Gingerbread Cookies
Rolling and cutting gingerbread is one of the best parts of the holidays, especially with kids. This dough is warmly spiced with ginger, cinnamon and cloves, rolls out cleanly once chilled and bakes into cookies with sharp edges and soft centres.
Updated
- Prep Time
- 30 mins
- Cook Time
- 10 mins
- Chill
- 2 hrs
- Total Time
- 2 hrs 40 mins
- Servings
- 24 cookies
Gingerbread Cookies at a glance
To make gingerbread cookies, beat butter and brown sugar, add an egg, molasses and vanilla, then mix in flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Chill the dough for 2 hours, roll it 6 mm (1/4 inch) thick, cut out shapes and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely before icing.
- Total time
- 2 hrs 40 mins
- Calories
- 195 per serving
- Protein
- 2 g
- Yield
- 24 cookies
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Method
- Baking
Ingredients
Cookies
Icing
Equipment
2 baking sheets · Parchment paper · Rolling pin · 10 cm (4 inch) cookie cutters · Stand or hand mixer · Piping bag or zip-top bag
Quick Directions
- 1
Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
- 2
Make the dough
Beat the butter and brown sugar for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- 3
Chill the dough
Divide the dough in half, flatten each piece into a disc and wrap it.
- 4
Roll and cut
Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
- 5
Bake
Bake one sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centres look just dry: 8 minutes gives soft cookies, 10 minutes crisper ones.
- 6
Ice the cookies
Stir the icing sugar, vanilla and 2 tbsp milk until smooth and thick enough to pipe, adding more milk a few drops at a time if needed.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these detailed steps to make the perfect gingerbread cookies.
- 1
Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
- 2
Make the dough
Beat the butter and brown sugar for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the molasses and vanilla; the mixture may look a little curdled, which is fine. On low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions and mix just until a soft dough forms.
- 3
Chill the dough
Divide the dough in half, flatten each piece into a disc and wrap it. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days, until firm enough to roll.
- 4
Roll and cut
Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line two baking sheets with parchment. Roll one disc between two sheets of parchment, or on a lightly floured counter, to 6 mm (1/4 inch) thick. Cut out shapes and space them 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart on the sheets. Gather and re-roll the scraps once.
- 5
Bake
Bake one sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centres look just dry: 8 minutes gives soft cookies, 10 minutes crisper ones. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely.
- 6
Ice the cookies
Stir the icing sugar, vanilla and 2 tbsp milk until smooth and thick enough to pipe, adding more milk a few drops at a time if needed. Pipe onto the cooled cookies and leave at room temperature for 2-4 hours, until the icing sets.
Recipe Tips
- Rolling between sheets of parchment means you need almost no extra flour, so the cookies stay tender and dark.
- If the cut shapes soften or stretch, chill the tray for 10 minutes before baking so they keep sharp edges.
- Use regular (fancy or light) molasses. Blackstrap molasses is much more bitter and will overpower the spices.
Variations
- Add 1/2 tsp ground allspice or 1/4 tsp ground black pepper for a spicier cookie.
- Skip the icing and dip half of each cooled cookie in melted dark chocolate.
- Press a whole almond or a few currants onto each cookie before baking instead of icing.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 195 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 2 g |
| Carbs | 33 g |
| Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated fat | 4 g |
| Fibre | 0.5 g |
| Sugar | 21 g |
| Sodium | 110 mg |
Estimated from the listed ingredients; values vary by brand.
Related Recipes
Storing & Reheating
- Fridge
- Keep iced cookies in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 1 week; they do not need to be refrigerated.
- Freezer
- Freeze un-iced baked cookies, or the wrapped dough discs, for up to 3 months. Thaw dough overnight in the fridge before rolling.
Gingerbread Cookies FAQs
Why do I need to chill gingerbread dough?
Freshly made gingerbread dough is soft and sticky. Chilling it for at least 2 hours firms the butter, so the dough rolls cleanly and the cut shapes hold their edges in the oven.
What can I use instead of molasses?
Black treacle is the closest swap and can be used in the same amount. Golden syrup or honey also work, but the cookies will be lighter in colour and milder in flavour.
How do I keep gingerbread cookies soft?
Roll the dough 6 mm (1/4 inch) thick, bake for only 8 minutes and store the cooled cookies in an airtight container. Thinner, longer-baked cookies turn crisp.
Can I make gingerbread cookies ahead?
Yes. The dough keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months, and baked cookies stay fresh in an airtight tin for about 1 week.
