Description
This classic gingerbread cookie recipe yields soft, flavorful cookies that perfectly balance the warmth of cinnamon and ginger with the rich sweetness of molasses. Easy to prepare and bake, these cookies are ideal for holiday baking or anytime you want a comforting treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup unsulphured molasses
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon (increase to 2 tsp for stronger cinnamon flavor)
- ½ tsp dried ground ginger (increase to 1-2 tsp for stronger ginger flavor)
Optional
- Granulated sugar for rolling dough balls
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it reaches the right temperature before baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Egg and Molasses: Incorporate the egg and molasses into the creamed mixture, mixing thoroughly until well combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ground ginger to evenly distribute the spices.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until the dough comes together uniformly without overmixing.
- Form Dough Balls: Scoop or roll dough into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball. Optionally, roll the dough balls in granulated sugar for extra crunch and sweetness.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Place the dough balls onto a baking sheet spaced about 2 to 3 inches apart to allow room for spreading.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. The cookies should be set but soft in the middle when done.
- Cool Cookies: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on it for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- These gingerbread cookies are delightfully soft and flavorful, a big hit even among those who may not prefer traditional molasses or gingersnap cookies.
- Adjust the cinnamon and ginger quantities to your taste for a stronger spice flavor.
- Rolling the dough in granulated sugar before baking adds a pleasant texture and sparkle to the finished cookies.
- Allowing the cookies to cool properly ensures they firm up slightly while retaining softness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 143 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 158 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 22 mg
