Frosted Gingerbread Cookies
These frosted gingerbread cookies taste just like the holidays—soft, chewy, and full of cinnamon, ginger, and molasses. Sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting adds a smooth sweetness that makes every bite melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Last Christmas you gave me frosted gingerbread cookies but the very next day, they were gone because they were so darn delicious! Time to bake another batch!
These cookies will put you in the holiday spirit. Soft, chewy, perfectly spiced, and topped with luscious cream cheese frosting, these cookies deserve a starring role on your holiday dessert table.
They’re as comforting as an 80s holiday movie marathon and as easy to make as hitting “play” on your VHS of A Christmas Story.
Plug in those lights, preheat the oven, and bake your way into the hap-hap-happiest Christmas ever.
If gingerbread makes you jolly, check out my gingerbread cookie bars, gingerbread cupcakes, and gingerbread cookies.
How to Make Frosted Gingerbread Cookies
Step 1: Prep and preheat. Preheat the oven and line baking pans with silicone mats or parchment paper.
Step 2: Make the cookie dough. Whisk the dry ingredients together. Cream the butter and sugars. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract. Add in the flour mixture and mix until the cookie dough forms.
Step 3: Bake the cookies. Scoop the cookie dough with a large cookie scoop and place on the baking pans. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes and then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
Step 4: Make the frosting. Cream the butter and cream cheese. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and whip the frosting until it is smooth and creamy.
Step 5: Frost the cookies. Pipe a swirl of cream cheese frosting onto the cookies using a Wilton 1A piping tip and spread with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with holiday sprinkles.
Courtney’s Expert Cookie Baking Tips
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion the cookie dough for even, uniform cookies.
- Bake the cookies in the center of the oven for even baking and proper spreading.
- Immediately when the cookies come out of the oven, use the back of a spoon to gently shape the cookies into perfectly round circles.
- To save time, make the cream cheese frosting while the cookies are baking.
- Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can use a medium cookie scoop (1 ½ tablespoons) to make the cookies half the size. The baking time will decrease to about 10 minutes.
Use unsulphured molasses. Avoid blackstrap molasses — it’s too bitter.
Use whatever type of frosting you would like! Vanilla buttercream, brown butter buttercream, or orange buttercream frosting would make great options.
You can use whatever sprinkles you would like, or omit the sprinkles altogether. For the cookies pictured, I used this holiday sprinkle blend.
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Frosted Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookies
- 2 ¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking soda
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) cornstarch
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) ground ginger
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) ground cloves
- ½ cup (114 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) molasses
- 1 (1) large egg (room temperature)
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup (114 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese (room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
Additional Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (20 g) holiday sprinkles
Instructions
Gingerbread Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line baking sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar for a few minutes on medium speed until well combined. Add in the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until well combined and smooth.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the cookie dough comes together. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well mixed.
- Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) to portion the cookie dough and place on the prepared baking sheet pans, allowing room for spreading. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes until the edges are set and the centers of the cookies are puffed up. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter and cream cheese for 5 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed.
- Increase the speed on the mixer to medium and whip the buttercream for about 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth and creamy.
Frosting the Cookies
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1A piping tip with the cream cheese frosting. Pipe a swirl of the frosting onto the cookies and spread the frosting with an offset spatula. Decorate the cookies with holiday sprinkles.
Notes
- Room temperature: The frosted cookies can remain at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
- Refrigerator: Store the frosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
- Freezer: Store the frosted cookies in an airtight container or storage bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
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