← All recipes

Baking · American-European

Gingerbread Cookies

Molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and a whole tray of little people to decorate.

Hands-on
50 min
Hands-off
1 h
Total
1 h 50 min
Makes
36 cookies (7.5 cm / 3 in), 36-42
Serves
36

Total = 50 min active (mixing, rolling, cutting and baking the batches) + 60 min chilling; preheating overlaps rolling.

Oven 180 °C · 160 °C fan (350 °F)

  • easy
  • vegetarian
  • christmas
  • holiday
  • cut-out-cookies
  • kid-friendly
  • decorating
  • make-ahead

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Gingerbread Cookies
Amount
Units
Oven

Ingredients

You need: saucepan (or microwave-safe bowl) · medium mixing bowl · whisk · plastic wrap · rolling pin · cookie cutters · baking sheets · parchment (optional) · wire rack · oven mitts · thin metal spatula · fork or small knife for the glaze · gel food colours (optional)

Contains: wheat · egg · milk

Method

  1. Melt and flavor

    Melt 170 g (12 tbsp) butter over low heat (or in the microwave), then stir in 159 g (3/4 cup) brown sugar, 255 g (3/4 cup) molasses, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp ginger and 1/4 tsp allspice or cloves.

    Ready when: The butter has fully melted and everything is blended into a smooth, glossy syrup.

  2. Cool, then add the egg

    Pour it into a mixing bowl and let it cool to lukewarm, then beat in 1 egg.

    Ready when: Lukewarm: comfortably warm on a fingertip, not hot, so the egg doesn't start to cook.

    Otto tried this firstOtto beats the egg into the hot syrup and gets sweet scrambled egg. Let it cool first.

  3. Add the dry ingredients

    Whisk 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda into 450 g (3 3/4 cups) flour, then stir it into the molasses mix. The dough will be very soft and sticky. Don't add extra flour.

  4. Chill

    Split the dough in half, pat each piece into a thick rectangle, wrap well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until properly cold.

    Otto tried this firstOtto tries to roll it straight away and it glues itself to the pin. Cold dough rolls; warm dough sticks.

  5. Heat the oven

    Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, gas 4, 350°F). Get out a few baking sheets; line them with parchment if you like.

    Ready when: The oven has fully reached temperature (the preheat light is off, or an oven thermometer agrees) before anything goes in.

  6. Roll

    On a floured surface, roll one piece of dough 3-6 mm (1/8-1/4 in) thick: thinner gives crisper cookies. Flour the top too if it sticks, or roll it between parchment and plastic wrap.

  7. Cut and transfer

    Cut out shapes with a floured cutter, close together to waste less dough, and lift them onto the sheets with a thin metal spatula so they keep their shape. If you rolled on parchment, peel away the scraps around the cookies instead.

  8. Bake

    Bake for 8-12 minutes. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

    Ready when: Just slightly browned around the edges and firm when touched lightly.

  9. Cool

    Leave them on the sheets for a few minutes until set, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

  10. Glaze (optional)

    Mix 255 g (2 1/4 cups) sifted confectioners' sugar, 35 g (2 tbsp) light corn syrup and 1 tbsp milk with a fork until smooth. It should be thick but soft enough to settle when spread; if it's too thick, add more milk 1/2 tsp at a time, up to 2 tbsp in total. Tint with gel colours if you like, then spread it on the completely cooled cookies.

Swaps

  • Instead of ground allspice: ground cloves, same 1/4 tsp
  • Instead of light brown sugar: dark brown sugar, same amount Either works; dark gives a deeper molasses flavour.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead
The wrapped dough can wait in the fridge for up to 24 hours before you roll it.
Storage
Airtight container, in a single layer or with parchment between layers, for up to 3 days.

If something goes wrong

  • Dough sticks and won't roll Why: Not chilled enough
    Put it back in the fridge until it's cold through, or roll it between parchment and plastic wrap, which needs no extra flour.
  • Cookies softer than you wanted Why: Rolled thick
    Roll closer to 3 mm (1/8 in) for a crisper cookie.
  • Glaze is thin and blotchy Why: Too much milk
    Start thick and add milk 1/2 tsp at a time. Test on one cookie: the glaze should settle smooth within about 30 seconds.

Good to know

  • Test the glaze on one cookie first: if the surface turns smooth within about half a minute, it's right.
  • Glaze the cookies only when completely cool. Gel colours give bright shades without thinning the glaze.

Safety

  • Don't taste raw dough or batter, and don't let kids snack on it or play with it: raw flour and raw egg can both carry bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Only the baked result is safe to eat.
  • After handling flour and raw egg, wash hands, bowls, utensils and the counter with warm soapy water, and keep raw dough away from ready-to-eat food.
  • The melted butter-and-molasses syrup is hot and sticky. An adult handles the pan, and the syrup must cool before the egg goes in.
  • Trays, tins and oven racks stay very hot for a while. Use oven mitts, and kids should only move things in and out of the oven with an adult.