Gingerbread Cookies Recipe That Do Not Spread

Name: Gingerbread Cookies that Do NOT SPREAD
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 270 min
Ingredients: 2 cups All-purpose flour; 4 oz Butter ((1/2 cup, 1 cup) unsalted, room temperature); 1 cup Dark brown sugar (packed); 1/2 cup Molasses (light or dark); 1 Egg (large); 1/4 tsp Salt; 1 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger; 1 tsp Cinnamon Powder; 1/2 tsp Ground Cloves; 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 1/4 tsp Orange extract (optional)

Recipe Video Print

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BEST No-Spread Gingerbread Cookies

These no-spread gingerbread cookies are the best holiday treats. Made using molasses and warm spices like ginger and cinnamon. These do not spread during baking. The cookie dough is easy to work with so they make the perfect activity for kids, especially during playdates. And they make perfect goody bags for Christmas, Halloween or Easter!!

These traditional gingerbread cookies are the best treats and activity for kids especially during play dates. Watch my son in the video below. They taste absolutely delicious on their own with the warm mix of spices like ginger, cinnamon and have a beautiful color from the molasses. They make perfect goody bags for Christmas, Halloween or Easter too..!! — No-spread cookies, Gingerbread, Do not spread, Cookie Recipe

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 mom, or now as a mom with my kids. Yes, they will never turn out perfect. And yet, the kids have fun every single time.

About these No-Spread Gingerbread Cookies

This is my kids' favorite gingerbread cookies recipe, soft and sweet, with the warm spices of cinnamon and ginger. Sometimes I even add garam masala (garam masala is a beautiful blend of Indian spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, star anise). My kids always have a gingerbread cookie with milk. In fact, Rhea loves to dunk her cookie in the milk and eat it.

The BEST part about these cookies is that they do not spread!! They hold their shape well so you can decorate them beautifully.

What flavors work best for Gingerbread Cookies (Pin/Save here)

Don't be afraid to play with the flavors when it comes to this gingerbread cookies recipe. It's quite adaptable.

Orange - Orange is another good flavor that blends well with ginger and cinnamon. We do not like orange. And yet, I have tasted orange flavor gingerbread in the US and it was lovely.
Ginger, Cinnamon & Cloves - A good blend of spices but you can go less or more. When the kids were small I use to use half the amount mentioned in the recipe.
Garam Masala - Sounds weird but I love Garam masala flavored gingerbread cookies. Just replace all the spices in the recipe with 1 tsp of garam masala.

How do you decorate gingerbread cookies?

There is so much you can do in terms of decorations. And yet often less is more. Try sprinkling some Caster sugar, using chocolate chips, royal icing outline, candy gems - whatever you fancy.
If you decorating with kids, just leave the decorations out for the kids and watch their creativity take over.

Let's talk ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)

Butter - I always use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of butter in the recipe. Having said that if salted butter is all you have, use it and omit salt in the recipe.
Brown sugar - The molasses in the brown sugar contributes to the soft texture. You can add dark brown sugar as well but the cookies get deeper in color as well.
Molasses - is a rich, dark, thick brown slightly sweet syrup left after the sugar has been removed from the juice. You can find it at in the baking aisle or baking supply store.
Spices - I've used the classic ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves. You can also use a gingerbread spice mix or pumpkin spice mix.

