Learn how to make the best, softest, and most delicious gingerbread cookies. I'll share my best recipe and give you all sorts of tips, tricks, and ideas to decorate them. These do not spread, so you will have perfectly shaped cookies to add to you your holiday platter.
Table of Content
Run run as fast as you can - you can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man.....! My son's favorite line and favorite cookies. I have never decorated gingerbread cookies on my own. As a kid, with my mom, or now as a mom with my kids. My kids love this gingerbread recipe, I adapted it from Martha Stewart, and they enjoy these cookies with milk. In fact, Rhea loves to dunk her cookie in the milk and eat it.
Why make these cookies
- This recipe is simple and easy. It takes less than 10 minutes to prep this gingerbread cookie dough.
- The cookies are soft, sweet, and delicious, with the warm spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- In fact, they are must-have Christmas cookies during the holiday season, don't you think?
- And most of the ingredients are pantry staples plus molasses, which you can use in so many other cookies such as molasses cookies, gingerbread bars, gingerbread sugar cookies.
- Today, I am using the gingerbread man cookies cutters but you can use any Christmas cookies cutters with this cookie dough.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Butter - I always use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe. Having said that, if salted butter is all you have, use it and omit salt in the recipe. And make sure the butter is at soft room temperature, not melted.
- Brown sugar - The molasses in the brown sugar contributes to the soft texture. And, you can also add light brown sugar as well but the cookies will also get lighter in color.
- Molasses - Is a rich, dark, thick brown slightly sweet syrup left after the sugar has been removed from the juice. And, you can find it in the baking aisle or baking supply store. Look for unsulphured variety.
- Spices - I've used the classic ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. However, you can also use a gingerbread spice mix or pumpkin spice mix.
How to make gingerbread cookies
- Dry ingredients - In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices - cloves, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg.
- Dough - In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and egg. Followed by flour mixture, orange, and vanilla extract. Combine well.
Pro tip - Make sure to cream the butter and sugar until the sugar is almost dissolved in the butter and it all becomes very lighter in color.
- Chill dough - Divide the dough into two, wrap in plastic, and let chill until firm enough to roll - about 2 hours or overnight.
Pro tip - Do not skip on the chilling time. Otherwise, it will be too soft to roll and the cookies will spread. - Roll - Roll the dough on a lightly flowered work surface to about ⅛ inch thick. Then, cut the cookies using the gingerbread cookie cutters. Re-roll the excess dough or scraps and make more cookies.
Pro tip - I use a rolling pin with spacers so the dough is the same thickness all over. And if necessary, chill the excess dough so it is easier to roll again. - Chill cookies - Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Leaving a little gap between them for circulation. Place the cookie sheet in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
Pro tip - Chilling the cookies is a sure way to ensure the cookies do not spread. You can leave the rolled cookies well wrapped in the fridge for up to 48 hours before baking.
- Preheat the oven at 177°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4
- Bake the gingerbread cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges. Smaller cookies will take about 8 minutes and larger ones might take about 10 or 11 depending on the size and thickness.
Pro tip - You can add sprinkles or dragees to the cookies before baking if you do not plan to ice them with frosting. - Cool - Once baked, cool them on the cookie sheet for 10 mins. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Icing for cookies - Combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until you have a smooth piping consistency.
Pro tip - This is a simple eggless frosting. But you can also use royal icing or other flavored frostings to ice these cookies. - Frost the cookies - Add the icing to a piping bag with a small round piping tip like a number 2 or 3. Pipe as desired or keep it simple as I have in the video.
Pro tip- Alternatively, you can also put the icing in a ziplock bag and cut a small snip at the end. - Storage - Let the icing dry properly before you stack the cookies and store them in an airtight container or cookie jar.
More holiday treats
- Christmas Spritz Cookies or Christmas Star Cookies
- Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies or Gingerbread Sugar Cookies
- Classic Gingerbread cake or Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Spiced Gingerbread Loaf Cake
- The Best Molasses Cookies and Old Fashion Soft Molasses Cookies
- Shortbread with Molasses
- See all holiday cookies or all cookie recipes
Frequently asked questions
How long will these gingerbread cookies keep?
These will stay fresh for a week. Place the cookies in an airtight container to prevent them from becoming soft.
Can I freeze the gingerbread cookie dough or baked cookies?
Yes, you can freeze the cookie dough for 3 months wrapped well in a ziplock bag. Then, thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
And, you can also freeze the rolled cookies on a cookie sheet between parchment papers. In addition, wrap the tray in plastic to prevent drying out. They will stay for up to a month.
Alternatively, the baked cookies can be kept in the freezer between parchment papers for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
How do you decorate gingerbread cookies?
Gingerbread cookies are fun and easy to decorate.
- To keep them simple try sprinkling some caster sugar or sprinkles before baking.
- Or, use dragess, chocolate chips, candy gems for the buttons.
- You can also outline or flood the whole cookie with royal icing or other colored frostings.
How do you flavor gingerbread cookies?
Orange - Orange is a good flavor that blends well with ginger and cinnamon.
