By: pinchofyum.com
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: About 24 cookies
These gingerbread cookies are everything the holidays should be: warm, cozy, and irresistibly soft. Lightly spiced, sweetened with molasses, and finished with a dreamy maple glaze, they’re perfect for festive gatherings, cookie exchanges, or a quiet winter afternoon with a cup of tea.
Unlike traditional rolled gingerbread, these cookies are pillowy-soft with just a hint of crispness around the edges—easy to make, fun to decorate, and full of comforting holiday flavor.
Ingredients:
Gingerbread Cookies
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup molasses (Grandma’s brand recommended)
- 2¼ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (307 g)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
- Granulated sugar, for rolling
Maple Glaze
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1½ cups powdered sugar (180 g)
- 2 tablespoons milk (plus a little more if needed)
- Pinch of salt, to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add dry ingredients: Mix in flour, baking soda, salt, and ground ginger until a soft dough forms.
- Shape cookies: Scoop dough into balls slightly larger than a golf ball. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 9–11 minutes. Let cookies rest on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. They will flatten slightly as they cool.
- Make the maple glaze: Whisk together melted butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, milk, and salt until smooth and very thick. Add milk a teaspoon at a time only if needed.
- Glaze the cookies: Dip one side of each cooled cookie into the glaze, gently remove excess, and place on wax paper. Add festive sprinkles before the glaze sets, if desired.
Notes & Little Holiday Touches:
- These cookies are intentionally soft and tender, more like spicy-sweet pillows than crisp gingerbread.
- Rolling the dough balls in sugar gives a subtle crunch and beautiful sparkle.
- The maple glaze is smooth, sweet, and subtle—just enough to take these cookies over the top.
- For extra holiday charm, decorate with sprinkles, or pipe tiny holly leaves and berries once the glaze sets.
Warm, cozy, and made for sharing—these cookies are a little moment of holiday magic. 🎄🍪
