Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (2024)

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (1)

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Sure, there are tons of different Christmas cookies you can make during the holiday season. There are all those sugar cookies to start, plus lingers, meringues, and more. But there's only one flavor of cookie that absolutely has to be on the dessert table each season: Gingerbread.

All too often, though, the gingerbread cookies are uninspired. It's the same plain dough, the same little-man cookie cutter, and the same white frosting over and over. This year, why not shake things up? We've put together more than three dozen of our favorite gingerbread and ginger-based cookie recipes from our site and around the web to help you whip up a new, more exciting gingerbread cookie. And any one of these is good enough to not only wow the family, but to become the go-to recipe for years to come.

Yes, there are classic gingerbread cookies on this list, but there are plenty of new gingerbread recipes featuring innovative flavors that you absolutely must try this year. The gingerbread Linzer cookies with dulce de leche centers, gingerbread cookie bars with white chocolate chips, and Nutella stuffed gingerbread cookies are some of the most incredible options on this roundup. There are also quite a few recipes featuring chocolate that everyone in your family will love—and probably polish right off. Some of our absolute favorites are the white chocolate gingerbread star cookies, chocolate chip gingerbread oatmeal cookies, and soft chocolate gingerbread cookies. Everyone will be feeling the holiday cheer when you're baking up batches of these beloved Christmas desserts.

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1

Christmas Light Gingerbread Cookies

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (3)

Arrange these sweet treats in a circle on a platter and they become a perfect centerpiece wreath!

Get the recipe.

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2

Hang-the-Stockings Gingerbread Cookies

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (5)

These iced gingerbread cookies — spiced with ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and molasses — are not only delicious, but do double duty as shimmering ornaments.

Get the recipe.

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3

Gingerbread Oatmeal Cream Pie

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (7)

There is only one word for this gingerbread cookie and oatmeal cream pie hybrid: Yes.

Get the recipe at Ambitious Kitchen.

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4

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (9)

It's a no-brainer that these chocolatey gingerbread cookies are a must-bake.

Get the recipe at Baker by Nature.

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5

Soft Gingerbread Cookies With Rum Glaze

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (11)

The rum glaze atop these ornate-looking gingerbread cookies is what the Christmas staple has been missing.

Get the recipe at The Cookie Rookie.

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6

Gingerbread Millionaire Bars

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (13)

Who knew millionaire bars could get any better? Ginger adds a whole new flavor that works perfectly in this dessert.

Get the recipe at Broma Bakery.

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7

Chocolate Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (15)

Thick chocolate ganache is sandwiched between two gingerbread cookies.

Get the recipe at Sally's Baking Addiction.

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8

Frosted Gingerbread Cookies

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (17)

Have your kids help out decorating these soft, chewy cookies. They'll especially love the tiny gingerbread men sprinkles.

Get the recipe at Baker by Nature.

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9

Gingerbread Cookies

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (19)

There's nothing like the classic version. This blogger writes that her recipe produces cookies that are crispy on the outside and soft in the inside, which is exactly how we like them.

Get the recipe at Sally's Baking Addiction.

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10

White Chocolate Gingerbread Star Cookies

White chocolate adds a sweet note to the spiced flavors in this treat. Feel free to add as much or as little as you'd like.

Get the recipe at Cooking Classy.

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11

Gingerbread Linzer Cookies With Dulce de Leche Centers

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (23)

A homemade dulce de leche filling makes this dessert downright decadent. Each cookie is just oozing with ooey, gooey goodness.

Get the recipe at Broma Bakery.

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12

Soft Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (25)

Chocoholics will polish off a plate of these goodies in no time. The recipe is made with cocoa powder and each cookie is adorned with a chocolate star.

Get the recipe at SugarHero!.

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13

Gingerbread Cookies

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (27)

This classic, no-fail recipe will make perfect gingerbread cookies every single time.

Get the recipe at Gimme Some Oven.

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14

Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (29)

These addicting goodies have a secret savory ingredient: black pepper!

Get the recipe at Wholefully.

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15

Gingerbread Cookie Bars with White Chocolate Chips

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (31)

These blondie-like bars only take 30 minutes to make.

Get the recipe at Celebrating Sweets.

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16

Favorite Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (33)

A healthier holiday dessert that doesn't lack flavor? We'll be making these all December long.

Get the recipe at Kristine's Kitchen.

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17

Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (35)

Baking thumbprint cookies is a must at Christmastime—especially when they're filled with spiced white chocolate.

Get the recipe at Swanky Recipes.

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18

Brown Butter Gingerbread Men

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (37)

Kids will have a blast in the kitchen decorating these colorful edible characters.

Get the recipe at Baker by Nature.

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19

Nutella Stuffed Gingerbread Cookies

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (39)

Nothing makes a dessert melt in your mouth quite like a spoonful of Nutella in the middle.

