Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Chocolate are perfect for serving at holiday parties or giving away as gifts! They’re just the right balance of soft and chewy.
There are very few foods I dislike. I’m open to a variety of flavors, cuisines, heat levels, etc. However, ginger has always been my one iffy ingredient. Sushi is one of my favorite splurges, and I have such an aversion to pickled ginger that I cannot stand having it even touch the fish.
To me, pickled ginger smells and tastes strongly like soap. How can anyone eat that? It’s like I have the cilantro gene people talk about, but with pickled ginger.
Thankfully, fresh and ground ginger don’t have quite the same effect on me, though I will avoid sauces and glazes that specifically have “ginger” in the title. When used more sparingly, I can see why people like the spicy bite they impart on a savory dish.
Ginger ale and gingerbread are no issue at all. I actually enjoy them quite a bit.
These chocolate gingerbread cookies are my new favorites. I’ll be honest; I ultimately dipped only half of the baked cookies in chocolate because I love them so much on their own (however, the recipe includes quantities for dipping the entire batch).
Rolling the cookie dough in sugar helps add the slightest crunch to the exterior, while the inside remains soft and just slightly chewy. I had to give them away after sampling a few. These are hard to put down. As in, perfect for holiday parties and cookie swaps.
How long do gingerbread cookies last?
Not long if they’re around me. Store these in an airtight container at room temperature, and they should be good for a couple weeks. The molasses helps keep them soft.
However, the quality and flavor of any dessert will almost always start slowly going downhill after a few days. If you don’t think you’ll be finishing these up within a week, I recommend freezing some to preserve the flavor.
Packed properly, cookies can stay fresh in the freezer for at least 3 months without getting that freezer taste.
Can you freeze gingerbread cookie dough?
Yes! Scooping and freezing dough can be a huge time saver during the holidays. Because this dough is so soft initially, I recommend following the recipe through step 3 so that the dough is properly chilled.
You can then scoop the dough, roll it in sugar, lay it out on parchment lined sheets or plates that will fit in your freezer, and freeze the cookie dough balls. Once they’re completely frozen, you can transfer them to a bag to save space (press out as much air as possible).
You can either let them thaw in the refrigerator before baking, or place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and place them directly into the oven.
Disclaimer: I can’t give you an exact bake time on these if you start with frozen. I’d imagine that adding 1-2 minutes should do the trick, but you might want to test bake 1-2 cookies first to be safe. If you over-bake them, they won’t be soft.
More holiday recipes
For more holiday recipes, check out my Hot Buttered Bourbon, Apple Noodle Kugel, and Pumpkin Slab Pie!
Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Chocolate
Ingredients
- 10 ounces all-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Optional: 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon orange juice (fresh squeezed or bottled)
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 cups bittersweet chocolate baking chips
- 2 tablespoons shortening
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, then stir in the orange juice and molasses by hand. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients.
- Place dough in refrigerator for at least one hour, or in the freezer for 15-30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line one large or two standard sized baking sheets with parchment paper (note: these cookies will spread, so you may want to bake in batches if necessary).
- Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Measure out the dough using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, and roll them into a ball using clean hands (you may want to use kitchen gloves to avoid sticky hands). Roll the dough in the sugar, then place on the prepared baking sheet around 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with the palm of your bands.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes (I recommend chilling the dough for 10-15 minutes first, but you can skip this step if you’re in a hurry). The cookies will spread out a bit more if they go straight into the oven).
- The cookies will be very soft when you remove them from the oven. Don't be tempted to keep baking them! Allow them to cool for 5-7 minutes to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat 1 cup of the chocolate and 1 tablespoon of the shortening together in 15 second intervals, stirring each time, until melted and thin. Dip each cookie into the chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on the wire rack or parchment until the chocolate sets. Repeat with the remaining chocolate as needed. To speed up this process, you can place the cookies into the refrigerator.
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
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Natasha @ Salt & Lavender says
I love that these are soft! I am not a big crunchy cookie fan.
Leigh Ann says
Loving the dipped chocolate!!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
Love the molasses in these :)
Christina says
I didn’t like ginger at first but now I make practically everything with fresh ginger. But I’m guessing it’s a lot like the cilantro situation where you either love it or hate it. I like making homemade candied ginger because it’s sweet and spicy in one bite! But anyway, I’m happy you like ground ginger because this recipe friggin rocks! Seriously, I want to face plant on a plate of these cookies ASAP!!
Tieghan Gerard says
These look delicious and I love that chocolate dip!
Kate says
I doubled the recipe and made twice as many. They really are just as you say, soft and a bit crunchy, just delicious! I used a large granular sugar for coating, and omitted the chocolate. They have a beautiful crunch.
Ana says
I’m not usually one for gingerbread cookies, but these cookies are amazing. The cloves really add such a nice flavor. I have dark pans so had to bake the cookies at a lower temperature and for a little bit longer, but they still turned out soft and delicious. I did not add black pepper and ended up only needing a half batch of the chocolate coating (1 cup of chocolate). Thank you so much for the recipe!