Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste:The perfect balance of sweetness and spice that’s quintessential to this time of year!
Texture:These bake up soft and a little chewy with slightly crisp edges.
Ease:Very easy! You can make the cookies ahead of time and freeze them, too.
Pros:An essential recipe to add to your Christmas cookie repertoire.
Cons:None!!
Would I make this again?Every year.
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Nothing says Merry Christmas quite like a batch of homemade Gingerbread Cookies baking away in the oven. The aroma alone is the epitome of festive!
The process of rolling the dough, cutting out shapes, and decorating the baked cookies is a tradition I look forward to every year.
This year I got to wondering about the origin of gingerbread cookies. In case, like me, you’ve ever asked yourself, “Where does gingerbread come from”, according to Wikipedia, “Gingerbread dates from the 15th century, and figural biscuit-making was practiced in the 16th century. The first documented instance of figure-shaped gingerbread biscuits was at the court of Elizabeth I of England. She had the gingerbread figures made and presented in the likeness of some of her important guests.”
Now we all know Wikipedia isn’t always the most accurate, but I found this next part to be even more interesting, “According to the Guinness Book of Records, the world’s largest gingerbread man was made by the staff of the IKEA Furuset store in Oslo, Norway, on 9 November 2009. The gingerbread man weighed 1435.2 pounds (651 kg).”
Can you imagine?! I wonder if that giant cookie was even edible?
Whatever size you make your gingerbread cookies, I hope you enjoy the process every step of the way.
How to Make Gingerbread Cookies
Should Gingerbread Cookies be Hard or Soft? Is Gingerbread Supposed to be Chewy?
The texture and consistency of gingerbread cookies is such a personal preference, and it also seems to be determined somewhat by where you live! Here in the US, we like our cookies soft with a little chewiness, but in the UK, people prefer their biscuits (and therefore gingerbread men) more crunchy or crisp. Personally, I like them soft and a little chewy, so that’s what you’ll find this recipe yields; but be cautious with the bake time, as overbaking these will still cause them to get hard! More on that below.
What is the Main Ingredient of Gingerbread?
Gingerbread’s delicious flavors and intoxicating smells are thanks to two things: molasses, and spices (namely ginger and cinnamon). Molasses brings so much flavor to these cookies, and gives them their characteristic color, as well as bringing moisture to the cookies. More on these key ingredients below.
Gingerbread Spices
- The spices are what really round out the flavor of Gingerbread Cookies. I use ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg for an incredible flavor and a smell that will outmatch any candle for heavenly holiday scents.
- Some recipes use black pepper or cayenne, and you’re welcome to add a little of either if you like, but I personally don’t prefer it.
- Check your spices to ensure they’re not expired. Even if they’re not expired, give them a sniff and make sure they’re still very aromatic.
- Older spices carry less flavor; fresh spices will carry a LOT more flavor. So, just be aware of that and feel free to adjust accordingly.
What Type of Molasses is Best for Gingerbread Men?
Be sure to use unsulphured molasses in this recipe,not blackstrap which is very potent and bitter.
Can I Substitute the Molasses?
- Molasses is a critical component of this gingerbread cookie recipe, so unfortunately, substituting it with something different will alter the final taste, texture, and color of these cookies.
- If you live in the U.K., you can use treacle in place of the molasses. It’s basically the British equivalent.
- If you can’t find molasses or treacle, use maple syrup, dark corn syrup, or honey in its place. You may want to increase the spices in the recipe if you’re using a substitute to make up for that lost molasses flavor.
Tips for Perfect Gingerbread Cookies
- Measure your flour correctly– Make sure to weigh your flour for precision. If you add too much flour, your gingerbread cookies may be hard and dry. If you don’t have adigital kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method instead.More on that here.
- Make sure your butter isn’t too warm– If your butter is too warm, your gingerbread men may spread, and we don’t want that here! About 67°F is perfect.Learn more about that here.
- Use fresh baking powder– Did you know that leavening agents can lose their effectiveness before the expiration date printed on the packaging?Learn more about Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda, and how to test for freshness, here.
- Chill your dough before baking –After rolling out the dough, we’ll chill it for a couple hours, to firm it up, and then cut out our shapes. At this time, you can re-chill the dough, to prevent spreading and ensure your cookies maintain their shapes perfectly. If you encounter any issues with the cookies not keeping their shape, it’s likely because the dough wasn’t cold enough when it hit the oven – try freezing the shaped dough for about 15 minutes before baking.
