During the holidays we always make multiple batches of Gingerbread cookies. We love the spices and bringing life to our gingerbread men with royal icing. This recipe made with fresh milled flour is delicious, stays soft and creates a beautiful decorated cookie.
If you’re new to fresh milled flour or unsure what this is, here is some more information to help you get started!
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Find simple designs to start. You do not have to do elaborate cookies for them to be beautiful! There are a ton of YouTube videos and tutorials for decorating cookies if you want to expand your skills! After years of owning a bakery and doing extremely intricate cookies, I have taught my kids the very simple designs can be just as beautiful! I also love these cookies rolled into gingersnaps and filled with cream cheese icing!
Table of Contents
Equipment needed to make Gingerbread cookies
- Grain Mill
- Stand Mixer
- Digital Scale
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Rubber Spatula
- Small offset spatula
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Cutters
- Piping bags with tips
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients for Gingerbread Cookies
Cookie dough:
You only need a few ingredients to make these delicious cookies!
- Soft white wheat flour-Experiment with other low protein grains like barley, spelt or Khorasan
- Butter-I use unsalted for all baking but you can use salted if you prefer
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Spices- Cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmet
- Eggs
- Brown Sugar
- Salt
- Molasses
- Vanilla Extract
Royal Icing:
- Egg Whites
- Powdered Sugar-Confectioners’ sugar works best!
- Vanilla Extract
- Food coloring
Cookie Dough
- Mill your soft white wheat into flour.
- In a stand mixer, place room temperature butter and cream until smooth. Add brown sugar and mix for another 1 to 2 minutes until well combined.
- Crack one egg and additional egg yolk into the mixture. Mix just until combined.
- Add molasses and vanilla extract to the mixer. Scrabe down the sides of the bowl and beater as needed.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt together until well combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed, then mix in the remaining half of the dry ingredients until just combined.
- IF YOU ARE MAKING GINGERSNAPS, SKIP TO THOSE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW
- Divide dough between 2 pieces of floured parchment paper. Sprinkle additional flour on top and top with another piece of parchment paper. Roll out dough until 1/4-1/2″ thick depending on your preference. Place the dough on a sheet pan in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉ and line 2-3 sheet pans with parchment.
- Remove dough from the fridge and peel back the top piece of parchment paper. Cut into desired shapes. Place cut out cookies on a parchment lined sheet pan.
- Roll out dough scraps after cutting out the first shapes and cut shapes out of the remaining dough. Place these in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to chill again.
- Bake for 4 minutes, rotate and bake for 5 more minutes. You can increase the time up to 12 total minutes for a crispier cookie. I prefer mine crispy around the edge but soft and chewy in the center.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Allow to cool completely before decorating.
- Make your icing while they cool.
GINGERSNAPS
- If you prefer a Gingersnap cookie, after your dough is mixed, take a 2 Tbsp scoop and scoop dough.
- I like a small cookie, so I cut this dough ball in half.
- Roll in granulated sugar.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour. Place on sheet pan 2-3″ apart.
- Bake at 350℉ for 6 minutes. Rotating after 3 minutes.
Allow to cool and enjoy! Fill with cream cheese icing and make cookie sandwiches if you are looking for something new!
Royal Icing
- Start by separating three eggs and place only the whites into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Add vanilla extract and whisk just until the whites are fluffy.
- Slowly add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar to the egg whites, 1/4 cup at a time. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Increase the speed once all the sugar has been added. Whisk on medium high speed for 3-5 minutes until soft peaks have formed.
- Divide icing into small bowls and color as desired based on the designs you will create!
You can always find a recipe for buttercream icing if that’s what you prefer on your decorated cookies. Here is a very simple recipe!
These Piping Bags are great to have on hand during the holidays. I just snip the end off for the kids to decorate and then toss them when they are done!
Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- cookie cutters
- Digital Scale or dry measuring cups
- Piping Bags
- Plastic Wrap
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 480 grams soft white wheat flour 4 cups
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, unsalted 170 grams, 3/4 cup
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp gound cloves
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 150 grams
- 3/4 cup molasses 230 grams
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Royal icing
- 3 egg whites
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- food coloring
Instructions
- Start by milling your soft white wheat berries.
- In your stand mixer fit with a roller or similar attachment, add the room temperature butter and cream until smooth. Add the brown sugar and mix for another 1 to 2 minutes until well combined
- Crack one egg and additional egg yolk into the mixture. Mix just until combined.
- Add molasses and vanilla extract to the mixer. Scrabe down the sides of the bowl and beater as needed.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt together until well combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed, then mix in the remaining half of the dry ingredients just until combined.
- IF YOU ARE MAKING GINGERSNAPS, SKIP TO THOSE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉ and line 2-3 sheet pans with parchment.
- Roll out dough scraps after cutting out the first shapes and cut shapes out of the remaining dough. Place these in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to chill again.
- Bake for 4 minutes, rotate and bake for 5 more minutes. You can increase the time up to 12 total minutes for a crispier cookie. I prefer mine crispy around the edge but soft and chewy in the center.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Allow to cool completely before decorating.
- Make your icing while they cool.
Royal Icing
- Start by separating three eggs and place only the whites into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Add vanilla extract and whisk just until the whites are fluffy.
- Slowly add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar to the egg whites, 1/4 cup at a time. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Increase the speed once all the sugar has been added. Whisk on medium high speed for 3-5 minutes until soft peaks have formed.
- The icing at the phase will be thick and should be used to outline cookies are create designs that do not need to fill in or smooth out. When you are ready to "flood" in a design, you will want to add water to thin out the icing.
- Divide icing into small bowls and color as desired based on the designs you will create!
Gingersnap Cookies
- If you prefer a Gingersnap cookie, after your dough is mixed, take a 2 Tbsp scoop and scoop dough.
- I like a small cookie, so I cut this dough ball in half.
- Roll in granulated sugar.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour. Place on sheet pan 2-3" apart.
- Bake at 350℉ for 6 minutes. Rotating after 3 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions about Gingerbread Cookies
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes, this dough will keep well raw in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month. You can also bake these and freeze them un-decorated.
My cookies spread out on the sheet?
Your dough must be cold when baked! If it is allowed to warm back up before baking, it will always spread out and lose its shapes.
How can I store my icing?
The icing will always harden up on the top and create a crispy later as it dries. In order to prevent this, always cover with plastic wrap, pressing it into the top of the icing. I fill “bullets” with icing. See in the video below.
Tips and Tricks:
-Make sure your dough is very cold before baking to create the best shapes.
-Keep royal icing covered with plastic wrap so you do not get dried chunks of icing.
-Do not add too much food color to your icing, it will bleed.
THANK YOU!
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I hope you love these gingerbread cookies as much as my family does. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram or Facebook! And, please leave a comment or star rating below. I love to see everyone be successful in the journey to a healthier lifestyle with fresh milled flour! Don’t hesitate to contact me with any question, chances are we will both learn something from us working through it together!
Happy Baking!
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