These gingerbread cookies are the ultimate holiday cookies. Easy to make, they’re soft, sweet, warmly spiced, and very festive!
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When Christmas is right around the corner but not there yet, there are two types of cookies we absolutely love to make in our family: easy sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies! Both come in various shapes and make the house smell amazing. The gingerbread version has a stronger flavor profile. They feature some rich molasses/dark honey and brown sugar and are warmly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
Gingerbread cookies are also a breeze to make. The dough comes together in an instant and is super easy to roll out. You’ll sure have fun cutting out gingerbread men and decorate them with icing once they’ve cooled. I also love them without the icing, served with a warm cup of tea or hot chocolate!
These gingerbread cookies are…
- Warmly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg
- Prepared with either molasses (for a stronger flavor profile) or with dark mountain honey (my favorite option)
- Easy to prepare and the dough easy to roll out
- The perfect holiday treat to decorate with your loved ones!
Key ingredients to bake gingerbread cookies
- All-purpose flour + baking soda + salt. They’re the dry ingredients of the recipe. Note that I use baking soda (NOT baking powder).
- Butter. Use it unsalted and softened at room temperature.
- Egg yolk. Just one is enough here.
- Brown sugar (loosely packed). Prefer dark brown sugar for stronger flavor, light brown sugar if you prefer your cookies a little lighter in flavor.
- Molasses OR dark forest honey. Molasses are the traditional key ingredient of gingerbread cookies in the US. In Europe however, many prefer honey instead. If doing so, use dark forest honey. The Gingerbread cookies will still have a rich, deep flavor, with a slightly less bitter taste.
- Spices. I used a mix of ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.
Molasses or dark forest honey?
Most American gingerbread cookie recipes call for molasses. It’s the key ingredient for deep flavors and a perfectly chewy texture. For some however, molasses have an unpleasant bitter after-taste. I’m one of them, and this is why I personally prefer using dark forest honey instead of molasses. It works a wonder and brings a subtle honey touch to your cookies. Between one option and the other, it’s up to you to choose!
Pro tips to make gingerbread cookies
- Use room temperature butter. It’s key to get a smooth and perfectly soft dough.
- Get the help of a stand mixer. You sure can get fairly good results by using a wooden spatula, but using a stand mixer will make your job easier, especially when it comes to mix in the sticky molasses.
- Chill, chill, chill the dough. Repeat. This is key in the process of gingerbread cookie making. Always refrigerate the dough after you just made it. While doing the cookie cutting, feel free to put the rolled-out dough back in the refrigerator multiple times if it becomes too warm and too soft to handle. You also want to chill the cut-out cookies to ensure they keep their shape well and avoid any spreading while baking.
- Bake to perfection. Gingerbread cookies are done when dark in color but still soft. If the extremities start to golden slightly, remove immediately. Depending on the oven and the size of the cut-out shapes you make, it may take more or less time to bake. This is why I always recommend to stay close to your oven while baking.
How to decorate gingerbread cookies?
While you can use any shape you like to cut out your gingerbread cookie dough, I always create either gingerbread men, snow flakes and stars, all in different sizes.
You can then decorate them with a simple store-bought or homemade icing, using a piping bag and a piping tip to get the best control over intricate designs (I recommend Wilton piping tip #2)/ Alternatively, you can make a small cut at the tip of your piping bag. If using homemade icing, use it right away on chilled gingerbread cookies, being quick an confident in each movement. In other words, fake it until you make it. Believe me, it will lead you to success in no time!
Quick 2-ingredient cookie icing recipe. Whisk together 1 ½ cup (200g) confectioners’ sugar with 3 Tablespoons of milk, using an electric hand mixer, until you get a smooth consistency. Add more milk or confectioners’ sugar if needed, until you reach the desired consistency. Transfer to a piping bag equipped with a piping #2 tip and use immediately.
Make-ahead and storing instructions
Make ahead. You can prepare the gingerbread cookie dough ahead of time, wrap in plastic wrap and either refrigerate for a 2-3 days or freeze for a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out the dough.
Storing and freezing. Gingerbread cookies (with or without the icing) keep well, stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5-10 days. You can also freeze gingerbread cookies in a ziploc bag or freezer-safe container. Allow to thaw at room temperature, ideally overnight.
Good to know! It’s hard to resist freshly baked and decorated Gingerbread cookies but they actually taste even better on day 2 or 3. The reason? Their spices develop their flavor with time and the gingerbread cookies become softer.
More holiday cookies you’ll love:
- Easy Sugar Cookies
- Christmas Cookie Box
- White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a Jar (with a printable lable)
- Chocolate Dipped Almond Florentines
- Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
Gingerbread Cookies
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Chilling Time: 2 hours 30 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 30 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
These gingerbread cookies are the ultimate holiday cookies. Easy to make, they’re soft, sweet, warmly spiced, and very festive!
Email me this recipe
We’ll send it straight to your inbox, along with weekly food inspiration!
Ingredients
- 1 stick (120g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- ⅔ cup (120g) dark brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) molasses or dark brown forest honey*
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (270g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon brewed coffee
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the molasses or dark-brown color honey, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix again.
- Sift the flour in a medium bowl, and mix with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing after each addition. Mix in the coffee.
- Form the dough into a ball, and flatten into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic film and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until about ¼-inch (0,5mm) thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes, then transfer the cut-outs to the prepared baking sheets, re-rolling the dough scraps as necessary. If at any step, the dough warms up and becomes too fragile to handle, place in the refrigerator again until set. When ready, refrigerate the gingerbread cookies for 30 minutes to ensure they will hold their shape while baking.
- Bake, one sheet at a time, for 7 to 9 minutes**, or until the edges of the cookies are just set but the middles are still soft. The cookies might seem underdone, but taking them out at this point will ensure that they stay soft once they cool.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired***.
Notes
* You can also do a mix of honey and maple syrup, up to ⅓ cup (80 ml).
** The exact baking time will depend on your oven and the size of your cookie cutters. Keep an eye on your oven for the first batch, and bake until the edges of the gingerbread cookies are just set while the cookies may still look a little underdone.
*** For 2-ingredient cookie icing, whisk 1 ½ cup (200g) confectioners’ sugar with 3 Tablespoons of milk, using an electric hand mixer, until you get a smooth consistency. Add more milk or confectioners’ sugar if needed. Transfer to a piping bag equipped with a piping #2 tip and use immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Gingerbread Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
