Classic Cut Out Gingerbread Cookies (Printable)
Festive spiced cookies perfect for holiday decorating and cookie cutting activities.
# 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
# Steps:
01 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
02 - Beat softened butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and creamy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
03 - Add egg, molasses, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat until thoroughly combined, scraping down bowl sides as needed.
04 - Gradually incorporate dry ingredients into wet mixture, mixing just until dough forms and no dry streaks remain.
05 - Divide dough in half, flatten into disks, and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for minimum 1 hour or until firm enough to roll.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut shapes with cookie cutters and transfer to prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.
08 - Bake 8-10 minutes until cookies are firm and edges are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Decorate cooled cookies with royal icing, sprinkles, or candies as desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dough holds its shape beautifully so your cookie cutters actually look like what theyre supposed to be
- These freeze like a dream so you can prep ahead for holiday chaos without the last minute panic
02 -
- The chilling step is non-negotiable—warm dough spreads into sad blobby cookies that lose all their cute cut-out shapes
- These continue baking slightly on the hot baking sheet so pull them out when the edges look just set, not fully crisp
03 -
- For gluten-free cookies, use a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend and add an extra tablespoon of molasses to compensate for the drier texture
- The dough scraps can be re-rolled once—after that, the gluten gets too tough and the cookies will be chewy in a not good way