Classic Gingerbread Spiced Cookies (Printable)

Classic spiced gingerbread treats with molasses, ideal for festive decorating and cozy moments.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1 tablespoon ground ginger
05 - 2 teaspoons 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 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Decoration (Optional)

14 - Royal icing or simple glaze
15 - Sprinkles or candies

# How to Make It:

01 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and dark brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
03 - Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture, mixing until fully combined.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until a uniform dough forms.
05 - Divide dough in half, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight for best results.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough to 1/4 inch (6 mm) thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.
08 - Place cookies 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on prepared baking sheets to allow for spreading.
09 - Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are just firm. Avoid overbaking to maintain desired texture.
10 - Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
11 - Once cooled, decorate cookies with royal icing, glaze, sprinkles, or candies as desired.

# Expert Hacks:

01 -
  • The dough is forgiving and actually tastes better after a night in the fridge.
  • You can roll it thick for soft cookies or thin for snap, depending on your mood.
  • The smell alone will make your kitchen feel like the holidays arrived early.
02 -
  • If you skip the chilling, the dough will stick to everything and spread too much in the oven.
  • Overbaking by even a minute turns these from chewy to hard, so watch the edges closely.
  • Molasses varies in strength, taste your dough and if it's too bitter, add a pinch more sugar next time.
03 -
  • Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper so you don't need extra flour, which can dry out the cookies.
  • If the dough cracks when you roll it, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes, it's too cold.
  • Re-roll scraps only once, after that the dough gets tough from too much handling.

Go Back