Ginger, Cinnamon & Cloves - A good blend of spices, but you can go less or more. If you don't like too much cinnamon you can reduce it to one teaspoon cinnamon.
Spice mixes - try gingerbread spice, pumpkin spice, chai spice for a different flavor.
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Printable Recipe
Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save GrowCalories: 154kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 24 cookies
Description
Learn how to make the best, softest, and most delicious gingerbread cookies. I'll share my best recipe and give you all sorts of tips, tricks, and ideas to decorate them. These do not spread, so you will have perfectly shaped cookies to add to you your holiday platter.
Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
24 Cookies - about 4-inch size or 18 larger cookies
- 3½ cups (435 g) All-purpose flour
- 10 tablespoon (140 g) Butter (unsalted, room temperature)
- ¾ cup (165 g) Dark brown sugar (packed)
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) Molasses (light or dark)
- 1 large Egg
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Ground Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon Powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cloves
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg (freshly grated)
- ¼ teaspoon Orange extract ((or 1 teaspoon orange zest) )
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Icing
- 2 cups (240 g) Powdered sugar
- 2 - 4 tablespoon Milk
- ¼ teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Dry ingredients - In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices - cloves, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg.
- Dough - In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and egg. Followed by flour mixture, orange, and vanilla extract. Combine well. Pro tip - Make sure to cream the butter and sugar until the sugar is almost dissolved in the butter and it all becomes very lighter in color.
- Chill dough - Divide the dough into two, wrap in plastic, and let chill until firm enough to roll - about 2 hours or overnight. Pro tip - Do not skip on the chilling time. Otherwise, it will be too soft to roll and the cookies will spread.
- Roll - Roll the dough on a lightly flowered work surface to about ⅛ inch thick. Then, cut the cookies using the gingerbread cookie cutters. Re-roll the excess dough and make more cookies. Pro tip - I use a rolling pin with spacers so the dough is the same thickness all over. If necessary chill the excess dough so it is easier to roll again.
- Chill cookies - Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Leaving a little gap between them for circulation. Place the cookie sheet in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes. Pro tip - Chilling the cookies is a sure way to ensure the cookies do not spread. You can leave the rolled cookies well wrapped in the fridge for up to 48 hours before baking.
- Preheat the oven at 177°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4
- Bake the gingerbread cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges.Pro tip - You can add sprinkles or dragees to the cookies before baking if you do not plan to ice them with frosting.
- Cool - Once baked, cool them on the cookie sheet for 10 mins. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Icing for cookies - Combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until you have a smooth piping consistency. Pro tip - This is a simple eggless frosting. But you can also use royal icing or other flavored frostings to ice these cookies.
- Frost the cookies - Add the icing to a piping bag with a small round piping tip like a number 2 or 3. Pipe as desired or keep it simple as I have in the video. Pro tip - Alternatively, you can also put the icing in a ziplock bag and cut a small snip at the end.
- Storage - Let the icing dry properly before you stack the cookies and store them in an airtight container or cookie jar.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Always have all the ingredients at room temperature so the butter and sugar can cream until light and fluffy.
- Rest the dough before rolling the cookies. Resting helps the butter firm up again which makes it easier to work and prevents spreading
- If the rolled cookie dough is soft, put it back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Chilled cookie dough will give well-defined shapes so you won't have to struggle with them being so soft.
- Preheat the oven for a good 15 minutes making sure the oven is at the right temperature. A cold oven will spread the cookies.
- Place cut cookies in the fridge while the oven is preheating to prevent them from spreading.
- When baked leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. This will prevent them from sweating on the bottom.
Bake Ahead and Freezing Instructions
- Dough - You can freeze the dough for 3 months wrapped well in a ziplock bag. Then, thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
- Rolled cookies - And, you can also freeze the rolled cookies on a cookie sheet between parchment papers. In addition, wrap the tray in plastic to prevent drying out. They will stay for up to a month.
- Baked cookies - Alternatively, freeze the baked cookies between parchment papers for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
Adapted from -
Nutrition Information
Calories: 154- kcalCarbohydrates: 24.5- gProtein: 1.9- gFat: 5.5- gSaturated Fat: 3.3- gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2- gMonounsaturated Fat: 0- gTrans Fat: 0.2- gCholesterol: 24- mgSodium: 43- mgPotassium: 0- mgFiber: 0.5- gSugar: 13.6- gVitamin A: 0- IUVitamin C: 0- mgCalcium: 0- mgIron: 0- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Natalie
These Gingerbread cookies look perfect! Crispy and perfectly spiced. Such an easy recipe too. I'm adding your cookies to my holiday baking list.
Chenée
These cookies were absolutely perfect! I especially love the addition of orange extract. It really gave them amazing flavor!
Silvia
It was my first time making gingerbread cookies. I loved the orange with the ginger, a total hit in our house.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Silvia.
Tristin
My kids help me every year with the Christmas cookies and we always make gingerbread cookies. Excited to try out this recipe this year with the orange extract, it's not an ingredient we normally include.