This Gingerbread Cookie recipe is a no-fail classic Christmas cookies recipe made with molasses and a simple royal icing. Follow our tutorial for the best gingerbread cookies – a Christmas cookie recipe perfect for the holidays!
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
If you don’t get to enjoy a Gingerbread Cookie, is it even Christmas?!? We love making homemade gingerbread cookies every Christmas and this Gingerbread Cookies recipe is our go-to recipe – it’s so flavourful, the gingerbread is crispy on the outside while just a little bit soft and moist on the inside, and they’re decorated with a classic (and easy-to-make) royal icing. If you’re looking for a classic Christmas cookies recipe, this is IT!
Gingerbread cookies are a festive baking staple during the holiday season that originated in Europe, around the time when Europeans began baking with ginger.
This Gingerbread Cookie Recipe is traditionally made from a dough that includes spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The dough is sweetened and coloured with molasses, which gives the cookies their distinctive dark brown colour and rich, spicy flavour. Once the dough is mixed, it is chilled, rolled out, and then cut into various shapes – festive figures like gingerbread men, but also hearts, stars, trees, and other shapes.
The decoration of gingerbread cookies is just as important as their baking, of course! Royal icing, which is a simple icing made from powdered sugar and egg whites, is the traditional choice for decorating these cookies. It hardens as it dries, allowing for detailed and precise designs that last, even when the cookies are stored.
Gingerbread cookies are very traditional and they can be found on most holiday baking trays – they make a classic addition to any holiday gathering and they’re great Christmas cookies to make with kids! This Gingerbread cookie recipe is as classic as it gets, and they’re truly the most festive holiday treat!
Here are all the reasons we can’t get enough of these Christmas Cookies:
- It’s THE PERFECT TREAT for the Holidays: The molasses and the spices make this gingerbread the ultimate festive cookie. Whether you make them for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just to have with tea on a cozy winter evening, these cookies will provide all the holiday cheer.
- They’re PACKED with FLAVOUR: Cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and molasses make this a perfectly spiced cookie.
- They’re EASY to make: With typical ingredients and detailed and simple instructions, this gingerbread cookie recipe is beginner friendly.
- KID-FRIENDLY and FUN: We love to roll, cut, and decorate gingerbread cookies as a family and the kids love it.
- They’re CUSTOMIZABLE: Whether you prefer classic gingerbread men or colourful ones, elegant snow flakes or sprinkle decorated ones, the possibilities are endless with this gingerbread cookie recipe.
- They’re PERFECT for GIFTING: These Gingerbread cookies are good for days so they make the perfect edible gift. If you can resist the urge to eat them, they also make great ornaments – just make sure you pierce a hole for the string before you bake them.
- It’s easy to MAKE them AHEAD: You can make the cookie dough 2-3 months ahead of time and keep it in the freezer until you’re ready to use.
Follow all our tips and tricks for the BEST Christmas cookies you’ve ever made!
Allow the butter and egg to come to room temperature before making the dough. This will help cream the butter, ensuring you have a smooth dough.
After mixing everything, allow the dough to chill in the fridge for 2 hours to overnight. By doing this you allow the flavours to infuse and also make the dough easier to handle.
Make sure you roll your dough to an even thickness so that every shape you cut out will bake the same, ensuring you get the most uniform and beautiful gingerbread cookies.
Handle the dough minimally as you roll it out and cut the cookies. If your dough becomes too soft, don’t add more flour (that will mess up the texture). Instead, pop your dough back in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Make sure you allow the cookies to cool completely before you decorate them with the royal icing so that your decoration stays as clean as possible.
This recipe makes icing with a consistency that is suitable for outlining and drawing patterns. If you want to fill shapes on the cookies you will need to add a little more water to your icing. You can also divide the icing in a few bowls and add food colouring to it. Another fun addition to gingerbread cookies are sprinkles and miniature candies. This recipe is just a base recipe, like a plain canvas, waiting for you to add whatever you want.
Before stacking the cookies or packaging them, make sure the icing is completely dry, so that the decoration doesn’t get ruined.
