Classic Cut Out Gingerbread Cookies (Printable Version)
Soft spiced cookies perfect for festive shapes and royal icing decorations.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 tsp baking soda
03 - 1/2 tsp baking powder
04 - 1 tbsp ground ginger
05 - 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 tsp ground cloves
07 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
08 - 1/4 tsp 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 tsp pure vanilla extract
→ For Decorating
14 - 2 cups powdered sugar
15 - 2-3 tbsp milk or water
16 - Assorted sprinkles, colored sugars, or edible pearls
# Preparation Steps:
01 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
02 - Beat softened butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and creamy, approximately 2 minutes.
03 - Add egg, molasses, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix until thoroughly incorporated.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing on low speed until a thick, homogeneous dough forms.
05 - Divide dough into two equal portions, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut shapes with cookie cutters and place 1 inch apart on prepared sheets.
08 - Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges just begin turning golden. Cool 2 minutes on pan, then transfer to wire rack.
09 - Stir powdered sugar with 2-3 tbsp milk or water until smooth but not runny. Adjust liquid for desired consistency.
10 - Apply icing and sprinkles to completely cooled cookies. Allow icing to set before serving or storing.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dough rolls out beautifully without sticking, making it perfect for little hands helping in the kitchen
- These cookies stay soft for days, unlike rock hard gingerbread that requires dunking in coffee
- The spice blend hits that perfect sweet spot between warming and mildly sweet
02 -
- Chilling the dough is non negotiable, otherwise the cookies will spread and lose their shapes in the oven
- Rolling dough too thin creates crispy cookies, while thicker rolling yields softer, chewier results
- Wait until cookies are completely cool before icing, or the decorations will melt and slide right off
03 -
- Dark molasses gives better flavor and color than light molasses, so dont substitute unless necessary
- If your kitchen is warm, work with one dough disk at a time, keeping the other in the refrigerator
- Space cutouts slightly farther apart if you prefer crisper edges, as theyll spread more with room