on medium sped until completely smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low, and slowly add in confectioners sugar. Once all the sugar has been mixed in, increase speed to medium and beat 2 additional minutes.
• Add in the lemon juice and beat 1 minute.
• Spread on cooled cookies.

Notes

• Do not skip chilling the dough!  This is necessary for the flavors to mix together