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Chewy gingerbread cookies are so soft and delicious. They are much easier to make than traditional gingerbread cookies and no rolling or cutting required. Just drop and go!

Chewy gingerbread cookies

Gingerbread cookies make such a fabulous treat and they are such a classic cookie to enjoy. It seems to me that no cookie exchange would be complete without some gingerbread cookies, right? You might also like Gingerbread Pancakes.

Well I have a little bit of a spin for you. Ready? These are not cut out old fashion gingerbread cookies. They aren’t crunchy either.

These are soft and chewy and super easy to make. Yes! No rolling or cutting. These are drop cookies.

Let’s make soft gingerbread cookies!

These are oh so soft drop gingerbread cookies. They are VERY easy to make and they don’t make nearly the mess in the kitchen that traditional gingerbread cookies make.

Baking ingredients for chewy gingerbread cookies are laid out on a marble surface: a bowl of flour, a bowl of sugar, a small bowl with yellow liquid, a small black liquid container, a plate with spices, and buttery essentials waiting to transform into deliciousness.

Chewy gingerbread cookies ingredients:

flour
ground ginger
baking soda
ground cinnamon
ground cloves
salt
butter or margarine
granulated sugar
egg
orange juice
molasses

How to make soft gingerbread cookies:

First, Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Next, combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl- flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.

A baking preparation scene for chewy gingerbread cookies features a whisk in a glass bowl of flour. Surrounding ingredients include a stick of unsalted butter, sugar, a small bowl of milk, and a cup of molasses on the white marble surface.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.

A glass bowl with creamed butter and sugar sits on a marble countertop, surrounded by small bowls of vanilla extract, salt, flour, and orange juice—perfect for making chewy gingerbread cookies. A hand mixer is poised in the creamy mixture, ready for action.

Add egg, orange juice and molasses, stirring carefully until well combined.

A glass mixing bowl filled with creamy, light brown batter for chewy gingerbread cookies sits alongside an electric mixer. In the background, a separate bowl holds a white, flour-like substance. The scene unfolds on a sleek white marble countertop.

Now it is time to slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Thick dough will form.

A glass bowl filled with a crumbly brown mixture on a white marble surface hints at the beginning of chewy gingerbread cookies. The mixture appears to be cookie dough, ready to be transformed into warm, spiced delights.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoon into sugar. You can also use a cookie scoop.

Roll to cover, then place on cookie sheet.

A baking sheet lined with parchment paper holds six sugar-coated cookie dough balls, promising chewy gingerbread cookies to come. A small bowl of sugar sits invitingly on the sheet, ready for the sprinkle before baking. The surface is a light marble pattern, adding elegance to the preparation scene.

Set cookies about 2-inches apart.

A baking sheet lined with parchment paper holds six evenly spaced dough balls of chewy gingerbread cookies coated in sugar, ready to be baked. The backdrop is a white marble countertop.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will spread out and flatten a bit.

Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for a couple of minutes before removing to wire rack. Don’t skip this step or the cookies could crumble.

A grid of 24 freshly baked chewy gingerbread cookies with a golden-brown, cracked surface, cooling on a wire rack placed on a marble countertop. A blue and white patterned cloth is partially visible in the bottom left corner.

Try this soft and chewy gingerbread cookies recipe!

I know there are a lot of ingredients listed in this recipe, but don’t let that turn you away from trying this recipe. You probably have most of these items just sitting in your pantry.

I did have to buy molasses (I used Grandma’s Molasses). If you don’t have orange juice, you can always use water.

The OJ just brings out the ginger flavor a little better. Don’t omit the liquid altogether though – this little bit of liquid is the secret to these super soft cookies.

You know we are big fans of using what we have or can get on sale. 🙂

It helps keep the grocery budget reasonable and feed a large family. By shopping when things are on sale I save money on groceries and it really helps our budget. Saving money and feeding a big family can be accomplished.

I cut our grocery bill by 50% off by following these 8 Tips for for Saving Money on Groceries by Menu Planning!

Seriously… look at that sugar just begging you to try these gingerbread cookies. 🙂 Go make them today. They are SO amazing!

A close-up of a stack of five sugar-coated, golden-brown cookies with a cracked texture sits on a white surface. These chewy gingerbread cookies have other delectable treats blurred in the background.

Tips for making soft gingerbread cookies:

If you are still scooping cookies with two spoons, you really need to get yourself some stainless steel scoops!

I have had mine for several years and I use them for all types of baking. I bought the 3 pack and used the smallest of the 3 scoops for these cookies (and almost all my cookies) and they were just the right size for adults and kids.

The other sizes are perfect for other recipes or meatballs and such. Trust me, they will get lots of use and are well worth the small investment.

You will need a stand mixer or a hand-held mixer. Either of these will work but I prefer my stand mixer. It makes everything even easier and definitely gets plenty of use.

Make sure to keep an eye on the cookies. If you cook them too long, they will not be soft.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. This will help to cookies settle and prevent them from breaking.

I love the cookies warm. They are amazing served this way.

Gingerbread cookies will stay soft for 3-4 days as long as you store them at room temperature in an airtight container. Ours don’t last long though because everyone loves them so much.

A plate full of freshly baked, chewy gingerbread cookies is stacked neatly on a white plate. The cookies have a crinkled surface and a light dusting of sugar. A blue and white patterned cloth peeks from the corner against a marble background.

HOW TO FREEZE SOFT GINGERBREAD COOKIES.

I like to flash freeze the cookies on a single layer and then put them in an airtight container for the freezer. This helps the cookies not to stick together and preserves their appearance as well.

Try this delicious soft gingerbread cookies recipe!

You won’t buy those store bought cookies anymore after you try this easy recipe! It isn’t just for the holidays but great for year round.

The kids love soft cookies and I love how easy these are. Once you make homemade cookies, you will just how simple and easy it is.

It might sound fancy to make cookies from scratch but it is not hard at all. Give it a try and see how delicious the cookies are.

Plus, you will save money from those store bought cookies. I promise these are much better too!

You can also make gingerbread men or a gingerbread house with this cookie dough. This gingerbread cookies recipe is so easy to use several different ways. The kids love to decorate with royal icing during the holidays and it looks so festive.

Try adding a dusting of powdered sugar. So pretty and tasty too!

Let us know once you try the recipe and how you like it. It is sure to be a hit!

I love recipes that are easy enough for the kids to help but taste amazing. These soft gingerbread cookies are definitely a winner in my book.

The entire family loves them! As you can see, there are so many fun and delicious options to try with these cookies!

Three stacked chewy gingerbread cookies on a plate, with the top cookie showing a bite taken out of it. A blue and white napkin is in the background, and cinnamon sticks are visible on the side.

Print the best gingerbread cookies recipe chewy here:

Find all the Christmas cookie exchange recipes.

4.95 from 17 votes (13 ratings without comment)