Classic Cut Out Gingerbread Cookies (Printable)
Perfectly spiced cookies that hold their shape for holiday decorating. Easy to roll and ideal for icing.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1 tablespoon ground ginger
05 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
09 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
11 - 1 large egg
12 - 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
13 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
→ For Decorating (Optional)
14 - Royal icing
15 - Assorted sprinkles, colored sugar, or candies
# How To Make It:
01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
03 - Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until incorporated and a soft dough forms.
05 - Divide the dough in half, flatten into disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour or until firm.
06 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters and transfer to prepared sheets, spacing cookies 1 inch apart.
08 - Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are firm and edges are just set. Let cool on sheets 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Decorate cooled cookies with royal icing, sprinkles, or candies as desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The spice blend creates that perfect bakery style depth you cant find in store bought versions
- Dough holds its shape beautifully so your gingerbread men actually look like gingerbread men
02 -
- Chilling the dough is non negotiable or your cookies will spread into unrecognizable blobs
- Overbaking by even a minute turns these delightful treats into hard gingerbread disks
03 -
- Rolling dough between two sheets of parchment paper eliminates the need for excess flour and keeps textures tender
- Rotate your baking sheets halfway through for evenly browned cookies