These iced gingerbread cookies are loaded with warm spices and bake up buttery and soft.
These cookies won’t spread, so your cut-out shapes will come out perfect every time. This recipe will give you soft, chewy gingerbread cookies with crisp edges that are ideal for decorating. You’ve just got to make them this holiday season!
What makes these cookies really special, though, is the vanilla bean frosting. It is downright heavenly.
What is gingerbread?
The term gingerbread refers to a broad category of baked goods that typically include a combination of spices like cloves, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Brown sugar and blackstrap molasses give gingerbread its brown color and rich flavor.
Gingerbread can range in texture from cake to cookie to a really crispy snap. And all of them just scream Christmas.
Ingredients
The Cookies
- All purpose flour. Gluten free flour can be substituted.
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- White sugar
- Blackstrap molasses
- Vanilla
- Eggs
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Cloves
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Baking soda
The Vanilla Bean Icing
- Salted butter
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Vanilla bean paste
- Milk
I love using vanilla bean paste in recipes that call for real vanilla bean. Sometimes you just don’t have an actual vanilla bean on hand, and the paste is super convenient. It keeps in the pantry for a very long time, and really brings the vanilla flavor to life in a way that extract can’t.
One tablespoon of vanilla bean paste can be used in recipes in place of one vanilla bean.
How to make Iced Gingerbread Cookies
Combine the Wet Ingredients
Combine the butter, sugar, molasses, egg and vanilla. You can do this in a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer.
Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and all of the spices.
Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients
Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until you have a cohesive cookie dough. Then, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator.
Bake the Cookies
Once your cookie dough has chilled for at least 30-45 minutes, roll it out and cut it into shapes. Bake your cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and then let them cool to room temperature before decorating.
Make the Vanilla Bean Frosting
For this frosting, we are whipping butter, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla bean paste. Thin it out with a little bit of milk to get the consistency you want for decorating or spreading. I recommend starting with the 1-2 Tbsp. of milk noted in the recipe card and going from there.
Decorating Tips
1. Piping frosting. If you’re piping frosting, use less milk for a stiffer consistency. Piping will form the outlines of your gingerbread men and the trees you see here. I like to use a Wilton #3 tip for piping outlines and decorations.
2. Flooding frosting. Flooding is the technical term for filling in the outlines you’ve created with a frosting of thinner consistency. If you’re flooding, add more milk to the icing so that it is spreadable.
For the trees you see here, I used a thicker consistency to pipe the outline of the tree. Then I added more milk to the frosting to make it thinner and more spreadable for the rest.
3. Dying frosting. I recommend using gel food coloring, as the colors are more concentrated than liquid food coloring. And a little goes a long way!
How long should you chill cookie dough?
You only really need to chill cookie dough for 30-45 minutes, but you can also store it in the fridge for several weeks.
If your dough has been in the fridge for a while, let it sit out on the countertop for 15-30 minutes before rolling it out, just to take the chill off. It will be easier to work with that way.
How long do iced gingerbread cookies last?
When stored in an airtight container or well-sealed Ziploc bag, these cookies will stay fresh for 5-6 days.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
Making and Storing Cookie Dough
Wrap your cookie dough tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. For longer storage, you can also freeze the dough. For freezing, place the plastic-wrapped dough into a freezer bag and seal it tightly. Cookie dough will last several months in the freezer. Allow it to thaw completely before working with it.
Making and Storing Baked Cookies
Baked gingerbread cookies will last up to a week at room temperature when stored in an airtight container.
When you make these iced gingerbread cookies, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment or drop a rating below. It’s almost Christmas – happy baking!
For more gingerbread recipes, try these:
- Gingerbread Monkey Bread using Grands Biscuits
- Caramel Gingerbread Trifle with Bourbon Cream
- Gingerbread Cakes with Lemon Ginger Frosting
For more Christmas cookie recipes, try these:
Iced Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
The Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
The Frosting
- 6 oz. salted butter
- 12 oz. confectioner's sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp. milk
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla paste (or 1 whole vanilla bean)
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars until fluffy. (Alternatively, use a large bowl and a handheld electric mixer).
- Beat in the molasses, egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and spices.
- With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture into the butter mixture until fully incorporated.
- Form the dough into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes. Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake 10-12 minutes. For best results, cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the milk, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Beat in the vanilla bean paste. (If using a real vanilla bean, slice the pod open lengthwise and scrape the insides into the mixing bowl. Beat to incorporate.)
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