Best 9 Basic Gingerbread Cookies Recipes

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Indulge in the delightful world of gingerbread cookies, a classic holiday treat that has captured hearts for generations. These irresistible cookies, characterized by their warm, spicy flavor and festive appearance, are a staple of Christmas celebrations. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, our curated collection of gingerbread cookie recipes offers something for everyone. Explore variations ranging from traditional favorites to unique twists, including gluten-free and vegan options to cater to diverse dietary preferences. With step-by-step instructions and helpful tips, you'll be guided through the process of creating these delectable treats, transforming your kitchen into a gingerbread wonderland. So gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and embark on a delicious journey with our comprehensive gingerbread cookie recipes.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

BASIC GINGERBREAD COOKIES



Basic Gingerbread Cookies image

Use this basic gingerbread recipe to make cutout cookies in various shapes. Our favorites are gingerbread boys and girls in different sizes, decorated with white royal icing and currant "buttons."

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes     Cookie Recipes

Yield Makes about 24 six-inch gingerbread people

Number Of Ingredients 14

6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon finely ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 cup unsulfured molasses
Currants, for decorating
Royal Icing, for decorating

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in spices and salt. Add eggs and molasses; mix well. With the machine on low speed, gradually add flour mixture, and beat until combined. Divide the dough into thirds, and wrap each piece of dough in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpat nonstick baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into gingerbread boys and girls. Transfer to prepared baking sheets.
  • To decorate cookies: Press currants into dough to create buttons. Bake cookies until crisp but not darkened, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
  • Decorate cooled cookies with Royal Icing.

CLASSIC GINGERBREAD COOKIES



Classic Gingerbread Cookies image

These classic gingerbread cookies are a holiday staple.

Provided by Dar

Categories     Desserts     Cookies     Gingerbread Cookie Recipes

Time 50m

Yield 30

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup white sugar
½ cup butter
⅓ cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 pinch salt

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • Beat sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg until combined.
  • Whisk flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a separate bowl. Stir into butter mixture until just combined.
  • Roll dough into teaspoon-sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
  • Bake 1 sheet at a time in the preheated oven until edges of cookies are firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 96.8 calories, Carbohydrate 15.9 g, Cholesterol 14.3 mg, Fat 3.3 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1.1 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, Sodium 30.9 mg, Sugar 8.7 g

BASIC GINGERBREAD COOKIES



Basic Gingerbread Cookies image

This recipe for basic gingerbread cookies is very easy and quick because the dough doesn't need to sit in the refrigerator. I'm horrible at rolling out dough and cutting out shapes. The oil in this recipe makes the dough less sticky. Decorate with frosting and candies, if desired.

Provided by cookinmia

Categories     Desserts     Cookies     Gingerbread Cookie Recipes

Time 45m

Yield 25

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 stick butter, cut into chunks
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small egg
1 tablespoon water, or as needed

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 baking trays.
  • Sift flour, ginger, and baking soda together into a large bowl. Add butter chunks and stir until they are coated with flour. Mix the butter and flour together with your hands until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
  • Whisk white and brown sugars, maple syrup, egg, and oil together in a small bowl until combined. Add to flour mixture and knead until a ball of dough forms, adding water, if needed.
  • Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness, cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters, and place on the prepared cookie sheets. Repeat until you have used all the dough.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 134.1 calories, Carbohydrate 20.2 g, Cholesterol 15.3 mg, Fat 5.6 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1.3 g, SaturatedFat 2.7 g, Sodium 130.7 mg, Sugar 12.2 g

BEST-EVER CHEWY GINGERBREAD COOKIES



Best-Ever Chewy Gingerbread Cookies image

Crisp gingerbread cookies have their place, of course, but sometimes, you want to soften them up a little bit, don't you? These tender cookies are the perfect fix for that craving, combining the classic spice flavors we all love and a chewy crumb that just about melts in your mouth. Making them from scratch allows for control in the texture, and these are calibrated to a just-right tenderness that we (and many others) find irresistible. And speaking of irresistible, we guarantee that the aroma coming from your kitchen as you bake these will make it the gathering place of the entire house. While that scent (and those flavors) are especially welcome when temperatures outside start to dip, these tender cookies are welcome at any time of year.

Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories     Dessert

Time 3h30m

Yield 90

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons molasses
2 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher (coarse) salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2/3 cup granulated or coarse sugar

Steps:

  • In large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg and molasses. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours.
  • Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper or silicone baking mat. In small bowl, place granulated sugar. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. On cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart.
  • Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until set and soft in center. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Store tightly covered up to 1 week.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 50, Carbohydrate 8 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Fat 1/2, Fiber 0 g, Protein 0 g, SaturatedFat 1 1/2 g, ServingSize 1 Cookie, Sodium 45 mg, Sugar 5 g, TransFat 0 g

GINGERBREAD MEN COOKIES



Gingerbread Men Cookies image

These Gingerbread Men Cookies are as cute as can be. If desired, decorate with raisins, currants or cinnamon red hot candies for eyes and buttons. Or, pipe untinted or colored icing onto cookies.

Provided by McCormick Spice

Categories     Trusted Brands: Recipes and Tips     McCormick®

Time 4h30m

Yield 24

Number Of Ingredients 11

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons McCormick® Ginger, Ground
1 teaspoon McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon McCormick® Nutmeg, Ground
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter, softened
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract

Steps:

  • Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla;mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with 5-inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
  • Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are set and just begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cooled cookies as desired. Store cookies in airtight container up to5 days.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 158.1 calories, Carbohydrate 24 g, Cholesterol 23 mg, Fat 6.1 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 2 g, SaturatedFat 3.7 g, Sodium 125.3 mg, Sugar 10.6 g

GINGERBREAD COOKIES



Gingerbread cookies image

Put your feet up and enjoy these moreish gingerbread cookies with a cuppa, made with aromatic cloves, ginger, cinnamon and rich black treacle

Provided by Esther Clark

Categories     Afternoon tea, Dessert

Time 32m

Yield Makes 20 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 11

120g unsalted butter, softened
1½ tbsp black treacle
170g soft light brown sugar
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 medium egg
200g plain flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp ground cloves
1½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
60g golden caster sugar

Steps:

  • Beat together the butter, treacle, brown sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, then beat through all of the remaining dry ingredients apart from the caster sugar. Chill the mixture in the fridge for 1 hr.
  • Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Roll the mixture into 20 even-sized balls (weighing for accuracy, if you like). Tip the caster sugar onto a small plate, then add each ball and roll around to coat. Space each ball out on the baking sheets. Bake for 9-10 mins until golden brown. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 135 calories, Fat 5 grams fat, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 20 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 12 grams sugar, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 1 grams protein, Sodium 0.18 milligram of sodium

GINGERBREAD COOKIES



Gingerbread Cookies image

Gingerbread cookies are a must for the holidays, and these spiced gingerbread men have a festive taste that doesn't disappoint! Originally titled "Eileen's Spicy Gingerbread Men," this gingerbread cookie recipe is easy to make and fun to decorate with kids. Adjust the spices to your liking, and use any shape cookie cutter for a nice variety of holiday cookies.

Provided by Stephanie Schneidewind

Categories     Gingerbread Cookies

Time 1h40m

Yield 30

Number Of Ingredients 12

½ cup margarine, softened
½ cup white sugar
1 large egg yolk
½ cup molasses (not blackstrap)
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
½ teaspoon ground cloves, or to taste
½ teaspoon ground ginger, or to taste
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or to taste

Steps:

