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Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies are so fun to make for the holidays. This recipe creates a crunchy cookie that is perfectly spiced with ginger and cinnamon. Great for rolling to make gingerbread men, stars or your favorite shape.

Gingerbread cookies have always been a favorite and they are really quite simple to make. Get creative and have a little fun with piping on the icing, the whole family will love it. We will be baking these along with Cut Out Sugar Cookies, Molasses Cookies and our favorite Grinch Cookies this year.

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Gingerbread Cookies on a plate and on a tray with Christmas decorations, text overlay

Ingredients for Gingerbread Cookies:

  • Butter
  • Brown Sugar
  • Molasses
  • Egg
  • Vanilla
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Baking Soda
  • Kosher Salt
  • Ground Ginger
  • Ground Cinnamon
  • Ground Cloves
  • Ground Allspice
  • Black Pepper

Gingerbread Men Cookies decorated on a tay with Christmas Ornaments

How to Make Gingerbread Cookies:

Bowl of molasses, butter, brown sugar and egg

  • Cream butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg and vanilla together in a mixer bowl.

Mixer bowl with flour and spices for gingerbread cookies

  • Add flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and pepper.

Gingerbread Cookie Dough

  • Mix well. Dough will be very sticky.

Gingerbread Cookie Dough in 2 squares wrapped in plastic wrap.

  • Divide dough in half and wrap each in plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate overnight.

Rolling out gingerbread cookie dough with a rolling pin

  • Remove from refrigerator onto a well floured board. Sprinkle a bit of flour over the top of the dough and onto the rolling pin.
  • Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness. You may need to add more flour to the board or the top of the dough as you roll it. If the dough cracks just press it back together with your fingers.

Cutting out gingerbread cookie dough

  • Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter or your favorite shape to cut into cookies.
  • Press the scraps of dough back together and roll again to cut out more shapes until you have used all of the dough.

GIngerbread men cookie dough on a silpat lined baking sheet

  • Place on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

baked gingerbread men cookies on a cookie shhet

  • Bake for about 10 minutes or until cookies are browned around the edges.

Gingerbread Men Cookies cooling on a wire rack

  • Cool on a wire rack before decorating.

Decorated gingerbread men cookies on a wire rack

  • Cooled gingerbread cookies can be decorated as desired.

How to Store Gingerbread Cookies:

Store gingerbread cookies in an airtight container up to one week. 

Gingerbread Cookies on a plate with a glass of milk

Tips for Decorating Gingerbread Cookies:

Piping icing onto gingerbread cookies

We used our easy sugar cookie icing and this OXO decorating kit to pipe icing on our gingerbread cookies.

Sprinkles are also a great idea for decorating gingerbread men.

Gingerbread Cookies on a plate and a tray - overhead view

Add these gingerbread cookies to your holiday baking list. They are a great activity for the whole family and make a great treat for cookie baskets.

IF YOU LOVE THIS GINGERBREAD COOKIES RECIPE AS MUCH AS I DO, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AND A FIVE STAR REVIEW, AND BE SURE TO HELP ME SHARE ON PINTEREST!

Decorated Gingerbread Cookies on a tray with Christmas Ornaments
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Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies are so fun to make for the holidays. This recipe creates a crunchy cookie that is perfectly spiced with ginger and cinnamon.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Additional Time12 hours
Total Time12 hours 30 minutes
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy gingerbread cookies, gingerbread men
Servings: 30 cookies
Calories: 103kcal
Author: Milisa

Ingredients

  • 3/4 butter softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour plus more for rolling
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine ground black pepper
  • Easy Cookie Frosting

Instructions

  • Cream butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg and vanilla together in a mixer bowl. 
  • Add flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and pepper. 
  • Mix well. Dough will be very sticky. 
  • Divide dough in half and wrap each in plastic wrap. 
  • Refrigerate overnight. 
  • Remove from refrigerator onto a well floured board. Sprinkle a bit of flour over the top of the dough and onto the rolling pin. 
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness. You may need to add more flour to the board or the top of the dough as you roll it. If the dough cracks just press it back together with your fingers. 
  • Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter or your favorite shape to cut into cookies. 
  • Press the scraps of dough back together and roll again to cut out more shapes until you have used all of the dough. 
  • Place on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. 
  • Bake for about 10 minutes or until cookies are browned around the edges.
  • Cool on a wire rack before decorating with icing.

Notes

Cooled gingerbread cookies can be decorated as desired.
Store in an airtight container up to one week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 122mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g

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