Make these delicious iced gingerbread cookies recipe for Christmas, decorated with powdered sugar icing and perfectly spiced with gingerbread and molasses flavor. They are absolutely delicious, tender on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside, the perfect gift for Christmas.
These are definitely my favorite gingerbread cookies, to put at the very top of the holiday cookie list, no one can resist its warm spicy flavor and its soft texture on the inside and crisp edges.
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If you love the flavor of gingerbread and all Christmas sugar cookies that are made during this festive season and during the Christmas holidays, then you won't be able to resist this delicious recipe for iced gingerbread cookies recipe.
Very similar to the Christmas sugar cookie, but made here with a brown cookie dough flavored with brown sugar and a spice blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves that gives it that delicious gingerbread flavor.
Why you'll love this recipe
Craving for more Christmas cookie recipes : Chocolate spritz cookies, spiced snowflake cookies, gingerbread men, mini gingerbread houses, Candy cane cookies, white chocolate candy cane cookies, chocolate thumbprint cookies, Frosted gingerbread cookies.
Ingredients Notes
- Butter: use only unsalted butter instead of salted butter with a well-softened texture, if you don't have time to take it out in advance then heat it a little in the microwave.
- Sugar: a flavored sugar preferably like dark brown sugar, which you can substitute with light brown sugar, cane sugar or simple white granulated sugar.
- Egg: at room temperature.
- Molasses: essential for the gingerbread flavor, you can replace the blackstrap molasses with a mixture of honey and maple syrup.
- Flour: white all-purpose flour that you can replace with a gluten-free flour mix for a gluten-free version.
- Spices: a ready-made gingerbread mix, or use ground cinnamon, ground ginger or fresh grated ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
- Yeast: essential for soft cookies, baking soda or baking powder.
- Vanilla extract and salt: to bring out all the flavors. You can also add lemon or orange zest for extra flavor.
- Powdered Sugar (Icing Sugar): Powdered sugar, also called icing or confectioner's sugar, is finely ground from granulated sugar. It's used for making icing, frosting, and glazes, providing a smooth texture for easy dissolvability.
- Water: Water plays a crucial role in creating icing sugar glazes and royal icing. It's added in small amounts to powdered sugar to control icing consistency for drizzling, spreading, or piping onto baked goods. Gradually adding and mixing water achieves the desired texture and glossy finish.
How to Make Christmas Gingerbread Cookies
Here are some quick visual instructions. Don't forget that full directions with exact ingredients can be found in the main recipe card below!
- Step 1: Place flour, spices, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda (or baking powder) and salt in a medium sized bowl and mix with a tablespoon until well blended.
- Step 2: Place the softened butter with the brown sugar in a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted paddle attachment and blend on medium speed for about 2 to 3 minutes until creamy.
- Step 3: Then add the room temperature egg and vanilla extract and molasses and blend again for 1 minute to incorporate.
- Step 4: Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients mixture and beat with a mixer just until completely combined and gather the dough with your hands until the dough forms a slightly sticky dough ball.
- Step 5: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour (if you have time prepare the dough the day before).
- Step 6: Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3 mm.
- Step 7: With your cookie cutter, cut out shapes on the dough and place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or in silicone baking mats
Bake cookies
- Preheat oven to 347°C / 175°C and let the cookies bake for about 8-10 minutes depending on size until they are a little puffy and golden.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool a bit before moving them to a wire rack and letting them cool completely.
Royal icing decoration
To decorate your cookies, prepare your homemade royal icing, it's easy to do and you only need 2 ingredients powdered sugar and water.
- Place the powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the water and mix with for at least 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and fluid.
- Add a little water if the texture seems too thick or add a little powdered sugar to thicken it.
- Fill a pastry bag and cut the tip to make a small opening.
- Decorate your baked cookies when they are cool and sprinkle them with granulated sugar.
- Let decorated cookies dry at room temperature for about 1 hour.
Storage and Freeze
At room temperature: the cookies can only be stored at room temperature, placed in an airtight container box for about 1 to 2 weeks.
In the freezer: You can also keep them for up to 3 months in the freezer, in storage bags or in a box and without the sugar glaze.
TIPS FOR THIS RECIPE
Confident tips
Freeze cut-outs: place the cut-outs in the freeze for about 10-15 minutes. This will keep the dough firm and prevent it form deforming during baking.
VARIATIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS
Variations:
Substitutions:
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make gingerbread cookie dough ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the gingerbread cookie dough ahead of time. Simply wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to a few days before rolling and baking.
Does gingerbread harden when cooled?
When removed from the oven, the gingerbread cookies should be soft and as they cool they harden a bit.
Can I make gingerbread cookies without molasses?
While molasses is a traditional ingredient in gingerbread cookies, you can substitute it with a mixture of honey and maple syrup for a slightly different flavor and texture.
How do I prevent my gingerbread cookies from spreading too much during baking?
To prevent excessive spreading, make sure the dough is properly chilled before cutting and baking. Additionally, using a recipe with a higher flour-to-butter ratio can help maintain cookie shape.
More Christmas Desserts
I hope you love these cookie monster cookies. If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Happy Baking!
Print
Iced Gingerbread Cookies
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 30 cookies
Description
Best iced gingerbread Christmas cookies flavored with warm spices and molasses and decorated with icing sugar (for about 30 cookies)
Ingredients
Gingerbread cookies
- 153 g (1 stick + 3 tbsp) Butter - unsalted and softened
- 135 g (⅔ cup) Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg - large at room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 150 g (⅓ cup) molasses - or honey + maple syrup mix
- 450 g (3 cups) Flour - all-purpose
- 1 tsp Cinnamon - ground
- 1 tsp Ginger - ground
- 1 pinch Nutmeg - ground
- 1 pinch Cloves - ground
- 1 tsp baking soda - or baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
Royal Icing
- 400 g (3 ⅓ cups)Powdered sugar - sifted
- 40 g (3-4 tbsp) Water
- Sugar for decoration
Instructions
Gingerbread cookies
- Start by mixing together all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
- In the mixer bowl with the paddle attachment beat the softened butter with the brown sugar for 3 to 5 minutes until creamy and smooth.
- Add molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and mix for 1 minute to incorporate them.
- Add the dry ingredients mixture and mix on medium speed for 1 minute until the dough is smooth.
- Form the dough into a ball and cover it with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Roll out the dough on 3 mm between 2 sheets of parchment paper and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the 2 sheets of parchment paper and cut out shapes with your cookie cutters.
- Place your dough pieces on a baking sheet covered with baking paper and place again in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 347°F/175°C and bake the cookies for 8-11 minutes (depending on size). The cookies are ready when they are golden brown and still a little soft to the touch, they will harden as they cool.
- Let them cool completely.
Royal Icing
- Place the powdered sugar in a large bowl with the water and mix with an electric mixer for at least 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and has a more or less fluid texture.
- If the mixture is too liquid add more powdered sugar and mix again for 1 minute or if it is too thick add a few drops of water and mix.
- Fill a pastry bag with the preparation and decorate your cookies, then sprinkle with granulated sugar and let dry for 1 hour.
Notes
Conservation : at room temperature for several weeks in a conservation box. Or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: cookies, shortbread
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Calories: 152
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 80
- Fat: 4
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 26
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 16
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