A simple recipe for making gingerbread cookies. We’ll even discuss the top tips to bake the best gingerbread cookies!
If you expect this post to be about gingerbread cookies for Christmas, then you'd be right. But you'd be forgetting that this recipe is one that results in soft centres, crisp edges, and yes…delicious everythings. Â
Gingerbread cookies for Christmas…it's pretty classic, and as far as a recipe goes, it's actually quite basic and very easy to do.
Unless of course, you're me.
My first attempts at gingerbread cookies were…edible…with lots of milk. I remember cheerily baking up a batch of beautifully decorated gingerbread men to take to a potluck only to discover that I had actually made bricks that just happened to look and smell somewhat like gingerbread men.
Thankfully, no one broke a tooth that day.
And that's a really good thing, because I could not afford a lawsuit.
Actually, I still can't. Bestie, please make sure to test your gingerbread cookies before biting into them. I don't want you to break a tooth! (Or my bank account. I don't want you to break a tooth, or my bank account.)
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Ground nutmeg
- Salt, a pinch
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Molasses
- Pure vanilla extract
- Large egg
Gingerbread Cookie Cracks…and the curse that just won't quit!
If you've been looking at the photos I took, you've probably noticed that the surface of my gingerbread cookies isn't quite as smooth and flawless looking as some others you may have seen on the internet. Why is that you might ask? Well…it's because I'm cursed when it comes to working with dough.
At this point, I've just accepted the fact that my gingerbread will have cracks. My children's gingerbread will have cracks. Generations of the Riz bloodline will have cracked gingerbread. We are a cursed people.
We will never know the satisfaction of smooth, crackless gingerbread cookies for Christmas. (If you don't know what I'm talking about - you may want to read up on the time I was cursed in my Canadian Butter Tart recipe post.)
BUT! And this is a big but (one 't', bestie. Focus.)! The very fact that I've been cursed, makes me the best person to give you tips when it comes to making perfect gingerbread men. Everything that could have possible gone wrong for me, has. So I'm going to give you all the information you need to make sure it doesn't happen to you too!
(Also. Despite the cracks, this gingerbread cookie recipe actually comes together quite nicely. And it's delicious too.)
Tips to Make Perfect Gingerbread Cookies for Christmas
- Make sure to chill the dough before rolling it out - this helps prevent cracking.
- To ensure that your cookie cutter doesn't get stuck in the dough, you can dust the edges with flour, or use a very small amount of cooking spray.
- Leave plenty of room between your cut out gingerbread men when you bake them. They will spread…and you really don't want you gingerbread men to melt into one another. Unless it's Halloween.
- Bake 'em low and slow. This recipe recommends 325 degrees F in order to prevent burning.
- Let your baked gingerbread cookies cool completely before you begin decorating (otherwise your icing will melt!).
- Don't stack your cookies once decorated. Just leave them on flat tray in a cool area to set.
How to make gingerbread moose?
Pop quiz, bestie. What's the plural of moose? Answer: Moose (but really, it should be meese, or at least mooses…right?).
In order to make gingerbread moose (like I have in some of my recipe photos), you'll need a moose-shaped cookie cutter, Smarties (for the eyes and nose), and some chocolate-covered pretzels (for antlers).
You know, how I said you should let your baked gingerbread cookies cool before decorating? Well, this is the exception. When you remove the cookies from the oven, simply dab on the Smarties, and press in the pretzels. The warm dough will mean that they can be pushed in without any effort or damage to the cookies. Allow to cool completely before moving.
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- Unless you happen to be exceptionally good at carving, you'll want a set of cookie cutters, preferably adorable ones.
- Using a baking mat instead of parchment paper isn't completely necessary here. But honestly, once you go Silpat, you never go back (-pat?).
Did you make gingerbread cookies for Christmas? Or are you planning to? Tell me all about it.
📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Cookies for Christmas
- Total Time: 4 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 20–24 cookies 1x
Description
Soft centres, crisp edges, and delicious everythings are what this gingerbread cookie recipe is all about.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- Salt, a pinch
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Mix flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar (low-medium speed if using an electric mixer). Mix in molasses, vanilla, and egg until well combined.
- Gradually mix in the dry flour mixture (low speed if you're using an electric mixer), until a dough forms.
- Roll the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight (or for a minimum of 4 hours).
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. On a lightly-floured surface, roll out the dough until it's about a ¼-inch thick. Use your cookie cutters to cut out whatever shape you want! Place 1 inch apart on parchment paper, or a baking mat.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes until the edges of the cookies being to brown. Remove from oven, and let cool on a wire rack.
- Decorate! (…then eat!)
Notes
Note: This gingerbread dough is probably not sturdy enough to make a gingerbread houses.
Pro Tip - You can freeze gingerbread dough for up to one month. Simply, put the plastic-wrapped dough in a zip-lock bag and freeze. Be sure to thaw the dough overnight in the fridge before you start working with it though.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
So adorable! And perfectly dunkable if you ask me 🙂 Love gingerbread cookies, especially this time of year and have just as much fun decorating them as I do eating them (ok, maybe a little more fun eating them, lol).
Riz
Thanks for commenting, Dawn! Dunkable cookies are actually my favourite *continues to eat his chocolate chip cookies with chocolate milk* 🙂
Yvonne Langen
Riz, I love a classic Gingerbread man and I can’t wait to bite the head off one of these guys. Need to get on my holiday baking ASAP, thanks for the inspiration!
Riz
Lol! Poor headless gingerbread men…! Hope you get some delicious holiday baking going soon, Yvonne!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
These are super cute Riz! I make gingerbread cookies every year, but I don’t think it’s going to happen this year. Just not enough time! So I’ll just drool over your lovely photos! Pinned as well! Happy holidays!
Riz
Hey Leanne! Thanks so much for passing by…I hope you find the time to bake some gingerbread cookies this year! They’re always such a yummy treat!
Sean@Diversivore
I like a nice ‘light’ gingerbread! Don’t get me wrong, the darker, heavy-on-the-molasses ones are wonderful too, but it’s nice to have a change. I wonder if the amount of molasses has a role to play with the cookie cracks? Regardless, these are charming and tasty looking, and the tips are certainly appreciated! So while the lineage of Riz may be cursed with cracking, I don’t think the cookies will last long enough on the counter for anybody to really mind. 🙂
Riz
Hey Sean! I agree! I think lighter gingerbread is nice once in a while (though the super molasses types are great too…I was actually thinking of doing a separate post for that!). You make a good point, and honestly…I hadn’t even thought of it when writing up this post. I did experiment a little bit with how molasses affects the cookie’s taste/look…but I didn’t spend much time experimenting with how it affects the texture/structure of the cookie itself. Thank you very much – you’ve given me something to explore!
Denise from Urbnspice
There is nothing like a gingerbread cookie. Everyone has a story about baking gingerbread or decorating gingerbread or eating gingerbread. That’s the best part – eating them! Cracks or no cracks – it doesn’t matter. Food memories – the world revolves around them, and you will have gingerbread cookie memories to share. Cheers, Riz! Have a wonderful holiday season.
Riz
Thanks so much for reading my post, Denise! Hope you have a wonderful holiday season too! (And yes, gingerbread memories are some of the best memories!)