These soft and chewy high altitude gingerbread cookies are subtly spiced so they aren’t too dark and spicy, and are delicious with both royal icing and buttercream frosting. This is a no spread gingerbread cookie recipe, so the shape of your cookies will be perfectly preserved after baking!
Looking for more Christmas cookie inspiration? Don’t miss these beautiful Christmas tree sugar cookies decorated with buttercream, classic Linzer cookies filled with bourbon cherry jam, and the most stunning place card cookies.
This site contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that I may make a small commission if you purchase a product using those links. This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services. All opinions expressed on this site are my own.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick and Easy. The gingerbread cookie dough is a breeze to make in the food processor, although if you don’t have one, you can use a pastry cutter instead. After a brief chill time to ensure they don’t spread, the cookies are ready to bake!
Not too Spicy. My little boys have been asking me to help them make gingerbread boy cookies this Christmas. But I knew they wouldn’t like the dark spiciness of classic gingerbread cookies, and to be honest, I don’t love them either. So my version is more of a “blond gingerbread” with less spices and molasses than you’ll find in most recipes. That said, you can certainly add more spices if you like more flavor.
No Spread Recipe. When making cutout cookies, nothing is more frustrating than having the cookies spread out on the baking sheet so the cookies lose their shape. I based today’s recipe on my perfect vanilla sugar cookies, which hold their shape beautifully as they bake, since there’s no leavening or eggs in the dough.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Flour. All-purpose flour gives the cookies structure and strength.
- Sugar. The fine texture of powdered sugar keeps the cookies soft, while a bit of dark brown sugar adds more depth of flavor to complement the spices.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
- Spices. A blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and molasses adds wonderful gingerbread flavor to the cookies. You could even add a little cardamom or allspice.
- Butter. Adds a rich buttery flavor and keeps the cookies tender.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
- Milk. Moistens the dough to bind it together.
Instructions
Make the cookie dough.
- In your food processor, pulse the flour, powdered sugar, brown sugar, salt and spices until combined.
- With the processor running, drop in the pieces of butter, one at at time, pulsing a few times until the butter is evenly distributed, and the dough is moistened and crumbly.
- Add the vanilla, milk and molasses, then process until the dough starts to stick together.
- Dump the dough out onto a clean counter and use your hands to finish bringing the dough together, kneading in any stray bits of flour. The dough should be soft, smooth and supple.
TIP: This is more of a “blond” gingerbread that isn’t too dark or spicy. For a more classic dark gingerbread flavor, you can double the spices and the molasses.
Chill the dough, then roll and cut the cookies.
- Shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with sheets of parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, place the disk of dough, and dust the top of the dough with flour, too. Roll out to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch thick.Use any size/shape cookie cutters to cut as many cookies as you can, placing the cut cookies 2 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheets.
- Gather up the scraps of dough, roll them out again, and continue cutting as many cookies as you can.
Chill and bake the cut cookies.
- Place the baking sheets with the cut cookies in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour – chilling the cut cookies helps to ensure they don’t spread and hold their shape perfectly while baking.Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Bake the chilled cookies on the center oven rack for about 11 1/2 – 12 minutes. The tops should be a very pale golden with no dark browning, and you should see tiny flaky layers around the edges.
- Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the pan, then very gently transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Sugar cookies are delicate when warm, so handle with care.
Decorating Gingerbread Cookies
Cinnamon and Sugar
- A really easy way to decorate these cookies is with a simple sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar (as shown on the smaller gingerbread boys in the photo above). Before baking the cookies, brush them with a little egg white, then sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar. Bake as instructed. This gives the cookies more of a crunchy texture, rather than soft.
- For a softer texture, just bake the plain cookies, spread them with buttercream, and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Scarf and Ear Muffs
- To pipe the scarf, use a small star tip, such as tip #17.
- To pipe the buttons, mouth, eyes and ear muffs, use a small round tip, such as tip #4.
- Sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar.
Suspenders and Bow Tie
- Use a small pallet knife or icing spatula to spread frosting onto the cookie to make the shorts.
- To pipe the suspenders, buttons, bow tie, mouth, eyes and hair, use a small round tip, such as tip #4.
- Decorate with black sugar pearls and coarse white sparkling sugar.
Ear Muffs and Squiggles
- To pipe the squiggles, buttons, mouth, eyes and ear muffs, use a small round tip, such as tip #4.
- Decorate with black sugar pearls and coarse white sparkling sugar.
Frosting and Sugar
- Frost the cookie all over with white or green buttercream frosting.
- Add black sugar pearl buttons, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar.
Recipe Variation: Gingerbread Cookie Sandwiches with Heart Cutouts
- When making sandwich cookies, I will usually roll the dough a bit thinner, between 1/4 – 1/8 inch thick. Since the cookies are thinner, you’ll also need to bake them for 1-2 minutes less.
- For this design, I also used a tiny heart cutter to cut a heart out of the top cookies, so that the buttercream filling inside would show.
- I used chocolate buttercream, but vanilla buttercream that’s colored red would also be so pretty for Christmas.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I make the cookie dough without a food processor?
