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    Home » Recipes » Desserts » Cookies » Gingerbread Cookies

    Gingerbread Cookies

    Published: December 17, 2019 · Modified: Nov 29, 2021 by John Kanell

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

    These classic Gingerbread Cookies are perfectly spiced, perfect for decorating, and easy to make! Soft in the middle with crisp edges, you can cut these Christmas cookies into gingerbread men, Christmas trees, snowflakes, and more!

    Gingerbread cookies in a shape of trees, people, candy canes, and snowflakes.
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    decorated gingerbread cookies on a cooling rack
    decorated gingerbread cookies on a cooling rack
    decorated gingerbread cookies on a cooling rack
    decorated gingerbread cookies on a cooling rack
    Pinterest graphic of multiple decorated gingerbread cookies.

    Perfect for a cookie exchange or to decorate to leave out with a glass of milk by the fireplace, these old fashioned gingerbread cookies are a holiday favorite. Packed with warming spices and sweet brown sugar, these cookies are fun to make, decorate, and eat! The dough is so easy to work with, making this the best gingerbread cookie recipe you’ll ever make. Easily decorated with some homemade royal icing, these cookies are going to be your new holiday favorite. For another holiday treat, try my yule log recipe, rugelach, or linzer cookies.

    What You’ll Need for This Recipe

    Ingredients needed to gingerbread cookies.

    Spices — I use a combination of ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg. When combined, these spices give the cookies a traditional richly spiced flavor. For another spiced cookie, try my ginger snap recipe.

    Butter — be sure to buy unsalted butter and not salted butter. Various brands of salted butter do not have a standardized amount of salt. Make sure the butter is soft enough so when you press into it, your finger leaves a dent. If it’s cold, it’ll be challenging to beat it into a smooth consistency.

    Brown sugar — brown sugar gives the cookies a chewy texture. If you do not have brown sugar, see my guide on how to make brown sugar.

    Molasses — I recommend using unsulphured molasses when possible as it yields a better-tasting gingerbread man cookie. I prefer this over blackstrap molasses.

    Powdered sugar — the sugar sweetens and thickens the icing. If you do not have any on hand, see my post on how to make powdered sugar at home.

    How to Make Gingerbread Cookies

    Two photos showing spices and flour getting sifted for gingerbread men and butter getting mixed with brown sugar.

    1. In a large bowl, sift the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.

    2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed and mix until it’s fluffy.

    Two photos showing molasses and flour getting added to a bowl with butter and sugar.

    3. Add in the molasses, egg, and vanilla and then mix until combined. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more.

    4. Gradually add in the flour until a nice dough is formed. Roll into disks, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight. This dough really needs time to chill so don’t rush it!

    Two photos showing cookie dough being rolled out and cut into shapes.

    5. Preheat the oven to 350F. On a well-floured surface roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4 inch in thickness. Flour the top and your rolling pin as well and make sure to move the dough around so it doesn’t stick.

    6. Cut out the gingerbread people with a cookie cutter and transfer them to a baking sheet. Bake your gingerbread cookies for 10 minutes and let them cool.

    Two photos showing royal icing for gingerbread men being mixed then piped onto gingerbread cookies.

    7. To make the royal icing, sift the powdered sugar into a bowl, add cream of tartar and mix together. Add an egg white and mix until combined. Add a teaspoon of vanilla if desired then whisk in water until the desired consistency is reached. Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip or with the tip snipped off.

    8. Once your gingerbread cookies are cool, pipe a shirt, pants, and facial details. Attach sprinkles for buttons and eyes. You can also add candy cane nuggets for gingerbread people with bent arms.

    Two photos showing royal icing for gingerbread men being mixed then piped onto gingerbread cookies.

    Pro Tips for this recipe

    • Adding too much flour will lead to the cookies being dense and dry. The best and easiest way to measure the flour is by using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it.
    • If you don’t have piping bags to decorate the gingerbread men, you can use a zip-top bag and cut off the corner of the bag once the icing is inside.
    • If you are concerned about using raw egg whites for the royal icing, use egg whites from pasteurized eggs.
    • You can make the gingerbread recipe spicier with more ginger or reduce the spices for a milder taste.
    • If you’re not a royal icing fan then try whipping up a small batch of buttercream and decorating with that instead. They will need longer to set but your gingerbread men will be delicious and look great.
    • Don’t rush the chill time! It’s very important as this is a soft dough. If you want a quick cookie then add the same spices to my no spread sugar cookie recipe!

    A gingerbread cookie held in the air.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How far in advance can you make the dough?

    You can make this dough up to three months in advance! Wrap well in plastic and freeze, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out and cutting with cookie cutters.

    How can you make the cookies flatter?

