Looking for a foolproof recipe to make dough for gingerbread cookies? This one is exactly what you need! It produces cookies with a sturdy yet tender texture, perfect for all your festive shapes and designs. With this reliable dough, you can get creative with confidence, knowing your cookies will bake evenly without any unexpected spreading.
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Gingerbread cookies get their distinct, rich flavor from molasses and spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. This recipe balances these flavors perfectly.
Ingredients
Gather the following ingredients to make the gingerbread cookie dough:
- All-purpose flour: sift flour if necessary to remove lumps
- Baking soda and salt
- Spices: ground cinnamon, ground ginger and ground cloves
- Unsalted butter and an egg: bring both of these ingredients to room temperature before beginning recipe
- Brown sugar: use light or dark brown sugar
- Dark molasses: use regular molasses and not blackstrap molasses (blackstrap molasses is too powerful a flavor for these cookies).
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow directions below to make the dough for gingerbread cookies:
1 - Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Sift flour through a fine mesh sieve if necessary to remove any lumps. Set aside.
2 - Place butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (note - a hand-mixer may be used). Mix on medium speed until it becomes light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
3 - Add molasses to mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
4 - Add egg to mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until well combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
5 - Add dry ingredients (flour, spices, etc...) to mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until just combined. Take care not to overmix, as this can lead to less tender cookies. If the dough appears crumbly, gently knead it with your hands until it comes together.
6 - Divide dough in half and form into two flattened discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for 2 hours or until fully chilled.
7 - Generously flour a work surface. Roll out dough until it is slightly less than ¼ inch thick. Using your choice of cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes and place them on baking sheets. Continue rolling out dough and cutting shapes until all the dough is used up.
8 - Bake cookies that are approximately 3 inches in size for 8 to 10 minutes. For larger cookies, bake a few minutes longer, and for smaller cookies, bake a few minutes less. Bake at 350℉ / 180℃.
Decorating
To decorate gingerbread cookies, you have a few classic and fun options. Here are some ideas:
- Royal Icing: This is a traditional choice that hardens nicely. You can pipe fine lines, dots, and other details. Add a few drops of food coloring for different colors.
- Fondant: Roll out fondant and cut it into shapes that match your cookies.
- Powdered sugar: for a simple, yet classic decoration, place a few tablespoons of powdered sugar in a mesh sieve and sprinkle over cookies
- Natural Decorations: For a rustic look, consider using dried fruit, nuts, or seeds
Gingerbread heart cookies
I used royal icing for the gingerbread cookies in this post. Check out the following video for a demo on how to achieve this:
Equipment
You need the following equipment to make the gingerbread cookie dough:
- Bowls, measuring cups and spoons
- Hand or stand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment or silicone baking mats
- Rolling pin
Storage
Place cookies in an airtight container or tightly-sealed cookie tin, separating layers with parchment or wax paper. They can stay fresh this way for up to two weeks. Alternatively, wrap undecorated cookies well and freeze for up to 2 months.
FAQ
How do I prevent the gingerbread dough from cracking when I roll it out?
More holiday recipes
Looking for other recipes for your holiday celebration? Try these:
I hope this dough for gingerbread cookies meets your expectations as it has mine! Having a reliable recipe gives you all the essentials to make festive treats that taste as amazing as they look!
📋 Recipe
Dough for Gingerbread Cookies
Equipment
- 2 Cookie Sheet Pans Lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper
- 1 Hand Mixer or
- Bowls, measuring cups and spoons
- Cookie cutters
Ingredients
Gingerbread cookie dough
- ⅔ Cup Unsalted butter softened
- ¾ Cup Brown sugar light or dark
- ⅔ Cup Dark Molasses use unsulfured molasses
- 1 Large Egg room temperature
- 3 ½ Cups All-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon Ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Gingerbread cookie dough
- Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Sift flour through a fine mesh sieve if necessary to remove any lumps. Set aside.3 ½ Cups All-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon Ground ginger, 2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon Ground cloves, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Place butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (note - a hand-mixer may be used).⅔ Cup Unsalted butter, ¾ Cup Brown sugar
- Mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides of bowl as needed.
- Add molasses to mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.⅔ Cup Dark Molasses
- Add egg to mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until combined, scraping down bowl as needed.1 Large Egg
- Add dry ingredients (flour, spices, etc...) to mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until well combined.
- Note: if dough appears crumbly, gently knead with your hands until it comes together.
- Divide dough in half and form into two flattened discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for 2 hours or until fully chilled.
Rolling dough and baking
- Preheat oven to 350℉ / 180℃
- Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Generously flour a work surface. Continue to add more flour if dough starts to stick when rolling out.
- Remove one disc of dough from the refrigerator at a time. Roll the dough into a sheet until it is slightly less than ¼ inch thick.
- Using your choice of cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes and place them on baking sheets. Continue rolling out the dough and cutting shapes until all the dough is used up.
- Bake cookies that are approximately 3 inches in size for 8 to 10 minutes. For larger cookies, bake a few minutes longer, and for smaller cookies, bake a few minutes less.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate as desired.
Notes
- If the dough cracks, it may be too cold. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling. You can also knead it lightly to warm it up slightly.
- If dough becomes sticky, place it back in your refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill it slightly.
- Place cookies in an airtight container or tightly-sealed cookie tin, separating layers with parchment or wax paper. They can stay fresh this way for up to two weeks. Alternatively, wrap undecorated cookies well and freeze for up to 2 months.
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