Nothing says holiday baking quite like the Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie Recipe. These classic cut-out cookies have become a Christmas tradition for many families because they are easy to make, fun to decorate, and full of warm holiday spices.
Every bite delivers the perfect balance of softness and crispness that makes gingerbread cookies unforgettable. The Sally’s Gingerbread Cookie Recipe is a classic Christmas cookie recipe featuring a rich, spiced dough that is chilled before rolling and cutting into festive holiday shapes.
The cookies bake with soft centers, crisp edges, and a sturdy texture that’s ideal for decorating with icing. Whether you’re baking with kids, preparing homemade gifts, or filling your holiday cookie tray, this guide will show you everything you need.
You’ll learn the ingredients, equipment, step-by-step instructions, storage tips, and decorating ideas for perfect gingerbread cookies every time.
What Is This Food and What Does Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie Taste Like?
Gingerbread cookies are traditional spiced cookies that are especially popular during the Christmas season. They’re made with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, giving them their signature holiday flavor and cmforting aroma.

The Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie Recipe creates cookies with a wonderful texture. Tohe centers stay soft and tender while the edges become slightly crisp after baking. This combination makes every bite satisfying without becoming dry or crumbly.
These cookies also hold their shape beautifully after baking, making them perfect for decorating with royal icing or cookie icing. Their balanced sweetness and warm spices pair wonderfully with a glass of milk, hot chocolate, coffee, or tea.
Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie Recipe Ingredients
Gather all the following ingredients, before you start making this Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (170g) unsulphured molasses
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Kitchen Utensils Required
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Electric mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rubber spatula
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
Preparation & Cooking Time
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Chill Time: 2–3 hours
Rolling & Cutting: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 8–10 minutes
Cooling Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: About 3 hours 45 minutes
How to Make Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie
Just follow this simple step by step guideline to make your homemade version of Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie in a delicious way.
Step 1: Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt until evenly combined.
Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugar
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Step 3: Add the Wet Ingredients
Mix in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract until the mixture becomes smooth and well blended.
Step 4: Make the Dough
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until a stiff dough forms.

Step 5: Chill the Dough
Divide the dough into two portions and flatten each into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2–3 hours.
Step 6: Roll Out the Dough
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly flour your work surface and roll the chilled dough to about ¼-inch thickness. The first few rolls may feel difficult because the dough is firm, but it softens quickly as you continue rolling.

Step 7: Cut the Cookies
Use your favorite holiday cookie cutters to cut festive shapes. Transfer them onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
Step 8: Bake
Bake for 8–10 minutes until the edges are set while the centers remain soft.

Step 9: Cool Completely
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Step 10: Decorate
Once completely cooled, decorate with your favorite cookie icing or royal icing. Let the icing dry completely before storing.
Delicious Ways to Customize and Serve This Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie
Here are some Variations and Customizations ideas you can try to enjoy this Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie deliciously
My Personal Experience and Some Tips on This Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
I love making these gingerbread cookies every Christmas because they always make the house smell warm and cozy. The first time I rolled the chilled dough, it felt very hard, but I kept rolling just like the recipe says, and it became much easier to work with.
The cookies came out soft in the middle with light, crisp edges, and they held their cute shapes perfectly. Decorating them with simple icing is my favorite part. It’s a fun recipe that always brings smiles to my family and makes holiday baking feel extra special.
Tips for the Best Gingerbread Cookies
1. Chill the dough well. Cold dough is easier to roll and helps the cookies keep their shape.
2. Flour your work surface lightly. Too much flour can make the cookies dry.
3. Roll the dough evenly. A thickness of about ¼ inch gives soft centers and crisp edges.
4. Don’t overbake. Take the cookies out when the edges are set and the centers still look soft.
5. Let the cookies cool completely. Warm cookies can break and melted icing won’t set properly.
6. Decorate with thick icing. A thicker icing gives cleaner lines and prettier cookie designs.
7. Store them in an airtight container. This keeps the cookies soft and fresh for several days.
More Delicious Recipes from Sally’s Baking Addiction
- Sally’s Baking Addiction Lemon Bars Recipe
- Sally’s Baking Addiction Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
- Sally’s Baking Addiction Pecan Pie Recipe
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Sally’s Baking Gingerbread Cookie Properly?
Store gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Decorated cookies should be kept in a single layer until the icing hardens. For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies for up to three months.
Thaw at room temperature before serving. These cookies are best enjoyed at room temperature and do not require reheating.
Nutrition Facts and Dietary Notes
One medium gingerbread cookie contains about 140 calories, depending on its size and icing. It provides small amounts of iron from molasses and warming spices like ginger and cinnamon. For a gluten-free version, use a good 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
To make the cookies vegan, replace the butter with plant-based butter and use a flax egg. This recipe is not keto because it contains flour, brown sugar, and molasses. Ginger and cinnamon also add natural flavor without extra fat.

Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt until evenly combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract until the mixture becomes smooth and well blended.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until a stiff dough forms.
- Divide the dough into two portions and flatten each into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2–3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly flour your work surface and roll the chilled dough to about ¼-inch thickness. The first few rolls may feel difficult because the dough is firm, but it softens quickly as you continue rolling.
- Use your favorite holiday cookie cutters to cut festive shapes. Transfer them onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes until the edges are set while the centers remain soft.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
- Once completely cooled, decorate with your favorite cookie icing or royal icing. Let the icing dry completely before storing.
Video
Notes
FAQs on this Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
When you give this Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie Recipe a try, you might have a few questions. Don’t worry-we’ve rounded up answers to the most common ones to help you out.
1. What is the best gingerbread cookie recipe?
From our experience, the Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie Recipe is one of the best because it creates cookies with soft centers, crisp edges, and just the right amount of warm spices. The dough is easy to work with after chilling, and the cookies hold their shape beautifully for decorating.
2. What is the secret to soft gingerbread cookies?
We’ve found that the biggest secret is not overbaking them. Take the cookies out of the oven as soon as the edges are set while the centers still look slightly soft. Using brown sugar and molasses also helps keep the cookies moist and tender for days.
3. What are common mistakes in making ginger cookies?
The most common mistakes we see are adding too much flour, skipping the chilling time, and baking the cookies too long. Chilling the dough makes rolling much easier, while overbaking can quickly turn soft cookies into hard ones.
4. What’s the main ingredient in gingerbread cookies?
The main ingredients are all-purpose flour, ground ginger, and molasses. Flour gives the cookies structure, ginger provides their signature spicy flavor, and molasses adds moisture, color, and the classic rich gingerbread taste.
5. Why do I need to chill the gingerbread cookie dough?
We always recommend chilling the dough because it firms up the butter and makes the dough much easier to roll and cut. It also helps the cookies keep their festive shapes while baking instead of spreading too much.
6. Can I make the gingerbread cookie dough ahead of time?
Absolutely! We often prepare the dough a day or two in advance and keep it refrigerated until we’re ready to bake. You can also freeze the dough for up to three months for holiday baking later.
7. How thick should I roll gingerbread cookie dough?
For the best texture, we like rolling the dough to about ¼ inch thick. This thickness gives the cookies soft, chewy centers with lightly crisp edges after baking.
8. How do I know when gingerbread cookies are done baking?
The cookies are ready when the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. They continue to firm up as they cool on the baking sheet, so don’t wait until they’re completely firm in the oven.
9. What icing works best for decorating gingerbread cookies?
We’ve had great results using either royal icing or a simple cookie icing. Royal icing dries hard for detailed designs, while cookie icing gives a softer finish and is perfect for colorful holiday decorations.
10. How should I store homemade gingerbread cookies?
We store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, where they stay fresh for about a week. If we make a large batch, we freeze them in freezer-safe containers for up to three months and thaw them at room temperature whenever we need a holiday treat.
The Sally’s Baking Addiction Gingerbread Cookie Recipe is a timeless holiday favorite that’s as enjoyable to decorate as it is to eat. With soft centers, crisp edges, and warm festive spices, these cookies are perfect for Christmas gatherings, cookie exchanges, and homemade gifts.
Try this recipe with your favorite cookie cutters and colorful icing to create beautiful holiday treats everyone will love. If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to share it with family and friends and save it for your holiday baking tradition.
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The only gingerbread recipe I will ever use now!