    If you like a crisper gingerbread cookie with less puffing then reduce the leavening agents and add 1/4 cup of corn starch. You can also scale back the molasses.

    How should you store these?

    Store leftover gingerbread cookies in an airtight container for up to three weeks in the refrigerator. They can be left at room temperature for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Over time, the cookies will lose moisture and become drier.

    Can you Freeze Gingerbread cookies?

    You have a few options here!

    • Freeze the dough for up to three months. Wrap well in plastic and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before rolling, cutting, and baking. 
    • Freeze undecorated baked cookies for up to three months. It’s best to freeze them on a baking sheet or cooling rack and then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. Add a sheet of parchment paper between each cookie to prevent sticking.

    If you love this recipe try these out!

    • Molasses Cookies

    • A festive red plate with a square slice of gingerbread cake with a dollop of whipped cream on top with a cup of coffee and the rest of the cake in the background.

      Gingerbread Cake

    • A photo of a group of Christmas tree cupcakes surrounded by evergreen branches

      Christmas Tree Cupcakes

    • A photo of Stained glass cookies lit with small lights from behind

      Stained Glass Cookies

    • A group of shortbread cookies. some are stacked while others are on crumpled paper.

      Shortbread Cookies Recipe

    If you’ve tried this Gingerbread Cookies recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

    Multiple decorated gingerbread cookies on a marble surface.
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    5 from 199 votes

    Gingerbread Cookies

    Perfectly spiced, these Gingerbread Cookies come together so easily and are great for decorating. Soft, chewy, but still crisp, these are going to be your new favorite holiday cookie!
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    chilling time 4 hours
    Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
    Servings 14 servings
    Calories 400kcal
    Author John Kanell

    Equipment

    • Mixer
    • Baking Sheet
    • Rolling Pin

    Ingredients

    For the Cookies:

    • 3 cups flour (360g)
    • 2 teaspoons ground ginger (4g)
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon (2g)
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda (6g)
    • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
    • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (1g)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt (1g)
    • ¾ cup butter 170g) room temp
    • ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar (150g)
    • ½ cup molasses (118mL)
    • 1 egg room temp
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5mL)

    For the Icing:

    • 2 egg whites
    • 1 lb confectioners sugar (454g)
    • ¼ tsp cream of tartar (1g)
    • 1 tsp vanilla (5mL)
    • 2-4 tsp water (10-20mL)

    Instructions

    For the Cookies:

    • In a large bowl, combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.
      Gingerbread Cookies
    • Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter, and brown sugar on medium. Mix until fluffy.
      Gingerbread Cookies
    • Add in the molasses, then the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more.
    • Add in flour gradually while mixing on low until a nice dough form until combined.
    • Divide dough into two portions and roll into disks. Cover with plastic wrap. 
    • Refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight. This step is important because the dough gets soft quickly and really needs to be thoroughly chilled.
    • Preheat to 350 degrees F. Roll out chilled dough to about ¼-inch in thickness.
    • Cut out gingerbread people/ shapes with a cookie cutter. Carefully transfer to a baking sheet. 
      Gingerbread Cookies
    • Bake cookies for 10 minutes. Let cool.

    For the Icing and Decoration:

    • Sift the powdered sugar and cream or tartar into a bowl then whisk together.
    • Add the egg white in an mix together.
    • Once combined, mix in a teaspoon of vanilla and then add water until desired consistency is reached. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip or with the tip snipped off.
    • Pipe decorations onto the cooled cookies with the royal icing.
    • Attach sprinkles and or candies for added visual interest.
    • If you made any cookies with bend arms swap out the foil for peppermint balls.

    Video

    Notes

    • Adding too much flour will lead to the cookies being dense and dry. The best and easiest way to measure the flour is by using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it.
    • If you don’t have piping bags to decorate the gingerbread men, you can use a zip-top bag and cut off the corner of the bag once the icing is inside.
    • If you are concerned about using raw egg whites for the royal icing, use egg whites from pasteurized eggs.
    • You can make the gingerbread men spicier with more ginger or reduce the spices for a milder taste.
    • If you're not a royal icing fan then try whipping up a small batch of buttercream and decorating with that instead. They will need longer to set but your gingerbread men will be delicious and look great.
    • Don't rush the chill time! It's very important as this is a soft dough. If you want a quick cookie then add the same spices to my no spread sugar cookie recipe!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 250mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 321IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg
    *Nutrition Disclaimer
    Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @preppykitchen and tag #preppykitchen!

     

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    Welcome to Preppy Kitchen!

    Thanks for stopping by! I’m John Kanell, a husband, dad to twins Lachlan and George, Los Angeles native, and an avid baker and cooker of all things delicious thanks to a life long education from my mother. This blog is where I share all of my kitchen creations!

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