Snowflake cookies are festive Christmas cut-out cookies flavored with warm gingerbread spices and decorated with delicate white sugar icing. Perfect for holiday cookie trays and homemade gifts!
These gingerbread snowflake cookies are rolled thin and cut into snowflake shapes before baking. Chilling the dough helps keep their delicate edges and details intact.
I finish them with a simple powdered sugar icing to create beautiful snowflake patterns, without needing traditional royal icing.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Warm gingerbread flavor: Cinnamon, ginger, molasses, and classic Christmas spices.
- Beautiful snowflake shapes: Cut-out cookies that keep their delicate details while baking.
- Simple decorations: White sugar icing creates elegant snowflake patterns without royal icing.
Ingredients you need
- Butter: Unsalted and softened to room temperature.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar.
- Molasses: For the classic gingerbread flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose flour, measured accurately.
- Spices: Ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Baking soda: Use the amount specified in the recipe card.
- Cookie icing: Powdered sugar and water for decorating the snowflakes.
How to Make Snowflake Cookies
Decorate the cookies with delicate snowflake patterns using a small round piping tip. Let the icing dry completely.
Tips for Perfect Snowflake Cookies
- Chill the dough: Cold dough is easier to cut into delicate snowflake shapes.
- Roll evenly: Keep the dough 3–4 mm thick for consistent baking.
- Keep the cutouts cold: Refrigerate briefly before baking if the dough becomes soft.
- Watch the edges: Remove the cookies when the edges are set to avoid overbaking.
- Use thick icing: A piping consistency helps create clean snowflake patterns.
Storage
Store decorated snowflake cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, once the icing has completely dried. Freeze undecorated cookies for up to 3 months.
Recipe Variations
- Vanilla snowflake cookies: Use my classic cut-out sugar cookie dough instead of gingerbread.
- Orange gingerbread: Add finely grated orange zest to the dough.
- Sparkling snowflakes: Sprinkle sanding sugar over the icing before it sets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you keep snowflake cookies from losing their shape?
Chill the dough before cutting and refrigerate the cutouts for 10–15 minutes before baking to help preserve their delicate edges.
How do you decorate snowflake cookies without royal icing?
Use a thick powdered sugar icing and a piping bag with a small round tip. Pipe lines from the center outward, then add small branches to create a snowflake pattern.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Linzer cookies
- Iced gingerbread cookies
- Cut-out sugar cookie
- No chill sugar cookies
- Nutella Linzer Cookies
I hope you’ll love this recipe! If you try this recipe, feel free to leave a comment. It always helps. Happy baking!
Recipe Video
Snowflakes cookies
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 25 cookies
Description
These gingerbread snowflake cookies are flavored with warm Christmas spices and decorated with delicate white sugar icing. Makes 25–30 large cookies.
Ingredients
Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies
- 153 g (⅔ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 135 g (⅔ cup packed) brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 150 g (about ½ cup) molasses
- 450 g (3¾ cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
Sugar Icing
- 400 g (3⅓ cups) powdered sugar, sifted
- 40 g (2 tbsp + 2 tsp) water, approximately
- Granulated sugar or sanding sugar, for decorating
Instructions
Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies
- Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- Beat the softened butter and brown sugar for 2–3 minutes until creamy.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and molasses, and mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix just until a soft dough forms.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough to 3–4 mm thick between two sheets of parchment paper. Freeze for 10 minutes.
- Cut out snowflake shapes and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden.
- Let the cookies cool briefly on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Sugar Icing
- Mix the sifted powdered sugar and water until smooth and thick enough for piping.
- Adjust the consistency with a few drops of water or more powdered sugar if needed.
- Transfer to a piping bag with a small opening and decorate the cooled cookies.
- Sprinkle with sanding sugar while the icing is wet. Let dry completely before storing.
Notes
Storage: Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Freeze undecorated cookies for up to 3 months.
Tips:
- Use a kitchen scale: For accurate measurements, especially the flour.
- Keep the dough cold: Chill before rolling and cutting to preserve the snowflake shapes.
- Roll evenly: Aim for 3–4 mm thickness for consistent baking.
- Avoid overbaking: Remove the cookies when the edges are set.
- Cool before decorating: Warm cookies can make the icing run.
Molasses substitute: If you don’t have molasses, use 75 g honey and 75 g maple syrup instead. The cookies will have a milder flavor and may spread slightly more during baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: cookies, shortbread, sugar cookies
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Calories: 258
- Sugar: 33
- Sodium: 81
- Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 58
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 15
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