Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing
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Celebrate the joy of holiday baking with these Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing! Flavored with warm festive spices, molasses, and a hint of maple syrup, these cookies bring both flavor and fun to your kitchen. Perfect for decorating, gifting, or a cookie exchange, these gingerbread cookies add a festive touch to any holiday gathering!
Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing Recipe
Get into the holiday spirit with these warmly spiced Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing! They’re easy to bake, fun to decorate, and perfect for gifting to family and friends.
With a fragrant blend of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, these cookies bring all the comforting flavors of the season into your kitchen. Decorate with royal icing to create beautiful, detailed designs, making each cookie a festive, edible work of art.
Whether for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or as homemade gifts, these classic gingerbread cookies are sure to bring cheer to any celebration!
Must have tools
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Can I make these gingerbread cookies in advance?
Absolutely! You can prepare the cookie dough up to 2 days ahead of time. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roll, cut, and bake. This can be a great time-saver, especially during busy holiday baking seasons.
How do I get clean edges on my gingerbread cookies?
To achieve clean, sharp edges, chill the cut-out dough on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes before baking. This quick chill firms up the dough and helps the cookies maintain their shape while they bake, giving you neat and professional-looking edges.
How long does the royal icing take to dry?
Royal icing generally takes about 1-2 hours to dry, depending on the thickness of the icing layer. For the best results, allow the cookies to dry completely overnight to ensure they’re fully set before stacking or storing them. This prevents any smudging or sticking.
How to store decorated gingerbread cookies
Store: Keep gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Freeze: Arrange cookies in a single layer in an airtight container or wrap them individually, then place in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Let cookies thaw at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
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Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing
Equipment
- Your choice of Christmas-themed cookie cutters
- Piping bag and small round piping nozzle
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour, scoop & leveled
- 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 113 g (1/2 stick / 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, how to measure brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 Tbsp plain white vinegar
Royal Icing
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 large egg white
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Note: This recipe requires 3 hours of chilling time for the dough, so be sure to plan ahead!
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and baking powder until well combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, add the softened butter and sugar and beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute until light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add egg and beat for 15 seconds until combined. Pour in the molasses, maple syrup, and vinegar and beat until well combined.
- Incorporate Flour: Add half of the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, beating until just combined. Add the remaining flour and beat on low speed until a soft dough forms.
- Form Dough and Chill: Bring the dough together to form a thick disc and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 356ºF (180ºC) fan-forced. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll and Cut Dough: Remove dough from the fridge. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 3-4mm thickness. Cut into shapes using your choice of cookie cutters, re-rolling dough scraps as needed.
- Chill Cut Cookies: Place cut cookies on the lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until edges are lightly golden and the middles are set. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Royal Icing
- Prepare Icing: In a bowl, sift the powdered sugar and add the egg white, and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth and lump free.
- Prepare Piping Bag: Fill a piping bag fitted with a small round piping nozzle with the royal icing.
- Outline Cookies: For clean edges, start by piping an outline along the edges of each cookie. Let this outline set slightly to create a border that keeps the icing in place.
- Flood Cookies: Once the outline has dried, flood the center of each cookie by piping icing within the outline. Use a toothpick or small tool to spread the icing evenly and fill any gaps, creating a smooth surface.
- Decorate as Desired: Get creative! Add additional details or designs over the base layer once it’s dry, if desired. Allow the icing to dry completely before serving or stacking the cookies.
HY! I’m wondering if you could put the quantity in grams…thank you so much, love your blog!❤️
Hi Carlotta! Thank you so much for your kind words :). If you head to the recipe, below the ingredient list and before the method, you will see there is an option for ‘US Customary & Metric’, if you select the ‘metric’ this will convert the ingredient quantities into grams. Hope that helps! x
Can i replace butter with coconut oil ?
Hi Menna, I haven’t made this recipe with coconut oil myself but I have in the past replaced butter in recipes with coconut oil. I don’t think you should have an issue with these cookies if you replaced the butter with coconut oil. Just be sure to have your coconut oil at room temperature, soft in texture, not melted and not completely rock hard. I think they will turn out great! Good luck! 🙂