Soft Cream Cheese Frosted Gingerbread Cookies – Soft, Chewy & Festive

Soft Cream Cheese Frosted Gingerbread Cookies are a festive holiday treat with everything you love about classic gingerbread. These cookies are made with molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ground ginger, creating a soft, flavorful cookie with plenty of warm spice. Each one is finished with smooth cream cheese frosting and optional Christmas sprinkles for a beautiful seasonal touch.
With just 15 minutes of preparation and a short baking time, these frosted gingerbread cookies are a lovely addition to your Christmas baking list. Serve them at holiday parties, share them with family and friends, or arrange them on a festive cookie platter.

Why You’ll Love These Gingerbread Cookies

• Soft cookie texture: These gingerbread cookies have a soft texture that pairs beautifully with the creamy frosting.
• Classic gingerbread flavor: Molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar give the cookies their familiar warm and spiced flavor.
• Creamy frosting: The cream cheese and butter frosting adds a smooth, sweet finish to every cookie.
• Easy holiday baking: The cookie dough comes together with simple ingredients and requires just 11–13 minutes in the oven.
• Festive decoration: Christmas sprinkles make these cookies colorful and perfect for holiday celebrations.

Soft Cream Cheese Frosted Gingerbread Cookies Ingredients

You only need a handful of baking ingredients to make the gingerbread cookies and their cream cheese frosting.

Gingerbread Cookies

• All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for the cookie dough.
• Baking soda and baking powder: Help the cookies rise as they bake.
• Ground cinnamon: Adds warmth and complements the ginger.
• Ground ginger: Gives the cookies their signature gingerbread flavor.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the other flavors.
• Butter: Softened butter helps create the cookie dough and contributes richness.
• Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and a rich flavor that works especially well with molasses.
• Molasses: Gives gingerbread cookies their characteristic flavor and color.
• Vanilla extract: Adds a pleasant background flavor.
• Egg: Helps bind the ingredients together.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Butter: Softened butter creates a smooth, rich frosting.
• Cream cheese: Adds the creamy texture and slightly tangy flavor that complements the spiced cookies.
• Powdered sugar: Sweetens the frosting and gives it a smooth consistency.

Optional Sprinkles

Christmas sprinkles are an easy way to decorate the finished cookies and make them look extra festive.

Helpful Tips for Making Gingerbread Cookies

• Use softened butter: Make sure the butter is softened before mixing it with the brown sugar and before preparing the frosting.
• Measure the flour carefully: Too much flour can affect the cookie texture, so measure the flour accurately.
• Combine the dry ingredients first: Mixing the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt separately helps distribute the ingredients throughout the dough.
• Keep the cookie sizes consistent: Roll the dough into balls using approximately 1½ tablespoons of dough for each cookie.
• Tap the baking sheet: After removing the cookies from the oven, tap the baking sheet on the counter as directed in the recipe.
• Cool completely before frosting: This is especially important. The cookies should be at room temperature before adding the cream cheese frosting.
• Have fun with decorations: Add festive sprinkles to make each cookie look ready for Christmas.

How to Make Soft Cream Cheese Frosted Gingerbread Cookies

These gingerbread cookies are prepared in a few simple steps. First, mix the cookie dough, bake until ready, and allow the cookies to cool completely before adding the frosting.

Step 1: Prepare the Baking Sheets

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt.
Stir until the ingredients are evenly combined, then set the bowl aside.

Step 3: Prepare the Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl, combine the softened butter and brown sugar. Mix until combined.
Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix again until the ingredients are incorporated.

Step 4: Make the Cookie Dough

Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients.
Mix until everything is fully incorporated and a cookie dough forms.

Step 5: Shape the Cookies

Roll the dough into balls using approximately 1½ tablespoons of dough per cookie.
Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving approximately 1 inch between each cookie.

Step 6: Bake the Gingerbread Cookies

Bake at 350°F for 11–13 minutes.
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and tap each sheet on the counter.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before preparing to frost them.

Step 7: Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and softened butter.
Mix on high speed until combined.
Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until the frosting is smooth.

Step 8: Frost and Decorate

Once the gingerbread cookies have cooled completely to room temperature, spread the cream cheese frosting over each cookie using the back of a spoon.
Finish with optional Christmas sprinkles.
Your soft cream cheese frosted gingerbread cookies are ready to enjoy!

Easy Variations and Decorating Ideas

There are a couple of simple ways to customize these cookies while keeping the original recipe easy.

• Skip the frosting: The gingerbread cookies are delicious even without icing if you prefer a simpler cookie.
• Use store-bought frosting: If you want to save time, you can use store-bought frosting instead of preparing the cream cheese frosting from scratch.
• Change the sprinkles: Use your favorite festive sprinkles to decorate the cookies for Christmas gatherings and holiday cookie platters.

Serving Suggestions

These soft gingerbread cookies are perfect for Christmas celebrations and winter gatherings. Arrange them on a holiday dessert platter alongside other homemade cookies, or serve them as a sweet treat after a family meal.
They also make a lovely homemade addition to holiday cookie boxes and dessert tables. The cream cheese frosting and festive sprinkles give them a cheerful appearance that fits right in with Christmas celebrations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these gingerbread cookies without frosting?

Yes! The cookies are still delicious without icing. You can leave them plain or use store-bought frosting if you want to save preparation time.

When should I frost the gingerbread cookies?

Wait until the cookies are completely cooled to room temperature. Frosting warm cookies can affect the texture of the cream cheese frosting.

How long should I bake the gingerbread cookies?

Bake the cookies at 350°F for 11–13 minutes, following the instructions in the recipe.

Can I use store-bought frosting?

Yes. The recipe notes that store-bought frosting is an option if you want to make the preparation quicker and easier.

Can I decorate these cookies with different sprinkles?

Absolutely! The sprinkles are optional, so you can choose your favorite festive decorations to suit your holiday celebration.

Storage Tips

Allow the cream cheese frosted gingerbread cookies to cool completely before storing them.
Because the frosting contains cream cheese, keep the frosted cookies refrigerated in a covered container and follow standard food-safety guidance for cream cheese-based desserts.
If you prefer, you can also enjoy the cookies without frosting or use store-bought frosting as suggested in the original recipe notes.

Final Thoughts

These Soft Cream Cheese Frosted Gingerbread Cookies are a delicious way to bring classic gingerbread flavors to your holiday baking. With their soft texture, warm cinnamon and ginger spices, creamy frosting, and festive sprinkles, they’re a wonderful treat to share throughout the Christmas season. Save this recipe and add it to your holiday baking list!

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