If your idea of a perfect holiday includes the smell of molasses, warm spices, and just enough audacity to make your cookies smirk back at you-you're in the right kitchen. These gingerbread cut out cookies are soft in the middle, crisp on the edges, and unapologetically festive. No dry cardboard men here. Just bold flavor, classic shape, and icing squiggles with attitude.
Table of Contents
- 🗝️ What makes these gingerbread cookies the star of the season
- 🧾 Simple ingredients for gingerbread cutout cookies
- 📖 Recipe
- Christmas cookie baking playlist - listen while you bake
- 🔪 How to make gingerbread cutout cookies that don't spread
- 💭 Quick tip from Marye
- 👩🍳 Got questions? I've got answers (and cookies.)
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 🎁 Final thoughts before you preheat
- 💬 Comments
🗝️ What makes these gingerbread cookies the star of the season
These aren't your run-of-the-mill gingerbread men with dry personalities and flavor to match. No ma'am. These are deeply spiced, soft-chewy-centered, crispy-edged, molasses-rich miracles that smell like you've got your life together-even if there's laundry in the living room and glitter in your hair.
They hold their shape like a debutante at a garden party but taste like comfort and chaos. They're easy to decorate, hard to resist, and guaranteed to charm everyone from toddlers to cranky uncles who "don't like sweets."
🧾 Simple ingredients for gingerbread cutout cookies
You don't need anything fancy-just a handful of pantry staples, a splash of molasses, and the courage to commit to full holiday flavor. If you've got flour and a little main character energy, you're halfway there.
- Butter - The good stuff. Salted or unsalted, just don't use margarine unless you want your cookies to file a complaint.
- Brown Sugar - Because gingerbread deserves depth, not just sweetness. Light or dark-dealer's choice.
- Egg - One humble egg, here to hold the holiday chaos together.
- Molasses - Not optional. This is the soul of your cookie. Grandma's brand or bust.
- All-purpose flour - Basic, reliable, doesn't ask questions.
- Ground ginger - Spicy, like your best friend with a bail fund.
- Cloves - Just a pinch, or it'll taste like potpourri in a church foyer.
- Nutmeg - Adds warm, mysterious "I can bake" energy.
- Cinnamon - A hug in spice form. Don't skip it.
- Black pepper - Trust me. Just a whisper-it gives the spice backbone.
- Fresh ginger - For the overachievers. Adds zing and a little "I mean business."
- Orange zest - Optional but magical. Brightens the spice like gossip on a porch swing.
- Baking soda - Rise and shine. Gives the cookie a little loft.
- Salt - A pinch to keep things balanced.
- Sprinkles - Entirely unnecessary and yet completely essential.
- Royal icing -For decorating, bonding, and fixing cookie cracks. Like edible spackle.
Get extra tips, FAQs, storage info and more in this free downloadable gingerbread cutout cookies kitchen cheat sheet.
📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Cutout Cookies
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅔ cup unsulfured molasses, like "Grandma's Molasses"
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated
- Zest of 1 orange
- ½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- Icing for decorating
- Sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- Start by tossing the butter, brown sugar, and molasses into a big ol' mixing bowl. Beat it with a hand mixer until it's light, fluffy, and the color of a Texas sunset after a rainstorm-should take about 2 minutes.
- Crack in an egg, splash in some vanilla, and give it another good mix until everything looks like it's getting along nicely.
- Now in a separate bowl (I know, more dishes, but trust the process), whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. Gently work the dry mix into the wet mix on low speed. Go slow, darlin'. This ain't a rodeo.
- Toss in your fresh ginger, orange zest, and a bit of black pepper if you're feelin' bold.
- Mix until it just comes together-no overmixing or the cookie police will come for you.
- Divide the dough in half and pat each half into a disc like you're tucking it in for a nap.
- Wrap those babies in plastic wrap and chill them in the fridge until they're firm-about 2 to 3 hours. If you're impatient (or just like a good shortcut), roll the dough between two sheets of parchment until it's ¼ inch thick before chilling.
- Once your dough is cold and cooperative, preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment like the domestic goddess you are.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface (or straight on the parchment if you're fancy).
- Cut out your gingerbread men-3 inches wide is the sweet spot-and lay them gently on the baking sheets like they're sunbathing.
- Bake those cuties for 9 to 10 minutes. They should look a little puffed and smell like Christmas walked into your kitchen and slapped you with nostalgia.
- Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack so they don't sweat themselves soggy.
- Repeat with the second disc of dough. Once they're cool, decorate with icing and sprinkles-or just eat them bare like the rebel you are.
Notes
- Chill the dough if it warms up while you are rolling or cutting. Let it chill again for a short period after cutting but before baking.
- Don't overbake! They'll keep baking a bit on the hot pan after you pull them out. Look for set edges and soft centers.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
Christmas cookie baking playlist - listen while you bake
🕯️ Vintage holiday vibes, straight from the record player to your heart.
This all-classics Christmas playlist is packed with Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, and all your favorite mid-century crooners. Perfect for baking cookies, wrapping gifts, or sipping spiked eggnog while judging your neighbor's lawn decor. It's Christmas, the way I remember it.
🔪 How to make gingerbread cutout cookies that don't spread
Tired of gingerbread men morphing into shapeless blobs? Follow these steps and you'll get crisp edges, clean lines, and zero cookie drama.
- Cream sugar, molasses, and butter then add the egg.
- Mix dry ingredients and stir into the butter mixture.
- Add the fresh ginger and orange zest.
- Chill, then roll out, cut, and bake.
💭 Quick tip from Marye
Roll the chilled dough evenly, or face the wrath of uneven baking. Aim for ¼ inch thick-too thin and your cookies crisp up like crackers, too thick and they puff into gingerbread puffballs. If it warms up while you are rolling or cutting? Just pop it back in the fridge for a little bit like it was getting a well-deserved time out.
👩🍳 Got questions? I've got answers (and cookies.)
Whether your dough is throwing a tantrum or your cookies came out looking like abstract art, I've been there. Let's fix it before someone tries to pass store-bought off as homemade.
Have other questions? Download the free gingerbread cut out cookie recipe kitchen cheat sheet above or Ask me in the comments!
Usually? Warm dough, hot hands, or too much butter. Chill that dough like it just saw its ex at the grocery store-at least 1 hour before rolling and again (30 minutes or so) after cutting.
Yes. Use a good 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Just chill the dough a bit longer-GF dough tends to be a diva.
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
If gingerbread cut out cookies are the life of the party, sugar cookie cut outs are the dependable friend who shows up early with extra sprinkles and a playlist. Soft, buttery, and made for decorating, they're perfect for kids, adults, or anyone whose idea of therapy involves royal icing and edible glitter.
Feeling something a little deeper and darker? Molasses crinkles bring the chew, the spice, and that rich, old-fashioned flavor that makes your kitchen smell like Christmas came early and brought backup. And if you want drama in the best way, the red velvet cut out cookies are ready to steal the show-vibrant, chocolatey, and stunning on a holiday tray. Basically, they're what happens when Southern charm gets dressed up in frosting and goes to the gala.
🎁 Final thoughts before you preheat
Whether you're baking for Santa, your neighbor who still hasn't returned your casserole dish, or just yourself in mismatched pajamas, these gingerbread cut out cookies deliver holiday joy by the dozen. They're soft, spiced, and shaped to impress-without melting into a sad cookie puddle. So go ahead and make a double batch. One for gifting. One for "quality control." I won't tell.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
❤️Always a pleasure hanging out with you. Now scoot-those crumbs aren't gonna vacuum themselves.
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