Description
This classic gingerbread cookies recipe yields soft, flavorful cookies perfect for holiday decorating and festive celebrations. Made with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, these cookies are sweetened with molasses and brown sugar for a rich, traditional taste. Ideal for a family baking activity and decorated with homemade icing for a fun finishing touch.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Gingerbread Cookies:
- 2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses, or dark molasses
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp milk
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
For the Icing:
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Sift flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking soda, ground cloves, and fine sea salt into a medium bowl to combine all the dry components evenly.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the room temperature unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and molasses until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes at medium-high speed. Then, add the large egg and beat for one more minute until fully incorporated.
- Add Dry Ingredients to Wet: Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture on medium-low speed until combined. The resulting dough should be soft and moist.
- Chill the Dough: Transfer the dough onto a well-floured surface. If sticky, sprinkle flour over the top to make it easier to handle. Divide the dough into three equal pieces, flatten each into a disk, wrap each disk individually in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours to firm up.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and position a rack in the center. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner to prevent sticking.
- Roll and Cut Dough: On a floured surface, roll out one chilled dough disk to 1/4-inch thickness, turning frequently to prevent sticking. Use a 4 to 5-inch cookie cutter to cut out gingerbread shapes. Gather scraps, wrap them, and chill for re-rolling as needed.
- Bake the Cookies: Place cut cookies on the baking sheet, spacing them at least 1 inch apart. Bake until edges just begin to turn brown, about 10 minutes. Remove and transfer cookies to cooling racks. Avoid overbaking to keep cookies soft.
- Repeat Rolling and Baking: Repeat the rolling, cutting, and baking process with remaining dough disks.
- Prepare Icing: In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust consistency by adding more powdered sugar to thicken or milk to thin. Transfer icing to a piping bag or squeeze bottle for decorating.
- Decorate and Set Icing: Once cookies have cooled, decorate with icing and optional sprinkles. Allow icing to set and harden before storing cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Notes
- For firmer dough easier to handle, chill the dough disks longer than 1 hour, up to 24 hours.
- Use different sizes and shapes of cookie cutters to create variety.
- To keep cookies soft, avoid overbaking and watch closely in the last minutes of baking.
- Decorate gingerbread cookies with icing and festive sprinkles for holiday parties or gifting.
- If you don’t have molasses, dark corn syrup can be substituted but flavor may vary slightly.
- Piping bags with small round tips work best for detailed icing designs.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
