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Built on an edible gingerbread ring and decorated with royal icing piping, this homemade gingerbread wreath makes a unique (and great-smelling!) holiday dinner centerpiece or Christmas decoration.
What Inspired This Gingerbread Wreath?
I absolutely love working with gingerbread, especially during the holiday season. In past years, I’ve spent weeks crafting elaborate gingerbread houses, like my light-up gingerbread house, my gingerbread pub or my epic Broadway theatre district scene. And while intricate gingerbread houses are always lots of fun, this Christmas I decided to try something a little bit different…and a little less labor-intensive!
Made from rolled-and-cut gingerbread cookies, this edible wreath combines the fun of baking a fresh batch of homemade gingerbread with a healthy dose of Christmas crafting, Perfect for displaying as a mantel decoration or using as a centerpiece for Christmas dinner, this gingerbread wreath is easy to customize with different cookie shapes, piping designs, or royal icing colors. The result? A rustic handmade decoration which will fill your home with the unmistakeable scent of sweet, spicy gingerbread.
How to Make a Gingerbread Wreath
First things first! To make a gingerbread wreath, begin by making a batch of homemade gingerbread. After chilling the dough and rolling it with a rolling pin, cut half into stars (or any other shape you’d like) with metal cookie cutters. Then, with the other half, trace a dinner plate to form a large disc and cut a 4-inch hole in the middle with a round metal cutter. This larger piece will form the base on which you’ll build your gingerbread wreath.
Bake the cookies and the base, then allow everything to cool while you make the royal icing by beating egg whites to stiff peaks, along with confectioner’s sugar and, if desired, a few drops of gel food coloring. Scoop the icing into piping bags fitted with metal tips, then decorate the individual cookies. You can keep the designs very simple (outlines, polka dots, stripes) or pipe more intricate patterns.
After the royal icing decorations set (I allow mine to rest overnight), use the remaining icing to secure each gingerbread cookie to the wreath base, starting with the largest cookies at the bottom, then layering smaller cookies on top. To finish, adorn the wreath with edible pearls, edible silver balls, edible glitter or an edible gingerbread “bow.”
Tools and Equipment for Making a Christmas Wreath with Gingerbread
- Cookie Cutters – I used star cutters in four sizes: 1 1/4-inch, 1 3/4-inch, 2-inch, and 2 1/2-inch. (Classic gingerbread men, hearts, snowflakes, bells, candy canes, or trees would also work nicely!)
- Gel Food Coloring – You can use any colors of gel food coloring you’d like to tint the royal icing, or skip it and use white icing only.
- Dinner Plate – Any standard-size dinner plate (about 10 inches in diameter) for tracing the wreath base.
- Round Cutter – You’ll need a 3 1/2 or 4-inch round cutter (I used the one from my round metal cutter set) to cut the hole in the middle of the wreath base.
- Fondant Tools – A set of fondant tools is incredibly helpful for detail-oriented work like this. The pointy-edged tool is perfect for cleaning up piping mistakes.
- Piping Bags and Piping Tips – You’ll need piping bags (I prefer disposable piping bags) and piping tips for applying the royal icing to the cookies.
Making and Working with Royal Icing
This wreath is piped with royal icing, a type of decorator’s icing made with egg whites and confectioner’s sugar which sets quickly and solidly, making it ideal for creating intricate and long-lasting designs.
To make royal icing, whip an egg white to soft peaks, then add confectioner’s sugar and, with a hand or stand mixer, mix on high speed until the meringue is thick and glossy. If necessary, add a little bit more confectioner’s sugar to adjust the consistency. The royal icing should be thick, but pipeable.
After decorating the cookies, allow the royal icing to dry completely before assembling the wreath. And after securing the cookies to the wreath base, allow the icing to set completely before moving, propping, or transporting the wreath.
A few more royal icing tips:
Never refrigerate royal icing-decorated cookies. The icing will draw moisture, making it sticky or weepy-looking.
When not in use, cover the bowl of royal icing with wet a j-cloth to prevent the icing from drying out. If refrigerating royal icing overnight, cover it with a wet cloth, allowing the cloth to touch the top of the icing, and briefly re-mix before use.
Making the Bow
If you want to get extra-creative, you can use the dough trimmings from the wreath base to make a gingerbread bow. I made mine by using a heart-shaped cutter to make the top pieces, then used a sharp knife to cut the other pieces freehand. Decorate with the remaining royal icing, and secure the bow on top of the cookie wreath.
Note that if you add the bow, the wreath will be on the heavier side. It will also be better-suited for laying flat (as a centerpiece or to surround a candle or miniature Christmas tree) rather than for propping against a wall or mantelpiece.
Gingerbread Wreath Tips and Tricks
Don’t overbake the gingerbread. The baked cookies should be very lightly brown around the edges, but not overly dark. And remember that smaller cookies will bake faster than larger ones, so you might need to remove smaller pieces from the tray, then return it to the oven so the larger ones can continue to bake. Finally, don’t underbake the wreath base, or it won’t be solid enough to support the decorations.
Chilling is the key to successful gingerbread! First, chill the plastic-wrapped disc of dough for at least four hours (or up to two days) before rolling the dough. After rolling and cutting, chill the cut cookies for 30 minutes (or freeze for 15 minutes) before baking. If at any point the dough starts to feel sticky, stop for a few minutes and re-chill until it’s firm enough to roll. It’s important to keep the dough cold, or it won’t maintain its shape as it bakes.
You can cut the gingerbread dough into any shape you’d like. I used a set of star cookie cutters, but you can also cut snowflakes, gingerbread men, Christmas trees, stockings, or just about anything else.
