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These Gingerbread Cookies turn out wonderfully flavored with spices and butter, staying soft throughout. They strike the perfect balance between sweet and spicy flavors, tasting great plain or fancied up with royal icing or buttercream. They're a holiday favorite you'll enjoy making and eating!
What Makes These Cookies Special
Our Gingerbread Cookies come out tender, packed with flavor, and don't need much fuss. They're just right for holiday baking and won't lose their shape, so your cutouts will look amazing. You can eat them plain, add icing, or make them crunchy - this flexible formula works for everyone's taste.
What You'll Need for Gingerbread Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour: 3 cups, with extra when you roll them out.
- Ground Spices:
- 2 tablespoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- Butter: 3/4 cup, softened.
- Dark Brown Sugar: 3/4 cup, packed.
- Molasses: 2/3 cup, unsulphured.
- Egg: 1 large, at room temperature.
- Baking Soda: 1 teaspoon.
- Salt: 1/4 teaspoon.
- Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon.
Steps to Bake Gingerbread Cookies
- Combine Dry Ingredients
- In a medium bowl, stir flour, spices, baking soda, and salt together.
- Beat Butter and Sugar
- Mix butter with brown sugar until they're fluffy and pale, about 2-3 minutes. Add molasses, egg, and vanilla and mix until everything blends together.
- Create Your Dough
- Slowly add your dry mix to the wet ingredients until you get a soft dough. Cut the dough in half, wrap in plastic, and cool in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
- Shape Your Cookies
- Take your chilled dough and roll it out to 1/4-inch thick on a floured counter. Use cookie cutters to make shapes and put them on lined baking sheets.
- Cook Them Up
- Put in a 350°F oven for 9-10 minutes if you want soft cookies, or 11-12 minutes for crunchy ones. Let them cool completely before you add any decorations.
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Finishing Touches and Keeping Fresh
Finish your gingerbread cookies with some royal icing or buttercream to make them look festive. You can keep them in a sealed container at room temp for about 4 days. If you want them to last longer, freeze the raw dough for up to 3 months or bake them extra crispy if you're planning to build gingerbread houses.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Why should I chill the dough?
- Chilling the dough makes it firmer and easier to roll. It also helps the cookies keep their shape while baking.
- → How thick should I roll it?
- Roll to about 1/3 of an inch thick. This keeps the cookies soft but stable enough to handle.
- → Can I store them in the freezer?
- Absolutely. Wrap the dough well and freeze for up to 3 months, or freeze baked cookies in containers for 2 months.
- → Why choose unsulfured molasses?
- Unsulfured molasses has a smoother and less bitter taste, making the cookies taste better and more balanced.
- → How do I check if they're baked?
- Look for slightly puffed cookies with edges that aren’t too dark. Let them set a bit on the tray for a few minutes after baking.