Classic Rolled Gingerbread Cookies

Name: Classic Rolled Gingerbread Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus extra for dusting; 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda; 1 tablespoon (6 g) ground ginger; 2 teaspoons (5 g) ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cloves; ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) freshly ground black pepper (optional); ½ cup (1 stick) (113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature; ½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar, packed; 1 whole (50 g) large egg, at room temperature; ½ cup (170 g) unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap); 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cold water

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp-edged, slightly chewy gingerbread cookies with deep molasses flavor and a warm blend of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. The dough rolls cleanly and holds sharp cutter shapes in the oven.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 20 min
Wait: 2 hr 30 min
Total: 3 hr 20 min
Makes: About 24 cookies (3½-inch / 9 cm cutters)

Jump to recipe ♡ Save

Ingredients

24 servings

3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
1 tablespoon (6 g) ground ginger
2 teaspoons (5 g) ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cloves
½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper (optional)
½ cup (1 stick) (113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar, packed
1 whole (50 g) large egg, at room temperature
½ cup (170 g) unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (15 ml) cold water

Equipment (10)

Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle
Rolling pin
Gingerbread cookie cutters (about 3½-inch / 9 cm)
2 rimmed baking sheets (13×18-inch / 33×46 cm)
Parchment paper
Wire cooling rack
Plastic wrap
Thin metal spatula

Steps

Before you start

Take the butter and egg out about 1 hour ahead so they are at room temperature (butter should dent easily but not look greasy).
The dough must chill at least 2 hours, so plan for that before baking.
Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it, or use the gram weight, since too much flour makes dry, hard cookies.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper before you start rolling.

1
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and black pepper (if using) for 30 seconds until the spices are evenly distributed and no streaks remain.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The mixture is uniformly tan-brown with no pale or dark streaks.
2
Cream butter and sugar
- In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and dark brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Scrape down the bowl once.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The mixture looks fluffy, lighter in color, and resembles wet sand with no butter lumps.
Tip: Butter that is too warm makes sticky dough that spreads in the oven.
3
Add wet ingredients
- Add the egg, molasses, vanilla, and water.
- Beat on medium-low speed for about 1 minute, scraping the bowl once.
- The mixture may look slightly curdled; that is normal.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The egg and molasses are fully blended with no streaks of egg visible.
Tip: Spray the measuring cup with nonstick spray or lightly oil it so the molasses slides out cleanly.
4
Mix the dough
- Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low speed after each until just combined, about 30 seconds each.
- The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: No dry flour streaks remain and the dough pulls together into a soft mass.
Tip: Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears; overmixing makes tough cookies.
5
Chill the dough
- Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a flat disk about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.
- Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The dough is firm and no longer tacky when pressed with a finger.
Tip: Flattening into disks makes chilling faster and rolling easier.
6
Preheat and prepareOven 350°F / 175°C
- About 15 minutes before baking, position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Oven reaches 350°F (175°C).
Tip: If the dough is rock hard, let it sit at room temperature 10 minutes before rolling.
7
Roll and cut
- Lightly flour a clean counter and rolling pin.
- Roll one disk to ¼-inch (6 mm) thickness, turning the dough a quarter turn often.
- Cut out shapes with floured cutters and transfer to the lined sheets, spacing 1½ inches (4 cm) apart.
- Keep the second disk refrigerated until needed.
- Gather and re-roll scraps once.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Dough is an even ¼ inch thick and cutouts release cleanly from the counter.
Tip: Use only enough flour to prevent sticking; too much dries out the cookies. Re-chill the dough 10 minutes if it gets soft.
8
Bake the cookiesOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes, switching and rotating the sheets halfway.
- For softer, chewier cookies bake 8 minutes; for crisp cookies bake 10.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Edges look set and slightly darker, and the centers are matte and spring back faintly when touched.
Tip: Gingerbread is dark already, so judge by firm edges and smell rather than color.
9
Cool the cookies
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then slide them with a thin spatula onto a wire rack.
- Cool completely, about 25 minutes, before decorating or storing.
- Bake the second disk the same way on cooled, re-lined sheets.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Cookies are firm, snap or bend slightly, and are cool to the touch.
Tip: Moving cookies too early can break arms and legs of the shapes.

Good to know

Tips

Do not use blackstrap molasses; it is bitter and will overpower the spices.
Roll the dough evenly so all cookies bake at the same rate; ¼ inch (6 mm) thick gives a crisp edge and chewy center.
Chill cut-out cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking for the sharpest edges.
Dip cutters in flour between cuts to prevent sticking and keep details clean.

Make ahead

"The dough can be refrigerated, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling."

Storage & reheating

"Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week (they soften over time). Freeze for up to 3 months between layers of parchment; thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refresh crisp cookies in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 3 to 4 minutes."

Substitutions

dark brown sugar → light brown sugar. Slightly milder molasses flavor and a lighter color.
unsalted butter → salted butter. Reduce the fine salt to ¼ teaspoon.
unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap) → dark corn syrup or golden syrup. Much milder flavor and lighter color; the dough texture stays similar.
ground cloves → ground allspice or nutmeg. Use the same amount for a slightly different warm spice note.