When Christmas is just a few weeks away, the first thing that comes to mind will definitely be gingerbread cookies! And I’m so ready to turn up the holiday mood here. These gingerbread cookies are a perfect blend of sweet and spicy, filled with comforting flavours of ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Baked to golden perfection, each bite offers a satisfying crunch, giving way to the soft and chewy centre. Make it a fun activity this holiday by baking these delightful cookies with your loved ones and cut into any shapes you like! Your kitchen will then be filled with warmth and spiced aroma, and they taste as amazing as they smell.
Sweetened with brown sugar and honey, this gingerbread cookies recipe doesn’t contain molasses but still provides a tender, chewy texture that melts in your mouth! Whether enjoyed fresh from the oven, or dipped into a cup of milk, coffee, or hot chocolate, they are more than just a treat, but a celebration of togetherness and joy.
Table of contents
- Why you’ll love these gingerbread cookies
- Ingredients for gingerbread cookies
- How to make gingerbread cookies
- Success tips for making gingerbread cookies
- Is nutmeg necessary for making gingerbread cookies?
- Can I use soft flour instead of plain flour?
- Can I make the dough ahead of time?
- Can I make them gluten-free?
- How to store leftover gingerbread cookies?
- How long do they last?
- More Christmas recipes
Why you’ll love these gingerbread cookies
- Soft and chewy with crunchy edges: Every bite offers a delightful crunch on the outside and a soft, chewy centre. The contrast in textures makes these cookies incredibly appealing!
- Fun to make: Baking, cutting into different festive shapes, and decorating the gingerbread cookies brings family and friends together, adding to the fun during the holiday season.
- Cosy flavours: These gingerbread cookies are perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, providing a comforting taste that evokes a warm, cosy feeling as soon as you take a bite.
Ingredients for gingerbread cookies
- Unsalted butter: This produces cookies that are chewy with crisp edges. Creaming butter and sugar helps create a light and fluffy texture in the cookies as well.
- Brown sugar: This adds moisture to the dough, resulting in softer, chewier cookies.
- Egg: A binding agent that incorporates ingredients together.
- Honey: Since I couldn’t find molasses, I substituted it with honey to contribute moisture that keeps cookies chewy and soft, much like molasses does.
- Vanilla extract: A splash of vanilla extract adds a subtle sweetness and aromatic quality to the cookies.
- Plain flour: Plain flour provides the right balance of structure and chewiness, giving cookies a nice chewy texture while also holding their shape well.
- Baking soda: A leavening agent that creates a slight lift, allowing cookies to spread to the desired thickness without becoming overly flat. It also helps cookies maintain a soft interior while providing a slight crispness on the edges!
- Warm spices: I used a combination of ginger powder, cinnamon powder, and nutmeg.
- Salt: For flavour enhancement.
How to make gingerbread cookies
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients – plain flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In a separate mixer bowl, cream the butter, softened at room temperature, and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix in egg, honey, and vanilla extract, scraping the sides of the mixer bowl as necessary.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients 2 separate times, mixing and folding until dough forms.
- Wrap the dough in cling film, and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 175ºC.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about 5mm thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat with any remaining dough scraps. Dust the dough and cookie cutters with flour if it gets too sticky to handle.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool.
Success tips for making gingerbread cookies
Chill the dough.
After mixing, chill the dough for at least 1-2 hours. Chilling firms up the dough, which helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking. This results in thicker, chewier cookies.
Flour the work surface.
Flour your work surface, rolling pin, and cookie cutters to prevent sticking. Don’t worry if you’ve added too much flour, as this will bake off.
Roll evenly.
Roll the dough to an even thickness to ensure uniform baking. Uneven thickness can lead to some cookies being overbaked while others underbaked.
Let cool.
Allow the cookies to cool after baking. They will continue to firm up as they cool, creating the crisp edges while remaining soft in the centre.
Is nutmeg necessary for making gingerbread cookies?
Nutmeg is not strictly necessary to make gingerbread cookies, but it does add warmth and enhance the cookies with a slightly sweet, nutty flavour. If you don’t have nutmeg, you can replace it with a pinch of allspice, which can provide a similar warmth. If you prefer a more straightforward ginger flavour, you can focus on increasing the amounts of ginger and cinnamon instead.
Can I use soft flour instead of plain flour?
Soft flour has a lower protein content than plain flour, leading to a more tender and delicate texture, so the cookies will be less chewy. For the classic chewy cookie result, plain flour is a better choice.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can prepare the dough in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze it for longer storage. If freezing, be sure to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out the dough.
Can I make them gluten-free?
Yes! Substitute plain flour with a gluten-free blend, and ensure the other ingredients are gluten-free.
How to store leftover gingerbread cookies?
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. For longer storage, freeze them.
How long do they last?
If stored properly in an airtight container, these gingerbread cookies can last up to a week at room temperature, or up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Gather your loved ones for a fun, festive baking with this holiday classic – gingerbread cookies. Perfectly soft and chewy, yet slightly crisp on the edges, these adorable treats are full of rich, aromatic flavours. Enjoy them with a cup of hot cocoa for the ultimate cosiness!
More Christmas recipes
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Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 180 g plain flour (1½ cups)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp ginger powder
- 1½ tsp cinnamon powder
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 85 g unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 60 g brown sugar
- ½ egg beaten
- ¼ cup honey (or maple syrup)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients – plain flour, baking soda, salt, ginger powder, cinnamon powder, and ground nutmeg. Set aside.
- In another mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using a handheld mixer or stand mixer on high speed (about 2-3 minutes).
- Mix in beaten egg, honey, and vanilla extract, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 2 separate times, cutting and folding each time until a dough forms.
- Wrap the dough in cling film, pat down to a disc shape, and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 175ºC.
- Flour the work surface and rolling pin, then roll and flatten the dough to 5mm thick. Use cookie cutters to cut into your desired shapes. Flour the cookie cutters as the dough will get sticky. Don’t worry if you’ve floured too much as the flour spots will bake off.
- Repeat step 7 for any remaining dough scraps.
- Transfer the cookie dough to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 10-15 minutes. They will continue to firm up as they cool, achieving that crispy edges while soft and chewy inside.
- Serve them with a cup of warm milk, hot cocoa, or coffee!