If you’re running into trouble with this Christmas cookies recipe, here are some fixes we recommend:
If the dough is too sticky, let it chill in the fridge for 30-45 minutes. If it’s still too sticky, sprinkle your work surface with flour and knead the dough for a little while, incorporating the flour.
Add a couple tablespoons of milk or water, gradually, kneading well, until the dough is maleable and easy to handle.
Make sure you chill the dough thoroughly before you bake your gingerbread cookies.
If they’re also too dark in colour, lower your oven temperature by 15 degrees. If they’re a normal colour and hard, bake them for 2 minutes less.
Make sure you roll the dough to the same thickness so all sides of all cookies are the same thickness. If your oven doesn’t bake evenly, turn the pan around halfway through the baking time.
If your royal icing is too runny, add a few teaspoons of powdered sugar, one at a time, mixing well.
To make your icing softer and a bit runny, add a few teaspoons, one at a time, mixing well.
Make sure you add the sprinkles while the royal icing is still wet. If it dries up too quickly, pipe a small amount of fresh royal icing on the area you want the sprinkles.
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this delicious Christmas Cookies recipe (paid links):
- Stand Mixer
- measuring cups and spoons
- Silicone Spatula
- Plastic Wrap
- Rolling Pin
- large baking sheet
- Parchment Paper
- cookie cutters
- piping bag
Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to have on hand to make this classic Gingerbread cookie recipe (paid links):
For the Cookies:
- 2/3 cup butter
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Royal Icing:
- 1 egg white
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Time needed: 2 hours and 45 minutes
Here’s how to make this classic Gingerbread Cookie recipe!
- Cream butter, sugar, and spices.
Add the butter, brown sugar, along with the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla to the bowl of your stand mixer (or use a hand mixer if you prefer) and beat on high until creamy and smooth.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients.
Beat in the molasses on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl until it’s all incorporated.
Add the egg and mix well on medium speed. - Add in the dry ingredients.
Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and salt and mix on low speed just until incorporated.
- Rest the dough.
Shape the dough in a rectangle, wrap, it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours.
- Make the cookies.
After the dough is chilled, roll it in a 1/4 inch sheet, using flour to make sure the dough doesn’t stick to the table or to the rolling pin. It is very important that you roll the dough to the same thickness all over so that your cookies are consistent and they bake the same.
Cut out the cookies and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If there’s excess flour, brush it off with a pastry brush or with your hand. We used a 2.5 inch x 3.5 inch gingerbread man cookie cutter and some slightly smaller stars, Christmas tree, and hearts. - Get ready to bake.
Place the tray with the cookies in the fridge for 15 minutes and, in the meantime, preheat your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
- Bake.
Remove the cookies form the fridge and bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) for 9-11 minutes, depending on the size and thickness. You will know they are done baking when the edges are hard but the middle is still soft.
Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for a little while until they harden. - Make the royal icing.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the egg white with the salt until foamy.
Add the powdered sugar in gradually, mixing on medium-high speed until the sugar is dissolved and the icing is luscious.
Lastly, add the vanilla and mix well. Your icing should be thick but should flow slightly when squeezed through a piping bag. If your icing is too thin, add some more powdered sugar. If it’s too stiff, add a few drops of water, gradually.
Pour the icing in a piping bag. Optionally, add a fine round piping tip to the bag. - Decorate the cookies.
Pipe the icing to your preferred pattern and let the icing dry before stacking the cookies.
You can also use food colouring in the icing, and/or sprinkles and minature candy on top of the cookies for decoration.
Make sure the dough is properly chilled before you roll and cut the cookies and place them back in the fridge for a while before you bake them.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! You can refrigerate the dough can for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw the frozen dough in the fridge overnight before rolling and cutting.
What is the easiest way to roll the dough?
You can roll the dough the classic way, with a little bit of flour on the work surface, or to make it even easier, you can roll it between two pieces of parchment paper.
What can I do with the dough scraps?
Without adding more flour, knead the scraps together for a little while, put them in the fridge, then roll again to make more cookies.
Can I add orange zest to the dough?
