Easy Gingerbread Cookies

This is the most delicious and easy gingerbread cookies out there. Not only is my take on the classic recipe so simple, but it’s also fool proof. I like to reduce the sugar most all my baking recipes, so these cookies are not overly sweet. I know gingerbread men look extremely difficult to make, so I wanted to show you how simple and fun these are. This recipe makes 24 gingerbread men so feel free to cut it in half if you need to.

Easy Gingerbread Cookies

The Modern Nonna

I know gingerbread men look extremely difficult to make, so I wanted to show you how simple and fun these are.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted softened butter equal to 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 1 medium egg
• ¼ cup baking molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1.5 teaspoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• white icing for decorating
• any candy or shape for the buttons

Instructions

 

• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or you can use a handheld mixer and a separate large mixing bowl) beat the butter and sugar together for 2 minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
• Add in the egg, molasses and vanilla, beat on medium speed until combined. Reduce the speed to low, and gradually add the spices plus the flour until you have a tacky dough. Pour the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap it up into a square disc.
• Refrigerate for a minimum of three hours. I left mine overnight as the dough can stay in the fridge up to three days.
• Once the dough is refrigerated, flour the counter, take out the dough, add flour on top and some on the rolling pin too. Begin to roll it out. The dough should be rolled out to 1/4-inch thickness. Rolling it out the first time will be harder as the dough will be very stiff but as you continue to roll out the scraps it’s going to get easy so don't panic.
• Cut out the shapes — I used a 4" gingerbread cookie cutter and placed each cut out cookie onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Any scraps that are left over can be shaped into a disk, flour the top of the disk and roll it out again and cut out more cookies until the dough is completely finished. Bake at 350F for 9-10 minutes. Let them cool completely and decorate with white icing any way you like.

Video

Notes

If you don’t have all of these spices make sure to add ginger and cinnamon at least.

You can also use a tablespoon of “pumpkin pie spice” instead as it will be a delicious alternative too.

Try using 1-1 baking gluten-free flour to make these gluten-free.

You can get creative and use different colour icing, you can use candy bows, or any shapes you think are fun.

The cookie dough is perfect in the fridge for a few days or even frozen for months. 

Tried this recipe?Mention @themodernnonna or tag #themodernnonna!