Gingerbread Cookies are the most popular festive-themed Christmas cookies spiced with ginger and molasses.
About the recipe
Gingerbread cookies are quick and easy to make, soft and chewy, and kids-friendly holiday cookies loaded with flavors from ginger, cinnamon, and molasses.
Once you make the cookie dough, you can roll them into any desired shape using a cookie cutter and decorate it with powdered sugar, sprinkles, or icing.
The cookies will turn out crispier when you roll them thin and moist and chewy when rolled out thick.
While you are here, don't miss checking out my easy Christmas charcuterie dessert board
Ingredients
- 3 cups All purpose flour (may need an additional 3 to 4 tbsp)
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Fresh ginger grated
- ½ cup Vegetable shortening or softened butter
- ¾ cup Brown sugar
- ⅔ cup Molasses
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- (Optional: You can add ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg or cloves or allspice or even orange zest if needed. I keep it simple with ginger and cinnamon)
How to make the best Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread cookie dough
- Add flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ginger in a bowl. Keep this aside.
- Add vegetable shortening or butter, sugar, and molasses in a large bowl with an electric mixer and beat until it's smooth and creamy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
- Add fresh ginger and dry ingredients and stir until it is combined. This dough will be stickier than most other cookie dough. (Check the tip below)
- Transfer this dough onto a plastic wrap. Pat it to form a square or a circle, cover it and refrigerate for 3 hours until it's firm. Chilling is a must, and I do it overnight. You can also make this dough upto 3 days in advance.
How to shape gingerbread man cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the baking sheet with shortening or butter
- Divide the dough into parts. While rolling one part, wrap and refrigerate the other parts.
- Place the dough on floured wax paper/parchment paper. Sprinkle even the top of the dough with flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin.
- Roll out the cookie dough to ¼ inch thick. If you want softer cookies, roll them even thicker.
- Using a cookie cutter, cut the cookies and transfer them to the baking sheet placing 1 inch apart. Form a ball using leftover scarps and refrigerate it for a few minutes before rolling again.
- Repeat the process for the remaining dough.
Bake Gingerbread cookies
- Bake the cookies for 8 to 12 minutes until the edges are set and crisp. Time may vary depending on the size of the cookies. Let it cool for 2 minutes.
- Gingerbread cookies are ready. You can decorate with sugar, sprinkles, or icing. Happy holidays.
- Store them in an airtight conatiner at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Pro Tips
- Suppose the dough is sticky add additional flour (maybe another extra ¼ cup). You may have to vary the amount of flour depending on the weather. I always judge the flour amount depending on the dough's look and feel.
- If you find it difficult to roll or if the dough is sticky, you can refrigerate it for some more time to become firm. Add a little more flour while rolling and cut them out. Brush off the excess flour from the cookie before baking.
- If the dough cracks while rolling, let it sit at room temperature to warm slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Increase the amount of sugar if you like the cookies to be very sweet.
- If you bake the cookies longer, they will be harder and crunchier.
- If you really want crispy gingerbread cookies, simply skip baking soda and reduce it to ¼ teaspoon
FAQ
Can I make gingerbread cookies without molasses?
You can use dark corn syrup or honey instead of molasses in the recipe. The taste and color will vary accordingly.
Can I use regular granulated sugar for the cookies?
Yes. You can even use regular white sugar for gingerbread cookies. The color of the cookies will be different here. The best taste comes when dark brown sugar is used.
Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft?
Traditionally gingerbread cookies are soft at the center and chewy cookies. But it's an individual choice. If you bake it longer, the cookies will turn hard and crunchier.
Popular Christmas cookies
Recipe card
Best Christmas Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Gingerbread Cookies are the most popular festive-themed Christmas cookies spiced with ginger and molasses.
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 3 cups All purpose flour (may need an additional 3 to 4 tbsp)
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Fresh ginger grated
- ½ cup Vegetable shortening or softened butter
- ¾ cup Brown sugar
- ⅔ cup Molasses
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- (Optional: You can add ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg or cloves or allspice or even orange zest if needed. I keep it simple with ginger and cinnamon)
Instructions
Gingerbread Cookie Dough
- Add flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ginger in a bowl. Keep this aside.3 cups All purpose flour (may need an additional 3 to 4 tbsp), 1 teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- Add vegetable shortening or butter, sugar, and molasses in a large bowl with an electric mixer and beat until it's smooth and creamy.½ cup Vegetable shortening or softened butter , ¾ cup Brown sugar , ⅔ cup Molasses
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.1 Egg, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Add fresh ginger and dry ingredients and stir until it is combined. This dough will be stickier than most other cookie dough. (Check the tip below)1 tablespoon Fresh ginger grated, (Optional: You can add ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg or cloves or allspice or even orange zest if needed. I keep it simple with ginger and cinnamon)
- Transfer this dough onto a plastic wrap. Pat it to form a square or a circle, cover it and refrigerate for 3 hours until it's firm. Chilling is a must, and I do it overnight. You can also make this dough upto 3 days in advance.
How to shape Gingerbread Man Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the baking sheet with shortening or butter
- Divide the dough into parts. While rolling one part, wrap and refrigerate the other parts.
- Place the dough on floured wax paper/parchment paper. Sprinkle even the top of the dough with flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin.
- Roll out the cookie dough to ¼ inch thick. If you want softer cookies, roll them even thicker.
- Using a cookie cutter, cut the cookies and transfer them to the baking sheet placing 1 inch apart. Form a ball using leftover scarps and refrigerate it for a few minutes before rolling again.
- Repeat the process for the remaining dough.
Bake Gingerbread Cookies
- Bake the cookies for 8 to 12 minutes until the edges are set and crisp. Time may vary depending on the size of the cookies. Let it cool for 2 minutes.
- Gingerbread cookies are ready. You can decorate with sugar, sprinkles, or icing. Happy holidays.
- Store them in an airtight conatiner at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Suppose the dough is sticky add additional flour (maybe another extra ¼ cup). You may have to vary the amount of flour depending on the weather. I always judge the flour amount depending on the dough's look and feel.
- If you find it difficult to roll or if the dough is sticky, you can refrigerate it for some more time to become firm. Add a little more flour while rolling and cut them out. Brush off the excess flour from the cookie before baking.
- If the dough cracks while rolling, let it sit at room temperature to warm slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Increase the amount of sugar if you like the cookies to be very sweet.
- If you bake the cookies longer, they will be harder and crunchier.
- If you really want crispy gingerbread cookies, skip baking soda and reduce it to ¼ tsp
Nutrition
Calories: 147kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 133mgPotassium: 168mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 129IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mg
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Padmaja
Gingerbreads are nice. I have one query. Where we will get molases in india. And which brand is good for this recipe. Thank you in advance
Kushi
Its available online. I just googled it. But you can try using honey instead of molasses. Thank you 🙂
Moumita Malla
Woow..what a presentation dear..
And cookies ar also so perfect
Kushi
Thank you Moumita 🙂
CHCooks
Cute looking gingerbread cookies dear 🙂
Kushi
Thank you dear 🙂