Yes, you can add it in the butter mixture so it releases it’s essential oils (aroma) however, this will give your cookies a grainy texture and might show up on the surface. Alternatively, if you really want an orange aroma, you can use a little Pure Orange Extract (affiliate link).
Absolutely, yes! Cool your gingerbread cookies completely and store them in an airtight container or freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Make sure you thaw them at room temperature before decorating or serving.
Cool your cookies in the pan until they harden a bit, then move them to a wire rack to cool faster, if you want. They should be completely cool within 20 minutes to half an hour leaving you just enough prep time for the royal icing and your decorating station.
Light molasses is mildly sweet and less robust, with just a hint of caramel. It will give this gingerbread cookies recipe a lighter colour with a subtle gingerbread taste. Dark molasses is richer and more robust than light molasses, with a deeper sweetness. It’s the most common choice for gingerbread as it gives the perfect mix of sweetness and warm gingerbread flavour. Blackstrap molasses is the darkest and most concentrated molasses. It has a strong, slightly bitter flavour with less sweetness, so the cookies will be less sweet with a bold, earthy flavour.
We hope you love this Gingerbread Cookies recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what is your favourite Christmas Cookies recipe? We’d love to know!
More Christmas Cookies and Treats
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Peanut Butter Balls
- Easy Fudge
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Popcorn Balls
- Peppermint White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- Twix Cookies
- Peanut Butter Fudge
- Easy Sugar Cookies
- Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Butter Pecan Cookies
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Gingerbread Cookies
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 2/3 cup butter
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup dark molasses see notes
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Royal Icing:
- 1 egg white
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Recipe: Instructions
For the cookies:
- Add the butter, sugar, along with the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla to the bowl of your stand mixer (or use a hand mixer if you prefer) and beat on high until creamy and smooth.
- Beat in the molasses on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl until it's all incorporated.
- Add the egg and mix well on medium speed.
- Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and salt and mix on low speed just until incorporated.
- Shape the dough in a rectangle, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours.
- After the dough is chilled, roll it in a 1/4 inch sheet, using flour to make sure the dough doesn't stick to the table or to the rolling pin. It is very important that you roll the dough to the same thickness all over so that your cookies are consistent and they bake the same.
- Cut out the cookies and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If there's excess flour, brush it off with a pastry brush or with your hand. We used a 2.5 inch x 3.5 inch gingerbread man cookie cutter and some slightly smaller stars, Christmas tree, and hearts.
- Place the tray with the cookies in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
- Remove the cookies form the fridge and bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) for 8 minutes, depending on the size and thickness. You will know they are done baking when the edges are hard but the middle is still soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for a little while until they harden.
For the royal icing:
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the egg white with the salt until foamy.
- Add the powdered sugar in gradually, mixing on medium-high speed until the sugar is dissolved and the icing is luscious.
- Lastly, add the vanilla and mix well. Your icing should be thick but should flows slightly when squeezed through a piping bag. If your icing is too thin, add some more powdered sugar. If it's too stiff, add a few drops of water, gradually.
- Pour the icing in a piping bag. Optionally, add a fine round piping tip to the bag.
Decoration:
- Pipe the icing to your preferred pattern and let the icing dry before stacking the cookies.
- Optionally, you can use food colouring in the icing, and/or sprinkles and minature candy on top of the cookies for decoration.
Recipe: Notes
*Baking the gingerbread
If you’re using convection, preheat your oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit (156 degrees Celsius) and bake the gingerbread cookies for 9-11 minutes depending on size.A note on molasses
Light molasses is mildly sweet and less robust, with just a hint of caramel. It will give you lighter cookies with a subtle gingerbread taste.Dark molasses is richer and more robust than light molasses, with a deeper sweetness. It’s the most common choice for gingerbread as it gives the perfect mix of sweetness and warm gingerbread flavour.
Blackstrap molasses is the darkest and most concentrated molasses. It has a strong, slightly bitter flavour with less sweetness so the cookies will be less sweet with a bold, earthy flavour.
Storage
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Royal icing-decorated cookies can also be stored this way once fully dry.Make-ahead option
The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Let it thaw in the fridge before rolling and cutting.Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
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