This super easy Gingerbread Cookie recipe is perfectly spiced and comes together quickly! It’s easily one of our favorite Christmas cookies to make during the holidays.
You’ll also really enjoy my soft and chewy Gingerdoodles if you’re looking for more of a spice cookie with extra sweetness.
These gingerbread cookies are so delicious, with a soft center and crisp edges. They don’t spread while baking, so your gingerbread men don’t become gingerbread blobs. You’ll have so much fun decorating these cookies. We use my Royal Icing recipe to give them the perfect touch.
Easy Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Whether you’re using this recipe to use for cookie-cut outs or making a gingerbread house, you’ll love how easily this cookie dough comes together.
Gingerbread Cookie Ingredients
Here’s a quick list of the ingredients you’ll need to make gingerbread cookies. As always, you can find the full list of ingredients located in the printable recipe card below.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter that’s room temperature
- Brown Sugar – light or dark will work, but I used light for these
- Molasses – you want to use unsulphered molasses
- Egg – at room temperature as well
- Vanilla Extract
- All Purpose Flour – make sure to spoon and level when measuring
- Baking Soda
- Spices – Ginger, Cinnamon, All Spice and Ground Cloves – don’t be skimpy on the spices, it really makes these cookies pop!
How To Make Gingerbread Cookies
WET INGREDIENTS Start by creaming the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (a hand mixer will work too!). Add in the brown sugar, molasses and beat until combined, then add in the egg and vanilla.
DRY INGREDIENTS In a separate bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix at low speed until fully combined.
CHILL Divide the dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours, up to 3 days.
ROLL & CUT Roll out cookie dough on a floured surface to 1/4″ thickness and cut into shapes.
These are some of my favorite cookie cutters for the holidays!
BAKE Bake at 350 degrees F. until edges are set and let cool completely before decorating.
How Long To Bake Gingerbread Cookies
Let’s be real, cookie cutters come in all shapes and sizes, so one cookie is not always the same as the other. Here is a rough guide you can consider when baking your gingerbread cookies.
- Cookie Cutters SMALLER THAN 4″ > bake for 8 minutes
- Cookie Cutters LARGER THAN 4″ > bake for 11 minutes
- Cookie Cutters AROUND 4″ > bake for 9 to 10 minutes
PRO TIP: You’re really looking to make sure the edges are set before removing them from the oven. Let them rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips For the BEST Gingerbread Cookies:
- Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature when starting. This will help ensure a great texture for your cookies.
- Add just enough flour to bring the dough together. Too much flour will make your cookies crumbly and dry.
- If your dough is too crumbly: mix in 1 tbsp of milk until the dough is soft and pliable again.
- Be sure to chill your dough for at least 3 hours. This will help the flavor of the dough and consistency so it doesn’t spread when baking.
- Don’t be afraid to use lots of flour when rolling out the dough if it’s a little sticky.
- Re-roll scraps of dough to get as many cookies as you can!
Best Way To Decorate Gingerbread Cookies
There are several ways to decorate gingerbread cookies, so pick your favorite and have fun!
- Royal Icing is my favorite method because you can get detailed in the design and it sets up hard so you can stack the cookies once they have cooled.
- Buttercream Frosting is delicious, but you wont be able to be as detailed.
- Cookie Icing that you can buy at the stores is easy, but not stackable.
- Powdered Sugar can be dusted over the top for a simple topping.
- Sprinkles are definitely fun to use with the kids!
How To Store Gingerbread Cookies
Once you bake and cool your cookies, the best way to store them is in an airtight container. Gingerbread cookies can last up to 7 days at room temperature on the counter. You can also freeze them up to 2 months in an air tight container.
You’re going to love these fun and adorable cookies!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes To Try:
Ready to get baking? These easy Christmas cookie recipes are just what you need!
Perfect Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 10 tbsp butter, unsalted, room temperature
- ¾ cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
- ⅔ cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Beat butter in large bowl with mixer for 1 minute until smooth and creamy. Add in brown sugar and molasses and beat until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in egg and vanilla for 2 minutes.
- In separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves until combined. Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low speed until combined. Dough will be thick and sticky. Divide dough in half and wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap. Flatten into a disc shape and chill in fridge for at least 3 hours, up to 5 days.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 to 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- Remove 1 disc of dough from fridge and generously flour your work surface, your hands and rolling pin. Roll out disc to ¼” thickness and use cookie cutters to cut into shapes. Place shapes 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. You can re-roll the scraps to create more shapes until dough is all used up.
- Bake cookies for about 9 to 10 minutes. If using smaller cookie cutters (less than 4 inches) cook for 8 minutes, and up to 11 minutes for larger (bigger than 4 inches) cookies. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling racks. Once cooled, you can decorate as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
PIN THIS IMAGE TO SAVE THE RECIPE:
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Vickie
This was my first time making gingerbread cookies and they turned out amazing. We loved the flavor…not too strong. Perfect on baking – I used a small size cutter (less than 4 inch) – crunchy on the outer edge and soft in the middle. So yummy! Decorating was so much fun too.
One question about the recipe. Once the dough has been made and sealed with saran wrap, how long will it keep in the fridge, 3 days or 5 days (as it states both in the post)? Just want to be sure so that I can plan my usage in advance when baking during the holidays.
Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Merry Christmas!
Vickie
@iwashyoudry
Nicole
If you don’t want to roll it out, can you just bake them if you shape it into a ball? Does it still need to chill??
Lettie
I made the dough yesterday and baked them today. Absolutely delicious!
janet
Do you think I could decorate these cookies by snipping the corner off a ziploc bag (using your royal icing)? Thank you!
Shawn
Yes, I think that would work great!