These classic cut-out gingerbread cookies are soft, perfectly spiced, and wonderful for the holiday season! Cut them out into any shape you'd like, then bring them to life by decorating them with homemade royal icing.
'Tis the season... for gingerbread!
As soon as I pull the first batch of gingerbread cookies out of the oven each December, it truly feels like the holiday season has begun.
I've been tweaking and perfecting this recipe for a while now, and I think I've finally nailed the perfect gingerbread cookie that I'll be making for years to come.
I can't wait to share this recipe with you, so let's get baking!
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What You'll Need
Here's a quick overview of some of the ingredients and tools needed to make these cookies. The full recipe can be found at the bottom of the post!
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - You'll want to use unsalted butter (rather than salted) in this recipe so you can control the amount of salt in the cookies.
- Molasses - The best molasses for baking is light, unsulphured molasses because it has a mild, sweet flavor. I recommend using unsulphured molasses (rather than blackstrap molasses) in this recipe.
- Eggs & egg whites - We'll use whole eggs in the cookie dough and egg whites for the royal icing. Be sure to use pasteurized egg whites for the icing!
- All-purpose flour - Be sure to use the spoon & level method when measuring out the flour.
- Powdered sugar - Be sure to sift it first to avoid any clumps.
- Water - This will help thin out the royal icing.
Equipment
- Mixer - Personally, I like to use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment when making this recipe. However, an electric hand mixer will also work.
- Rolling pin - Any rolling pin will work here, but I prefer to use a French rolling pin because it helps you roll out the dough evenly.
- Christmas cookie cutters - I've collected my collection of cookie cutters over the years, but if you don't have any of your own, these Christmas cookie cutters from Amazon are a good option.
- Baking sheet - This recipe calls for 2 baking sheets.
- Piping bag - I like to keep a stash of these disposable piping bags in my pantry at all times.
How to Make These Cookies
We'll start by making the gingerbread cookies, and then once they're baked, you can enjoy them as is or decorate them with royal icing!
1. Make the cookie dough. Start by mixing together all the wet ingredients, then add in the dry ingredients until just combined. (Image 1)
2. Chill the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This lets the dough firm up, which makes it easier to roll out later. You can even refrigerate the dough overnight if you want to make the cookies in stages. (Image 2)
3. Roll out the dough and bake. Roll out the dough to ¼-inch thickness (Image 3), then cut the dough out using your desired cookie cutters. (Image 4) Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet, then bake for 8-12 minutes at 350°F, or until the edges are a light golden brown.
4. Make the royal icing. Whisk the pasteurized egg whites until light and foamy, then gradually add in the powdered sugar. Add in the water one teaspoon at a time until you can make a figure eight with the icing that disappears in eight seconds. You want the icing to be stiff enough to pipe, but not too runny. (Image 5)
5. Decorate. Color the royal icing with food coloring if desired, then divide the royal icing into piping bags. Have fun decorating the cookies! (Image 6)
Tips to Make Perfect Cookies
These cookies are pretty simple to make, and the fun part is definitely the decorating. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when making them:
- Make sure to use softened butter (not melted). When mixing together the butter and sugar, make sure your butter is just a little bit soft. If you use melted butter, the dough will be too soft, and you will have to refrigerate the dough for a longer period of time. If it's coming straight from the fridge, I like to warm my butter up in the microwave in 15-second increments until it is ready.
- Make sure to refrigerate the cookie dough before rolling it out. This lets the dough firm up, which makes it easier to roll out later. You can even refrigerate the dough overnight if you want to make the cookies in stages.
- Flour your surface well so that the dough doesn’t stick. Honestly, is there anything worse than cookies that won’t come off the counter? I will usually re-roll the dough once or twice, and I recommend flouring the surface well in between each roll.
- Use the figure-eight test to see when the royal icing is ready. After making the royal icing, make a figure eight in the icing with a spoon, and if it disappears within 8 seconds, the icing is ready to go. If the icing is too stiff, you can add in some water a teaspoon at a time. If it's too loose, you can sprinkle in small amounts of powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.
Common Questions About These Cookies
These are some questions I frequently hear about this recipe. If you have a question that isn't answered below, feel free to leave it in the comments.
Absolutely! I personally love to make these cookies in a few stages so that I'm not too overwhelmed all in one day. You can make the dough, then tightly wrap it and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the dough for up to 2 months — just let it thaw to room temperature before rolling it out.
Yes, you can double (and even triple) this recipe with ease. If doing so, I recommend separating the cookie dough into a few circular disks before refrigerating it. You will also want to roll the dough out in stages so that it's easier to handle.
Soft, at least in my humble opinion! To make sure these cookies are as soft as possible, you want to avoid rolling out the dough too thin. The thicker the cookies are, the softer they'll be once they come out of the oven.
How to Store & Freeze
To store: You can store the cookies in an airtight container for up to one week.
To freeze: Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months. Wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in a frozen-safe zip-top bag before freezing. You can also freeze the cookie dough for up to 2 months. Just be sure to let it thaw to room temperature before rolling it out and baking.
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Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 24 3-inch cookies 1x
Description
These classic cut-out gingerbread cookies are soft, perfectly spiced, and wonderful for the holiday season! Cut them out into any shape you'd like, then bring them to life by decorating them with homemade royal icing.
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookies:
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (160g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (170g) unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg (50g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (270g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Royal Icing:
- 2 pasteurized egg whites (60g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (340g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon water
- Optional: a few drops of food coloring
Instructions
Gingerbread Cookies:
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), cream together the softened butter and light brown sugar until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and mix well to combine, scraping the bowl well after each addition.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, scraping as needed.
- Tightly wrap the dough in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling it out.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a sheet tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- After the dough has chilled, lightly flour your countertop and roll the cookie dough out to about a ¼-inch thickness. Cut out the cookies using your desired cookie cutters, then transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, or until they are crisp around the edges. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Make sure the cookies are completely cool before decorating.
Royal Icing:
- In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), whisk together the egg whites and vanilla extract until white and foamy, then gradually add in the powdered sugar until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Finally, add in water one teaspoon at a time until you can make a figure eight with the icing that disappears in eight seconds.
- If desired, color the royal icing with food coloring, then transfer the icing to a piping bag and decorate the cooled cookies.
- Make sure to let the icing dry completely before serving, then store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Yield: The number of cookies that this recipe yields depends on the size of the cookie cutter you use.
- Make Ahead Instructions: If you'd like to prepare the dough ahead of time, you can refrigerate it for 2-3 days or freeze it for up to 2 months. You can also freeze the baked cookies and let them thaw to room temperature before serving.
- Storage: Stored in an airtight container, these cookies will usually last for 1 week at room temperature.
- Inspiration: This recipe is adapted from these delicious Gingerdoodles from Broma Bakery.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Chill Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Sooo yummy! My kids helped make these, and we all loved them.
So glad you to hear you all enjoyed them, Betty!