If you don’t have a food processor, you’ll need a large bowl and a pastry cutter. In the bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Scatter with the cold butter pieces and use the pastry cutter to cut the butter in until very finely cut and evenly distributed. Drizzle with the liquid ingredients, then use your hands to work the liquid into the dry ingredients until it forms into a soft dough.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
To make the dough in advance, wrap the disks of dough in plastic wrap, label them, and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for 3-6 months. Frozen dough should be thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Then take the dough out of the fridge about 1 hour before you’re ready to roll out the dough. It should still be cool to the touch when you roll it out, but pliable enough to roll without too much difficulty.
How should store the decorated cookies?
The baked cookies should be cooled completely then stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you won’t be frosting and decorating them immediately, freeze the cookies in an airtight container for 3-6 months. After decorating, they need to be stored in an airtight container in a single layer, so you don’t ruin the buttercream.
Where can I find your buttercream recipe?
You can use my perfect American buttercream recipe in any flavor or color to decorate your cookies.
What green food coloring did you use?
I wish I could remember exactly, but it was a mix of a few different gel colors, such as “forest green” and “leaf green”, with a small touch of “super black” to deepen the color.
What did you use for decorating the cookies?
- For piping the scarves, use a small star tip (such as tip #17).
- For piping the ear muffs, bow tie, mouths, eyes, buttons, suspenders and squiggles, use a small round tip (such as tip #4).
- I also used these black sugar pearls and this coarse white sparkling sugar.
You Might Also Like
Please check out my Amazon Shop for a curated collection of some of my favorite cake pans from trusted brands, baking tools, ingredients, pretty things and fashion finds. I recommend products that I buy and use every day!
Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
No Spread Gingerbread Cutout Cookies
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Food Processor or Pastry Cutter
- Rolling Pin and Cookie Cutters
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar, loosely packed
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp old-fashioned molasses (NOT blackstrap)
Instructions
- In your food processor, pulse the flour, powdered sugar, brown sugar, salt and spices until combined.With the processor running, drop in the pieces of butter, one at at time, pulsing a few times until the butter is evenly distributed, and the dough is moistened and crumbly.Add the vanilla, milk and molasses, then process until the dough starts to stick together.Note: This is more of a "blond" gingerbread that isn't too dark or spicy. For a more classic dark gingerbread flavor, you can double the spices and the molasses.
- Dump the dough out onto a clean counter and use your hands to finish bringing the dough together, kneading in any stray bits of flour. The dough should be soft, smooth and supple.
- Shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with sheets of parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, place the disk of dough, and dust the top of the dough with flour, too. Roll out to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch thick.Use any size/shape cookie cutters to cut as many cookies as you can, placing the cut cookies 2 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheets.Gather up the scraps of dough, roll them out again, and continue cutting as many cookies as you can.
- Place the baking sheets with the cut cookies in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour – chilling the cut cookies helps to ensure they don't spread and hold their shape perfectly while baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.Bake the chilled cookies on the center oven rack for about 11 1/2 – 12 minutes. The tops should be a very pale golden with no dark browning, and you should see tiny flaky layers around the edges.
- Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the pan, then very gently transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.Sugar cookies are delicate when warm, so handle with care.
Notes
- Making the Dough without a Food Processor: If you don’t have a food processor, you’ll need a large bowl and a pastry cutter. In the bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Scatter with the cold butter pieces and use the pastry cutter to cut the butter in until very finely cut and evenly distributed. Drizzle with the liquid ingredients, then use your hands to work the liquid into the dry ingredients until it forms into a soft dough.
- Storing the Baked Cookies: The baked cookies should be cooled completely then stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you won’t be frosting and decorating them immediately, freeze the cookies in an airtight container for 3-6 months.
- Freezing the Dough: To make the dough in advance, wrap the disks of dough in plastic wrap, label them, and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for 3-6 months. Frozen dough should be thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Then take the dough out of the fridge about 1 hour before you’re ready to roll out the dough. It should still be cool to the touch when you roll it out, but pliable enough to roll without too much difficulty.
- Spices: This is more of a “blond” gingerbread that isn’t too dark or spicy. For a more classic dark gingerbread flavor, you can double the spices and the molasses.
- Decorating: To decorate the cookies, you’ll need some Perfect American Buttercream, in any flavor/color. Use a small star tip (such as tip #17) to pipe the scarves, and a small round tip (such as tip #4) to pipe the ear muffs, bow tie, mouths, eyes, buttons, suspenders and squiggles.
Perfect at 8300 ft. I’m so excited to find a cut out cookie that doesn’t spread. I’ll. Be making more batches of these for the holidays.
Hi there! So there is NO baking soda/powder? Correct?
If possible, could I add cocoa powder to this recipe to make it a chocolate spice gingerbread cookie? If so, what adjustments would i need to make to the recipe?
Correct, there’s no leavening. You can try replacing around 1/4 – 1/3 of the flour with cocoa powder. Cocoa powder tends to absorb more moisture, so you may need to add an extra tablespoon of milk.
Hi Heather! I love this recipe, but my husband loves ‘crunchy’ cookies. What can I do alter this recipe to make the cookies crisp?
Try just baking them for a few minutes longer until the edges turn golden brown and crisp.
I love a lot of molasses in my gingerbread cookies. Could I increase to 1/4 cup? Would I need to decrease milk? Thanks for your feedback, just moved to Colorado Springs a few months ago and it’s been wild trying to bake at high altitude!
If you increase the molasses, I’d decrease the sugar accordingly, but I’m not sure how they’ll turn out with those adjustments.