These easy gingerbread cookies are soft, chewy and perfect for the holidays. This no-chill recipe takes far less time than traditional gingerbread cookies and is finished with a fluffy cream cheese frosting.
I love gingerbread—there’s nothing like the warm, spicy aroma of fresh gingerbread cookies at Christmastime. They belong on every holiday cookie tray.
Still, traditional gingerbread has a few drawbacks:
- Chilling the dough takes time when you’re short on it.
- Rolling and cutting shapes creates a big mess.
- Some recipes produce hard, crunchy cookies instead of soft, chewy ones.
- Royal icing can be bland.
- Decorating skills can make the results hit or miss.
So I developed an easy gingerbread cookie that’s faster, cleaner and absolutely delicious with a creamy frosting. These cookies are soft and chewy, packed with warm spices, brown sugar and molasses, and finished with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. They’re quick to make and skip the usual chill time.
How to Make Easy Gingerbread Cookies
Begin by whisking together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat the softened (not melted) butter with the brown sugar until fluffy, then add the egg, vanilla and molasses. With the mixer on low, incorporate the dry ingredients in batches until combined.
Unlike many gingerbread recipes, this one does not require forming the dough into discs and chilling. Instead, scoop dough into 2–2.5 tablespoon balls, place them on a lined baking sheet and bake. If you prefer extra-thick cookies, chill the cookie sheet for 10–15 minutes before baking.
Note: This dough is designed for drop cookies and not for rolling and cutting with cookie cutters.
While the cookies cool, make the cream cheese frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth, then gradually add powdered sugar. Add cream a tablespoon at a time and adjust powdered sugar to reach your desired sweetness and consistency. The frosting is silky and complements the spiced cookies perfectly.
For decoration I used Christmas sprinkles and small gumdrop gingerbread man toppers for a festive finish.
These easy gingerbread cookies deliver the classic spiced flavor of gingerbread but with a soft, chewy texture and rich cream cheese frosting. They’re quick to make and ideal for holiday baking or last-minute cookie swaps.
Easy Gingerbread Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookies
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup molasses, not blackstrap
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2.5 -3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cream or milk
- sprinkles
Instructions
Gingerbread Cookies
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
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In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
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In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
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Beat in the egg, vanilla and molasses until combined.
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With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture about half a cup at a time until incorporated.
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Form dough into 2-tablespoon balls (a cookie scoop works well). Place balls about 2 inches apart on prepared sheets.
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Bake 8–10 minutes, or until the tops are set. Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
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In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
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On low speed, add powdered sugar about 1/2 to 1 cup at a time until you’ve added about 2 cups and the mixture is combined.
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Beat in cream a tablespoon at a time, and add more powdered sugar or cream as needed to reach the sweetness and consistency you prefer.
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Spread the frosting on cooled cookies with a flat knife and decorate with sprinkles.
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