Small Batch Gingerbread Cookies
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
These small batch gingerbread cookies deliver everything you expect in a classic, spiced cookie: deep molasses flavor, plenty of warm spices, and a tender, toothsome bite that holds under royal icing. This recipe yields an even dozen, and after a required chill, the dough rolls and cuts cleanly into any cutter shape (gingerbread man being a given). Finish them with royal icing or leave them plain for the ginger-spice to be front and center.
Molasses, Spice, and a Dozen Gingerbread Cookies
I love it when I can break out the jar of molasses tucked in the back of the pantry. Just seeing it evokes holiday cheer, and I immediately think gingerbread cookies (yes, even before sugar cookies).
The bold, spiced flavor of the molasses gives way to that tender texture I chase in a gingerbread cookie. Not crisp, not chewy, just a soft bite without any crumbling in your hand. And I don’t hold back on the spice level. If I’m eating a gingerbread cookie, I want to taste it, especially once icing enters the picture.
I’ve cut this dough into houses, ornaments, even gingerbread skeletons for Halloween, but the classic gingerbread man is still my favorite. This dough holds its shape and bakes with flat tops, which makes for clean decorating and happy little Mr. and Mrs. gingerbread.
And the smaller batch of 12 means you’ll have plenty to share a few and still have enough for yourself. Because we all know, the cookie jar is full around the holidays.
Getting the Gingerbread Texture Right
Molasses is the anchor flavor here, so it couldn’t be a light touch, and that meant working around the extra moisture it brings to a small batch dough.
This dough only gets an egg yolk, never a whole egg. The yolk gives the cookies the fat and structure they need, while a whole egg adds extra moisture that makes the dough too wet to roll and bake as intended.
Light brown sugar complements the molasses and is the sole sugar since the molasses already brings plenty of sweetness and moisture on its own. White sugar will make the cookies a little more crisp, which works against the tender bite this recipe is designed for.
That’s also why the chill time is important. The dough needs the extra rest to firm up to be a proper cut-out cookie dough. So what you cut is what comes out of the oven.
How To Make Small Batch Gingerbread Cookies
To start the cookies, add the butter and brown sugar to a mixing bowl. A stand or hand mixer will work fine for this dough. I opt for my stand mixer just to make it easier.
Mix until light and creamy, then add the molasses, egg yolk, and vanilla. For this recipe, I recommend regular, unsulphured light molasses, the kind you’ll find on most grocery store shelves. It still has robust flavor, but it’s also sweeter than dark or blackstrap molasses.
Mix the wet ingredients and scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl as you go to make sure all the ingredients are fully combined.
Sift the dry ingredients over the wet by setting a fine mesh strainer over the mixing bowl. There are a lot of spices to incorporate, and this way, they are all evenly distributed.
Finish mixing the dough until all the dry streaks are gone. The dough is softer and stickier than your average cookie dough. Which is why the next step is crucial: chill the dough.
Scoop the dough onto plastic wrap, shape it roughly into a disc, then wrap it well and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Roll, Cut, And Bake
Place the chilled dough onto a floured surface to roll it out. If it feels extra-tacky, sprinkle the top of the disc with a little flour. Roll to a 1/4 inch thick and cut into your shapes. Keep in mind the thinner you roll it out, the crispier the cookie will be.
To keep the shapes intact, use a spatula to transfer the cut-out cookies to the baking sheet. Otherwise, your little gingerbread people can end up with smooshed arms and legs.
The gingerbread cookies don’t take long to bake, and the edges will just be set and the centers soft. As they cool, they will finish setting.
And I always bake my small batch cookies in two batches if they won’t all fit on one cookie sheet. This way, you don’t have to open the oven door and let the heat escape to rotate pans. And in the case of these gingerbread cookies, the second baking sheet can sit in the refrigerator while the first batch bakes.
A Few More Things Before You Start Baking
- Keep the dough cool. If your kitchen runs warm, or the dough starts feeling tacky while you’re cutting shapes, give the cut-out cookies a quick 10-minute chill on the baking sheet before they go in the oven. It keeps the edges crisp and the shapes intact.
