The Very Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe! (2024)

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by Kellie November 10, 2022

Soft, chewy and slightly spiced, this is the BEST Gingerbread Cookie recipe ever. A tried and true favorite for years, this classic gingerbread cookie dough yields the perfect cookie every single time. Totally fool-proof!

The Very Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe! (1)

Best Gingerbread Cookie

One of the very first recipes I ever posted on my blog was for these Classic Gingerbread Cookies. Little did I know I’d morph this recipe into a million and one different desserts over the years. It’s positively the BEST Gingerbread Cookie Recipe ever and I will never change it…not for a million years. It’s one of those things that you know to leave it alone. If it’s not broken…don’t fix it. Did your mom ever say that?

Well, this is one of those recipes. We have morphed this recipe into the Gingerbread Mummies.…or a Gingerbread Man…or the Gingerbread Houses. It’s that good.

The Very Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe! (2)

Gingersnaps vs. Gingerbread

The maindifferences between gingerbreadandgingersnapsare thatginger snapsbake for a longer period of time to get their crispiness–andgingerbread cookiesare a little chewier (and almost always rolled out intodifferentshapes likegingerbreadmen and other holiday figures).

How To Make Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread cookie dough is simple to make and best of all you can make it in advance. It freezes beautifully but, also, keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days.

  1. Beat the butter until light and creamy.
  2. Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
  3. Add the sugar to the butter and beat until fluffy.
  4. Slowly mix in the molasses, egg and vinegar.
  5. Add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
  6. Cover and chill the dough for 2 hours or overnight.
  7. Divide the dough in half and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 1/4 inch thick circle.
  8. Cut the dough into shapes using cookie cutters.
  9. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment approximately 1″ apart.
  10. Bake in a 400˚F oven for 5-6 minutes.
  11. Cool for 1 minute and then transfer to a wire rack.
  12. Decorate with icing, if desired.
The Very Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe! (3)

How To Decorate Gingerbread Cookies

And now you can decorate them with this Royal Icing that’s equally fabulous and perfect in every way. It’s the sugar cookie frosting that hardens so you can stack your little men or snowflakes without worry that the frosting will smear and smudge, making all your hard work for naught.

You know what I’m talking about. That kind of worry that makes you bag the whole giving cookies away idea and just eat them all yourself. So you don’t have to worry about smudgy frosting.

This is the easiest step to decorated your gingerbread men. And it’s so fun, too because you don’t have to make the lines perfect and neat.

  1. Simply fill the pastry bag with frosting.
  2. Snip off the end.
  3. Pipe the icing in a zig zag pattern and glue on the eyes with the frosting.
  4. Allow the icing to harden, approximately 1-3 hours depending on the humidity.

If gingerbread cookies sound too tedious and you’re not really in the mood to cut out all those little gingerbread men or snowflakes or mittens or stockings,then you should definitely make these little Gingerbread cups….fill them with chocolate ganache and not share those, either. Because you bought everyone on your list gifts anyway so why give away all your hard work.

The Very Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe! (4)

More Christmas Cookie Ideas

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Looking For More Classic Holiday Dessert Ideas?

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For more easy holiday desserts, follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

The Very Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe! (5)

Get the Recipe:The BEST Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

Yield: 36 cookies

Soft, chewy and slightly spiced, this is the BEST Gingerbread Cookie recipe ever.A tried and true favorite for years, this classic gingerbread cookie dough yields the perfect cookie every single time.Totally fool-proof!

4.84 from 18 votes

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Frosting

  • 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk

Equipment

  • 1 cookie sheet

  • 1 silicone baking mat or parchment paper

  • 1 cooling rack

Instructions

  • In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat the softened butter until light and fluffy.

  • In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

  • Add the sugar to the butter and beat until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and mix in the molasses, egg and balsamic vinegar. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and continue mixing until thoroughly combined.

  • Cover and chill about 2 hours or until the dough is easy to handle.

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  • Divide the dough in half and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll each half of the dough to 1/4″ thickness adding flour as needed, the dough is very sticky so use flour liberally to prevent your cutouts from sticking to the surface.

  • Using cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment approximately 1″ apart.

  • Bake in a 400 degree oven for 5-6 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for one minute and move to a wire rack.

  • To make the frosting: In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Whisk to combine. Spoon mixture into a pastry bag or zip top bag and snip off the tip. Add two small dots of icing where the eyes should be and then press one eye on each dot. Decorate the cookies and allow to dry for 2-4 hours or overnight.

  • Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Gingerbread Cookie Dough can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Gingerbread Cookies will last up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Serving: 0g, Calories: 107kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 36mg, Potassium: 91mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 85IU, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 0.7mg

Author: Kellie

Course: cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

posted in: Baking, Cookies, Desserts, Recipes, Vegetarian 44 comments

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    44 Comments on “The Best Gingerbread Cookie”

  1. Kelley Reply

    These is hands down the best gingerbread recipe I’ve ever worked with in terms of texture, flavor, how easy the dough is to work with, and how it bakes up! No sticking or spreading and the dough bakes up sturdy but soft. My go to from now on. Thank you!

    • Kellie Reply

      Thank you so much, Kelley! We tested this one so many times and still make it after almost 30 years. I’m so happy you liked it!