How to Roll Out and Shape Cookie Dough
To make things quicker, easier, and cleaner, I like to roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper or layers of plastic wrap. This way, you don’t need to worry about a lightly floured surface or a floured rolling pin, and this avoids incorporating excess flour.
Be sure to keep the dough moving in quarter turns and push the rolling pin from the center out so you roll it into an even thickness.
As you cut out the gingerbread men shapes, you may find the dough has become too warm and soft. If this happens, just take the entire sheet of dough and pop it in the freezer or fridge until it’s solid again. If the cookie dough is super warm when it enters the oven, they may not keep their shapes as well, so you can again pop the tray in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up the dough.
How to Make SOFT Gingerbread Cookies
This recipe should yield gingerbread cookies that keep their shape but stay soft after baking and are slightly chewy. To ensure this, avoid overworking the dough. It’s not bread dough, so definitely don’t knead it. Use a gentle hand!
Also, be sure not to overbake these. You’ll need to adjust the baking time depending on the size of the gingerbread men cookie cutters you use. The smaller the size, the less time they’ll need in the oven. Take the cookies out just before they look completely done, as they’ll continue to cook on the pan from the residual heat of the oven.
How to Tell When Gingerbread Cookies Are Done Baking
Gingerbread Cookies are done when they are set and begin to brown slightly at the edges. They will harden further as they cool, so avoid overbaking so you don’t end up with hard, crunchy gingerbread! Underbake slightly to achieve soft, slightly chewy gingerbread cookies. If you’re not sure, you can always bake one cookie off first, to gauge the timing your cookies will need to be baked to your preference.
How to Decorate Gingerbread Cookies
I’m not a fan of royal icing, so I just included a very simple cookie icing in this recipe. You can learn more about my cheat for easy cookie icing here.
I find the simplest way to decorate these cookies is by making borders with the icing. You can also add buttons or a face with the icing, or frost the entire cookie if you prefer! A squeeze bottle is the best way to make quick and easy work of icing all of the cookies. Plus even the kids can get involved with squeeze bottles!
How to Make Gingerbread Cookies Ahead of Time
You can make and refrigerate the gingerbread cookie dough for up to 2 days. Store it inside an airtight container so it won’t dry out. The spiced flavor will actually intensify in the fridge – kind of like marinating meat!
How to Freeze Gingerbread Cookies
The baked but uniced cookies can actually be stored in the freezer for a couple months. Simply pop a tray of cookies in the freezer until they’re solid, then remove them to an airtight container. I prefer a sturdy airtight container for freezing baked cookies, to protect the cookies from other items in your freezer and prevent the cookies from breaking. To defrost, allow to thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours. If you’d like, you can refresh them in a 325°F oven for a few minutes.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Hot Cocoa Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Recipe
- Turtle Thumbprint Cookies
- Loaded Peanut Butter Christmas Cookie Bars
Be sure to check out my Christmas Headquarters page for more baking recipes, tips, and inspiration!
Gingerbread Cookies
By: Tessa Arias
4.82 from 11 votes
Yield: 24 cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Inactive Time: 2 hours hrs
Cook Time: 12 minutes mins
Total Time: 2 hours hrs 32 minutes mins
Review Print
Easy Gingerbread Cookies are thick, soft, and perfectly maintain their adorable shape. This dough is a dream to work with and the cookies can be made ahead of time! Easy cookie icing included.
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 3 cups (381 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 11/4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (168 grams) unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1 large egg
For the icing:
- 2 cups (250 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the cookies:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to combine. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg and molasses and beat until combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Shape the dough into a thick disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Remove the dough from refrigerator and let stand until just warm enough to roll with ease. Place the chilled dough in between two large pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap on a work surface. Roll the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the dough and place on prepared baking sheets, spreading at least a 1/2-inch apart. Reroll remaining scraps of dough into 1/4-inch thickness and cut out more shapes.
If at any point the dough becomes too warm to hold its shape, return to the fridge (or freezer) until firm again.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are set and begin to brown slightly at the edges, rotating sheets halfway through. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 3 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Make the icing:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the ingredients until a thick and smooth icing forms. Add more milk if the icing is too thick, or more sugar if it’s too thin.
Transfer the icing to a piping bag, ziptop bag with a small hole cut in the corner, or to a squeeze bottle. Decorate the cookies with the icing. Allow to set before serving or storing.
Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
