Classic Cut Out Gingerbread Cookies (Printable Version)

Perfectly spiced festive cookies that hold their shape for 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

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

# How To Make It:

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

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The dough holds its shape beautifully, so your snowflakes look like snowflakes and your stars actually have points
  • These cookies strike that perfect balance between snap and tender, never tough or rock-hard like some gingerbread can be
  • The spice blend fills your entire kitchen with the kind of warmth that makes December feel like magic
02 -
  • The chilling step is not optional; warm dough spreads and loses all those cute details you worked so hard to cut
  • Rolling between two sheets of parchment paper instead of on a floured counter prevents sticky situations and keeps the dough tender
  • These cookies continue firming up as they cool, so slightly under-baked is better than rock-hard
03 -
  • If your dough has chilled longer than overnight, let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before rolling to prevent cracking
  • Rotate your baking sheets halfway through baking for evenly golden cookies

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