Gingerbread Cookies are a must for the Holidays! Gingerbread Men, Reindeer, Houses, Candy Canes, and Christmas Trees. The shape doesn’t really matter, it’s all about the flavor.
I asked my wife what part of the gingerbread man did she eat first. Apparently that confused her so I asked her if she ate the head, the arms or the feet first.
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It would appear that most people don’t even pay attention to this very important question. All I can tell you is that I always eat the head first. Does this mean something? I need to ask my therapist.
A few days after asking the wife this simple question, she finally told me she ate the head first. Maybe that’s why we are married? Who knows but I do know some of you start from the other parts. Let me know in the comments.
Keep in mind that the size of the cookie cutter you use will dictate the number of cookies this recipe will generate and in turn change the nutritional information per cookie. Keep this in mind if this matters to you.
Personally I love to use Ann Clark Cookie Cutters but you can use whatever you have at your disposal. I just like the quality of their cookie cutters.
You need to view this recipe as the starting point for gingerbread cookies. You can keep them plain as you can see in the photos, dust them with powdered sugar or decorate them with royal icing.
Ingredient Substitution
I often get asked what a good substitute for molasses would be. Not sure if it’s because they don’t have any on hand or simply don’t like the flavor.
You have a few options as far as substitutes go: dark corn syrup, maple syrup, honey or even some dark brown sugar with a little water added to it.
Remember that substituting for one of these ingredients will alter the overall flavor of this recipe.
If you prefer sugar cookies over gingerbread, you should try my Easy Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing recipe.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Easy Gingerbread Cookies recipe (see recipe card for quantities): All Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Ground Ginger, Ground Cinnamon, Allspice, Unsalted Butter, Light Brown Sugar, Molasses and Water.
How to Make Easy Gingerbread Cookies
- Sift flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter until creamy. add brown sugar and beat till fluffy stir in molasses and water.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix till well-blended.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F
- On a lightly floured top, roll out cookie dough to a thickness of about 3/16 inches.
- Cut the cookie dough with gingerbread men cutters.
- Using a large spatula, place cookies on a greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet. Move to wire rack and let cool completely.
Easy Gingerbread Cookies
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Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 2 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
- ½ Tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ Tsp Salt
- 2 Tsp Ground Ginger
- ½ Tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ Tsp Ground Allspice
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- ½ Cup Molasses
- 2 Tbsp Water
For the Frosting
- 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
- ¾ Cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 1 Tbsp Milk
- ½ Tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- Food Coloring
Instructions
Make the Cookies
- In a mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and allspice. Mix to combine.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter until creamy. Add the brown sugar and beat till fluffy. Stir in molasses and water. Add dry ingredients mix till well blended
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- On a lightly floured top, roll out cookie dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
- Cut the dough with the desired cookie cutters. Place cookies on a greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet. Move to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Make the Frosting
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until you reach the desired consistency and color.
Gingerbread cookies are a must in my family for the holidays. This recipe is delicious. I made 3 batches for the holidays and they all disappeared very quickly.