This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These easy gingerbread cutout cookies are a dream come true if you’re looking for a cookie that does not spread in the oven. They bake up crisp, hold their shape perfectly, and are ideal for decorating during the holiday season. Whether you’re making gingerbread men, snowflakes, or festive shapes, these cookies stay exactly how you cut them.
If you love decorating cookies with royal icing and want a sturdy cookie base that won’t lose its shape, this recipe is for you.
Why These Gingerbread Cookies Don’t Spread
One of the most common problems with gingerbread cutout cookies is spreading, but this recipe is designed to prevent that. The dough has the right balance of flour, fat, and sugar, which helps it hold its shape while baking. The cookie dough is rolled and baked without over-creaming the butter, which keeps the texture firm instead of airy. Baking the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet also helps control spread and ensures even baking in the oven.
Amazing! They truly do not spread. They come out beautifully and taste good.
LEt’s Chit Chat!
The holiday season is the perfect time to slow down and decorate cookies. While gingerbread decorating wasn’t a tradition I grew up with, it quickly became one after moving to the United States. There’s something special about being in cold weather, sipping hot chocolate, and decorating gingerbread cookies with family or friends. It’s calming, creative, and a fun way to make memories, especially if you have children!
Table of Contents
- Why These Gingerbread Cookies Don’t Spread
- What does gingerbread taste like?
- Where did gingerbread men originate from?
- Here are some more holiday recipes you will love!
- Ingredients for gingerbread cookies
- How to make easy gingerbread cookies?
- How to Decorate Gingerbread Cutout Cookies
- Christmas tree cookie decoration ideas
- To frost these easy gingerbread cookies use royal icing!
- Can You Freeze Gingerbread Cookie Dough?
- Frequently Asked Questions about these no spread Gingerbread cookies
- No spread gingerbread men cookies (no chill) Recipe
What does gingerbread taste like?
Gingerbread cutout cookies have a warm, classic holiday flavor. The deep sweetness comes from molasses, while spices like ginger, cinnamon, and allspice create that familiar gingerbread taste. The flavor is similar to ginger molasses cookies, but the texture is very different, these are crisp and structured instead of soft and chewy.
Where did gingerbread men originate from?
This is a tough question because there are many articles saying different things but according to Carole Levin, the director of the medieval studies program at the University of Nebrasa-Lincoln, queen elizabeth I would serve royal gingerbread men to represent foreign dignitaries.
I can’t imagine how beautiful those must have been but as of right now, we do it to enjoy our time with our families and have a good time instead of trying to make the most beautiful masterpiece.
Here are some more holiday recipes you will love!
- 27 Easy No Bake Christmas Treats to Make with Kids
- Healthy Christmas Reindeer Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies
- Festive Marbled Christmas Sugar cookie recipe
Ingredients for gingerbread cookies
Here are the ingredients you need to make your gingerbread cutout cookies too:
- Butter– You will need some softened butter for this recipe.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar– You will need both sugars
- Vanilla extract– A little vanilla to elevate the flavors.
- Egg– The egg is used to bind everything together.
- Molasses– You will need unsulphured molasses to make these gingerbread men cookies
- Flour– All purpose flour works great.
- Spices– Cinnamon, ginger, and all spice are all used to give the spicy flavor in these cookies.
- Salt– A little sprinkle of salt to balance out the sweetness.
How to make easy gingerbread cookies?
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar just until combined. Do not cream.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and molasses and mix until incorporated.
- Add flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt. Mix just until the flour disappears.
- Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured counter.
- Cut shapes and place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 9 minutes. Cool completely before decorating with royal icing.
How to Decorate Gingerbread Cutout Cookies
These cookies are perfect for decorating because they hold their shape so well. Use royal icing for clean lines and sturdy designs. You can decorate gingerbread men, snowflakes, Christmas trees, or houses. This decorating method also works for sugar cookies, just adjust the icing colors.
Christmas tree cookie decoration ideas
Star cookie decoration ideas
Gingerbread house cookie decoration ideas
Gingerbread men cookie decoration ideas
I hope these gingerbread cookie decoration ideas were helpful and give you some inspiration to get creative next time you make cutout cookies. With these ideas you can decorate gingerbread cutout cookies but you can also decorate sugar cookies this way, just change the color of the royal icing.
To frost these easy gingerbread cookies use royal icing!
Can You Freeze Gingerbread Cookie Dough?
Yes! This gingerbread cookie dough freezes very well. You can freeze the dough tightly wrapped for up to 2 months. When ready to use, thaw it in the fridge overnight, then roll, cut, and bake as directed. You can also freeze the baked cookies before decorating and frost them later with royal icing.
