Gingerbread Cookies (Gingerbread Family) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

Gingerbread Cookies (Gingerbread Family) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (1)

By: Becky Hardin

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Gingerbread cookies are the best Christmas cookie! They’re just so fun to make and eat. Learn how to make gingerbread man cookies at home for the best texture and flavor, then decorate as you please! This recipe is so much fun to make with the family, or to bring to a holiday party.

Gingerbread Cookies (Gingerbread Family) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2)

Table of Contents

Best Gingerbread Cookies

Nothing says Christmas like gingerbread cookies! They’re festive, cute, and so tasty. These little gingerbread family cookies can be baked and decorated together for a fun family activity.

These are one of the best Christmas cookies! Make a batch for the kids to decorate, and set them out for Santa on Christmas Eve. Or make them for a holiday party!

Homemade gingerbread cookies are easy to make, and they taste a lot better than store-bought ones. So make this your next holiday baking recipe and enjoy!

Why You’ll Love this Christmas Cookie Recipe:

  • Festive: These are just perfect for Christmas! Make them for a holiday party, Christmas Day, or for Santa.
  • Family: The kids will adore these adorable gingerbread man cookies. Everyone can decorate them together, and of course eat them together too!
  • Freezer Friendly: This cookie dough is easy to freeze! Make it ahead of time, and freeze until ready to use. This really comes in handy during the busy holiday season.

Learn how to make gingerbread cookies with this easy recipe, then cut them into different sizes to create the cutest little gingerbread family! The kids will absolutely love making these, and eating them is fun too.

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How to Make Gingerbread Cookies

You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!

  1. Begin by adding ingredients into a stand mixer to combine, then add the egg and molasses.
  2. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then mix them into the wet ingredients.
  3. Divide dough in half, roll it out, and then place it on parchment paper on a large sheet pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
  4. Preheat oven, and cut dough into individual cookies. Place the gingerbread cookies on a parchment-lined pan.
  5. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Then let them cool completely before decorating.

Recipe Notes

  • Let your butter warm to room temperature before using it.
  • Overmixing cookie dough will lead to tough, flat cookies. So mix just until ingredients are incorporated.
  • The dough needs to chill for at least 2 hours before baking, so plan accordingly!
  • Gingerbread cookies are done when the edges start to darken. They will still look a little soft and doughy, but they will harden as they cool.
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What kind of molasses should I use?

Use light molasses to make gingerbread cookies (it’s light and sweet). I do not recommend using dark or blackstrap molasses for this recipe (it’s more intense and not as sweet).

How long do gingerbread cookies last?

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Can I freeze the cookie dough?

To freeze the cookie dough, cover the rolled cookie dough on the cookie sheet with plastic wrap and foil. Place the entire baking sheet in the freezer. When ready to bake, let the cookie dough thaw in the refrigerator, then continue with step #9.

Can I freeze decorated gingerbread cookies?

I don’t recommend freezing cookies with icing and other toppings on them. It’s better to freeze baked cookies plain, then you can decorate after thawing.

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All the Holiday Cookies

40+ Favorite Christmas Cookies

Baking and Christmas go hand in hand. See our guide for our fave recipes + tips and tricks for perfect cookies.

See Guide

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Tips!

  • If you want to get a head start on making these, you can make the dough ahead of time and freeze it.
  • Spraying your cookie cutters with nonstick spray will help cut the dough cleanly.
  • Making gingerbread man shaped cookies is fun, but you could also use this recipe with any cookie cutter shape you choose. Christmas tree cookies, snowflake shape, snowman? All fun to decorate and eat!
  • Let cookies cool completely before decorating, or else the icing will melt and get messy.
  • If freezing baked cookies, place parchment paper between each layer of cookies.

Set up a decorating station with bowls of toppings, so kids can make their own gingerbread cookies however they like! This is a fun way to spend Christmas Eve, or something to do after opening presents.

What can I use instead of apple pie spice?

If you don’t have apple pie spice, use a mix of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg instead.

What can I use to decorate gingerbread cookies?

Use any icing, frosting, candies, or toppings you like to decorate these gingerbread cookies. Generally, I like using powdered sugar icing for these, but buttercream frostings are great if you want to just cover the whole cooking instead of decorating.

I recommend grabbing some store-bought icing packages (those little ones that have a piping tip) in different colors, so they’re easy and ready to use. Or else you can make your own, of course, and use food coloring to dye.

