Classic Cut Out Gingerbread Cookies (Printable)

Perfectly spiced cookies that hold their shape for festive holiday decorating

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1 tablespoon ground ginger
05 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
11 - 1 large egg
12 - 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
13 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ For Decorating (Optional)

14 - Royal icing
15 - Assorted sprinkles, colored sugar, or candies

# How to Make It:

01 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl until well blended. Set aside for later use.
02 - Beat softened butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl on medium speed until light and creamy, approximately 2-3 minutes. Scrape down bowl sides as needed.
03 - Add egg, molasses, and vanilla extract to butter mixture. Beat until fully combined, scraping bowl to ensure even incorporation.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until incorporated and a soft dough forms. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough cookies.
05 - Divide dough in half and flatten into disks. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm enough to roll easily.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
07 - On lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 1 inch apart.
08 - Bake for 8-10 minutes until cookies are firm and edges are just set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Once completely cooled, decorate cookies with royal icing, sprinkles, colored sugar, or candies as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The dough behaves beautifully and does not spread while baking
  • The spice blend hits that perfect balance between warm and sweet
  • These cookies stay soft for days when stored properly
02 -
  • Chilling the dough is nonnegotiable or your cookies will spread and lose their shapes
  • Rolling the dough too thin will make them crispy and hard instead of chewy
  • The cookies continue to firm up as they cool so do not overbake
03 -
  • Use a kitchen scale for flour if possible, it is the most accurate method
  • Rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking for even browning
  • Sift the flour if it seems especially compacted

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