  • Beat margarine and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until mostly incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, another 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolk, then molasses.
  • Whisk sifted flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg in a separate bowl until well combined. Gradually add flour mixture to the molasses mixture, beating until well blended and smooth.
  • Divide dough in half and form each into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 to 3 hours, or overnight.
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Working with one disk at a time, and leaving remaining disk in the refrigerator, unwrap chilled dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Working from the center to the edges, roll dough with a floured rolling pin to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
  • Cut dough into desired shapes with cookie cutters, dipping the cutters into flour as needed so they don't stick to the dough. Fit the cookie cutters as closely together as possible to cut as many cookies as you can. This will minimize the number of times you have to re-roll the dough.
  • Transfer gingerbread cookies to ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Gather any dough scraps into a ball, flatten, re-wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate to use for later batches.
  • Bake each sheet in the preheated oven until firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool while you finish rolling, cutting, and baking the remaining cookies.
  • Frost or decorate cooled gingerbread cookies as desired.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 88.4 calories, Carbohydrate 14 g, Cholesterol 6.8 mg, Fat 3.3 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 0.6 g, Sodium 103.4 mg, Sugar 6.4 g

ULTIMATE EASY GINGERBREAD



Ultimate easy gingerbread image

Make some gingerbread stars to hang from your Christmas tree. This biscuit dough is extremely forgiving if overworked, so it's perfect for baking with children

Provided by Liberty Mendez

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 8

100g salted butter
3 tbsp golden syrup
100g dark muscovado sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
225g plain flour
50g icing sugar

Steps:

  • Heat the butter, syrup and sugar together in a small pan until melted, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • Mix together the bicarb, ginger, cinnamon and flour in a large bowl. Pour in the buttery syrup mixture and stir to combine, then use your hands to bring together to form a dough. The dough will be soft at this point, but it'll firm up in the fridge.
  • Put the dough on a sheet of baking parchment, shape into a rectangle, and lay another sheet of parchment on top of it. Roll the dough out to a thickness of ½cm. Transfer to a baking sheet to keep it flat, leaving the parchment in place, then chill in the fridge for 1 hr.
  • Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line a large baking sheet with more baking parchment. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut out shapes using a cookie cutter. We used 9cm stars, but you can choose any shape. We also made some with smaller stars cut out of the centre to thread ribbon through and hang from a Christmas tree.
  • Place the shapes, spread apart, on the lined baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 mins. (Depending on the size of the cutters you use, they might need a few minutes more or less cooking in the oven). Leave to cool completely on the baking sheet.
  • Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with 1-2 tbsp water - you want to create a consistency that's thick and pipeable, and not too thin or it will run. Decorate the cooled biscuits with the icing using a piping bag with a thin nozzle. Find out how to make a piping bag.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 150 calories, Fat 5 grams fat, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 23 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 12 grams sugar, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 2 grams protein, Sodium 0.2 milligram of sodium

GINGERBREAD CUTOUT COOKIES



Gingerbread Cutout Cookies image

Our two boys linger around the kitchen when these homemade gingerbread cookies are baking. I make this gingerbread cookie recipe throughout the year using a variety of cookie cutters. —Christy Thelan, Kellogg, Iowa

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 40m

Yield 5 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 12

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
3/4 cup molasses
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Vanilla frosting of your choice
Red and green paste food coloring

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until easy to handle, about 4 hours or overnight., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Bake until edges are firm, 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Tint some of the frosting red and some green; leave remaining frosting plain. Decorate cookies.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 77 calories, Fat 2g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 10mg cholesterol, Sodium 69mg sodium, Carbohydrate 13g carbohydrate (6g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 1g protein.

Tips:

  • Chill the dough before baking: This will help the cookies hold their shape and prevent them from spreading too much in the oven.
  • Use a cookie scoop or spoon to measure out the dough: This will help ensure that all of the cookies are the same size and shape.
  • Bake the cookies at the right temperature: If the oven is too hot, the cookies will brown too quickly and may burn. If the oven is too cool, the cookies will not cook through.
  • Let the cookies cool completely before frosting them: This will help the frosting set properly and prevent it from melting.
  • Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature: The cookies will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.

Conclusion:

These gingerbread cookies are a delicious and festive treat that are perfect for any occasion. They are easy to make and can be decorated in a variety of ways. With a few simple tips, you can make perfect gingerbread cookies that everyone will love.

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