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Classic Gingerbread Cookies

This Classic Gingerbread Cookies recipe is filled with a sweet molasses flavor and topped with delicious homemade icing. They are easy to make and are perfect for cookie exchanges or gift-giving this holiday season.

A close up photo of gingerbread men on a white platter.


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Growing up, we always loved helping mom decorate Christmas cookies. Doing crafts and baking sweets have always been a holiday tradition. These classic gingerbread cookies were so fun to make, and decorate, and even more fun to eat. If you like these delicious Christmas treats, donโ€™t forget to check out myย M&M Christmas Cookie Bars,ย Oreo Dipped Christmas Cookies, or myย Old Fashioned Snowball Cookies.ย 

A close up photo of two gingerbread cookies on a white plate.Letโ€™s Take A Quick Look At The Ingredients

For this recipe, you will need ingredients for both the cookies and the deliciously sweet homemade vanilla icing. 

โ€ข Molasses: You should find molasses in the baking aisle or near the maple syrup.ย 
โ€ข Dark Brown sugar
โ€ข Butter: unsalted and softened
โ€ข All-Purpose Flour
: Do not scoop the flour with a measuring cup. Use a spoon to scoop it into the measuring cup.
โ€ข Baking soda
โ€ข Spices:
Cinnamon, cloves, Allspice and ginger.
โ€ข Sea salt
โ€ข Eggs
: Only the egg whites
โ€ข Confectioners sugar:
โ€ข Milk
โ€ข Almond extract

 

Equipment Needed 

Mixing bowls
Electric hand mixer
Rolling pin
Gingerbread man cookie cutter
Baking sheet
Piping bags

A photo of all the ingredients needed for this recipe.

How to Make Gingerbread Cookies

Get the kids involved when you make these delicious gingerbread men cookies recipe. Theyโ€™ll love using the cookie cutter and seeing their finished product. 

Step 1: Blend sugars and butter. In a large mixing bowl, beat your molasses, brown sugar, and softened butter together until they are smooth and creamy. Add in your cold water and blend until smooth. 
Step 2: Mix dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, ground spices, and salt together. 
Step 3: Combine wet and dry ingredients. Next, add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and blend until the dough is soft. 
Step 4: Divide the dough and chill. You want to divide your gingerbread dough into 3 equal parts. Shape each section into a ball. Then, wrap each ball tightly with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
Step 5: Cut the cookies. Roll out your chilled dough and using your gingerbread men cookie cutters, cut out your cookies. Then, place the cutout cookie dough shapes onto the lined baking sheet.  
Step 6: Bake. Place your cutout cookies into the oven and bake cookies for 12-13 minutes. Once the cookies are done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

 

How to Make the Royal Icing

Instead of buying store-bought icing for your cookies, you can make your own with just a few simple ingredients.

Step 1: Beat the egg whites. First, you will use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites until they are foamy.
Step 2: Add sugar and almond extract. Gradually add in the sugar and almond extract and beat until the icing has thickened. 
Step 3: Place your frosting in a piping bag if using.
Step 4: Frost and enjoy. Finally, frost your cookies with your homemade icing and enjoy!

Six process photos. First one, the dry ingredients mixed in a bowl. Second one, the wet ingredients mixed in a bowl. Third one, the dough all mixed together. Fourth one, the dough wrapped in plastic wrap and ready to chill. Fifth one, a gingerbread man that has been cut out with a cutter. Sixth one, the baked cookie and placed on a cooling rack.Recipe Tips

  1. Chilled dough.ย If the dough isnโ€™t chilled long enough, it can crack while rolling it out. 1 hour is the minimum but overnight is ideal.ย 
  2. Donโ€™t overbake the cookies. The edges of the cookie should only be slightly golden. 
  3. Thin the icing. If you find that your icing seems a little too thick, you can add a small amount of milk to thin it. 
  4. Thicken the icing. If your icing seems too thin, you can add more powdered sugar until you achieve the desired consistency. 
  5. Store leftover icing in the fridge. If you have any leftover icing, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

How Do I Soften Butter?

For this recipe, you will want your butter to be softened, but not melted. Do not microwave your butter because you will not get the right consistency for the dough. Instead, leave the butter to sit on the counter at room temperature for about 30-minutes to soften. Or try this butter hack!

Should Gingerbread Cookies Be Hard or Soft?

Gingerbread cookies should NOT be hard. Instead, they should be soft and supple. You want them to have a bit of elasticity so that they bend to your teeth before the cookie breaks. 

What If I Donโ€™t Chill The Dough?

If you do not chill the dough for at least an hour, the dough will not roll out without cracking. Additionally, the dough will be sticky making it difficult to roll out. The process of chilling the dough allows the ingredients to absorb into each other for a smooth roll. 

How to Store Classic Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread cookies are fairly dry which means they have an exceptionally long shelf life without much effort. Simply store your cookies in a sealed container or Ziploc back where they will last for 2-3 weeks. 

Looking for more delicious cookies to try? Check out some of my other favorites, below!

Ginger Snap Cookies
Caramel Pecan Oatmeal Cookies
Chewy Chocolate Caramel Chip Cookies
Polar Bear Cookies

A gingerbread cookie on a white plate with a bite out of it,

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A close up photo of several gingerbread cookies on a white plate.

Classic Gingerbread Cookies

5 from 1 vote
Written By: Wendie
Classic Gingerbread Cookies recipe is filled with a sweet molasses flavor and topped with a delicious homemade icing. They are easy to make, perfect for decorating, and the perfect cookie for this holiday season.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 43 minutes
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 286

Ingredients
  

  • 1 โ…“ cup molasses
  • ยพ cup brown sugar
  • โ…“ cup unsalted butter softened
  • โ…” cup water
  • 6 cups all purpose flour sifted
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

For The Icing

  • 2 egg whites
  • 4 cups confectioners sugar sifted
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, blend together the molasses, brown sugar, and softened butter. Beat the ingredients with an electric mixer until the texture is smooth and creamy. Add in the cold water and continue to blend until smooth.
  • In a separate bowl; slowly sift together the flour, baking soda, ground spices, and salt. Add in the flour mixture to the molasses mixture, blending until well combined and the dough is softened.
  • Divide the dough into three equal parts. Shape each section into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap or tightly covered in parchment paper. Place the dough into the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour.
  • While the dough is chilling; preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a shallow baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Working the dough in small batches; place one section of chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. With a rolling pin, gently roll the dough out to roughly a 1/4-inch thick. Cut out cookies with the gingerbread men cookie cutters. Place the cutout cookie dough shapes 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat this process with the remaining dough, until all the dough has been cut out.
  • Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-13 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Be sure not to overbake. Upon removing the baking sheet from the oven, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Once the cookies are completely cooled, decorate with your favorite icing.
  • For The Icing
  • In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer at high speed until foamy.
  • Gradually add in the sugar and almond extract. Beat at high speed until the icing has thickened. If the icing is too thick, add a small amount of milk. If the icing is too thin, stir in a small amount of additional confectioners sugar until desired consistency is achieved.
  • Store leftover icing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes

Chilled dough.ย If the dough isnโ€™t chilled long enough, it can crack while rolling it out. 1 hour is the minimum, but overnight is ideal.ย 
Donโ€™t overbake the cookies. The edges of the cookie should only be slightly golden.ย 
Thin the icing. If you find that your icing seems a little too thick, you can add a small amount of milk to thin it.ย 
Thicken the icing. If your icing seems too thin, you can add more powdered sugar until you achieve the desired consistency.ย 
Store leftover icing in the fridge. If you have any leftover icing, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.ย 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 286kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 209mgFiber: 1gSugar: 38g
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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