Frequently Asked Questions about these no spread Gingerbread cookies
Gingerbread cookies usually spread when the butter is over-creamed without the right amount of dry ingredients or the dough is too warm. This recipe avoids that by mixing the butter just until combined and using the right balance of flour, sugar, and molasses, which helps the cookies hold their shape in the oven.
No chilling is required for this recipe. The dough is designed to roll out easily at room temperature and bake without spreading, which makes it great for quick holiday baking.
These gingerbread cutout cookies are meant to be crisp and sturdy, not soft and chewy. Once decorated with royal icing, the cookies soften slightly while still holding their shape, making them perfect for decorating.
Yes, gingerbread cookie dough freezes very well. Wrap it tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then roll, cut, and bake as directed.
Absolutely. You can freeze the baked cookies (undecorated) in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Decorate with royal icing after thawing.
Royal icing is the best option for decorating gingerbread cutout cookies. It dries firm, holds detail well, and works perfectly for piping designs on gingerbread men, snowflakes, and other shapes.
Yes! Because the cookies don’t spread and are sturdy once baked, they’re great for decorating with kids. The shapes stay intact, and the cookies are easy to handle.
Yes. You can make the dough, bake the cookies, or freeze them in advance. This makes them ideal for holiday season baking and planning ahead.
Yes. This dough works well with gingerbread men, snowflakes, Christmas trees, and other detailed cutters because it holds sharp edges and doesn’t spread.
No spread gingerbread men cookies (no chill)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg at room temperature.
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp all spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 375F then line a large baking sheet with parchment paper then set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter, the brown sugar, and the granulated sugar just until it's incorporated. Don't cream the mixture for this recipe. Add in the egg, the vanilla, and molasses, and mix just until incorporated again. Add in the flour, cinnamon, ginger, all spice, and salt and mix just until the flour disappears.
- Pour the cookie dough onto your work surface don't worry if it's crumbly, just press it together with your hands.) Roll the dough with a rolling pin to about 1/4" thickness. Using your cookie cutter, cut the cookie shapes that you want. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 9 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool completely before you can decorate them with royal icing and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! Do you recommend salted or unsalted butter?
You can use either!
If you use unsalted, should you add any extra salt?
No need!
These cookies turned out perfect!! No spreading.. and great flavor! Going into my tried and true board.. thanks!!
Can the dough be made in advanced and baked later?
If you make the dough in advance you will have to shape and cut it in advance as well. Because it is a no-spread cookie recipe the dough is pretty dry so by keeping it unrolled and uncut it will be harder to work with.
Hi. I followed the metric measurements and my dough is so sticky. It was impossible to roll out as the dough kept sticking to the rolling pin. What could I be doing wrong?
If your dough was sticky, it could be because the flour amount was off. Try using a kitchen scale next time for better accuracy 🙂
These were excellent! Perfect measurements to not spread and give a lovely flavor. Paired with a spiced orange royal icing and I’m thrilled with the results
Thank you so much for sharing!
Looking to make these over the weekend so my preschoolers can make ginger bread houses, I need to make 8 so that would be two walls, two roofs and two fronts as well as two ginger bread people each… they would be on the more medium smaller sized ginger bread houses… should tripling this recipe be okay? hope to hear back!!
So sorry I didn’t get back to you in time but that should work! Hope you were able to give it a try!
Made these cookies for my eggnog ginger tiramisu. They are SO good! Thank you for sharing xx
Yum! What a perfect pairing! You’re welcome Audrey.
Turned out yummy, but it was hard keeping the dough together. How do I prevent cracking/crumble when roll pinning it?
So glad to hear that! You can pack it with your hands on parchment paper and gently flatten it with the palm of your hand before rolling it.
This recipe is perfect! No other recipe for gingerbread cookies should even exist! The balance of spices is spot on. I rolled them thick and baked for 9 minutes. They stayed the perfect texture for 2 whole weeks!
Would these keep frozen for a week or so? Would love to be able to make them in advance and just pull them out to decorate!
Absolutely!
Making these for a cookie exchange. How long can they be kept before being spoiled? Planning on making them a week a head of the exchange. Cheers
That would be great just make sure to store them in an airtight container.
I found this recipe hard to work with, once it was rolled once it was ok, but my wrists were killing me. The 2nd batch was a little easier as I left a bit of flour out.
Didn’t find it very gingery, if I make them again I’ll add more ginger,
I did like that they didn’t spread and I didn’t have to chill the dough.
Thank you for trying out the recipe!
What is your experience freezing these?
You can freeze these for up to 3 months in an airtight container and thaw them in the fridge whenever you are ready to enjoy them!