These Gingerbread Cookies are a holiday classic and so fun (and easy) to make! This recipe is pretty simple, made primarily with pantry staples and perfectly flavored with molasses and spices. I love that you can adjust the thickness and/or bake time to get them soft and chewy or crispy, depending on your preference. And if you don’t want Gingerbread men, you can make reindeer instead!
I took my beloved cut out sugar cookie recipe and tweaked it to make gingerbread cookies…and it’s perfect. The balance of molasses and spices is just right in this recipe. The dough is great for cutout cookies because scraps can be re-rolled without coming out differently so no dough goes to waste. Plus the cookies themselves end up slightly soft and chewy instead of dry and crunchy, which I love. I enjoy decorating these gingerbread men cookies, but they’re delicious plain, too!
What’s in this Gingerbread Cookies Recipe?
These gingerbread men cookies are made with warm spices, molasses, and pantry staples. You can find the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour – Be sure to spoon and level the flour for accurate measuring.
- Baking soda – Helps achieve the perfect rise & texture.
- Spices – Ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves add the classic gingerbread flavor to the cookies.
- Butter – For this recipe, I use salted butter and omit additional salt. If you choose to use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the dry ingredients. Be sure the butter is at room temperature so it creams easily.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar not only adds sweetness, but helps keep the cookies softer and prevents them from drying out.
- Molasses – Molasses adds a warm, rich flavor to the cookies. Be sure to use unsulphured molasses, such as Grandma’s brand.
- Egg – Adds richness, but is also necessary to bind the dough together.
- Vanilla extract – For flavor.
- Sugar cookie icing – For decorating.
Tips for Success
- Don’t overmix. Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until all of the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated and there are no flour streaks remaining. Overmixing can result in dense cookies.
- How thin should I roll the dough? It depends on your desired texture for the cookies. I roll my dough out to a 1/4-inch thickness for a chewier cookie. Roll 1/8 inch thick for crisp cookies. Keep in mind that the longer the cookies bake, the harder and crunchier they’ll be.
- What cookie cutters should I use? I use these gingerbread men cookie cutters.
- Rotate the pan during baking. If your oven has hot spots, be sure to rotate the pan once during the bake time.
- Avoid overbaking. These gingerbread men cookies bake pretty quickly, in just 8-10 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t overbake and become extra crispy (unless you prefer them that way).
Adjust the Baking Time
Note that the exact baking time will vary based on the size of your cookie cutters. If your cookie cutters are smaller than 4 inches, like the 3 inch cookie cutters I used, bake for about 8 minutes. If your cookie cutters are larger than 4 inches, bake for about 11 minutes.
How do I turn these into Reindeer Cookies?
One of my favorite tricks is to turn gingerbread men cookies into reindeer cookies! All you have to do is flip the cookies upside down, turning the gingerbread man’s feet into reindeer antlers. Then decorate as shown in the photos above.
How to Store Homemade Gingerbread Cookies
- Room temperature. Baked and cooled Gingerbread cookies will last for about 5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freezer (cookies). Baked and decorated (or not decorated) cookies freeze well for up to 3 months.
- Freezer (dough). Unbaked cookie dough (just the prepared dough) freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then continue with written instruction.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1 cup salted butter , softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses (such as Grandma’s brand)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- sugar cookie icing , for decorating
Instructions
- Whisk together 3 & 1/4 cups spooned and leveled flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons ground cloves; set aside.
- In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together 1 cup butter and 1 cup granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Blend in 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined, scraping down the bowl, as needed, including the bottom.
- Knead the dough together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl until it comes together. Divide dough in half and shape each into a disk.
- Lightly flour a rolling pin and a clean work surface. Roll each portion of the dough out to 1/4" thickness, and cut with a floured 3-inch Gingerbread men cookie cutter. (Re-roll dough scraps until all the dough is shaped and sprinkling a touch more flour on the work surface if necessary to avoid sticking.)
- Place on parchment-lined baking sheets 2 inches apart and then transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake for 8 minutes until just barely golden on the bottoms. Watch them carefully and don’t over-bake (the longer they bake, the harder and crunchier they’ll be. See note below.) Let sit for 2-3 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before icing.
- Enjoy plain or decorate and allow to set (usually 3 hours or overnight) before stacking. For decorating, I use my tried and true sugar cookie icing recipe.
- Or flip them upside down turning the gingerbread man's feet into reindeer antlers and decorate as Reindeer cookies!
