Gingerbread cookies for making cut-outs like gingerbread men, with the perfect amount of crunch.
Ingredient Notes
- Flour - Use all-purpose flour for the best texture.
- Brown Sugar - You can use light or dark brown sugar. Dark will give a stronger molasses flavor and a darker color.
- Butter - Use unsalted butter.
- Spices - I used ground ginger and ground cinnamon - you can alter the amount of spices to suit your tastes.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Gingerbread Cookie Tips
- Don't overmix the dough once you have added the flour.
- The dough will be quite soft, so make sure you chill it in the fridge for at least an hour before rolling out.
- Don't roll all of the dough out at once; take portions of it to roll out while keeping the rest in the fridge until needed.
- Bake slightly longer for a more crunchy gingerbread cookie, or slightly less time for a soft, chewy one.
- The bake time will vary depending on how big your cut-outs are, so look for the visual signs that the cookies are baked - slightly puffed up and turning golden brown around the edges.
Check out my
Christmas Cookie Box Guide
How to make your own Christmas cookie box, with planning tips and recipes.
How To Decorate Gingerbread Cookies
These gingerbread cookies are delicious as they are, but it's always fun to add some icing or decoration to them.
For details that set firm, I recommend using royal icing. It is pipeable and will set up hard so it won't smudge.
Use a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off to pipe details onto your cookies, or simply dip them into the icing to cover the whole thing.
Recipe
Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups All-purpose Flour 360g
- 4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 3 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¾ stick Unsalted Butter 85g
- ¾ cup Dark Brown Sugar 165g
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ½ cup Golden Syrup or Molasses (120ml)
Instructions
- Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine.3 cups (360 g) All-purpose Flour, 4 teaspoon Ground Ginger, 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon (¼ tsp) Salt, 3 teaspoon Baking Powder
- Cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.¾ stick (85 g) Unsalted Butter, ¾ cup (165 g) Dark Brown Sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until combined.1 Large Egg, 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- Pour in the golden syrup or molasses and beat until smooth.½ cup (120 ml) Golden Syrup
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined into a soft dough - be careful not to overmix.
- Use your hands to shape the dough into a disc shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour or until you are ready to bake them.
- Take about a third of the dough and roll it out on a floured work surface to the desired thickness - remember it will puff up a bit in the oven.
- Use cookie cutters to cut into shapes - gingerbread men or stars work well. Place the cut-out cookies onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Put the cookies in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C (160° fan-assisted).
- Bake for 12 minutes or until puffed up and lightly browned on the edges.
Nutrition
Calories136kcal | Carbohydrates25g | Protein2g | Fat3g | Saturated Fat2g | Polyunsaturated Fat0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat1g | Trans Fat0.1g | Cholesterol15mg | Sodium83mg | Potassium35mg | Fiber1g | Sugar12g | Vitamin A100IU | Vitamin C0.01mg | Calcium42mg | Iron1mg
Hi, I'm Jules!
I'm a Scottish ex-bakery owner sharing my tried and true dessert recipes and expert tips to help you whip up impressive desserts at home.
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