- Be mindful of the dough. You can reroll scraps to get a few more cookies out of the dough, but I wouldn’t go more than three times. Each roll works the dough a little more, resulting in a tough cookie.
- Don’t rush the decorating. Let the cookies cool completely before decorating them with royal icing. Warm cookies mean melted icing, and sad gingerbread faces. If you’re in a time crunch, put the baked cookies in the refrigerator to speed up the cool-down.
- Same flavor, less work. Still short on time (or don’t feel like rolling and cutting), my molasses crinkle cookies give you the same bold flavor in an easier drop cookie.
Did You Make It? Let’s Hear About It!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you made these gingerbread cookies, I want to know how they turned out! Especially if you got creative with the decorating. Your comment and rating below help other bakers find this recipe.
Small Batch Gingerbread Cookies
by Erin Cernich
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookies
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons molasses, unsulphured
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Royal Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons meringue powder
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 to 3 tablespoons warm water
- gel food coloring (optional for decorating)
Instructions
Gingerbread Cookies
- In a smaller work bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and brown sugar. Use the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy. .4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- Add the molasses, vanilla, and egg yolk. Mix on medium until the yolk and molasses are fully combined. If the mixture looks a little curdled, that's ok. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula.3 tablespoons molasses, unsulphured, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg yolk
- Set a fine mesh strainer over the mixing bowl to sift in the dry ingredients. Add the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt, and shake into the bowl. Turn the mixer on medium and mix until no dry streaks remain, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Expect a soft and sticky dough.1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Pour the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and use the wrap to form the dough into a rough disc. This way your hand won't get sticky. Cover the dough tightly with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.
- When you're ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a floured work surface. Roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. This is a sticky dough, so you may need to lightly dust the top of the dough or the rolling pin with flour as well.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out your shapes, and place the cookies at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Re-roll any scraps to cut into more cookies. Try to limit re-rolling the scraps to 2 to 3 times. Too many re-rolls, and the dough can get tough.
- Bake the cookies, one baking sheet at a time, for 10 to 11 minutes or until the edges are set. While the first batch is baking, refrigerate the other baking sheet of cookies. If the cookies feel warm from the rolling and cutting, place both baking sheets in the refrigerator to chill for about 10 minutes.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store the cookies in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The longer they sit, the softer they will get.
Royal Icing
- In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla, and salt. Turn the mixer on low and slowly drizzle in 1.5 tablespoons of water. Turn the mixer up to medium-high and mix for 2 minutes.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoons meringue powder, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 to 3 tablespoons warm water
- The consistency should be similar to warm honey, and when you lift the whisk, the ribbon of icing should drip down and disappear into the surface within about 10 seconds. If it disappears immediately, it's too thin and needs to be mixed a few seconds longer. If it's too thick, add more water, a teaspoon at a time, and mix to combine.
- To tint the icing, divide it into separate bowls and use gel food coloring. I use a toothpick to dip into the coloring, then swirl it into the icing. A little goes a long way.gel food coloring
Notes
- Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe that can be doubled. If doubling, use one whole egg instead of two yolks. The number of cookies in your batch will depend on how thick you roll out your cookie dough and the size of your cookie cutters. My gingerbread man cookie cutters are about 2×3 inches.
- Cookie Texture – These gingerbread cookies are more tender than they are crisp. For a crispier cookie, bake for 1 to 2 more minutes.
- Freezing the Cookie Dough – After chilling the dough, place the wrapped disc in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before rolling and cutting.
- Freezing Baked Cookies – Baked and decorated cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Gently place in a freezer bag and lay flat. Thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition Estimates
About the Author …
Hi, I’m Erin! With years of experience baking for two in my own small household, I know about the love for desserts without the leftovers. I’ve tested, written, and photographed every one of the 300+ recipes on my website. And even had some of my desserts featured on Taste of Home, The Spruce Eats, ELLE, Parade, and more! From traditional to gluten free desserts for two, I have the recipe for you.
Click here to learn more about me →