• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

All Things Bread

  • Recipe Index
  • FAQ Bread
  • Privacy/Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • FAQ Bread
  • Privacy/Contact
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • FAQ Bread
  • Privacy/Contact
×
Join My Newsletter ✉️

Cookies » Easy Gingerbread Cookies

Easy Gingerbread Cookies

Published: Dec 20, 2021 · Modified: Dec 20, 2021 by Rosemary Molloy

Pin
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

The best easy Gingerbread Cookies that are perfect for the Christmas season. These cookies are flavored with just the right amount of gingerbread spices and topped with homemade royal icing for decoration. 

Gingerbread cookies on a black plate and 4 on a grey board.

I always make several kinds of cutout cookies for the holidays and, of course, gingerbread cookies are always on the list. I like to make them early in the season because they have the most amazing aroma while they bake - the scent of ground cinnamon and ginger just fills the house at gets everyone in the holiday mood.

So, I'm sharing my favorite easy gingerbread cookie recipe. It's great for beginning bakers because it's simple. Not only that, but my royal icing is easy, too! So, you can decorate your cookies and give them a special Christmas finishing touch.

The cookies have the best flavor - not too much spice and just enough sugar. They really are the perfect holiday cookie if you want to surprise your friends and family.

4 gingerbread cookies on a green board.

Gingerbread Cookie Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour - use flour that is at least 11% protein. This will help keep the cookies from spreading.
  • Pinch of salt
  • Baking soda
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Ground ginger
  • Softened butter
  • Granulated sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Molasses
  • Large egg yolk

This recipe makes a batch of 11 cookies, but you can double the ingredients to make a bigger batch. If you do, use one whole egg. That's the only change you need to make.

How to Make Them

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger. Set the flour mixture aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and both kinds of sugar with a hand mixer until soft and creamy. Add the molasses and egg yolk and beat again to combine.

Beating the butter & sugar & molasses before and after.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.

Adding the flour to form a compact dough in a silver bowl.

Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface and knead to form a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least one hour. You can also chill it overnight.

Dough formed into a ball on plastic wrap.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the chilled dough until it's about a ¼" thick. Use a 2 ½" round cookie cutter to cut out the dough. Place the cookie cutouts on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and space them about 1 to 1 ½" apart.

Rolling the dough and cutting out with a round cookie cutter, and cookies on parchment paper.

Chill the cookie dough cutouts while you preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Bake the cookies for eight to ten minutes and then leave them on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.

The baked cookies on the cookie sheet.

Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before adding the icing.

Decorated cooled gingerbread cookies on a wire rack.

Royal Icing Recipe

Royal icing is great because it hardens when it sets. This makes it easy to store the cookies without the icing smearing.

  • Egg white or meringue powder
  • Sifted icing/powdered sugar
  • Lemon juice or water
  • Food colouring if desired

Traditional royal icing is made with raw egg whites and lemon juice, but you can use meringue powder and water instead and get the same result. 

Egg White Method: In a mixing bowl, beat the egg white until it's light and frothy. Next, add the sifted sugar and lemon juice and beat on medium speed until the mixture is thick and shiny. Add food coloring at this point if you're using it. 

Meringue Powder Method: In a bowl, whisk the sifted sugar and meringue powder. Add the water and beat the mixture on medium speed for approximately two minutes. If the icing is too thick add a drop or two of water to thin it. Add a little more icing/powdered sugar and then beat the icing for about 15 to 20 seconds.

Royal Icing in a blue bowl.

How to Ice and Decorate the Cookies

Once the gingerbread cookies are cooled completely and the icing is made, it's time to do the decorating.

You can use a pastry bag fitted with a small hole tip for piping. This makes it easier to have more control when you decorate. If you don't have a piping bag, a simple resealable bag with the corner snipped off will work, too.

Pipe the icing onto the cookies or you can also drizzle it. Add sprinkles and other decorations while the icing is still wet.

Once you decorated the cookies, let them sit out at room temperature for one to two hours so the icing can harden.

Gingerbread cookies on a green board.

