Easy Homemade Gingerbread Cookies
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I know gingerbread cookies look plain without icing on them…you can decorate to your liking…I am just not a frosting person and would rather enjoy the full taste of the gingerbread cookie itself!
To stamp the cookies, I used stamps from a gingerbread set I got in a White elephant exchange and they were from Sur la Table…so cute!
- All-Purpose flour
- Ground ginger
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cloves
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground cardamom
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Dark brown sugar
- Butter softened
- Egg yolk
- Vanilla extract
- Molasses (Grandmas Molasses or blackstrap molasses)
- Milk
How to make homemade gingerbread men:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt & set aside.
Using a Kitchen Aid mixer (using the paddle attachment) or hand mixer, cream together sugar and butter until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when needed.
Mix in the egg yolk (not with the egg white, just yolk) and vanilla extract. Then mix in molasses and 2 Tbsp milk.
With mixer set on low speed slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined, while adding additional milk as needed just to bring dough together.
Divide dough into four equal portions then using a rolling pin roll each portion out evenly (about 1/4-inch thickness). You will need extra flour handy because they dough may be sticky.
Chill on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (or using a Silpat Cookie Sheet Liner) in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or until firm. Then cut into shapes using cookie cutters. ( I use the cookie cutters from Sur la Table, so cute!).
Remove from paper using a thin metal spatula or pastry scraper if needed then transfer to a cookie sheet, spacing cookies about 1-inch apart, and bake in preheated oven 10-12 minutes or until slightly set.
Repeat process with remaining cookies. Remove baked cookies from oven and cool on baking sheet 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate with frosting if you’d like
A little note about carbohydrates during the holiday season:
It is a common myth that eating carbs will prevent you from losing weight.
There are various low-carb diets out there but it is the avoidance of carbohydrates that is really making you shed the pounds.
In reality no one macro nutrient (carbs, proteins, or fats) causes weight gain.
Excess calories, no matter where they come from, cause weight gain. Most low carb diets are also calorie restricted, so it is the calorie restriction that leads to more weight loss, not the carbs
The initial weight loss seen in low carb diets is caused by the body burning carbohydrates for energy, which releases water, so the loss is only a fluid loss and not an actual fat loss.
My point to this is that is will be OK to eat a cookie or have something high in carbohydrates this Christmas. It really all leads back to balance and moderation! Have a Merry Christmas everyone!!
Holiday White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Ritz Cracker Christmas Cookies
Chewy Pistachio Cranberry Cookies
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Ingredients
- 3 cups All-Purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 10 Tbsp. butter (softened about halfway)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup molasses (I used Grandmas Molasses)
- 2 Tbsp. milk
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt & set aside.
- Using a Kitchen Aid mixer (using the paddle attachment) or hand mixer, cream together sugar and butter until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when needed. Mix in the egg yolk (not with the egg white, just yolk) and vanilla extract. Then mix in molasses and 2 Tbsp milk.
- With mixer set on low speed slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined, while adding additional milk as needed just to bring dough together.
- Divide dough into four equal portions then using a rolling pin roll each portion out evenly (about 1/4-inch thickness). You will need extra flour handy because they dough may be sticky.
- Chill on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (or using a Silpat Cookie Sheet Liner) in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or until firm. Then cut into shapes using cookie cutters. (Pro tip: cut with a floured gingerbread man cookie cutter). I use the cookie cutters from Sur la Table, so cute.
- Remove from paper using a thin metal spatula or pastry scraper if needed then transfer to a cookie sheet, spacing cookies about 1-inch apart, and bake in preheated oven 10-12 minutes or until slightly set.
- Repeat process with remaining cookies. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate with frosting if you'd like!
What a fun holiday activity to do with my kids! Adding these to my baking line up this weekend!
The pictures turned out so cute! Loved how easy they were to make and customize with cute little faces!
These gingerbread cookies look great and so festive! Definitely will whip these up with the kids during Christmas.
PERFECT for the holidays! I need to make these, everyone in the family would love them.
These are the cutest gingerbread men I have ever seen. I don’t love icing either so I really like that you decorated them with the stamps!
These cookies are adorable; I love all the faces! And the recipe looks delicious. 🙂
Thank you Amber!