You can also use Christmas-colored sprinkles, heart sprinkles, M&Ms, gum drops, crushed peppermint, and so much else!

What size cookie cutters should I use?

You can use any shape or size of cookie cutters you like, and you can use multiple cutters too. Get a gingerbread family cookie cutter kit to make different sizes, like I did here! Make jumbo cookies, mini cookies, and anything in between.

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This is the best gingerbread cookie recipe, because they are easy to make and really tasty too. So have fun baking and decorating these for Christmas!

More Christmas Cookie Recipes to Try:

  • Christmas Cowboy Cookies
  • Chocolate Butter Cookies
  • Splatter Pain Christmas Cookies
  • White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossoms
  • Tie-Dye Cookies
  • Cheesecake Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies

If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.

Recipe

Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

4.50 from 2 votes

Author: Becky Hardin

Prep: 30 minutes minutes

Cook: 10 minutes minutes

Total: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Serves18 3-inch cookies

Print Rate

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Make this family of gingerbread cookies for your next holiday party.

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter 226 grams, room temperature (2 sticks)
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar 107 grams
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
  • teaspoons kosher salt 5 grams
  • ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1 large egg 50 grams, room temperature and lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses 43 grams
  • cups all-purpose flour 270 grams
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger 9 grams
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 grams
  • 1 teaspoon apple pie spice 3 grams
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
  • Icing and sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salts together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

    1 cup unsalted butter, ½ cup dark brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

  • Add the egg and molasses and mix at medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute.

    1 large egg, 2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses

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  • In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, apple pie spice, ginger, and cloves together.

    2¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, ¾ teaspoon ground cloves

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  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until all of the flour has been incorporated. Do not overmix the cookie dough or the cookies will be tough.

    Gingerbread Cookies (Gingerbread Family) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (13)

  • Scrape around the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure all flour has been incorporated.

  • Divide the dough in half and place one half on a large piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough to ⅜-inch thick and transfer the dough with the parchment paper to a large sheet pan.

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  • Repeat with the second half of dough. Place the second half of rolled dough with the parchment over the first half of rolled dough on the sheet pan.

  • Cover the dough on the sheet pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

  • Once the dough has chilled, remove the dough from the refrigerator and preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

  • Cut the dough into desired shapes and place onto prepared baking sheets.

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  • Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms are just beginning to darken.

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  • Remove cookies from the oven and let cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. Allow cookies to fully cool before decorating.

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  • Decorate as desired, serve, and enjoy!

    Icing and sprinkles

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Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!

Becky’s tips

  • Let your butter warm to room temperature before using it.
  • Overmixing cookie dough will lead to tough, flat cookies. So mix just until ingredients are incorporated.
  • The dough needs to chill for at least 2 hours before baking, so plan accordingly!
  • If you want to get a head start on making these, you can make the dough ahead of time and freeze it.
  • Spraying your cookie cutters with nonstick spray will help cut the dough cleanly.
  • Making gingerbread man shaped cookies is fun, but you could also use this recipe with any cookie cutter shape you choose. Christmas tree cookies, snowflake shape, snowman? All fun to decorate and eat!
  • Gingerbread cookies are done when the edges start to darken. They will still look a little soft and doughy, but they will harden as they cool.
  • Let cookies cool completely before decorating, or else the icing will melt and get messy.
  • If freezing baked cookies, place parchment paper between each layer of cookies.

Storage: Store gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cookie Calories: 193kcal (10%) Carbohydrates: 23g (8%) Protein: 2g (4%) Fat: 11g (17%) Saturated Fat: 7g (44%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0.4g Cholesterol: 37mg (12%) Sodium: 267mg (12%) Potassium: 70mg (2%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 10g (11%) Vitamin A: 331IU (7%) Vitamin C: 0.03mg Calcium: 19mg (2%) Iron: 1mg (6%)

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Gingerbread Cookies (Gingerbread Family) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

What is the dark story of the gingerbread man? ›

The gingerbread man story's moral is slightly dark for a fable meant for children: Be careful who you trust. The cookie believed the fox when he said he wasn't tempted to eat him—this misguided trust led to the protagonist's downfall.

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? ›

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? Soft gingerbread biscuits are ideal. They ought to be flexible. However, they should still be somewhat elastic, and if you hold them too firmly because you're so excited to eat them, you might even be able to leave your fingerprints on the cookie!

