Checkout this best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe. These cute looking cookies are a must include in your cookie box for Holiday bake.
Here is my version for Eggless Gingerbread cookies with Whole Wheat Flour. Warm spices, flavored with molasses these cookies are perfect festive treats with a mug of Hot chocolate.
What are Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread cookies are one of the most popular cookies baked especially during Christmas time. These cookies are soft and flavoured with warm spices like dry ginger, cinnamon and cloves. It is rolled out to take the shape of various molds, typically Holiday inspired shapes like Gingerbread man, Christmas Tree, Candy Cane etc and baked into thin crispy cookie. Gingerbread house in various cafes and bakeries are made with pieces of gingerbread dough assembled with melted sugar.
The cookies are decorated with royal icing but you can decorate with simple icing sugar or white chocolate.
Ingredients to make Gingerbread Cookies
Flour- I have used Whole Wheat flour (WWF). You can also use all purpose flour (APF) or combination of WWF and APF in any ratio or simply APF.
Spices- As these are baked especially on Christmas time due to the cold weather warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves are added.
Sweetener- Brown sugar light or dark can be used in the recipe.
Butter- You can use salted or unsalted butter. Oil can also be used in palce of butter but I like the slight buttery taste in cookies.
Baking Soda and Baking Powder as leavening agents.
Molasses- This is an essential ingredients for gingerbread cookies. You can use store bought sulpurfree or make at home. Check the steps in recipe card to make Molasses at home.
How to make Eggless Gingerbread cookies
The recipe is very straightforward to make.
Make Dough- Mix the dry ingredients together.
Cream together butter and sugar and then fold in the dry ingredients in creamed butter and make a soft dough.
Chilling the dough- Keep the dough to chill for about 45 mins-1 hr. The dough is a bit sticky, keep it to rest for at least 1hr. You can refrigerate it overnight.
Roll and cut the dough- Roll the dough and cut into shapes using molds. the thickness of the rolled dough should be around 1/4". Cut the shapes as per the occasion like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving or even Deepawali and Holi (for my readers from India). You can also simply roll the cookie dough in small portions and bake.
Bake the cookies- Preheat the cookies, line on a baking tray with parchment paper and bake for about 7-8 mins or until the edges look slightly set.
Decorate the cookies- Cool completely decorate with icing sugar or use royal icing or melted chocolate. Add color to the icing or chocolate (gel color) to perk up the festive look of the cookies.
Tips to get Perfect Gingerbread Cookies
- Measure the ingredients properly and all the ingredients should be at room temperature.
- Use softened butter and nicely cream the butter and sugar together.
- Do not overmix the dough, cookies may become dense.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hr., this helps the dough to firm up and allows cookies to set and bake much better.
- You can refrigerate the dough overnight also.
- Bake cookies till the edges start turning golden/light brown.
- After baking, transfer cookies from baking tray to cooling rack, it prevents the cookies with further baking.
- The center may look a bit raw when we take out the cookies but it will soon set.
- The longer the baking time, the more cookies will be more harder and crunchier.
Storing and Shelf Life
Store cookies in an airtight container. These cookies are dry cookies and stays good for about a month when stored properly. Shelf life also depends on the how we decorate the cookies so it is best to store cookies without decorating it.
Can we freeze Gingerbread cookies and
You can freeze gingerbread cookies without decorating. When stacking the cookies while freezing, seperate the cookies with parchment /wax paper. Cookies stay good for about 3 months in freezer.
Thaw them on counter and then reheat in oven at preheat mode (350F to 180C).
Do not freeze the thawed cookies again.
How to freeze Gingerbread Cookie dough
Freeze the gingerbread cookie dough wrapped in a cling flim and store in a freezer safe container.
Thaw the dough roll, cut and bake the cookies.
More festive Cookies Recipes from my blog that you will love to try and include in your cookie tray
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, One Basic cookie Dough 4 Cookies( Thumbprint cookies, Jeera Cookies, Cashew Butter cookies, Sprinkle cookies, Chocolate Walnut Biscotti(with eggs),Fruit Cake Cookies, White chocolate Cranberry Cookies, Spitzbuben Cookies/Linzer Cookies
Recipe Card
Gingerbread Cookies
Equipment
- Oven/OTG/Convection Microwave to bake cookies
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie Cutter in festive molds
Ingredients
- 2 Cup Whole Wheat flour see notes
- 3/4 cup Soft Butter salted/unsalted
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon Powder
- ½ tsp Ginger Powder
- ¼ tsp Cloves Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp Salt when using unsalted butter
- 4-5 tbsp Molasses
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Instructions
- Make dough. Mix all the dry ingredients.2 Cup Whole Wheat flour, 1 tsp Cinnamon Powder, ½ tsp Ginger Powder, ¼ tsp Cloves Powder, 1 tsp Baking Powder, ½ Baking Soda, ¼ tsp Salt
- Cream together butter and sugar to light and creamy mixture.3/4 cup Soft Butter, ½ cup Brown Sugar
- Then add dry ingredients, molasses, vanilla in creamed butter and make a soft dough. Add milk about 3-4 tbsp or as required.4-5 tbsp Molasses, 1/4 cup Milk, 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
- Chill the dough. Keep the dough to chill for about 45 mins-1 hr. The dough is a bit sticky so let it sit /rest for some time.
- Roll the dough and cut into shapes using molds.
- The dough will be sticky, roll it in between the parchment paper.
- Cut the shapes as per the occasion like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving or even Deepawali and Holi (for my readers from India). Or, simply roll small portions to bake.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180C, line on a baking tray with parchment paper and bake for about 7-8 mins or until the edges look slightly set.
Make Icing
- Mix icing sugar with 1-2 tbsp water. Mix and make icing.
- Fill in the piping bag.
- Decorate the cookies. Cool completely decorate with icing. Add color to the icing or chocolate (gel color) to perk up the festive look of the cookies.
Notes
Also, whenever you try the recipe, I will love to hear/share your feedback or any queries in the comment section below. I will try to answer your queries as soon as possible.
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