Ultimate Easy Gingerbread Recipe

Introduction

These ultimate easy gingerbread cookies are a delightful treat perfect for the holiday season or any cozy day. With warm spices and a soft, buttery dough, they’re simple to make and fun to decorate. Enjoy them with a cup of tea or give them as festive gifts.

Ingredients

• 100g salted butter
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• 100g dark muscovado sugar
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 225g plain flour
• 50g icing sugar

Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat the butter, golden syrup, and muscovado sugar together in a small pan until melted, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Step 2: In a large bowl, mix the bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and plain flour.
3. Step 3: Pour the buttery syrup mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Use your hands to bring the mixture together into a soft dough.
4. Step 4: Place the dough on a sheet of baking parchment, shape it into a rectangle, and lay another sheet of parchment on top. Roll the dough out to a thickness of ½ cm.
5. Step 5: Transfer the dough, with the parchment sheets, to a baking sheet to keep it flat. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.
6. Step 6: Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5 and line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.
7. Step 7: Remove the dough from the fridge and cut out shapes using your favorite cookie cutters. Place shapes spaced apart on the lined baking sheet.
8. Step 8: Bake for 10-12 minutes, adjusting the time depending on the size of your cutters. Let the gingerbread cool completely on the baking sheet.
9. Step 9: Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with 1-2 tbsp water until you get a thick, pipeable consistency. Use a piping bag with a thin nozzle to decorate the cooled cookies.

Tips & Variations

• For extra festive fun, create smaller shapes cut out of the centers of larger shapes to thread ribbon through for decorations.
• If you prefer a spicier gingerbread, add a pinch of cloves or nutmeg to the dry mix.
• Use honey instead of golden syrup for a slightly different flavor.
• To make the dough easier to work with, chill it longer if it’s too soft to roll.

Storage

Store baked gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. To keep them crisp, place a slice of bread in the container. For longer storage, freeze the dough before cutting out shapes, or freeze baked cookies wrapped tightly for up to 3 months. Reheat baked cookies in a low oven for a few minutes to refresh their texture.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use unsalted butter instead of salted butter?

Yes, you can use unsalted butter. You might want to add a small pinch of salt to balance the flavors.

How can I make the icing thicker if it’s too runny?

Add a little more icing sugar gradually until the mixture reaches a thick, pipeable consistency that holds its shape without running.

Ultimate Easy Gingerbread Recipe

---

★★★★★

4.6 from 112 reviews

• Author: Ben
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (including chilling)
• Yield: About 20–25 medium-sized gingerbread biscuits depending on cutter size 1x

Pin Recipe

Print Recipe

Description

This ultimate easy gingerbread recipe delivers perfectly spiced, tender gingerbread biscuits with a delightful hint of golden syrup sweetness. Simple to make and ideal for festive decorating, these classic treats are rolled, cut into shapes, and baked to golden perfection, then finished with an easy royal icing for charming holiday decorations.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Gingerbread Dough

• 100g salted butter
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• 100g dark muscovado sugar
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 225g plain flour

For the Icing

• 50g icing sugar
• 1–2 tbsp water

---

Instructions

1. Heat Butter, Syrup, and Sugar: In a small pan, gently heat the salted butter, golden syrup, and dark muscovado sugar together, stirring occasionally until fully melted. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients and Combine: In a large bowl, whisk together bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and plain flour. Pour in the slightly cooled buttery syrup mixture and stir until combined. Use your hands to bring the mixture together to form a soft dough, which will firm up once chilled.
3. Roll out the Dough: Place the dough between two sheets of baking parchment and roll out to about ½ cm thickness. Transfer the rolled dough on the parchment to a baking sheet to keep it flat, then chill in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.
4. Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/gas mark 5. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.
5. Cut Shapes and Bake: Remove the dough from the fridge and cut out shapes using a cookie cutter (9cm stars recommended). Space the cutouts apart on the lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, adjusting time slightly based on cutter size, until edges are set and lightly golden.
6. Cool the Biscuits: Leave the baked gingerbread shapes to cool completely on the baking sheet to firm up.
7. Prepare and Pipe the Icing: Mix the icing sugar with 1-2 tablespoons water to create a thick, pipeable consistency. Using a piping bag fitted with a thin nozzle, decorate the cooled biscuits as desired for festive flair.

Notes

• The dough will be soft initially but will firm up during chilling, which is essential for easy rolling and cutting.
• You can customize the shape of your gingerbread using any cookie cutter you prefer, including cutters with internal cut-outs for threading ribbons.
• If you don’t have golden syrup, light corn syrup or honey can be used as a substitute with slight taste variation.
• The icing consistency is critical – too thin will run off the biscuits, and too thick will be hard to pipe; adjust water quantity carefully.
• Store baked gingerbread in an airtight container to maintain freshness and crispness.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10-12 minutes per batch
• Category: Baking
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: British

Keywords: gingerbread, gingerbread biscuits, Christmas cookies, holiday baking, easy gingerbread, festive baking, spiced cookies