Gingerbread Cookies
Always a holiday favorite, these gingerbread cookies have soft centers with slightly crisp edges. It’s perfectly in-between a gingerbread that snaps and one that’s chewy. This recipe has a warm balance of spices, molasses, and a nice bit of sweetness from the brown sugar.
It’s winter and that means it’s gingerbread season! These cookies are delicious with crisp edges and pillowy enters loaded with spice. You’ll love this recipe because this dough is easy to make and can be made ahead of time.
Ingredients
Gingerbread cookies have a warmth and coziness that’s nostalgic. To recreate that feeling, all of the spices in these cookies are a must! We use a lot of ground ginger to flavor the dough which then brings out a lovely ginger-y holiday feel. The molasses creates the traditional taste of gingerbread while choosing brown sugar to compliment it.
- Molasses + spices to create a warm and cozy flavor
- All-purpose flour as a stabilizer and thickener
- Butter for flavor and chew
- Salt + vanilla extract for flavor
- Baking soda as a rising agent
- Egg for structure and adds a slight chew
- Brown sugar to add sweetness and compliment the molasses
How to Make Gingerbread Cookies
Let’s breakdown how to make gingerbread cookies! When baking these cookies, keep in mind that they bake up quickly! No more than 7-8 minutes in the oven!
Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Set aside.
Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixture for this dough. You want to beat the butter for a full minute on medium/high speed, then add brown sugar and beat on medium speed until creamy.
Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until incorporated. Finally, add your molasses on medium speed. Remember to scrape down the sides of your bowl and if it looks curdled, that’s okay. Then, add the dry ingredients in two parts, mixing on low speed until combined.
Wrap the dough: The dough will be slightly sticky and soft. You can gently knead it to just bring it together but please don’t over do it. Divide the dough into two halves.
Then place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and place 1/2 of the cookie dough in the center. Flatten it with your hand into a disc. Repeat with the other 1/2 of dough. It’s much easier to roll out cookie dough when it’s in a disc shape.
Chill the dough: This dough has to be chilled for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight or up to three days in the refrigerator. This dough is too soft and sticky to roll out and cut shapes. Do not skip chilling!
Roll the dough: After chilling, flour your work surface. Roll out the chilled dough discs to about 1/4-inch thick. If you see cracks on the sides, that’s because the dough is cold but that’s okay!
Bake the dough: Cut-out shapes with a traditional gingerbread man cookie cutter or use any shape you’d like. Gather cookie scraps together and then re-roll and cut-out.
Place the cut-out cookies onto a baking sheet prepared with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Place cookies about 1 inch apart. Bake on 350°F (177°C) for 7-8 minutes.
IMPORTANT – don’t over-bake these. These gingerbread cookies bake up very quickly. When you take them out of the oven, they may look puffy and soft, but as they cool they firm up.
Decorating Gingerbread Cookies
Once your cookies are cooled, it’s time to get creative and decorate the cookies. If you cut them into people shape, add smiling (or funny frowning) faces, dresses, pants, squiggles, buttons, the possibilities are endless!
If you want to decorate with royal icing, then prepare my easy 2 ingredient royal icing ahead of time! This icing can be left in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
This is a fun decorating project to do with kids! Add decorating extras like sprinkles, chocolate chips, gumdrops, and candies!
Freezing & Storing
You can freeze cookie dough wrapped in plastic wrap, in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. When you want to bake, place the cookie dough in the refrigerator overnight.
Decorated or undecorated cookies stay fresh for 5 days in an airtight container or freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for 1 month. Let them thaw before serving.
RECIPE CARD
Gingerbread Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (313g)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (85g) (6 tbsp)
- 1/2 cup dark or light brown sugar (95g)
- 1/3 cup molasses (use unsulphured, do not use blackstrap! I use Grandma’s brand) (112g)
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- With a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixture, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium-high speed. Add the brown sugar and beat for another minute. Add the molasses and beat on medium speed until creamy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
- Scrap down the sides of your bowl with a spatula. If it looks curdled, that's okay. Add the dry ingredients in two parts, mixing on low speed until combined.
- The dough will be slightly sticky and soft. Gently knead it to bring together into a ball. Divide into two parts with a knife (doesn't have to be perfect). Created disc shapes by flattening the dough with your palm. Wrap in plastic wrap and repeat with the other 1/2 of dough.
- Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight or up to three days. This is important because the dough is too soft and sticky to roll out and cut shapes. Do not skip chilling.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Take out the chilled dough and flour your work surface. Don't wait for this dough to reach room temperature. Roll the chilled dough discs to be about 1/4-inch thick, making half turns after each roll so the dough is even thickness. It's okay if it cracks on the sides, just keep working the dough.
- Cut out your dough with cookie cutters and place them about 1-inch apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake cookies that are 4-inches or smaller for 7-8 minutes for cookies. Cookies that are larger can be baked for 8-9 minutes. Don't over-bake these or they will be too hard. When you take them out of the oven, they may look puffy and soft, but as they cool they firm up.
- Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before decorating. Store undecorated or decorated cookies at room temperature for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- Decorate with royal icing when they are completely cooled.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, and should be used as an approximation.
