If you grew up loving those soft Little Debbie Gingerbread Cookies, this homemade version brings all the nostalgia back in the best way. They bake up tender and perfectly spiced and are topped with vanilla icing and red and green sugar.
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Remember being a kid and getting so excited when Little Debbie gingerbread cookies landed on shelves? While there are many ways to make a delicious gingerbread cookies, there's something about the soft, extra gingery store-bought version that really hit the spot.
Well, I've got good news for you. It's easy to make those same soft gingerbread cookies at home!
This Little Debbie gingerbread cookie copycat recipe is quite different than most holiday cookie recipes, but the results will be so close to the store-bought version, they'll blow your mind.
❤️ Why this recipe works
I tested this recipe A LOT and each time got a little bit closer to the Little Debbie gingerbread cookies I was dreaming of.
I think of the cookies as a sort of cross between a cookie and a cake. They're soft and cakey, but still have that classic gingerbread chew that keeps them unmistakably a cookie.
Because of their consistency, I had to use a sort of nontraditional baking process... But don't worry, it's easy to do and these cookies are worth it!
Here's why they're so good:
Cookie dough is baked on a sheet pan: this is the big one. Instead of rolling the cookie dough out and cutting out gingerbread men shapes, I found that spreading the cookie dough in a sheet pan and cutting shapes out after baking gets closest to the original cookie. Doing this helps ensure every cookie bakes uniformly, doesn't spread, and stays soft, chewy, and cake-like with no crispy edges.
Butter and shortening combination: I almost never use shortening in my baking, generally preferring all-butter recipes. But while the butter adds flavor to these cookies, the shortening keeps the structure soft and tender and prevents the cookies from drying out. It makes a big difference!
Molasses and corn syrup combination: another dynamic duo in these cookies is the combo of molasses and corn syrup. Obviously any gingerbread cookie needs molasses, but the addition of corn syrup keeps the texture soft, prevents the sugar from crystallizing, and gives the cookies that classic "chew" Little Debbie is known for.
Perfect spice combination: I played around with the spices quite a bit with these cookies to get them as close to the store-bought version as possible. I had to keep increasing the amount of ginger to get the exact flavor, but they also include plenty of cinnamon and a little bit of nutmeg and clove.
Vanilla icing and sprinkles top the cookies off: Once cookies are cut out of the dough, you'll frost them with a simple vanilla icing and top them off with red and green sanding sugar, just like the Little Debbie version!
🗒 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make these dreamy soft gingerbread cookies (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- Unsalted butter
- Vegetable shortening: like Crisco
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Light molasses
- Light corn syrup
- Large egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Ground ginger
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground cloves
- Salt
- Vanilla icing: recipe included!
- red and green sanding sugar
And here's what you need for the simple vanilla icing:
- Confectioners' sugar
- Milk
- Light corn syrup
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
🍪 Recipe tips
Because these cookies are a little bit different than the standard gingerbread cookie, I want to provide you with some helpful baking tips.
- Don't skip the shortening. Little Debbie gingerbread cookies are a sort of in-between of a cookie and a cake and the shortening helps the cookies retain that soft consistency.
- Don't skip the corn syrup either. It's another ingredient that gives these cookies their packaged-style softness and chewiness. Without it, the cookies will be drier and more crumbly.
- The dough may appear dry or crumbly right after mixing in the dry ingredients, but this is how it should be. It will hold together perfectly once you spread it in the pan.
- I recommend dropping the dough into the pan in several large scoops placed around the pan rather than piling it all in the center. With a lightly oiled spatula, press the scoops into one cohesive layer and then continue to spread the dough into an even thickness.
- You can use your hands lightly dampened with water or coated in a tiny bit of oil for tapping down any uneven mounds without sticking.
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- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, but keep a close eye on them. You want them to be just set around the edges, but still soft and slightly springy in the center. Remember soft is key with these gingerbread cookies!
- Be sure to cool the giant cookie before cutting it. I just place the whole pan on a wire rack and let it rest.
- You can use any shape cookie cutter you want, but of course, I recommend gingerbread men! Little Debbie's gingerbread men are about 3" tall, so this cookie cutter works perfectly.
- I recommend brushing the cookie cutter with a little bit of oil to make cutting easier.
- When you're cutting out the cookies, try to cut them very close to each other, so you don't waste space. Since the cookie is already baked, you can't re-bake the dough!
- You will end up with some cookie scraps, but save them to enjoy!
- Since we cut the cookies out of an already-baked cookie, the gingerbread men are perfectly shaped with no spreading and no crispy edges.
- To complete the Little Debbie makeover, I highly encourage whisking together a quick and easy vanilla icing. Adding a little corn syrup to the icing will give it a smooth glossy finish.
- Little Debbie does a sort of messy job spreading the icing on the cookies. They also sprinkle the cookies with red and green sanding sugar, which I highly recommend you do!
Take a bite of one of these cookies and all the memories will come flooding back! These are packed with ginger spice flavor and are the soft gingerbread cookie consistency you love.
And since they're nice and small, it's easy to eat A LOT of them at once!
👩🍳 Can I bake as individual cookies?
You can bake this dough as individual cookies if you'd rather roll the dough and cut the shapes before baking, but keep in mind that the texture will be slightly different.
Roll and cut cookies bake faster and develop firmer edges, so they won't be quite as soft and snack-cake-like as the pan-baked version. But they'll still be delicious!
If you are using this method, I recommend rolling the dough to about ¼" thickness, cutting into gingerbread men shapes, and baking on parchment-lined baking sheets at 325 degrees F for 9-11 minutes, just until set. Be careful not to over-bake, as these cookies are meant to stay soft.
🎄 More Christmas cookie recipes
These copycat gingerbread cookies are perfect for bringing back all kinds of childhood nostalgia, but they also make a great addition to any holiday cookie platter!
Here are some more of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes:
And I also have lots of tips for putting together the perfect holiday cookie platter for all your parties, cookie exchanges, etc. this holiday season.
📖 Recipe
Little Debbie Gingerbread Cookies {Copycat Recipe}
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Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening (like Crisco)
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp light molasses
- 2 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- red and green sanding sugar
Vanilla Icing
- 1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar
- 1-1 ½ tablespoon milk divided
- ½ teaspoon light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a half sheet pan (13x18 inches) with parchment paper. Lightly grease parchment paper and up the sides of the pan with cookie spray or cooking oil.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together butter and shortening until smooth. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in molasses, corn syrup, egg, and vanilla until combined.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix on low until dough is soft, thick, spreadable.
- Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet. I recommend dropping the dough in several large scoops placed around the pan rather than piling it all in the center. This will make it easier to spread.
- Using an oiled offset spatula or wet hands, spread dough into a ¼" thick layer, going to the edges of pan. Keep thickness as even as possible.
- Bake 10-12 minutes, until edges of cookie are just set and the center springs back softly. Take care not to over-bake as Little Debbie cookies are soft and chewy and not crispy.
- Let cookie cool completely in pan.
- Once cooled, lift cookie out of pan and onto a large cutting board. Using a gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut cookies out. You'll have some cookie scraps leftover. Save to eat!
- Using a small offset spatula, frost cookies with vanilla icing. Sprinkle red and green sanding sugar over them.
Vanilla Icing
- Add confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and pinch of salt to a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
- If needed, add additional ½ tablespoon of milk a little at a time to get desired consistency.
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