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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.
How long do these keep for? I’m trying to plan all my Christmas baking 🙂
Sorry for the late reply! At room temperature, up to 2-3 weeks in an airtight container. In the fridge for 3-4 weeks if sealed well. And in the freezer up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. Let them thaw at room temp before serving.
If they start getting too hard, place a slice of bread in the container as the cookies will absorb moisture and soften up!
Would it work to decorate these cookies with raisins and chocolate chips before baking?
Sure, I don’t see why not 🙂
This is a perfect recipe for gbread cookies you don’t want to spead..at all! They taste good, softinside and crisp in the outside!..I highly recommend this recipe! I bake as a vendor at a farmer’s market, and this is an A+ recipe!
Thank you for such a nice review!
Such a simple recipe, and so good. My daughter and I enjoyed making these together, and my husband demolished just about every one. Thank you for sharing a great recipe.
I am so glad you made them with your daughter. It’s such a bonding experience 🙂
I’ve never made gingerbread before and this recipe is very easy and tasty. I actually used becel baking margerine rather than butter as I have family members sensitive to milk products. I will probably use a royal icing to decorate them. I will definitely bake these again😋
So glad to hear that!! I do have a royal icing recipe that doesn’t spread which works so well for decorating there 🙂
Are these sturdy enough to build gingerbread houses with if we cut the shapes appropriately?
I would say so!
Hii thank you very much for this recipe. i’m gonna try ist this year. are they crispy?
They are! And you can always bake for an extra minute to make them even more crispy
Hello there, How long will these last in an airtight container without freezing please.
Up to 3-4 days at room temperature and one week in the fridge.
This recipe was true to it’s promise! You save my sanity the night before a Holiday Catalog photoshoot and I needed a reindeer gingerbread cookie for the cover shot!!! The mix came together like you said, easy to follow and excellent results. Looked like I knew what I was doing! And it tasted good!!! Thank you. I was grateful to find your blog and great advice. Thank you.
I am so glad this recipe came in at the right time! 🙂
Do they break easily? I’m looking for a recipe that I can pack in a box
They’re pretty strong and sturdy as long as you don’t pack them in too tightly.