The World's Greatest Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

When it comes to the holidays, there are a few staples that need to be made. Eggnog is certainly one of them, as well as a delicious plate of homemade gingerbread cookies. Gingerbread cookies are also incredibly easy to make, so you'll want to make these for the holidays every single year.

Chill the gingerbread cookie dough

It may seem silly to do, but trust us. Chilling the dough will actually help the cookie to keep its form when baking. If you don't, the gingerbread cookie mold will likely spread when baking, and the perfect cookie-cutter shape will lose its form.

Use a sandwich bag for icing

Don't have a fancy piping set to decorate cookies? You don't need one. You can easily ice cookies by using a plastic bag. Simply add the icing to a sandwich bag and cut a very small corner at the bottom. Seal the bag and slowly ice the edges of the cookies!

Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Makes 40-50 cookies

Ingredients

Gingerbread cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup molasses
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
5 tsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

How to Make It

Chill the dough overnight

To make the dough, whisk together the butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and molasses into an electric mixer. Sift the flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt together, then add to the wet ingredients in the mixer. The dough will be dry, so add in the water. Mix together to combine, then form into a ball of dough with your hands, wrap in plastic wrap, and set in the fridge overnight.

Roll it out on a cutting board with flour

The dough will be very hard when it first comes out of the fridge, so let it sit on the counter to get warm for 15 to 20 minutes. Spread some flour onto a cutting board and roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Don't let the dough get too thin—you don't want your gingerbread cookies to be too thin and crispy!

Cut shapes using cookie cutters

Using cookie cutters, cut some shapes from the dough. Set the dough around the shapes off to the side, then use a metal spatula to remove from the board. Place then on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the remainder of the dough and repeat this process until the dough is too small and you can't cut any more shapes.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes

Bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. They may not look like they are fully baked, but trust us, they won't need longer than 10 minutes. You don't want them to burn.

Ice the edges

Whisk together the icing ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Scoop your icing into a small sandwich bag, then seal the bag. Cut a very small hole in the corner and use it to ice the edges of your cookies! The icing will harden after 20 minutes.

Full Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together the butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and molasses into an electric mixer.
3. Sift the flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt together, then add to the wet ingredients in the mixer.
4. Add in the water.
5. Form into a ball of dough with your hands and wrap in plastic wrap.
6. Chill dough for 3 hours or overnight.
7. Let the chilled dough sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes before rolling it out.
8. Roll it out on a floured surface, and make cookie shapes.
9. Put the shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
10. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
11. Whisk together the icing ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
12. Scoop your icing into a small sandwich bag, then seal the bag. Cut a very small hole in the corner and use it to ice the edges of your cookies.

Easy, healthy, 350-calorie recipe ideas you can make at home.