Best Ever Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
A best-ever recipe for Gingerbread Cookies with just the right amount of spice, perfect for holiday baking whether you leave them plain or decorate with icing.
Tips for making Perfect Gingerbread Cookies
This Gingerbread recipe creates cookies that cut out into perfect shapes and maintains well defined edges during baking.
- Prepare the proper dough: measure your ingredients accurately. The consistency of the dough should be firm enough to hold its shape, yet not dry.
- Chill the dough: chilling the dough solidifies the fats which helps to prevent the dough from spreading during baking.
- Freezing the cutout cookie dough: placing the cutout cookies in the freezer for 5-10 minutes further solidifies the fats and makes sure the cookies hold their shape.
- Correct baking temperature: always preheat the oven to 350º F before placing the trays in the oven.
- Thickness: I find rolling the dough to 1/4 inch thickness works best. Roll your dough evenly so it is uniform. A rolling pin with adjustable thickness rings makes this easy to do.
Decorating cookies for Christmas is a cherished holiday tradition with my family. We also use this recipe for making homemade Gingerbread houses. A simple buttercream frosting or Royal Icing can be used for decorating.
The smell of these cookies baking is sure to put everyone in the Christmas spirit. I’ve tested many gingerbread recipes over the years and this is, by far, my favorite. The orange zest adds a great depth of flavor to the cookies.
My preference is fancy molasses which is the highest grade of molasses which has a sweet flavor and rich taste.
Blackstrap molasses can be used but it will have a bolder more bitter flavor.
Cooking molasses is a good alternative to fancy molasses, it is a combination of fancy molasses and blackstrap molasses.
Holiday Cookie Recipes
Enjoy some of my family’s favorite holiday cookie recipes
Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces unsalted butter (1/2 cup) soft
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup molasses fancy molasses
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
- Using a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, mixing until combined, then blend in the molasses and orange zest. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Stop to scrape the bowl as necessary.
- Turn mixer to low speed and slowly add in the dry ingredients. Mix just until the flour is incorporated.
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten into a disk. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. ( you may wish to separate into 2 disks)
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about ¼” (6mm) thickness.
- Cut the dough into desired shapes with cookie cutter. Place on prepared cookie sheets.
- Place the cookies in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
- Bake at 350º F 9-11 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
- Decorate as desired. Store in airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Just made these and I didn’t add the zest and did 1/2 cup whilte sugar and a 1/4 cup brown sugar. I refrigerated the dough over night and took it out 2 hours before making cookies. Rolled easily with very little flour. Baked for 9 minutes. Just GREAT cookies and a great recipe. This is a keeper! Thank you!!!
Wonderful Shei, thanks for taking the time to let me know. Merry Christmas
How many gingerbread men does it make?
Ella that really depends on the size of your cookie cutter. I usually get about 30.
ok, these are amazing. I just made them. Before the chilling stage, my dough was not really a dough: super crumbly. Maybe I added too much flour, I don’t know. But I added a bit of water until it looked more like a dough, and let chill. I was nervous that would mess up the consistency. But the cookies came out perfect! Perfect consistency, divine flavor. Definitely my go-to gingerbread from here on out.
Thanks Elisabeth, nothing beats gingerbread at Christmas time.
Can I freeze the dough for a week?
yes, I would wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in ziplock bag to make sure dough doesn’t dry out.
What do you mean by fancy molasses? Are you talking about Sorghum molasses, Brer Bear black molasses, or dark syrup that usually is in pecan pie?
Hi Joanne, in Canada we have several type of molasses. Any type of molasses will work. Fancy molasses is just a lighter molasses and tends to make cookies a bit softer.
Thank you! We in Alabama have sorghum molasses, which when done right, is really fancy! I’m looking forward to making these for my grandson!
Ive never made ginger bread cookies before. I love this recipe! I made it yesterday and they came out so good! They were soft and fluffy and didnt lose shape! Thank you for making it easy to understand. I was always hesitant to try making ginger bread cookies but not anymore!
I’ve tested many gingerbread recipes over the years and finally came up with this one that I always use. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Merry Christmas