Description
These gingerbread cookies are soft, flavorful, and perfect for the holiday season. With a blend of spices and molasses, they’re a festive treat that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (85g) unsulphured molasses
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg), salt, and espresso powder. This mixture smells heavenly—spicy and slightly earthy.
- Cream the butter and sugars: In another bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer to cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. This usually takes about 2 minutes.
- Add the wet ingredients: Beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. The molasses adds that deep, rich sweetness that’s key to gingerbread flavor.
- Combine the mixtures: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix—you want soft cookies, not tough ones.
- Chill the dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days). Chilling allows the flavors to deepen and prevents the cookies from spreading too much.
- Shape and roll: Scoop 1 portions of dough and roll them into balls. Then, roll each ball in granulated sugar for that signature sparkle.
- Bake: Place the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 11–12 minutes. The edges will be set, but the centers may look soft—that’s perfect.
- Cool and enjoy: Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm or store for later—they stay soft for days.
Notes
- The longer you chill the dough, the better the flavors develop.
- Be sure to use unsulphured molasses for a deeper flavor.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg