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Easy gingerbread cookies that do not spread when baked is like a dream come true. These gingerbread cookies are perfect for Holiday cookie decoration. These cookies are crispy and will stay put to have the perfect shape to decorate.
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the holiday season! Time to get your cookie decoration on! Believe it or not, this wasn’t a tradition I grew up with but I sure made it one as soon as I moved to the united states.
There is something extra special about being in the cold weather, sipping on some hot chocolate, and decorating some gingerbread cookies. It’s calming and it also lets your creative side shine.
This is the best easy no spread crispy gingerbread cookie recipe ever!
Yes! This gingerbread cookie recipe is one of my favorite. It is not soft though so if you are looking for soft cookies, this might not be the recipe for you. This is a crispy cookie recipe that doesn’t spread. Once you ice these cookie though, the cookie base will absorb some of the moisture from that icing and slightly soften.
I love these cookies because they have a balance of spices and stay put whenever you place them in the oven . This way I know before they come out of the oven how they will really look like.
Table of Contents
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- This is the best easy no spread crispy gingerbread cookie recipe ever!
- 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 easy gingerbread cookies
- To frost these easy gingerbread cookies use royal icing!
- No spread easy gingerbread men cookies
- No spread gingerbread men cookies (no chill) Recipe
- Shop this recipe
- If you enjoyed this no spread gingerbread men cutout cookie recipe make sure to pin it for later!
What does gingerbread taste like?
Gingerbread cutout cookies have a typical holiday-esque flavor. The main flavor profile comes from the molasses, then you get the flavor of the spices (cinnamon, ginger, allspice). After I made my Ginger molasses cookies recipe I found that the flavor is very similar to that with a way different texture.
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 find evrything together.
- Molasses– You will need unsuphured 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 spirnkle of salt to balance out the sweetness.
How to make easy gingerbread cookies?
- 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, allspice, 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!
How to decorate easy gingerbread cookies
Here are some ideas on how you can decorate your gingerbread cookies at home and have fun doing it!
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!
No spread easy gingerbread men cookies
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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.
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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!