Get the recipe at The Food Charlatan.

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20

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (41)

Use a variety of cookie cutters and decorations to customize this recipe to your family's festive likings.

Get the recipe at Bless This Mess.

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Reinvent Your Holiday Baking with These Gingerbread Cookie Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the number 1 Christmas cookie? ›

Peanut Butter Blossoms are America's favorite Christmas cookie, based both on total number of pageviews from the U.S. population as a whole, and number of states that ranked it as their top cookie (which is six, by the way).

What is the main ingredient in gingerbread cookies trivia? ›

One of the designations for today, November 21st, is National Gingerbread Cookie Day. The main ingredient of gingerbread is molasses, which is from the juice of sugar cane or sugar beets that is boiled down to remove the sugar crystals.

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? ›

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? Soft gingerbread biscuits are ideal. They ought to be flexible. However, they should still be somewhat elastic, and if you hold them too firmly because you're so excited to eat them, you might even be able to leave your fingerprints on the cookie!

Why are my gingerbread men hard? ›

“There are some gingerbread recipes that are hard right after baking and need to sit for a few days to soften. Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.”

What is the #1 cookie in the United States? ›

The chocolate chip cookie is far and away America's favorite cookie This should come as no surprise to anyone who enjoys the tasty treat. More than 53% of American adults prefer the cookies over the next most popular kind, peanut butter.

What is the most popular Christmas cookie in the US? ›

Based on this data from General Mills, Peanut Butter Blossoms are the most popular Christmas cookie in the country; it's the most-visited cookie recipe in seven states, which means it's the most common favorite cookie in the U.S. That's a pretty high honor!

What country is known for gingerbread cookies? ›

Gingerbread cookies became a sign of the more elegant side of England because of the gold leaf that was used to decorate them. Gingerbread houses began in Germany during the 16th century. These cookie houses were decorated with foil and gold leaf and quickly became a Christmas tradition in the country.

What are the three types of gingerbread? ›

The three distinct types of gingerbread are brown gingerbread, wafer-based gingerbread and honey gingerbread.
  • BROWN GINGERBREAD.
  • WAFER GINGERBREAD.
  • HONEY GINGERBREAD.

What was the first recipe for gingerbread cookies? ›

According to Rhonda Massingham Hart's Making Gingerbread Houses, the first known recipe for gingerbread came from Greece in 2400 BC. Chinese recipes were developed during the 10th century and by the late Middle Ages, Europeans had their own version of gingerbread.

Can I use golden syrup instead of molasses? ›

Golden Syrup

With its golden, amber color, it is lighter than molasses, though the two are similar in their thickness. Golden syrup also a liquid sweetener, so 1 cup of golden syrup can replace 1 cup of molasses. Golden syrup has a unique flavor, so it may alter the flavor of your recipe slightly.

What flavor pairs well with gingerbread? ›

Needing to be foiled, gingerbread loves whipped cream. But it also takes to tart winter fruits like a shortcake to strawberries. Poached or broiled pineapple sings alongside gingerbread, as do a few spoonfuls of pomelo curd, garnished with candied pomelo peel.

What kind of molasses to use for gingerbread cookies? ›

Light molasses is the sweetest and mildest out of the bunch because it is made from the first boiling cycle,” she said. “I like to use this type of molasses because it adds moisture to cookies, resulting in a soft and chewy texture.”

Should you refrigerate gingerbread dough? ›

Chilling it for at least two hours or overnight gives the ingredients a chance to absorb one another, making it a whole lot easier to roll out the dough without it cracking. Follow this tip: Let the dough chill in the refrigerator, well-wrapped, for at least two hours or overnight before rolling it out.

What happens if you add too much molasses to cookies? ›

Doubling up on molasses softened the cookies significantly.

Molasses is also extremely dark in color, so this batch of cookies turned out to be a deep brown.

How long to rest gingerbread dough? ›

Make sure you rest it overnight in the fridge then bring it out to come to room temp before you start rolling it out. You will be cursing at it if you try to roll it out straight after making it. This Gingerbread will last for months in cello bags or in airtight containers.

What is the most popular cookie in December? ›

What are the most popular Christmas cookies? Our survey found frosted sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies to be the most popular Christmas cookies in the country. They were the fan favorites in 39 states.

What is the number one selling cookie? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co. But did you know Oreos are a copycat product?

What is the 2nd most popular cookie? ›

Nabisco Oreo was the second ranked cookie brand of the United States with about 674.2 million U.S. dollars worth of sales in 2017. Cookies are part of the snack food category and defined as small, thin, baked treats in the United States.

What is Santa Claus's favorite cookie? ›

Chocolate Chip cookies

Santa himself lists these as his favorites, and he prefers them soft and gooey with lots of chocolate chips. If you decide to leave these out for him, make sure there's a glass of cold milk nearby!

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