Name: Gingerbread Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour; 2 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/4 tsp salt; 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened; 3/4 cup (165 g) packed brown sugar; 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsulphured molasses; 1 large egg; 1 tsp vanilla extract

These are classic gingerbread cookies, full of warm spices and dark molasses. The sturdy dough is made for rolling and cutting into gingerbread people, stars, or any other festive shape you like.

The active preparation takes about 30 minutes, but the dough does need to chill for at least four hours. This recipe yields a cookie that is firm enough for decorating but has a pleasant, slightly soft chew in the center.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Chilling the dough is key.
Cold dough is less sticky and easier to roll.
More importantly, cold fat helps the cookies keep their sharp edges instead of spreading out in the oven.
Mix until just combined.
Overmixing the flour develops gluten, which can result in tough, hard cookies instead of ones with a tender texture.
Bake until the edges are set.
The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
Pulling them from the oven when the edges are just firm prevents them from becoming dry and brittle.

Ingredients You Need

Molasses: Use regular unsulphured molasses for a classic, sweet-spicy flavor. Blackstrap molasses has a much stronger, more bitter taste and will significantly change the final cookie.
Brown Sugar: Either light or dark brown sugar works. Dark brown sugar contains more molasses and will give the cookies a deeper color and richer flavor.
Spices: For the most flavor, use fresh ground spices. Spices lose their potency over time, so check the expiration dates on your jars.
Butter: Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in the recipe. It should be softened to room temperature, not melted.

Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

How to Make It

Prepare and Chill the Dough: First, whisk your dry ingredients—flour, spices, baking soda, and salt—in one bowl. In another, cream the butter and brown sugar, then mix in the molasses, egg, and vanilla. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet until a dough forms, then wrap the dough disk and chill it for at least 4 hours.

Roll and Cut the Cookies: Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes, gathering and re-rolling the scraps as needed.

Bake and Cool: Arrange the cut-out cookies on an ungreased baking sheet, leaving some space between them. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are set. Let them rest on the pan for a couple of minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool down completely before you start decorating.

Baking Tips

Chilling the dough is crucial. It helps the spices meld and prevents the cookies from spreading too much while baking, ensuring they hold their shape.
Be careful not to overwork the dough when mixing or re-rolling scraps. This can make the cookies tough.
Let the cookies cool completely before decorating. If they are even slightly warm, the icing will melt and slide off.
The dough contains raw egg. Avoid consuming unbaked dough. Wash hands and surfaces after handling.

Serving Ideas

These cookies are wonderful on their own or with a glass of cold milk. They are meant for decorating, so have your favorite icing and sprinkles ready once they are fully cooled.

Storing and Freezing

Store baked and decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can freeze the unbaked dough for up to 3 months; thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before rolling and baking. Baked, undecorated cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

FAQ

Why is my gingerbread dough so sticky?

The dough is naturally soft. If it’s too sticky to handle, it most likely needs to be chilled longer. A minimum of 4 hours is recommended. You can also lightly flour your hands and rolling pin to make it easier to work with.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. If frozen, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before you plan to roll and bake.

My cookies spread and lost their shape. What went wrong?

This usually happens if the dough wasn’t cold enough when it went into the oven. Ensure the dough is well-chilled, and if your kitchen is warm, you can even chill the cut-out shapes on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking.