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December 23, 2020 By Brandy Leave a Comment

Home » Recipes » Dessert Recipes » Cookie Recipes

Quick Gingerbread Cookies Recipe (Video)

Filed Under: Christmas, Cookie Recipes, Holiday Recipes

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Our quick gingerbread cookies only chill for 15 minutes! They are perfectly spiced, hold their shape and are perfect for decorating! You might also like our gingerbread cookie boxes or our gingerbread cookie countdown to Christmas!

Watch our step by step video!

My FAVORITE holiday cookies are gingerbread cookies. I look forward to making them every year! I’m pretty terrible about planning ahead and like quick recipes that don’t need to chill for hours (ahem, this is why I love my bakery style sugar cookies—no chilling!)

Quick Gingerbread Cookies

These QUICK gingerbread cookies only chill for 15 minutes. Yep, that’s it!

quick gingerbread men cookies on baking sheet

The reason that they need to chill at all is because we make them out of simmered molasses, which is hot when poured into the dough mixture. Chilling the dough for 15 minutes allows the dough to cool completely, making it easier to work with and allowing the flavors to settle.

Tip: never eat a warm gingerbread cookie. Always let the cookies cool first—your taste buds will thank you! The flavors get stronger as they cool and sit out!

iced gingerbread cookies

As an added bonus, watch our video to see how easy it is to decorate sugar cookies! All you need is a batch of royal icing (powdered sugar mixed with water) and a #5 frosting tip! Check out this post to see our tips for decorating holiday cookies with buttercream. You won’t believe how easy it is to make bakery quality cookies!

Gingerbread Cookie Ingredients

  • shortening
  • molasses
  • sugar
  • egg
  • vanilla
  • baking soda
  • hot water
  • salt
  • cinnamon
  • ground cloves
  • ginger
  • flour

How To Make Quick Gingerbread Cookies

gingerbread cookie dough

(This dough is so soft and easy to work with! No need to flour your work surface or rolling pin.)

As mentioned above, we will be simmering the molasses to make our cookies.

You’ll combine the shortening and molasses in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Then you’ll lower the heat to med-low and let the mixture simmer for 3 minutes. Easy.

Next you’ll combine the sugar, egg and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Dissolve the baking soda in hot water and add that to the mixing bowl. Stir.

Add the spices and salt and stir. Then pour the hot molasses mixture into the bowl and give everything a good mix.

Finally, add the flour and beat. You can make these in a kitchenaid mixer with the paddle attachment, but I use a basic mixing bowl and my trusty danish dough whisk. It works great for recipes like this!

Once you have a nice soft dough, allow the dough to cool to room temperature. You can speed this up by placing it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

quick gingerbread cookie dough rolled out and cut out with cookie cutters

Roll dough out to 1/4″-1/2″ thick and cut with cookie cutters.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

How To Decorate Gingerbread Cookies

Combine powdered sugar and water until you have thick icing. Fill a piping bag with icing and a #5 frosting tip. Outline cookies with royal icing and let set. That’s it! Watch our video to see how to decorate a snowflake, stocking, gingerbread boy, and candy cane!

Quick Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

iced gingerbread cookies

Quick Gingerbread Cookies

Our quick gingerbread cookies only chill for 15 minutes! They are perfectly spiced, hold their shape and are perfect for decorating!
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Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 142kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup hot water
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons gound cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups flour

Icing

  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 teaspoons water

Instructions

  • Add molasses and shortening to a saucepan. Heat on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
    pan with molasses and shortening simmering
  • In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, egg and vanilla.
  • Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Pour into sugar/egg mixture and stir.
  • Add cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Stir.
    egg and sugar mixed with gingerbread spices in mixing bowl
  • Add hot molasses mixture and stir well.
    wet ingredients for gingerbread cookies in mixing bowl
  • Beat in flour.
    gingerbread cookie dough in mixing bowl
  • Allow dough to cool completely. You can speed this up by placing the bowl of dough into the refrigerator for 15 mintues.
    gingerbread cookie dough
  • Roll dough out to 1/4-1/2" thick. Cut with cookie cutters.
    quick gingerbread cookie dough rolled out and cut out with cookie cutters
  • Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
    unfrosted gingerbread cookies baked

Decorating Gingerbread Cookies

  • Combine powdered sugar and water. Add 1/2 teaspoon more water at a time, if necessary until desired consistency has been achieved. I like mine on the thicker side, not runny.
    Fill a frosting bag with icing and a #5 frosting tip (or make a small slit in the corner to decorate without an icing tip) and outline cookies. Let sit for 5-10 minutes or until icing sets up.
    hand piping icing on quick gingerbread cookies

Nutrition

Calories: 142kcal
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About Brandy

Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

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About the Author

Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you! Learn More About The Author

My Sewing Book for Kids!

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Snowman Hot Chocolate Bombs!

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Pop Tart Gingerbread House!

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Hot Chocolate Bombs!

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