Get ready for your house to smell like Christmas with these easy and soft cream cheese frosted gingerbread cookies. They're like biting into a cloud, so fluffy and soft with the perfect amount of ginger spice to get you excited for the Holidays.
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These festive spiced gingerbread cookies always get a spot on my cookie trays during the holidays! I make them every year because everyone loves how soft and chewy they are. The spiced flavour puts everyone in the Christmas spirit!
The cream cheese frosting is the perfect complement to these cookies with it's incredibly silky smooth texture and I have so much fun switching up the sprinkles every year!
Recipe Ingredients
- FLOUR: All-purpose flour is used in this recipe and helps give structure and fluffiness to these cookies.
- BAKING SODA: Baking soda helps give the cookies their soft and fluffy texture.
- BAKING POWDER: The baking powder helps with the puffiness of these cookies and gives them a slightly cakey texture.
- SPICES: Ground cinnamon and ginger are added to spice the cookies and make them smell like Christmas!
- SALT: A pinch of salt helps enhance the overall flavor of the cookies.
- BUTTER: Softened butter will be used in the cookie batter and the cream cheese frosting for a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a lot of flavor.
- SUGAR: Brown sugar is used in the cookies for a deeper flavor profile, and powdered/confectioner sugar is used in the frosting to make it sweet and velvety smooth.
- MOLASSES: Molasses is a key contributor to the gingerbread flavor and making these cookies chewy.
- VANILLA EXTRACT: Vanilla extract for a hint of vanilla flavor that pairs well with the gingerbread flavors of these cookies.
- EGG: An egg is used in the cookie batter, which contributes to the chewiness of the cookies and helps with the overall structure of the cookie.
- CREAM CHEESE: Cream cheese is used in the frosting because who doesn’t love cream cheese frosting, right? Its tanginess also complements the gingerbread flavor very well.
See the recipe card below for the ingredient measurements.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Dry Mixture: In a bowl, combine and mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
- Wet Mixture: In a separate bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar and mix until combined. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and mix it again. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
- Bake: Roll the cookie batter into balls the size of a tablespoon and a half, place them 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets and bake them for 11-13 minutes. Tap the cookie sheet on the counter after removing them from the oven.
- Frosting: In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter and mix on high until combined. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until smooth. Frost the cookies once they’re completely cooled by using the back of a spoon and top with sprinkles (optional).
Storage and Leftovers
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days. They can also be stored in the freezer for future use for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, homemade frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months for future use.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for future use for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes
Some other gingerbread desserts you may like are these frosted gingerbread cookie bars and gingerbread crinkle cookies too!
Need more Christmas cookie ideas? Try these chocolate dipped shortbread peppermint cookies, chocolate peppermint kiss cookies, the best chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe, shortbread cookies recipe, thumbprint cookies with jam, chewy oatmeal raisin cookies, and crinkly chocolate cookies too!
Some other cream cheese frosted holiday desserts you should try are these frosted carrot cake cookies, frosted pumpkin bars, this carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, and pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting too!
📖 Recipe
Soft Cream Cheese Frosted Gingerbread Cookies
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 18 cookies
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These soft cream cheese frosted gingerbread cookies with Christmas sprinkles are fun and festive and perfect for the Holidays!
Ingredients
Cookies
- Flour: 2 and ⅓ cups
- Baking Soda: ½ teaspoon
- Baking Powder: ¼ teaspoon
- Ground Cinnamon: 1 and ½ teaspoons
- Ground Ginger: 2 and ½ teaspoons
- Salt: ½ teaspoon
- Butter, softened: ¾ cup
- Brown Sugar: ¾ cup
- Molasses: ¼ cup
- Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon
- Egg: 1
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Butter, softened: 1 cup
- Cream Cheese, softened: 8 oz package
- Powdered/Confectioners Sugar: 4 cups
- Optional Sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Dry Mixture: In a bowl, combine and mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
- Wet Mixture: In a separate bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar and mix until combined. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and mix it again. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
- Bake: Roll the cookie batter into balls the size of a tablespoon and a half, place them 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets and bake them for 11-13 minutes. Tap the cookie sheet on the counter after removing them from the oven.
- Frosting: In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter and mix on high until combined. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until smooth. Frost the cookies once they’re completely cooled by using the back of a spoon and top with sprinkles (optional).
Notes
The cookies should be completely at room temperature before icing.
You can eat these cookies without the icing, and they’ll still be super delicious, or you can opt for store-bought if you want to keep this recipe extra easy and quick.
Have fun with some festive sprinkles!
Nutrition facts are for informational purposes only. We are not responsible for any errors. We have tested the recipe for accuracy, but your results may vary. Please note that this is not medical or nutrition advice. Seek advice from a licensed professional if you need advice. We are not liable for any damages caused by your use of this content.
Scroll up to the full blog post for recipe FAQ’s, alternative ingredient options, and storage information.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: dessert, cookies
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: american
Tyler says
Sophia says
Hi!
I just made these and they look and smell delicious. They literally just came out of the oven and are extremely hot so I haven’t had one yet lol! But I made 24 and that’s plenty. An I able to freeze this dough and use it later? If so how long can it stay good and do I need to thaw it completely before baking or can it be frozen or what? Sorry that’s a lot of questions. Let me know! Thank you!!
Andrea says
Yay! Thanks Sophia. I Can't wait for you to try them 🙂 You can freeze the dough for up to three months and for best results, you should thaw before baking them and follow the same instructions for baking temperature and time. Hope this helps!