Warming and full of just the right amount of spice, gingerbread cookies are the
Christmas treat we never go the holiday season without. They’re equally as adorable as they are incredibly delicious: decorating these Christmas cookies is the ultimate holiday activity everyone can get involved in, creating the sweetest homemade food gift to give to friends and family. We tested this recipe over and over (and over again) until we had the perfect gingerbread cookies: crisp edges with a tender, soft middle. Ready to create a new holiday tradition? Here’s everything you need to know:
Key ingredients for the best gingerbread cookies:
— The spices. Our spices give that punchy, warming taste to our gingerbread cookies, so we took our time perfecting the ideal Christmas formula. We chose a mixture of ground ginger, a bit of cinnamon, and a tiny amount of cloves. But, if you don’t have cloves (or really loathe them), you can just leave them out. As for the ginger, it’s necessary but negotiable. Feel free to use less.— The molasses. Something we discovered while creating this recipe is that the type of molasses you use can make a BIG difference in your cookie result. If your cookies come out darker than what we have pictured, it’s most likely due to the brand of molasses used. Odds are they will still taste and look amazing, but keep that in mind when creating your cookies.
How to decorate gingerbread cookies:
How you decorate your adorable gingerbread cookies is completely up to you! We stayed simple with sugar cookie icing and sprinkles, but feel free to add on gumdrops for buttons, ditch the sprinkles, or create your very own unique design. As long as you have fun, you can’t go wrong.
Make ahead & freezing instructions:
Once made, this dough will stay good in the fridge for about 2 days wrapped in plastic wrap. If the disc feels super stiff, just let it be on your counter for a bit until it’s more pliable. If you want to freeze it, wrap your dough well and place in a freezer safe bag before freezing for 2-3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling and baking.
If you want to bake and freeze the cookies ahead of time, but leave the decorating for later, let the cookies cool completely before freezing them for up to 3 months.
Storage:
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container separated by wax paper at room temperature—they’ll stay amazing and soft for up to one week.
Tip: Looking for a way to get creative with your batch of cookies? Use them as the most adorable garnish in our gingerbread martini.
Made them? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
Warming and full of just the right amount of spice, gingerbread cookies are the
Christmas treat we never go the holiday season without. They’re equally as adorable as they are incredibly delicious: decorating these Christmas cookies is the ultimate holiday activity everyone can get involved in, creating the sweetest homemade food gift to give to friends and family. We tested this recipe over and over (and over again) until we had the perfect gingerbread cookies: crisp edges with a tender, soft middle. Ready to create a new holiday tradition? Here’s everything you need to know:
Key ingredients for the best gingerbread cookies:
— The spices. Our spices give that punchy, warming taste to our gingerbread cookies, so we took our time perfecting the ideal Christmas formula. We chose a mixture of ground ginger, a bit of cinnamon, and a tiny amount of cloves. But, if you don’t have cloves (or really loathe them), you can just leave them out. As for the ginger, it’s necessary but negotiable. Feel free to use less.— The molasses. Something we discovered while creating this recipe is that the type of molasses you use can make a BIG difference in your cookie result. If your cookies come out darker than what we have pictured, it’s most likely due to the brand of molasses used. Odds are they will still taste and look amazing, but keep that in mind when creating your cookies.
How to decorate gingerbread cookies:
How you decorate your adorable gingerbread cookies is completely up to you! We stayed simple with sugar cookie icing and sprinkles, but feel free to add on gumdrops for buttons, ditch the sprinkles, or create your very own unique design. As long as you have fun, you can’t go wrong.
Make ahead & freezing instructions:
Once made, this dough will stay good in the fridge for about 2 days wrapped in plastic wrap. If the disc feels super stiff, just let it be on your counter for a bit until it’s more pliable. If you want to freeze it, wrap your dough well and place in a freezer safe bag before freezing for 2-3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling and baking.
If you want to bake and freeze the cookies ahead of time, but leave the decorating for later, let the cookies cool completely before freezing them for up to 3 months.
Storage:
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container separated by wax paper at room temperature—they’ll stay amazing and soft for up to one week.
Tip: Looking for a way to get creative with your batch of cookies? Use them as the most adorable garnish in our gingerbread martini.
Made them? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
- Yields:
-
25
serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 15 mins
- Total Time:
- 3 hrs 15 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 169
Directions
-
- Step 1
In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and molasses until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Step 2In a medium bowl, whisk flour, spices, baking soda, and salt until combined. With the mixer on low, gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, as well as fresh ginger, orange zest, and black pepper (if using), until dough just comes together. (Do not overmix!)
- Step 3Divide dough in half and create two discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 2 to 3 hours. (Alternatively, divide dough in half and roll each piece of dough between two pieces of parchment to 1/4″ thick. Chill until firm.)
- Step 4Preheat oven to 350° and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place one disc of dough on a lightly floured surface and roll until 1/4″ thick. (Alternatively, peel off both sheets of parchment from dough, then replace one sheet of parchment back underneath dough.) Cut out gingerbread men with a 3″ wide cutter and transfer to baking sheets.
- Step 5Bake until slightly puffed and set, 9 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of your cookie cutters. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Step 6 Repeat with remaining disc of dough. Decorate with icing and sprinkles as desired.
- Step 1
Parker Feierbach