The Most Wonderful Gingerbread Cookies

Perfect for the holiday season or any time you crave something cozy, these Most Wonderful Gingerbread Cookies are a delightful mix of bold spices and tender sweetness. Featuring fragrant ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, along with rich molasses and dark brown sugar, these cookies are irresistibly warm and flavorful. The dough is easy to roll out, making it ideal for creating festive shapes with cookie cutters, and the recipe includes tips for decorating with royal icing, powdered sugar, or candies for an extra touch of charm. Ready in under an hour (plus chilling time), these soft, aromatic cookies are perfect for gifting, sharing, or savoring with a cup of hot cocoa. Whether you're baking for a crowd or a cozy night in, these classic gingerbread cookies are sure to become a favorite tradition.

Nutriscore Rating: 37/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Servings: 24

Ingredients

• 3.5 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
• 0.5 teaspoon Ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon Baking soda
• 0.5 teaspoon Salt
• 0.75 cup Unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 0.75 cup Dark brown sugar
• 1 large Egg
• 0.5 cup Molasses
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 1 cup Powdered sugar (optional, for decorating)
• 1 batch Royal icing or decorative candies (optional, for decorating)

Directions

Step 1

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Step 2

In another large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and dark brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 3

Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat until fully incorporated.

Step 4

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a thick, slightly sticky dough forms.

Step 5

Divide the dough into two equal portions. Flatten each portion into a disk, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Step 6

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Step 7

Lightly flour your work surface and roll out one disk of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between cookies.

Step 8

Re-roll the scraps and repeat the cutting process until all the dough is used. Repeat with the second disk of dough.

Step 9

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until they are set but still soft in the center. Avoid overbaking to keep them tender.

Step 10

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 11

Once cooled, decorate the cookies with powdered sugar, royal icing, or decorative candies as desired. Let the decorations set before serving or storing.

Step 12

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1379.8g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	5532.4

Total Fat 156.5g	0%
Saturated Fat 93.9g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.0g
Cholesterol 607.0mg	0%
Sodium 2708.0mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 988.8g	0%
Dietary Fiber 15.1g	0%
Total Sugars 646.8g
Protein 52.0g	0%

Vitamin D 141.3IU	0%
Calcium 666.7mg	0%
Iron 30.4mg	0%
Potassium 3201.5mg	0%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 25.3%

Protein: 3.7%

Carbs: 71.0%