What to Do With a Gingerbread Christmas Wreath
While technically edible, this gingerbread wreath is designed for decoration. You can:
- Place it flat on your dining or coffee table, surrounded by ornaments, bells, or fairy lights.
- Lean the wreath against a wall, shelf, or mantelpiece, surrounded by framed photos or other holiday decorations.
- Place it around a large pillar candle for an alterative to the traditional holly leaves and pinecones.
- Use it as a “tree skirt” for a small tabletop Christmas tree.
Is This Wreath Suitable for Hanging?
Possibly, if you plan your wreath with hanging in mind. As pictured, this gingerbread wreath is fairly heavy. If you want to hang the wreath, keep the layers light—smaller cookies, and less of them. You’ll probably also want to skip the cookie “bow” (which is pretty, but adds a lot of weight) and opt for real ribbon instead.
If you think you might like to hang the wreath, use a metal straw or piping tip to punch holes in the base before baking, then use these for threading string, ribbon, or wire through the finished wreath.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
This gingerbread wreath is intended as a decoration, but it is edible. If you want to be able to break off pieces of the wreath to eat, you’ll want to bake and assemble the wreath one day, and serve it the next. It will remain fresh enough to eat for 2-3 days.
If your wreath will only be used for decorative purposes, you can make it over the course of several days. (I baked the cookies one day, decorated them the next, then assembled it the following day.) As a decoration, the finished gingerbread wreath will keep well for up to a month.
Other gingerbread recipes you might enjoy:
How to Make a Gingerbread House
Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread Simmer Pot
Classic Ginger Snaps
Gingerbread Loaf with Walnuts and Pears
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Gingerbread Wreath
- Total Time: About 6 hours (including setting time)
- Yield: 1 10-inch wreath 1x
Description
Built on an edible gingerbread ring and decorated with royal icing, this gingerbread wreath makes a unique centerpiece or Christmas decoration.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
113 grams unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup / 1 stick)
150 grams dark brown sugar (3/4 cup, packed)
100 grams black treacle (1/3 cup), or substitute unsulphured molasses
1 large egg, beaten
320 grams all-purpose flour (2 1/2 cups), plus more for dusting countertop
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Royal Icing:
200 grams confectioner’s sugar (1 1/2 cups), plus more to adjust consistency
1 large egg white, at room temperature
Red, blue, or green gel food coloring (optional)
Edible pearls, edible silver balls, edible foil stars, or edible glitter, to decorate (optional)
Instructions
Cookies:
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses, followed by the egg.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking soda, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and kosher salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix on medium-high speed until just combined. Dough will feel sticky.
Flatten dough into two 6-inch discs. Wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap and refrigerate, at least four hours and up to two days.
Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray, or 2-3 smaller trays, with parchment or a silicone mat.
Dust countertop or a silicone rolling mat with flour. Roll the first disc of gingerbread dough to approximately 1/4-inch thickness.
Cut stars (or other decorative shapes) in a variety of sizes. (I used four star cutters, ranging from a 1 1/4-inch star to a 2 1/2-inch star.) Concentrate on making more of the larger shapes, and less of the smaller ones.
With a small stepped palette knife or flat metal spatula, transfer cookies to prepared tray.
Re-roll scraps and cut remaining dough. (If the dough feels too sticky to roll, refrigerate for 10 minutes before re-rolling.)
Refrigerate tray for 30 minutes, or freeze for 15 minutes. (If your tray doesn’t fit in the refrigerator, you can stack the cut cookies between squares of parchment and chill the stacks.) Preheat oven to 350° F / 176° C.
Bake in preheated oven for 9-10 minutes (11-12 minutes for crispier cookies) or until very light brown around the edges. Keep an eye on the oven—the smaller cookies will bake more quickly than the larger ones; if this happens, remove the small cookies and allow the larger ones to finish baking.
Cool on tray for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, place second disc of gingerbread dough on a large sheet of parchment. Roll to about 1/4-inch thickness, or until the dough is about 10 inches in diameter.
With a sharp knife, trace around a dinner plate. Remove the trimmings. (If desired, you can cut a few more stars or other cookies out of the scraps.)
Use a 3 1/2-inch or 4-inch round cutter to cut a hole in the middle of the circle.
Carefully slide the parchment onto a half-sheet rimmed baking tray. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until brown around the edges. Do not underbake.
Cool completely on tray, then transfer to the countertop or other workspace.
Royal Icing:
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip egg white to soft peaks.
Add confectioner’s sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix on high speed until all sugar has been incorporated and meringue is thick and glossy, with stiff peaks. If necessary, add a bit more confectioner’s sugar to adjust the consistency. The royal icing should be thick but pipeable.
Divide the icing into two bowls. Add gel food coloring as desired. (You can also skip the food coloring and use white icing only.)
With a flexible rubber spatula, scoop each royal icing into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. (I used 2-millimeter tips for each.)
Decoration:
Pipe stars with decorations. You can keep the designs very simple (outlines, polka dots, stripes) or pipe more intricate patterns. (For flooding, remove a small amount of royal icing and thin with water or lemon juice.)
Allow cookies to sit, uncovered, until royal icing sets, about 1-2 hours. Flooded cookies might take longer to set.
Assembly:
Use leftover royal icing to secure each star to the gingerbread wreath base, starting with the largest stars at the bottom, and layering smaller stars on top.
If desired, make and add a decorative gingerbread bow. (See post above for notes.)
Use dots of royal icing to secure edible pearls, edible silver balls, or other decorations. Dust with edible glitter or foil stars.
Use gingerbread wreath as a centerpiece or mantle decoration. Wreath will keep well at room temperature for several weeks.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Chilling Time: 1 1/2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Miscellaneous
- Method: Oven