Gingerbread Cookie Sticks

You can make these using a gingerbread cookie mix or use my quick gingerbread cookie recipe! They only need about 15 minutes of chilling time, so you can have a batch of homemade gingerbread cookies ready without waiting hours.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• A fun twist on traditional gingerbread cookies. Instead of cutting out gingerbread men or Christmas shapes, these cookies are long and skinny, making them a fun addition to a holiday cookie platter.
• Easy to decorate. You don't need elaborate decorating skills. A simple powdered sugar icing is all you need to outline the cookies and add buttons or other little details.
• Soft and flavorful. These aren't hard gingerbread cookies meant for building a house. They're soft cookies with plenty of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and molasses.
• Quick homemade dough. The dough only needs about 15 minutes of chilling time before you can roll it out and start cutting.
• Great for kids. Kids love decorating these little cookie sticks. Give everyone a bag of icing and some sprinkles or candies and let them make their own designs.
• Perfect for Christmas cookie trays. The unusual shape adds variety to a cookie platter, especially when surrounded by traditional gingerbread men, sugar cookies, and other Christmas favorites.

Tips and Tricks

• Don't roll the dough too thin. I roll the dough between ¼- and ½-inch thick. Thicker cookies stay soft and give you enough surface area for decorating.
• Chill the dough briefly. The homemade dough only needs about 15 minutes in the refrigerator. This makes it easier to handle without turning this into an all-day project.
• Let the cookies cool completely before decorating. Warm gingerbread will cause the icing to soften and slide. Give the cookies time to cool before piping the decorations.
• Make the icing thick. I prefer a thicker powdered sugar icing rather than a runny glaze. It gives you much more control when outlining and decorating the cookies.
• Use a small round decorating tip. A #3 round tip works well for these cookies. You can also snip a very small opening in the corner of a piping bag if you don't have a decorating tip.
• Don't worry about perfect decorating. These are supposed to be fun! A simple outline and a few buttons are enough to make them look adorable.
• Let the icing set before stacking. Give the decorated cookies at least 5–10 minutes for the icing to set before stacking or packaging them.

Ingredients

• Molasses: Gives the cookies their deep gingerbread flavor and color.
• Shortening: Helps create a soft texture and gives the cookies good structure.
• Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and contributes to the texture of the cookies.
• Egg: Adds richness and helps bind the dough together.
• Vanilla extract: Adds flavor and complements the warm spices.
• Baking soda: Provides the leavening needed for the cookies.
• Hot water: Used to dissolve the baking soda before it is added to the dough.
• Ginger, cinnamon, and cloves: These warm spices give the cookies their classic gingerbread flavor.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the spices.
• All-purpose flour: Provides structure for the dough.
• Powdered sugar: The base of the simple icing used to decorate the cookies.
• Water: Thins the powdered sugar into an icing that is easy to pipe.
• Food coloring: Optional, but fun if you want to make different colors for the cookie decorations.

See the recipe card below for the complete ingredient list and measurements.

How to Make Gingerbread Cookie Sticks

Step 1: Make the gingerbread dough. Add the molasses and shortening to a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Step 2: Mix the sugar, egg, and vanilla. While the molasses mixture is cooking, combine the sugar, egg, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer or Danish dough hook until combined.

Step 3: Add the baking soda mixture. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water. Pour it into the sugar and egg mixture and stir to combine.

Step 4: Add the spices. Stir in the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

Step 5: Add the molasses mixture. Carefully pour the hot molasses and shortening mixture into the bowl and stir well.

Step 6: Add the flour. Beat in the flour until a soft dough forms.

Step 7: Chill the dough. Let the dough cool completely. To speed up the process, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for about 15 minutes.

Step 8: Roll out the dough. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough to ¼- to ½-inch thick. Don't roll it too thin—the thicker dough helps keep the cookie sticks soft.

Step 9: Cut the cookie sticks. Use a cookie stick cutter to cut the dough into long cookie shapes. Gather the scraps, reroll, and continue cutting until you've used all of the dough.

Step 10: Bake the cookies. Place the cookie sticks on an ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 8–10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Step 11: Make the icing. Combine the powdered sugar and water. Add a little additional water, about ½ teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. I like the icing fairly thick so it is easy to pipe.

Step 12: Decorate the gingerbread cookie sticks. Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a #3 round decorating tip, or snip a small opening in the corner of the bag. Pipe the icing onto the cooled cookies.

Step 13: Let the icing set. Allow the decorated cookies to sit for 5–10 minutes, or until the icing has set, before stacking or packaging them.

FAQs

More Gingerbread Recipes

Try my Gingerbread Recipes roundup for more Christmas favorites, including gingerbread men, gingerbread cookie houses, gingerbread cookie bars, gingerbread muffins, and more.

MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💛 Please leave a STAR rating and COMMENT below! Post it to Facebook or Pinterest to easily share with friends!