Best Gingerbread Cookies (with Coconut Sugar and Molasses)

The Best Gingerbread Cookies (with Coconut Sugar and Molasses) are perfect for holiday baking with the kids! They are crunchy on the outside, chewy inside, and have the perfect amount of spices and sweetness. Even if you are not a gingerbread fan, these cookies will be a favorite!

I have tested many gingerbread recipes using molasses, honey, muscovado, and brown sugar. I have experimented with all the possible ratios imagined and the amount of spices added. These cookies have the traditional gingerbread flavors without being too overpowering; they are so good! I hope this will be your new go-to gingerbread recipe!

Why is this the Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

• The cookies are buttery, light, delicious, and perfectly spiced!
• Have the perfect texture and sweetness.
• It is easy to make, and the dough, once refrigerated, is straightforward to work with!

You may also like these soft chocolate chip cookies for Santa or my easy cut-out sugar cookies.

Ingredients to Make Gingerbread Man Cookies

Cookies

• Butter: I prefer unsalted butter, but you can substitute it with salted butter. Cut back a little on the salt you add to the dough if you use salted butter. 
• Coconut Sugar: I love these cookies using coconut sugar. It is not refined, has the perfect color, and is more affordable than the traditional muscovado sugar. I have attempted to use muscovado sugar, as many recipes use it, but it is not worth it! It was very expensive, not easily available (I had to purchase it online), and came as one big piece of rock that was impossible to use for days!
• Molasses: I use unsulphured molasses in this recipe. I am not a fan of molasses, but I use just the right amount in this recipe to add texture, color, and a subtle aftertaste. It’s worth trying, even if you are not a fan! You can also use honey, but the gingerbread man cookies will be lighter in color.
• Egg: The fresher, the better. Adds moisture and structure to the cookie.
• Vanilla Extract: Use a high-quality pure extract.
• Flour: Bleached or unbleached, all-purpose flour.
• Salt: Cut back here if you use salted butter.
• Gingerbread spices: I use ground ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, and nutmeg.
• Baking powder

Easy icing

• Powdered sugar: We will mix powdered sugar with milk to make a thick and easy icing.
• Milk: A minimal amount is used to dilute the powdered sugar and make a slurry.
• Dye-free food coloring: I love adding some dye-free food coloring for a fun twist that kids love!

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Prepare cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
• Add room-temperature butter and sugar to a bowl and beat until creamy. (use a hand electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment).
• Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla and continue beating at medium speed.
• Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and spices in a separate bowl and whisk until combined.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and continue beating until combined (scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed).
• Transfer the dough to a work surface and press the gingerbread cookie dough onto two flattened discs. Wrap well with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm or up to 2 days.
• Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to a ¼ inch (6mm) thickness on a lightly floured surface (make sure to sprinkle a little flour on both sides of the dough to prevent sticking). Use gingerbread man shapes to cut out the dough. Place on a prepared baking sheet and bake cookies at 350F for 8-12 minutes until the edges of the cookies are just golden brown.
• Remove cookies to a cooling rack to completely cool before decorating. This part is so much fun! When cool, decorate them with your favorite royal icing recipe or my favorite easy icing (see recipe card).

Recipe Tips

• The butter should be at room temperature, which is slightly cool. The butter may have been too warm if your dough comes out sticky.
• Use weight measurements for the best results. Affordable kitchen scales are helpful in baking; however, I have also added cup measurements for convenience.
• When rolling the dough, make sure to sprinkle a little flour on both sides of the dough to prevent sticking. You need to do this even when rolling directly on parchment paper!
• Keep an eye on the cookies after the 10-minute mark. Some ovens bake more on one side. If so, rotate the baking sheet to make the cookies identical.
• Preheat oven before baking for best results.
• Light-colored baking sheets (aluminum) bake the cookies more slowly than dark ones, and the cookies will be golden on top without burning on the bottom. When using this dark cookie sheet from Wilton, it takes 10 minutes to bake the cookies, while this one from Nordic Ware takes 15 minutes.
• Bake the cookies on the center rack, one sheet at a time. Adding two or three sheets at once will not ensure even baking.

Tools Needed

• Baking sheets.
• Parchment paper or silicone mat.
• Stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer.
• Rolling pin with thickness rings.
• Gingerbread man cookie cutters.

Serving Suggestions and Substitutions

• Molasses: You may use honey instead.
• Coconut sugar: You may use dark brown sugar, light brown sugar, or dark muscovado sugar.

Storage Instructions

Room temperature: Store the gingerbread cookies at room temperature by placing them in an airtight container or covering them with plastic wrap. When decorated, put layers of wax paper in between so they do not stick to each other.  They will be good for up to a week.

Freezer: Cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Add layers of parchment paper between cookies in a freezer-friendly container. To thaw, thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

If decorated with royal icing, follow the exact instructions.

Leftover cookie dough is also great to freeze. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or place in airtight zipper bags and freeze for up to 2 months. Be sure to let the dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Christmas Recipes You May Like:

• Easy Christmas Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (Fun for Kids!)

If you made my Easy Gingerbread Cookies or any other recipe on the website, please:

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🥣Recipe