The short answer: Classic gingerbread cookies are a molasses and brown sugar dough spiced with ginger, cinnamon and cloves, chilled, rolled and cut into gingerbread men.
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Prep time: 20 minCook time: 10 minTotal time: 2 hr 45 minServings: 24 to 30 cookiesTotal includes 2 hr 15 min of resting, chilling or rising.
Cream the butter and sugar, beat in the egg and molasses, mix in the flour and spices, chill the dough for 2 hours, roll it ¼ inch thick and bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Pull them at 8 minutes for soft cookies or roll thinner and bake longer for crisp ones. Below are the amounts, rolling and chilling tips, icing ideas, fixes and storage.
I love the holidays because everyone pitches in, and cutting and decorating gingerbread is the job anyone at the table can help with.
Gingerbread cookie ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 3 cups, plus more for rolling |
| Baking soda | 1 teaspoon |
| Salt | ½ teaspoon |
| Ground ginger | 1 tablespoon |
| Ground cinnamon | 2 teaspoons |
| Ground cloves | ½ teaspoon |
| Unsalted butter, softened | ¾ cup (1½ sticks) |
| Light or dark brown sugar, packed | ¾ cup |
| Large egg | 1 |
| Unsulphured molasses | ½ cup |
| Vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
Makes about 24 to 30 cookies with a 4-inch cutter.
How to make gingerbread cookies
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl.
- Cream the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes, until fluffy.
- Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the egg, molasses and vanilla. The mix may look curdled; that's fine.
- Add the flour on low speed just until a soft dough forms.
- Chill. Divide the dough in half, flatten each into a disc, wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- Roll and cut. Heat the oven to 350°F. Roll each disc between sheets of parchment to ¼ inch thick and cut shapes. Reroll scraps once.
- Chill the shapes. Set the cutouts on a lined baking sheet and chill 10 to 15 minutes so they keep sharp edges.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set. Cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then move to a rack.
Soft or crisp: bake time guide
| Style | Thickness | Bake at 350°F | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft and chewy | ¼ inch | 8 to 9 minutes | Eating, cookie tins |
| Classic | ¼ inch | 10 minutes | Decorating with royal icing |
| Crisp | ⅛ inch | 10 to 12 minutes | Ornaments, gingerbread houses |
Building a house instead? See our gingerbread house ideas, which covers walls, glue icing and decorating themes.
Decorating gingerbread cookies
- Royal icing dries hard and smooth. Our royal icing recipe covers piping and flood consistency.
- Quick glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, for kids' decorating.
- Classic gingerbread men: white piped outlines, two dot eyes and three buttons.
- Candy details: mini chocolate chips, sprinkles and red hots pressed in before baking.
- Decorating party: bake ahead, then set out icing bags and sprinkles. Our Christmas party games and cookie exchange guide pair well with it.
Decorating with a group? Check allergies first. The FDA lists milk, eggs and wheat among the major food allergens, and this recipe contains all three.
Fixes for common gingerbread problems
- Dough too sticky to roll: chill it longer, and roll between parchment sheets instead of adding lots of flour.
- Cookies spread: chill the cut shapes before baking and use a cool baking sheet.
- Cookies too hard: they baked too long or were rolled too thin. Pull them at 8 minutes next batch.
- Dough cracks when rolling: let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Bland flavor: check that your spices are fresh; ground ginger loses its punch after a year or so.
Make-ahead, storage and safety
Make the dough up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge, or freeze the wrapped discs for up to 3 months. Baked gingerbread keeps about 1 to 2 weeks in an airtight tin, so it's one of the best cookies to bake early for a Christmas cookie box. Don't snack on the raw dough: the FDA warns that raw flour and raw eggs can carry bacteria, so bake it first. For more holiday baking, see our Christmas cookies, molasses cookies, sugar cookies and Christmas baking list.
Budget your Christmas baking
Butter, molasses and decorating supplies add up fast when you're baking for teachers, neighbors and a cookie exchange. Put baking in the Christmas budget before the first trip to the store.
- Christmas Budget & Gift Planner, $4.99. Set a total, track gifts and extras like baking supplies, and see what's left before you shop.
- Holiday Season Bundle, $15.99 (regularly $25.94 for the six items bought separately). The Christmas Budget & Gift Planner, the Meal Planner & Grocery List, a cleaning schedule and savings trackers in one download.
- Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Write down the gingerbread version your family loves, with your oven's real bake time.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you make gingerbread cookies? To make gingerbread cookies, cream butter and brown sugar, beat in an egg and molasses, then mix in flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, roll it ¼ inch thick, cut shapes and bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
How do you keep gingerbread cookies soft? Roll the dough a full ¼ inch thick, bake gingerbread cookies just until the edges are set (about 8 minutes), and store them in an airtight container. Pulling them while the centers still look soft keeps them chewy.
How do you make crisp gingerbread cookies? You make crisp gingerbread cookies by rolling the dough thinner, about ⅛ inch, and baking them 10 to 12 minutes until the edges darken slightly. Crisp gingerbread holds up better for ornaments and gingerbread houses.
Why do you chill gingerbread cookie dough? Chilling firms the butter so the dough rolls without sticking and the cookies keep their shape in the oven. Chill it for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
Why did my gingerbread cookies spread? Gingerbread cookies spread when the dough is too warm or the butter was too soft. Chill the cut shapes on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes before baking, and use cool sheets between batches.
What kind of molasses is best for gingerbread cookies? Use unsulphured molasses, often labeled original or mild. Blackstrap molasses is much stronger and more bitter and can overpower the cookies.
Can you eat raw gingerbread cookie dough? No, you shouldn't eat raw gingerbread cookie dough. The FDA advises against eating raw dough because raw flour and raw eggs can carry harmful bacteria. Bake the cookies before tasting.
What icing goes on gingerbread cookies? Royal icing is the classic for gingerbread men because it dries hard and stacks well. A simple powdered sugar and milk glaze works for quick decorating with kids.
How long do gingerbread cookies last? Gingerbread cookies stay fresh for about 1 to 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature, which makes them a good make-ahead cookie for tins and cookie boxes.
Can you freeze gingerbread cookie dough? Yes, you can freeze gingerbread cookie dough. Wrap discs of gingerbread dough tightly and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough in the fridge overnight before rolling. Baked, undecorated cookies freeze well too.
How many gingerbread cookies does one batch make? This batch makes about 24 to 30 gingerbread men with a 4-inch cutter, depending on how thick you roll the dough and how often you reroll the scraps.
How do I plan Christmas baking on a budget? List every cookie you plan to bake and who gets a tin, price out butter, sugar and molasses before you shop, and put the baking line in your Christmas budget so it doesn't creep. The Christmas Budget & Gift Planner has a page for this.
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