Gingerbread Cookies

My mom and I still talk about the failed batch of gingerbread we made while I was in high school. A popular magazine’s recipe turned into a brick in the fridge and wouldn’t roll out—no matter what we tried! A decade later, when I finally decided to make gingerbread again, I wanted to make a recipe that would roll out nicely even without a chill time. I experimented with the reverse creaming method, and the results were fabulous! I loved those dark chocolate gingerbread cookies so much that I started making more cut-out cookies with the reverse creaming method, like no-chill Linzer cookies.

This year, I adapted that first recipe into a classic no-chill gingerbread cookie recipe. Just like the chocolate version, it’s made with the reverse creaming method and can be rolled out immediately with very little flour. But this gingerbread dough can also be chilled overnight and rolled out the next day without cracking, making it a super versatile gingerbread cookie dough! The dough is really easy to work with, so you can make more intricate gingerbread cookies, too.

Ingredients for No-Chill Gingerbread

These no-chill gingerbread cookies are soft, thick, and perfectly spiced with only a little spreading thanks to the reverse creaming method! A few standard cookie ingredients meet warm spices and molasses for easy-to-make cookies that taste just like Christmas.

• All-purpose flour. Regular flour gives these cookies structure. I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but a 1:1 substitute should work fine.
• Brown sugar. Rather than granulated sugar, I use all brown sugar for richer flavor and added moisture.
• Salted butter. I use salted butter in all of my cookie recipes, but you can use unsalted if you prefer. To make these cookies dairy-free, I’d recommend using a vegan butter rather than margarine.
• Spices. A combination of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice make these gingerbread cookies perfectly spiced!
• Baking soda. Soda gives these cookies a bit of a lift without too much spreading.
• Salt. Just a pinch helps to enhance all the flavors.
• Molasses. This gingerbread staple helps cookies stay soft and moist for days.
• Eggs. A necessary binding ingredient, eggs contain emulsifiers that hold the cookie dough together.
• Powdered sugar. When mixed with a touch of water, powdered sugar makes a simple, thick icing that’s great for decorating. (You could use royal icing or frosting if you prefer!)

How to Make Gingerbread Cookies via the Reverse Creaming Method

These no-chill gingerbread cookies are quick and easy to make, so you can get the most out of the holidays—no need to get frustrated over cookie dough that’s super sticky or just crumbles while rolling out! Here’s how to make these gingerbread cut-outs step by step.

Making the Gingerbread Cookie Dough

Add the flour, brown sugar, butter, spices, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Be sure to use butter that is at or close to room temperature, as the butter needs to be pliable.

Mix together on low for a few minutes, until the dough looks sandy with no large pieces of butter. When mixed, it should hold together if squeezed, then crumble apart with only a little effort.

Once fully combined, add the eggs and molasses to the mixture and beat on low until a dough ball forms. This usually takes a couple minutes, and the mixer may sound like it’s having some trouble. Just keep it on low until everything combines!

Quick Tips for Rolling Out No-Chill Gingerbread Dough

This gingerbread cookie dough is a dream to work with at room temperature and chilled! I like rolling out the cookie dough right after I’ve made it, but you can wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 2 days, if you prefer.

Turn the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured workspace. If you have wooden or tiled countertops (or it’s particularly warm in your kitchen), you may need to use a heavier dusting of flour to prevent sticking. You can also roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper!

Roll the cookie dough to about ¼” to ⅜” (6 to 9 mm) thick. Keeping the dough this thick helps give each cut-out enough structure to limit tears. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes in the dough, then gently peel the dough off the counter with your fingertips or a bench scraper. Place the cookies at least 1″ (25 mm) apart on a lined baking sheet to accommodate a little bit of spread.

Note that more intricate cookies like snowflakes or reindeer will still require care when peeling off your workspace! I like to use an offset spatula from Ateco to help release the cookies from my counter easily.

One of the nice things about no-chill gingerbread dough is that it usually rerolls really nicely, too. I smash any leftover dough cuttings together and reroll as many times as I need to use up all of the dough. I’ve made it up to 6 rerolls, and each time somehow rolls out even better than the last!

How to Bake Gingerbread Cookies

Once placed on parchment- or silicone-lined baking sheets, bake your gingerbread cookies at 350°F for anywhere from 10-13 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are matte and the edges of the cookies are slightly darker than the centers. Smaller cookies, thinner cookies, and cookies with appendages (like the thin legs on a reindeer) will bake for closer to 10 minutes. Large or thicker cookies will bake for closer to 13 minutes.

I usually bake these cookies one tray at a time, but you can bake two trays at once. Just swap the trays halfway through the bake time to ensure they bake evenly!

How to Decorate Gingerbread Cookies

I love the ease of a simple icing made from powdered sugar and water, so that’s what I’ve included with this recipe. If you prefer the shiny finish of royal icing (and you already have a recipe you love), feel free to use that!

Add powdered sugar to a medium bowl, then pour in about half of your water. Stir together with a whisk, then stir in water a few drops at a time until it reaches your ideal consistency. You may also use a fork to stir it together, but you may need to sift the powdered sugar first.

I use a pretty thick consistency to get an opaque icing on these gingerbread cookies. The thicker the icing, the more effort it will take to pipe. But it will also show up nice and opaque on your cookies, which I really like.

Transfer to a piping bag and cut off the very tip for a small opening, or use a small piping tip like Wilton #1.

There’s no one right way to decorate gingerbread cookies! Over the years, I’ve found I prefer outlining the shape of the cookie and adding a few lines of detail, but you’re welcome to completely cover these with icing.

If you want colorful gingerbread cookies, you can divide the icing into a few bowls and color them with gel food coloring.

How to Make Mini Gingerbread Cookies

Once I have a few trays of regular-sized gingerbread cookies, I like to use the rest of the dough to make mini gingerbread men. These are perfect for using in ice cream, topping gingerbread-flavored baked goods, and eating by the handful. I’ve also started using them as decor for regular-sized gingerbread cookies. The minis make for great gingerbread babies!

To make these mini gingerbread men, I use mini gingerbread cutters to cut out the tiny shapes. (I bought the ones I use here at Target a couple years ago, but I found a similar set online!) Then, I bake them at 350°F for about 8 minutes on a silicone-lined baking sheet. If using parchment paper or a dark baking sheet, check on the cookies around the 6-minute mark.

Let cool, then ice as desired. I like doing a couple buttons in a row to keep it simple, but you could also leave them bare—or put them in little diapers!

FAQs about No-Chill Gingerbread

Other Recipes You May Enjoy

I love gingerbread season! Other favorite ginger-spiced recipes include my chocolate gingerbread cookies (also no-chill!) and the whiskey gingersnap, a gingersnap-flavored whiskey cocktail.

Dish Cleanup: Gonna Take a While

I rate my recipe cleanups on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 is only a handful of dishes, and 5 is everything including the kitchen sink.

This recipe has a cleanup rating of a 4, but it’s easy to up it to a 5 if you use a lot of different cookie cutters! There’s a mixing bowl, a few measuring cups, and a rolling pin in addition to your workspace and cookie cutters.