Gingerbread Cookies are a Holiday classic for a reason! They’re just as delicious as they are adorable and make a great activity with kids for the Holidays!

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It was always a tradition when I was growing up to make holiday cookies come this time of year. I used to love rolling out the sugar cookie and gingerbread dough with my mother, cutting the cookies into fun shapes and then decorating them. 

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I wanted to continue that tradition with my own kids, but the thought of making cookies with tons of sugar didn’t seem like such a good idea (kids jumping off the walls at bed time never appeals to me), so we stuck with gingerbread. This recipe does have some sugar, but not a lot. It also contains molasses, which is full or iron, a bonus for kids.

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This recipe makes dozens of cookies (more or less, depending on the size of the cookie cutters you use), so you’ll have plenty for friends and your family during the holidays.

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Gingerbread Cookies

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Author: Catherine McCord
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Refrigerator Time: 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients  

Icing:

Instructions 

  • Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl.
  • With a standing mixer using the paddle attachment OR by hand, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
  • Add the egg, vanilla, and molasses, beating until combined.
  • Gradually add the flour to the butter, beating until combined.
  • Divide the dough in half and form into 2 disks. Refrigerate in plastic wrap or parchment paper for 2 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
  • On a lightly floured surface OR between 2 pieces of parchment paper, roll out one of the disks until it’s 1/4 thick all around.
  • Cut out cookies with different shapes (gingerbread men, stars, christmas tree, etc) and using a spatula transfer cookie to the baking sheet.
  • Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.
  • Remove to a cooling rack. Decorate the cookies after they have cooled.

Icing:

  • Place ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Place in a ziplock bag and cut a tiny whole at one end to squeeze and draw with the icing.

Nutrition

Calories: 70kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 50mg | Sugar: 5g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

Comments

  1. Okay, so I’m commenting 7 years later. lol! But I thought I’d comment for future readers. It has worked perfectly for us to build a gingerbread house, 2 years in a row now. BEST tasting gingerbread house you will ever have! We eat every last bite.

  2. […] any artificial food coloring found in decorative candies. This recipe is chosen from Weelicious because it contains less sugar but much flavor compared to other recipes. Taste & […]

  3. I just made these yesterday for the first times, and they are awesome! I even used whole wheat pastry flour, and they were still so good. These will definitely be in my holiday baking routine from now on. Thanks for sharing them!

  4. Hello, took the dough out of the fridge and when we tried to roll it out it just cracked all over. Measured carefully, but is it just too dry and if so can it be saved? Also, your description said what is great about these cookies is that the dough need not be refrigerated before rolling/baking, but then the recipe said to refrigerate 2 hrs or overnight. Strange as only 1 stick butter so not a moist dough.

  5. Made the dough and put in the fridge a few days ago; still haven’t found the time to bake them! How long do you think it will keep before I need to put in the freezer?

  6. For the icing recipe – are you supposed to melt the butter? I didn’t melt mine and it came out looking like really thick dough. 🙁

  7. After reviewing several gingerbread cookie recipies, all quite similar, this looks a good as any and I like the reduced sugar. Going to make these! I did find a nice idea about jarring and giving the ingredients as a gift. Here goes:
    Mix 2 cups of the flour with the baking soda and baking powder. Mix the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour with the ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. In a wide mouth canning jar (needs to hold 4 1/2 cups), layer the ingredients starting with the flour and baking powder mixture, then the brown sugar, and finally the flour and spice mixture. Pack firmly between layers.
    Attach a card to the jar with steps 2 through 10 from above. Be sure to include the amounts of the additional ingredients that are to be added (1/2 cup butter, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2/3 cup unsulphured molasses). A hint from another recipe said to add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to keep the dough from crumbling, making it easier to work with and cookies moist.

  8. Follow the directions to cream the butter (just cream it on it’s own) and all the directions following and just add the flour mixture as the recipe states. It should be okay!

  9. Since the recipe called for mixing the dry ingredients first I mistakenly added the sugar instead of leaving it out to mix with the butter. 🙁 Did I ruin it.? Should I start over? Or what can I do to fix? Thanks so much! Been looking forward to making this recipe

  10. Sifting is a method of incorporating air into the dry ingredients. If you don’t have a sifter then you can whisk the dry ingredients together really well to get the air mixed in.

  11. What do u mean by sifting the ingredients into a bowl? And is it necessary. Sorry, I am a beginner.. Thanks! 🙂

  12. So do you add the raisins, red hots, sprinkles, etc before baking? If you don’t add icing they would have to be added before baking, right? Otherwise they won’t stick? Thanks! We’ve already cooked one batch and it’s great.

  13. SunnyDay…

    […]Gingerbread Cookies | Weelicious ™ – Fast, Easy & Fresh Homemade Home Made Baby Food Babyfood Recipes, Toddler Food and recipes for the entire family![…]…

  14. Can I substitute honey for molasses as that’s what I have on hand? I love your website. It’s been very helpful.

  15. Wow! These cookies are great!!!! So easy and so much fun, lots of flavour and adults and kiddies here were super happy. Also just realized that a 2 year-old doesn’t like to put smarties on the cookies, just in his mouth 🙂 Will try raisins in the next batch 🙂 But why did my icing go gritty? Is caster sugar the same as confectionary sugar? (Am in Australia)

  16. I’d also be interested in whether or not this recipe can be used for a house, as I am not too keen on purchasing a storebought kit to decorate with my toddler!

  17. My family absolutely loves your graham cracker recipe, so I decided to see if you have a gingerbread recipe… and you do! I haven’t tried it yet, since I just found it, but was curious if these cookies would hold up to making a gingerbread house, and if you had a sturdy royal icing recipe?

    Last year I bought one of those pre-made kits :(, and it was inedible and didn’t stay together well either. It was fun putting together, but I would like something that my boys could munch on that is tasty too.

    Thanks!

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