Cutler’s Gingerbread Cookies with Buttercream Frosting are quite possibly the best gingerbread cookie. On. The. Planet. Of all the ginger cookie recipes I have posted over the years on A Bountiful Kitchen, this is my favorite! Thanks to Cutler’s for sharing this amazing cookie recipe with ABK readers!

Cutler's Gingerbread Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

I adapted this Cutler’s recipe just a bit for baking in a home kitchen, and the result is over-the-top delicious! Curt Cutler, former owner of Cutler’s, shared his mother’s recipe with me back in 2010. His mother started Cutler’s in the old 5 Points Mall in Bountiful back in the 80’s. Her children have taken over the business and continue to sell her famous sandwiches and cookies.

ginger cookies dipped in sugar

I’ve eaten at Cutler’s for years and can say they were one of the originals on the cookie scene in the Wasatch Front! They were at the top of the cookie pile before there were cookie wars! My favorites are the Frosted Peanut Butter, the Brownie Marshmallow, and Cutler’s Gingerbread Cookies with Buttercream Frosting. Originally, they only made the ginger cookie during the holidays, but demand changed that, and now the ginger cookie is sold year ’round!

ginger cookies baking in oven

This cookie is the perfect combination of sweet, spice, and everything nice. You’ve never tasted a frosted ginger cookie like this! Soft and buttery, with just the right amount of ginger and molasses to make this cookie slightly chewy too.

gingerbread cookies unfrosted

Give this cookie a try this holiday season. I promise you will not be disappointed! Happy holidays, my friends!

Originally shared in 2011, this post has been updated with new content and photos December 2023

Cutler's Cookies, Bountiful , Utah

Cutler’s Gingerbread Cookies

5 from 3 votes
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Cutler's Gingerbread Cookies with Buttercream Frosting
Author: Si Foster
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
cool and frost: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 18
This chewy gingerbread cookie is frosted with buttercream and is the best ginger cookie you will ever eat!

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened*
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg PLUS one egg yolk
  • 1 cup molasses, Curt prefers the Grandma’s brand
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour

Cutler's Buttercream Frosting

  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • dash of salt
  • 2 tablespoons milk, to thin

Instructions

Cookies:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set rack in the middle of the oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly spray the baking sheets. Set aside.
  • Mix butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 1 egg plus one egg yolk and molasses. Mix until combined.
  • Add the salt, baking soda, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and flour to the bowl. Pulse the mixer a few times, then mix on low just until combined.
  • Scoop the cookies onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, about 6-8 per sheet. Once on the baking sheets, roll the dough balls into granulated sugar before baking. Do not flatten before baking.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Cookies are done when the top is crackled and the middle no longer looks wet or shiny.

Frosting:

  • Mix softened butter and powdered sugar together until smooth.
  • Add vanilla and salt; mix well.
  • Add milk as needed to thin the frosting.
  • Frost cooled cookies and add sprinkles immediately after frosting. Store the cookies in a covered container in a single layer.

Notes

  • Curt’s original recipe calls for 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup margarine. Shortening may also be used. 
  • The butter in the cookie dough needs to be barely soft, not room temperature. If the butter is too soft, the cookies will spread while baking. 
  • I use a #16 scoop, which holds about 4 tablespoons, or 1/4 cup, of dough. The cookies may be made using a smaller scoop.
  • The baking time can vary with this recipe, depending on altitude, temperature of butter, scoop size, etc., anywhere from 8-12 minutes. Make sure the cookie is set, with no wet or shiny spots on the top. 
  • Cutler’s uses a commercial cake flour in this recipe, but I’ve found all-purpose works best at home. 
  • Cutler’s also uses this dough for making gingerbread men. If rolling out and cutting dough, add an additional 2-3 tablespoons of flour and chill the dough for 2 hours before cutting. Generously flour the surface as well. 
  • This cookie freezes well and can be refrigerated to set the frosting, then stacked in a container with parchment paper on top of each layer. 

Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to leave a comment and rate this recipe! I’d love to see a photo, tag @abountifulkitchen on Instagram!