Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
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Made with brown sugar, molasses, and warm holiday spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, this easy gingerbread cookie recipe captures all of the best flavors of the Christmas season. Arrange homemade gingerbread cookies on a holiday cookie platter alongside homemade sand tarts, chocolate candy cane cookies, and peppermint meringue cookies) for a festive party or open house; bring to a cookie swap; or gift to friends and neighbors in a pretty metal tin.
Key Ingredients
- Butter – You’ll need 113 grams (1/2 cup, or 1 stick, in the US) of unsalted butter to make the gingerbread cookie dough. The butter should be very soft, so allow plenty of time for it to soften to room temperature before getting started. I prefer to start with unsalted butter. If using salted, omit the salt from the dough.
- Dark Brown Sugar – I prefer the deeper, caramel-forward notes of dark brown sugar, but other dark, moist sugars (molasses, muscovado) will also work for the cookie dough.
- Black Treacle – Black treacle (in the UK) or molasses (in the US) gives the gingerbread dough its rich, molasses-y flavor. If opting for molasses, choose unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap, which is too bitter for baking. In the UK I test my recipes with Lyle’s black treacle; in the US, I use the Grandma’s brand of unsulphured molasses.
- Eggs – You’ll need one large egg to make the cookie dough, and a second egg white for the royal icing. You won’t need the second yolk, so save it to make orange or lemon curd.
- Spices – You’ll need ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg. Because the gingerbread flavor comes from this combination of spices, make sure you’re using fresh, good-quality spices, ideally purchased within the last year. You can also experiment with other spice notes by adding a pinch of allspice or cardamom.
Working with Royal Icing
Made with just two ingredients (egg whites and confectioner’s sugar), royal icing sets quickly and solidly, making it ideal for decorating cookies and gingerbread houses. (I kept the icing white, but you can mix in a few drops of gel food coloring if you’d like to make colored icing.) To pipe the decorations, you’ll need a disposable piping bag and a small round metal piping tip. I used a 1/16th-inch round tip, but you can go bigger or smaller, depending on the designs you want to make. Allow the decorations to dry completely before packaging the cookies.
When not in use, cover the bowl of royal icing with wet a j-cloth to prevent the icing from drying out. It’s fine to refrigerate the bowl of 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) but store the decorated cookies at room temperature. Never put royal icing cookies in the fridge, or the icing will draw moisture, creating sad, weepy-looking decorations.
Gingerbread Tips and Tricks
- Thoroughly chill the dough. 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. Keeping the dough cold helps the cookies to retain their shape as they bake.
- Make different shapes. You can cut the gingerbread dough into any shape you’d like. I used a set of snowflake cookie cutters, but you can also cut stars, gingerbread men, Christmas trees, stockings, or just about anything else.
- Don’t overbake the gingerbread. The baked cookies should be very lightly brown around the edges, but if they’re too dark, the gingerbread will taste slightly burnt.
Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
- Total TimeAbout 7 hours
- YieldAbout 36 cookies 1x
A gingerbread cookie recipe with royal icing piping. These easy gingerbread cookies are ideal for celebrating the Christmas season!
Ingredients
Gingerbread 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 or molasses (1/3 cup)
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons whole milk
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 egg white, at room temperature
Instructions
Gingerbread Cookies:
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter and brown sugar on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 30 second. Add the black treacle or molasses, followed by the egg and milk, and continue mixing on medium-high speed until well combined, about 1 minute more.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg, and kosher salt.
Add dry ingredients to the butter and mix on medium-high speed until just barely combined, with no dry pockets remaining. Do not overmix.
Flatten dough into a large disc. Wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment or a silicone mat.
Unwrap the chilled dough and cut the disc in half. Place half of the dough on a floured surface.
Roll to approximately 1/4-inch thickness.
With a snowflake or other metal cookie cutter, cut into desired shapes.
With a flat metal spatula, transfer cookies to prepared tray.
Re-roll scraps and cut remaining dough.
Chill cut cookies in the refrigerator 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.)
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° F (176° C).
Bake, 1 tray at a time, for 10-12 minutes, or until very light brown around the edges.
Cool on tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
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 meringue turns smooth 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.
With a flexible rubber spatula, scoop royal icing into a piping bag fitted small round tip. (I used a 1/16th-inch round tip.) Pipe as desired.
Allow decorated cookies to sit, uncovered, until icing sets. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
You can halve the icing recipe if making simpler designs. If you are planning to do a lot of flooding, I suggest making the full recipe.
After making the royal icing, either put all of the icing in the piping bag, or cover what is left in the bowl with a wet j-cloth to prevent it from drying out. If desired, you can add food coloring to the royal icing.
- Prep Time: 2 1/2 hours
- Chilling Time: 4 1/2 hours
- Cook Time: 9-12 minutes
- Category: Biscuits and Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Desserts
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
To make ahead: You can make the gingerbread cookie doughup to two days in advance. Flatten dough into a disc, wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to roll.
To freeze: Layer un-iced cookies between sheets of parchment or wax paper and freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature. Decorate before serving.
Other Gingerbread Recipes You Might Enjoy
Gingerbread Chocolate Molasses Cookies
How to Make a Gingerbread House
Gingerbread Loaf Recipe with Walnuts and Pears
Gingerbread Wreath
Festive Gingerbread Simmer Pot
Gingerbread Dip
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!
