Soft, Chewy Gingerbread Cookies Made with Freshly Milled Flour

There’s something magical about the aroma of gingerbread cookies baking in the oven during the Christmas season—especially when they’re made from scratch with freshly milled flour.

Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting your holiday traditions, these soft, chewy gingerbread cookies are sure to bring warmth and joy to your kitchen. In this post, I’ll guide you through my favorite recipe, share tips for rolling and cutting the perfect shapes, and offer simple tricks for decorating cookies with family and friends. Get ready to fill your home with the sweet scent of spices and create memories that will last long after the last cookie is enjoyed. 

This recipe makes approximately 5 dozen gingerbread cookies.

Ingredients:

660 grams soft white wheat berries

1 ½ teaspoons aluminum free baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

227 grams unsalted softened butter

225 grams sugar

1 egg

330 grams molasses

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

270 grams powdered sugar

½ teaspoon cream of tarter

3 Tablespoons (45g) milk

Before we get started on the step-by-step instructions, let’s talk about ingredients.  The quality of ingredients makes a difference in the quality of the final gingerbread cookie.  

Butter: 

I prefer to use a grass-fed European style butter.  European style butter has a higher butterfat content and lower moisture content.  It produces a softer, creamier butter with a richer flavor.  Sierra Nevada is my favorite brand. Vital Farms then Kerry Gold also produce good quality European style butter.  

Eggs: 

Using room temperature eggs always produces better baked goods.  The room temperature eggs act as an emulsifier to create a smoother batter.  Additionally, I prefer free range eggs.  Vital Farms Free Range eggs are my top choice. After several years of raising chickens and enjoying rich, flavorful yolks, I’ve found Vital Farms to be the closest store-bought option to our farm-fresh eggs.

Sugars and Spices:  

I use organic cane sugar, powdered sugar, and spices, and prefer sourcing them from Azure Standard. They’re a trusted supplier without extra additives.

Cream of Tartar: 

Cream of tartar is a natural byproduct of winemaking. It has many uses, and in this recipe, it acts as a stabilizer in the icing. Additionally, it doesn’t have the unnecessary ingredients—such as cornstarch and anti-caking agents—found in meringue powder. You can find cream of tartar in the spice aisle of your local grocery store.  I use cream of tartar in several of my recipes. It has a long shelf life when stored in an airtight container and is well worth keeping in your pantry.

Sprinkles, decorator’s sugars and food dyes:  

I prefer to decorate these gingerbread cookies using artificial free food dyes and sprinkles.  Watkins is my favorite brand to use.  You can find these at some local grocery stores or on Amazon.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

1. Mill soft wheat berries into 660 grams of freshly milled flour.
2. Add baking soda, salt, ground ginger, and ground cloves to flour.  Mix with a spoon and set aside.
3. Cream together softened unsalted butter, sugar, egg, molasses and vinegar. 
4. Add dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated and dough forms.
5. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours up to overnight.  It’s important for the dough to be cold throughout before rolling.
6. Once the dough is cold, remove from the refrigerator and divide into 8 pieces.  Work with one piece at a time and return the remainder of the dough to the refrigerator to keep cold.
7. Roll out 1/8 of the cold dough evenly to 1/8–1/4 inch thick. To prevent gritty or tough cookies, avoid adding extra flour. If the dough sticks, roll it between parchment paper or directly onto a non–stick oven safe silicone mat—this also makes transferring to the baking sheet easy and helps maintain the cookie’s shape.
8. Once rolled, use a cookie cutter to cut out the cookie shape of your choice. 
9. Remove any excess dough around the cookie shape.  Form extra dough into a ball and continue rolling and cutting out cookie shapes.
10. Bake at 375 ° for 6-8 minutes.  Thicker cookies may take longer to bake.
11. Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking until you get through all the dough, keeping the dough you aren’t actively working with cold in the refrigerator.
12. Make the icing by mixing powdered sugar, cream of tartar, and milk.  Then, Mix until smooth icing forms.
13. Once cookies have cooled ice and decorate cookies as desired.

Tips for Icing Cookies:

Have fun and enjoy the moment of making Christmas cookies with family and friends.  Personally, I thoroughly enjoy decorating elaborate cookies and cakes, and I own tons of decorating supplies.  However, you don’t need any special tools to have fun decorating Christmas Gingerbread cookies.  Something as simple as rolling a triangle of parchment paper into a decorator’s bag and sniping the end off will provide you with a simple tool to easily ice cookies. See my video reel for a visual on how to make a decorator’s bag from parchment paper.

Conclusion:

Baking these soft gingerbread cookies with freshly milled flour is more than just a holiday tradition—it’s an opportunity to fill your home with the comforting aroma of spices and create lasting memories with loved ones. Whether you’re rolling out dough with little helpers or decorating cookies with friends, each step is a chance to savor the season and celebrate togetherness. I hope this recipe brings as much joy to your family as it has to mine.  Happy baking, and may your Christmas season be filled with sweetness and cheer.