Gingerbread Cookies

5 from 1 vote

Soft, warmly spiced gingerbread cookies made with molasses and classic holiday spices. This easy dough rolls smoothly, holds its shape while baking, and finishes with a lightly crisp edge and tender center, perfect for decorating or gifting.

Prep Time20

Cook Time8

Chill Time2

Total Time2 28

Course: Cookies, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: cookies

Calories: 95kcal

Author: Nicole Durham

Cost: Recipe $4.85 / Serving $0.10

Equipment

Ingredients

⅔ cup salted butter, room temperature ($1.23)
¾ cup brown sugar ($0.38)
⅔ cup unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap ($1.75)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract ($0.04)
1 large egg ($0.16)
3½ cups all-purpose flour ($0.46)
1 teaspoon baking soda ($0.02)
½ teaspoon salt ($0.01)
1 tablespoon ground ginger ($0.24)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ($0.16)
½ teaspoon ground cloves ($0.04)
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ($0.04)

Icing (Optional)

1 cup powdered sugar ($0.32)
1-2 tablespoons water ($0.00)

Instructions

Cream butter and sugar. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until light and creamy. Add the molasses, vanilla extract, and egg and beat until smooth.
Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
Combine dough. Add about one-third of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated. Repeat until all of the flour mixture is added and a very soft dough forms.
Chill dough. Transfer the dough to plastic wrap, shape into a ball, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
Preheat and roll. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide the dough in half, keeping one half refrigerated. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ⅛-inch thickness.
Cut cookies. Cut into desired shapes and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
Bake. Bake for about 8 minutes, until the cookies are slightly puffed in the center and just beginning to brown at the edges.
Cool. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before decorating.
Make icing. In a bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Add more water a small amount at a time until a thick icing forms. Transfer to a piping bag or plastic bag with the corner snipped and decorate cooled cookies as desired.

Notes

Chilling. Chilling the dough helps prevent spreading and creates clean cookie edges.
Rolling thickness. Roll dough to about ⅛-inch thick for even baking and well-defined shapes.
Flouring. Lightly flour the work surface, not the dough, to avoid drying it out.
Molasses choice. Use unsulphured molasses for classic gingerbread flavor. Blackstrap is too bitter.
Icing. Pipe icing only after cookies are completely cooled to prevent melting.
Storage. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies or dough for up to 2 months.

Nutrition