It’s so fun to bake at Christmas. There’s something about a fresh dump of snow, cooler temperatures, and Christmas day approaching that makes us long for comforting activities and delicious baked goods.

Most of us have a fond memory of baking or decorating Christmas cookies in years past. We may have done it as children and are perhaps carrying on the tradition now. Perhaps we’ve done it with friends or family or maybe we prefer flying solo. Baking cookies might spark recollections of years gone by, bringing a smile to our face.

Enter gingerbread.

The iconic Christmas cookie…for good reason.

Gingerbread is perhaps the most classic Christmas cookie out there, and whether you bake it every year or not, I want to share with you a recipe I recently made.

They are delicious and full of flavor.

While perhaps not the world’s most flawless gingerbread cut-out cookies, they are certainly scrumptious.

Full of warm spices and rich molasses, these will have your taste buds singing! They are chewy and spicy. Using real ingredients and a simple baking method, they will be a crowd pleaser and inspire a fun activity in your home.

Disclaimer

This recipe is still a work in progress for me. They were delicious, but they puffed up quite a bit. As long as you give them enough room on the pan, you’ll be good! The cookies will be able to hold their shape quite well and have room to expand.

Why you’ll love these cookies.

1. They’re festive.

From gingerbread men to stars to Christmas trees, these cookies can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. It is so fun to pick cutters, apply some icing, and top them with red and green candy.

2. They’re tasty.

Notes of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves compliment the caramelly sugar making these treats both spicy and sweet. Additionally, the chewy texture and crumbly edge make them mouth-watering. Simply scrumptious.

3. They’re a great activity to do with your kids.

Making cookies is a great way to celebrate the season, and especially if you have kids! They will not only love eating the cookies, but they’ll also love cutting out the shapes and being a part of the process.

Toddlers may enjoy choosing the shapes and pushing the cutters, while older kids might want to try their hand at decorating too! You could even turn on some Christmas music, make hot chocolate, and get into your PJ’s. Talk about one enjoyable activity!

4. They can be shared.

Put these cookies into a tin or onto a pretty plate, and share them with others. You could bring them to a family gathering, a cookie swap, or simply leave them on your neighbor’s porch with a Christmas card!

I mean who doesn’t want a gift of cookies, and what sweeter way is there to connect with someone new than to offer them a plate of gingerbread?

What you will need.

Unsalted Butter.

Make sure it’s room temperature. This will allow it to cream nicely with the sugar rather than staying lumpy.

Brown Sugar

This gives your cookies a sweet, caramelly taste. I usually opt for the dark brown sugar to emphasize the caramel taste.

Egg

It helps keep your cookie light, fluffy, and bound together.

Vanilla

Vanilla adds a rich flavor. Make sure you use pure vanilla extract. It smells amazing.

Minced Ginger

It wouldn’t be gingerbread without it. I prefer minced over powdered, but if you want to take it a step further, grate fresh ginger into your batter. Pick your own adventure!

Molasses

Deep, dark, and scrumptious, this adds a lot of color to your finished product.

All-Purpose Flour

This gives your cookies body. Opt for unbleached all-purpose flour, but if you want to add some sneaky nutrition to your cookies, give whole-wheat a try!

Sea Salt

Salt balances and promotes the sweetness.

Baking Soda

This helps the cookies rise.

Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves

We love spices! This warm and fragrant trio is a winner!

Powdered Sugar

This is the main component to your icing.

Milk

You just need a little! Be careful when adding this to your powdered sugar, as just a little too much milk will make a liquid mess and a lot more powdered sugar to again balance the ratio.

Almond Extract (optional)

Almond extract adds terrific flavor to your icing.

Candy

This is for decorating! How fun!

The method.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream your butter and sugar together with a hand mixer.

Mix in your egg, vanilla, ginger, and molasses.

In a medium bowl, combine your flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir together with a fork or whisk.

Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients, and combine with your hand mixer.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Lightly flour your work surface, and put dough onto the counter.

Roll dough out very thinly, and cut your shapes. Place them on your prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 12 minutes or until tops are cracking and sides are slightly golden.

Let cool completely before decorating.

Stir together your powdered sugar, milk and almond extract (if you are using). Spoon icing into a ziploc bag and cut a very small hole in one of the bottom corners. Pipe the icing onto the cookies and top with candy.

Store in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to a month.

Enjoy!

FAQ About Ginger Molasses Cookies

1. Can I use melted instead of room temperature butter?

If you need to melt your butter, just make sure to only soften it slightly. Don’t completely liquify it. Soft (or room temperature) butter can be whipped with the sugar to create a creamy base for your cookies.

2. How thick should I roll my cookie dough?

The thinner the better as far as holding their shape. Aim for about about a centimeter thick.

3. What cookie cutters do you use?

I was gifted a copper-colored set a few years ago and love them! They work well and are so pretty! But anything like this will work great!