Storage Tips

Once you've decorated your cookies, place them in an airtight container with wax paper separating the layers. This will keep them from sticking. They will keep well for several days at room temperature.

Freeze the cooled decorated or undecorated cookies in a freezer safe container, with parchment paper separating the layers. They will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

You can't go wrong with these Christmas cookies. They're a classic and my recipe is so easy you can make it several times through the holidays!

4 gingerbread cookies on a green board.

More Christmas Recipes

  • Cranberry Cream Biscuits
  • Easy Bread Pudding
  • Cinnamon Rolls
  • Easy Chocolate Cookie Clusters
4 gingerbread cookies on a green board.

Easy Gingerbread Cookies

Rosemary Molloy
The best easy Gingerbread Cookies that are perfect for the Christmas season. They have just the right amount of spices and decorated with royal icing.
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Chilling Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 25 mins
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 11 cookies
Calories 164 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (at least 11% protein) (146 grams - total)
  • 1 pinch salt*
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ cup butter (soft)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar (packed)
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 large egg yolk

*If using unsalted butter then use ¼ teaspoon of salt.

    ROYAL ICING

    • 1 large egg white** (or ¾ tablespoon meringue powder)
    • 1 cup icing/powdered sugar (sifted)
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice**
    • food colouring if desired

    **You can substitute the egg white with ¾ tablespoon of meringue powder, if you do then use 1 - 1½ tablespoons of water.

      Instructions
       

      • In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger. Set aside.
      • In the mixing bowl beat until soft and creamy about 2 minutes the butter and sugars, add the molasses and yolk and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients and beat just to combine. Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface and knead to form a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least one hour. You can also chill it overnight.
      • Roll the dough to ¼ inch thickness, cut out with 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter. Place the cookies on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, leaving them 1-1½ inches apart. Refrigerate the cookies while the oven is pre-heating.
      • Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C)
      • Bake the cookies 8-10 minutes. Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for approximately 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating. Enjoy.

      ROYAL ICING

      • In a small/medium bowl beat the egg white until light and frothy, add in the sifted powdered/icing sugar and lemon juice, beat on medium speed until thick and shiny. Add colouring if using. Fill the pastry bag with the small hole tip and decorate the cookies. The icing should firm up in about 1-2 hours.
        If using meringue powder - In a small/medium bowl, whisk together the sifted icing/powdered sugar and meringue powder, add the water and beat together on medium speed for approximately until 2 minutes, if too thick add a drop or two of water (to start) too thin a little more icing/powdered sugar, beat to combine, about 15-20 seconds.

      Notes

      This is a small batch recipe, it can easily be doubled, instead of using 1 egg yolk use the whole egg. 
      Once you've decorated your cookies, place them in an airtight container with parchment paper separating the layers. This will keep them from sticking. They will keep well for several days at room temperature.
      Freeze the cooled decorated or undecorated cookies in a freezer safe container, with parchment paper separating the layers. They will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

      Nutrition

      Calories: 164kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 110mgPotassium: 79mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 207IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg
      Keyword Christmas cookies, cutout cookies, gingerbread cookies, gingerbread cutout cookies
      Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
      Pin
      « Easy Chocolate Glazed Marble Cake
      Quick and Easy Sourdough Biscuits »

      Reader Interactions

      Leave a Comment & Rating Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

      Primary Sidebar

      Hi I'm Rosemary

      Welcome, I am here to share everything from yeast bread to sweet bread and everything in between. If you are new to bread making or you have been baking for a while I hope you enjoy the recipes and don’t forget to let me know what you think of them.
      picture of rosemary

      Featured Recipes

      a loaf with 2 slices cut and a knife on a blue board

      Easy Everyday Bread

      Focaccia bread pieces on a wooden board.

      Refrigerator Dough Focaccia

      Cheddar jalapeno bread on a blue napkin.

      Homemade Cheddar Jalapeno Bread

      Footer

      Breads and sweets logo.

      Looking for something?

      • Recipe Index
      • FAQ
      • Privacy/Contact

      Copyright 2022 - Breads and Sweets