Gingerbread Cookies

There’s something about the smell of gingerbread baking that makes a house feel like Christmas. Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and molasses filling the kitchen — it’s the kind of moment that turns an ordinary December afternoon into a memory.

This recipe makes cookies that are crisp around the edges with just enough softness in the middle. They hold their shape beautifully for gingerbread men, stars, trees, or any cutter you pull out of the drawer — just like our classic sugar cookies. And the flavor actually gets better over the next day or two as the spices settle in.

A Quick History of Gingerbread

Gingerbread has been around for centuries — far longer than most Christmas traditions. Spiced honey cakes showed up in ancient Greece and Egypt, but the gingerbread we know today traces back to medieval Europe, where ginger was one of the most prized (and expensive) spices traded along the Silk Road.

By the 1500s, gingerbread fairs were a staple across England and Germany. Queen Elizabeth I is credited with the idea of decorating gingerbread cookies to look like important guests at her court. The Brothers Grimm cemented gingerbread houses in the popular imagination with Hansel and Gretel in 1812.

Today, gingerbread cookies are one of the most-baked Christmas cookies worldwide — and for good reason. The recipe is forgiving, the dough is fun to work with, and the results make people happy.

Instructions

Making the Dough

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the softened butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

3. Add the egg and beat until combined. Add the molasses and vanilla extract, mixing on low speed until fully incorporated. The mixture may look slightly curdled — that is normal.

4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until a soft dough forms. The dough will be slightly sticky.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Pat each half into a flat rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Rolling and Cutting

6. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

7. Remove one portion of dough from the refrigerator. If it is very firm, let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until it is pliable enough to roll without cracking.

8. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness for crisp cookies, or 3/8-inch thickness if you prefer softer, chewier cookies.

9. Cut out shapes using gingerbread cookie cutters. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.

10. Re-roll scraps and continue cutting until all the dough is used. Try to limit re-rolling to twice — overworked dough makes tougher cookies.

Baking

11. Bake for 10-12 minutes for 1/4-inch cookies, or 12-14 minutes for thicker cookies. The cookies are done when the edges are firm and the tops look set and dry. They will continue to firm up as they cool.

12. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Making the Simple Icing

13. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until completely smooth. The icing should be thick enough to hold a line when piped. Add more powdered sugar to thicken or a few drops of milk to thin, as needed.

14. Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, or use a zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped off.

15. Pipe faces, buttons, bow ties, and other decorations onto the completely cooled cookies. Let the icing set for at least 1 hour before stacking.

Variations Worth Trying

Chocolate gingerbread: Replace 1/4 cup of flour with unsweetened cocoa powder. The chocolate plays beautifully with the warm spices — think Mexican hot chocolate in cookie form. If you love chocolate, also try our chocolate truffles for homemade gifts.

Chewy gingerbread drops: Skip the rolling and cutting. Scoop tablespoon-sized balls, roll in granulated sugar, and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Crinkle-top cookies with the same great flavor.

Lemon gingerbread: Add the zest of one lemon to the dough. The brightness cuts through the molasses in a surprising way. Use lemon juice in the icing instead of milk.

Vegan gingerbread: Swap butter for coconut oil (solid, not melted), use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water, rested 5 minutes), and use plant milk in the icing.

Spicy gingerbread: For adults who want a kick, add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and increase the ginger to 1 1/2 tablespoons. Dust with a light sprinkle of black pepper before baking.

Tips for Perfect Gingerbread Every Time

• Molasses matters. Use unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap) for the best flavor. Blackstrap molasses is too bitter and will overwhelm the spices.

• Don’t skip the chill time. Chilling the dough is essential for clean-cut shapes that hold their form in the oven. If the dough softens too much while working, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes.

• Room temperature butter only. Cold butter won’t cream properly and melted butter changes the texture entirely. Press your finger into the butter — it should leave a dent without squishing through.

• For a gingerbread house, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness for sturdy walls and use royal icing (with meringue powder) instead of the simple icing, as it dries harder and acts as structural glue.

• Flavor improves with time. These cookies actually taste better a day or two after baking as the spices meld and deepen. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Perfect alongside festive desserts like our Christmas trifle.

• Adjust the spice level to your preference. For more heat, increase the ginger to 1 1/2 tablespoons. For a milder cookie, reduce the cloves to 1/4 teaspoon.

• Freeze for later. Baked, undecorated cookies freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and decorate before serving.

Decorating with Kids

Gingerbread decorating is one of those activities that works for every age. Set up a decorating station with:

• Piping bags filled with white icing (or a few zip-top bags with corners snipped)
• Small bowls of sprinkles, mini M&Ms, Red Hots, and candy eyes
• A damp paper towel for sticky fingers (trust me on this one)

Let kids go wild. The cookies that look the most chaotic usually taste exactly the same as the perfect ones — and they’ll remember making them long after the last crumb is gone. If you need more candy for decorating, our peppermint bark and salted caramels make great accompaniments to any cookie platter.

Storing Your Gingerbread

Undecorated cookies: Airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 weeks. Layer parchment between rows.

Decorated cookies: Wait until icing is fully set (2-3 hours), then store in a single layer or with parchment between layers. Good for about 10 days.

Cookie dough: Wrapped tightly in plastic, the dough keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the fridge before rolling.

Baked, undecorated, frozen: Up to 3 months in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before decorating.