Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 10

Chill Time: 2

Total Time: 2 40

Servings: 3-inch cookies

Calories: 193kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

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

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Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter 226 grams, room temperature (2 sticks)
½ cup dark brown sugar 107 grams
¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
1½ 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
2¼ 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
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
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.
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.
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.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms are just beginning to darken.
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.
Decorate as desired, serve, and enjoy!
Icing and sprinkles

Video

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!
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