Useful Tips and Tools

I'm not a slave to mixers. And yet, when you need some good creaming I have to insist that you use the [easyazon_link identifier="B0017I7H9G" locale="US" tag="vesarofca-20"]K-Mix[/easyazon_link] or [easyazon_link identifier="B00005UP2P" locale="US" tag="vesarofca-20"]Kitchen Aid[/easyazon_link].
A good baking tray is always important. So, try using a light colored [easyazon_link identifier="B0026RHI3M" locale="US" tag="vesarofca-20"] baking tray[/easyazon_link]. Another option is to line the baking tray with [easyazon_link identifier="B00K282KY4" locale="US" tag="vesarofca-20"]parchment paper[/easyazon_link].
If you aren't going to fill or decorate these cookies a regular rolling pin will work just fine. And yet, a [easyazon_link identifier="B0091QO3RK" locale="US" tag="vesarofca-20"]cookie rolling pin[/easyazon_link] has the side spacers that will also help you with rolling. So all your cookies are leveled and bake evenly.
Also, it is really important to cool cookies completely on all sides as soon as they come out of the oven. So, take them off the baking tray to prevent them from cooking further and place them on a [easyazon_link identifier="B00091PNTI" locale="US" tag="vesarofca-20"]cooking rack[/easyazon_link] so they air circulates on all sides. This prevents steam from going back into the cookie, thus, keeping them crispy not soggy.
Always bake cookies on the center rack of your [easyazon_link identifier="B00J4EBBN8" locale="US" tag="vesarofca-20"]oven[/easyazon_link]. And if you have more than one tray simply bake them one at a time. You can bake two trays at the same time, and yet this can lead to some of the cookies in the bottom tray spreading too much. Also, you can rotate the trays during the baking. This is helpful with some cookies.
Most cookies usually bake between 10 to 12 minutes. Since cookies bake quickly they can also get over-baked. This is due to our tendency to get distracted at the last minute. Hence, my solution is a [easyazon_link identifier="B018YAUK2A" locale="US" tag="vesarofca-20"]kitchen timer[/easyazon_link] that is always set to 10 minutes. I turn it on as soon as I place the cookies in the oven. This has saved me many cookies since my kids always keep me busy.

How to Make Gingerbread Cookies - That Do Not Spread
(Save/Pin)

Have all your ingredients ready.
Add the warm spices to the flour - cloves, cinnamon, ginger, salt.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add in the molasses and egg.
Next goes in the flour mix.
Form the dough. The dough will be sticky to handle.
Divide into two, wrap in plastic/cling wrap and chill for a couple of hours.
Once chilled the dough can be rolled and cut just as you do your sugar cookies. (watch the video above).
Cut them with the gingerbread cookies cutters and place on a baking tray.
You can add decorations to these now before you bake them.
I usually prefer to chill my cookies in the fridge for 15 minutes while the oven is preheating.
Bake in a preheated oven at 170 C/ 340 F for about 8 to 10 minutes.
Cool on a cooling rack.

Storage

Store them in a cookie box - they stay fresh for up to two weeks. Ours barely ever go over a week!!

Tips for making the perfect gingerbread cookie

Always have all the ingredients at room temperature so the butter and sugar cream well.
Use fine-grain brown sugar or pulse the sugar in a food processor so it dissolves easily when creaming into the butter
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 cookies dough is soft, place it in the fridge for 15 minutes before you cut the cookies. Chilled cookie dough will give well-defined shapes.
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 spreading.
When baked leave the cookies on the tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Troubleshooting - Gingerbread cookies

Why are my no-spread gingerbread cookies still spreading?

Make sure you don't have the oven at very low temperature. The low oven can cause the butter to melt and spread the cookies.

My no-spread gingerbread cookies are underbaked?

Gingerbread cookies typically take between 8 to 10 minutes unless they are rolled too thick. The cookies will continue to bake on the hot baking tray even after taking them out of the oven. Having said that if you feel the cookies are very underbaked, you can put them back into the oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep a close eye as they can easily overbake

Frequently asked questions

How long will these gingerbread cookies keep?

If stored properly in a cookie box these will stay fresh for up to two weeks.

How do you store gingerbread cookies?

Place cookies in a cookie jar or airtight container to prevent them from going soft

Can I freeze the gingerbread cookie dough?

Yes, you can freeze the dough wrapped well in a ziplock bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
You can also freeze the rolled cookies on a cookie sheet between parchment papers. Wrap the tray in plastic to prevent drying out.
Alternatively, freeze the baked cookies between parchment papers and thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use.

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft?

The molasses and brown sugar in the gingerbread cookie dough is what keeps the cookies soft. A good gingerbread cookie should have an easy give, a little elastic and crumble when you bite into it.

Can I decorate gingerbread cookies with royal icing?

You can draw a royal icing border or outline on these cookies as decoration but do not flood these cookies with royal icing. These are soft so the royal icing will be heavy over these cookies.
But I do have a gingerbread sugar cookie that works perfectly to flood with royal icing.

How do I know when I gingerbread cookies are cooked?

A typical gingerbread cookie will take between 8 to 10 minutes. The outside of the cookies will have a slight color. The cookie will be set when you touch with your finger. Always, take into account that the cookies will continue to cook on the hot baking pan even after you take it off the oven.

Can I add baking powder to this gingerbread cookie recipe?

I have kept the leavining out from this recipe to prevent the cookies from spreading. You can add ½ tsp baking powder but take note that they will spread a little.

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