Why do my gingerbread cookies fall apart? ›

From doubling up on molasses to using too much flour, there is a lot that can go wrong. Forgetting the molasses resulted in a crumbly cookie that was light in color. Combining all ingredients at once created lumps in the finished product.

Is it okay to use blackstrap molasses in gingerbread cookies? ›

Gingerbread Cookie Recipe Ingredients

Brown sugar and molasses – They sweeten the cookies and add rich molasses flavor. We've had success baking these cookies with Wholesome and Brer Rabbit blackstrap molasses. An egg yolk – It makes the cookies extra-soft and chewy.

Who kills the gingerbread man? ›

The Gingerbread Man (also known as The Gingerbread Boy) is a fairy tale about a gingerbread man's misadventures while fleeing from various people that culminates in the titular character being eaten by a fox.

What is the real story behind gingerbread man? ›

The first documented instance of figure-shaped gingerbread biscuits was at the court of Elizabeth I of England. She had the gingerbread figures made and presented in the likeness of some of her important guests which brought the human shape of the gingerbread cookies.

Can I use golden syrup instead of molasses? ›

Golden Syrup

With its golden, amber color, it is lighter than molasses, though the two are similar in their thickness. Golden syrup also a liquid sweetener, so 1 cup of golden syrup can replace 1 cup of molasses. Golden syrup has a unique flavor, so it may alter the flavor of your recipe slightly.

Can you use maple syrup instead of molasses in gingerbread cookies? ›

Are there any substitutes for molasses? It won't taste exactly the same, but maple syrup can work in a pinch.

What are the three types of gingerbread? ›

The three distinct types of gingerbread are brown gingerbread, wafer-based gingerbread and honey gingerbread.
  • BROWN GINGERBREAD.
  • WAFER GINGERBREAD.
  • HONEY GINGERBREAD.

Why refrigerate gingerbread cookie dough? ›

Chilling it for at least two hours or overnight gives the ingredients a chance to absorb one another, making it a whole lot easier to roll out the dough without it cracking. Follow this tip: Let the dough chill in the refrigerator, well-wrapped, for at least two hours or overnight before rolling it out.

Should gingerbread dough be dry? ›

Add molasses and vanilla and beat until completely incorporated. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Dough should be soft (not dry or crumbly) but not sticky.

Why are my gingerbread cookies puffy? ›

Q: Why are my cookies so puffy and cakey? Whipping too much air into the dough. That fluffy texture you want in a cake results from beating a lot of air into the room temperature butter and sugar, and it does the same for cookies. So don't overdo it when you're creaming together the butter and sugar.

Why is there a warning on blackstrap molasses? ›

Blackstrap molasses has a lead warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because the processing of molasses infrequently involves using a direct flame with coals that may contain a high amount of the caustic substance potash. The soil in which the sugar cane grows may also contain lead.

Is molasses or golden syrup better for gingerbread? ›

Molasses – Essential for that deep, rich, caramel-like gingerbread flavour! It also helps hold the dough's shape. Golden syrup makes a great sub, or treacle. Honey will also work, but the cookies will spread out a touch more and not have the same deep flavour (but still very, very good!).

Why would a recipe say not to use blackstrap molasses? ›

Or is it because blackstrap molasses is from dark sugar cane? Answer: You wouldn't use blackstrap molasses in recipes for gingerbread because the taste is too intense. It would overwhelm the other flavors.

What is the background story of gingerbread? ›

Gingerbread takes shape

After creating a paste of breadcrumbs, honey, and ginger, and rolling the mixture out, the monks often carved biblical scenes or images of saints before baking it. They then used these gingerbread treats as a way to feed the hungry and offer some religious teaching at the same time.

What is the moral of the story the gingerbread man? ›

Moral Of The Story

The gingerbread man was very confident that he could run fast and escape from everyone. However, he was proved wrong when the sly fox caught him. Secondly, “we should never trust anyone blindly”. The gingerbread man believed the fox offered him and was not at all tempted to eat him.

What is the evil gingerbread man called? ›

Gary Busey stars as the titular Gingerdead Man, created from a mix of gingerbread spice mix and the ashes of deceased serial killer Millard Findlemeyer, who terrorizes a small-town bakery.

What disorder does the gingerbread man have? ›

The Gingerbread Man is another name for Runner's Trots or Runner's Diarrhea. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Runner's diarrhea is characterized by frequent, loose bowel movements during or immediately after a run.

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