  2. Cami Reply

    Wondering if I can use brown sugar instead of white?

    • Kellie Reply

      I haven’t tested it with brown sugar and since there’s a lot of molasses in the recipe you may end up with very strong cookies. So, if you do swap it you may want to add a little less molasses.

  3. Char Reply

    Turned out fantastic!

    • Kellie Reply

      Great! Thank you so much!

The Very Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is the best gingerbread in the world? ›

Grasmere Gingerbread Shop | The World's Best Gingerbread. Victorian cook Sarah Nelson invented Grasmere Gingerbread® in 1854 in the English Lake District village from where it gets its name.

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? ›

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? Soft gingerbread biscuits are ideal. They ought to be flexible. However, they should still be somewhat elastic, and if you hold them too firmly because you're so excited to eat them, you might even be able to leave your fingerprints on the cookie!

What's the difference between gingerbread and ginger cookies? ›

The main differences between gingerbread and gingersnaps are that ginger snaps bake for a longer period of time to get their crispiness–and gingerbread cookies are a little chewier (and almost always rolled out into different shapes like gingerbread men and other holiday figures).

What town is famous for gingerbread? ›

Sarah couldn't know it at the time but Grasmere village would eventually become synonymous with her famous culinary delicacy and become known and celebrated throughout the world.

What is the famous German gingerbread? ›

In Germany, when you think of Christmas, you think of Nuremberg Lebkuchen, the city's famous gingerbread. These sweet and spicy treats have been baked for more than 600 years and are loved by young and old alike.

Should you refrigerate gingerbread dough? ›

Chilling it for at least two hours or overnight gives the ingredients a chance to absorb one another, making it a whole lot easier to roll out the dough without it cracking. Follow this tip: Let the dough chill in the refrigerator, well-wrapped, for at least two hours or overnight before rolling it out.

Can I use golden syrup instead of molasses? ›

Golden syrup, also known as "light treacle," is made from the evaporation of sugarcane, which creates a light, golden syrup very reminiscent of honey. Lyle's is a popular brand of golden syrup. Try using 1 cup golden syrup for every 1 cup molasses in a recipe.

What does molasses do in baking? ›

Molasses adds moisture and color to baked goods like pecan pie, and it thickens up barbecue sauce for meat like pulled pork. Some other ways to use molasses in cooking include: 1. Syrup: Light molasses can be a substitute for maple syrup, drizzled over pancakes or to sweeten a bowl of oatmeal.

What is gingerbread called in England? ›

In Medieval England gingerbread meant preserved ginger. The hard cookies were a staple at Medieval fairs in England and on the continent. These became known as “gingerbread fairs” and the cookies called “fairings”.

What makes gingerbread taste like gingerbread? ›

Spice Combinations

Some other common spices used in gingerbread recipes are cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and allspice. Cinnamon is available in ground form and in a stick. For baking, you should use ground cinnamon. Nutmeg adds a nutty, sweet spiciness to gingerbread.

What are gingerbread men called now? ›

Some bakeries are now calling gingerbread men by the gender neutral term “gingerbread people.” Do you agree with the change? - Quora. How can people be worried about this nonsense when millions of gingerbread babies are aborted each and every single day?

What country is known for gingerbread cookies? ›

Gingerbread cookies became a sign of the more elegant side of England because of the gold leaf that was used to decorate them. Gingerbread houses began in Germany during the 16th century. These cookie houses were decorated with foil and gold leaf and quickly became a Christmas tradition in the country.

What is an interesting fact about gingerbread? ›

Originally gingerbread was made with honey and breadcrumbs

One of the earliest English recipes for gingerbread, written down in the fifteenth century, didn't actually contain any ginger! Instead bread crumbs or 'gratyd brede' were mixed with boiled honey and formed into a stiff paste with saffron and pepper.

What is Victorian gingerbread? ›

gingerbread, in architecture and design, elaborately detailed embellishment, either lavish or superfluous. Although the term is occasionally applied to highly detailed and decorative styles, it is more often applied specifically to the work of American designers of the late 1860s and '70s.

What is the world's most expensive gingerbread? ›

A British food artist has created the world's most expensive gingerbread house worth £6.3 million and decorated with diamonds. Debbie Wingham, 41, made the Dolce & Gabbana-inspired gingerbread creation from 15kg of flour and 17kg of sugar.

What country is famous for gingerbread? ›

Today, the ultimate Christmas gingerbread incarnation is of course the gingerbread house. It has been suggested that these edible structures originated in Germany between the 16th and 18th centuries. The trend for gingerbread houses must have spread to Britain at some point during the nineteenth century.

What is the gingerbread capital of the world? ›

Nuremberg was recognized as the "Gingerbread Capital of the World" when in the 1600s the guild started to employ master bakers and skilled workers to create complicated works of art from gingerbread. Medieval bakers used carved boards to create elaborate designs.

Which country eats the most gingerbread? ›

In 2018, the highest levels of gingerbread per capita consumption was registered in the Netherlands (2,361 kg per 1000 persons), followed by Germany (886 kg per 1000 persons), Belgium (799 kg per 1000 persons) and Spain (748 kg per 1000 persons), while the world average per capita consumption of gingerbread was ...

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