Gingerbread cookies without molasses: dark brown sugar cut-outs with ginger and cinnamon, made with cold butter and no scheduled chilling.
Dark brown sugar gives the strongest flavor in a recipe made without bottled molasses.
Dark brown sugar supplies the deeper flavor normally associated with molasses. Do not reduce its quantity or add leavener to this formula. Start with cold butter and eggs; optional decoration adds time.
Gingerbread Cookies Without Molasses
Per tray: 9–12 minutes · About 3 trays, 12 cookies each
Allow 88 minutes: 35 hands-on, 0 chilling, 33 for all baking trays, 20 cooling. Cooling includes the pan rest. Optional decoration, ingredient warm-up and extra trays add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Electric mixer and large bowl
- US measuring cups/spoons and kitchen scale
- Rolling pin and parchment
- 3-inch cookie cutters
- Two 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Cooling rack
Gingerbread cookies without molasses: dark brown sugar cut-outs with ginger and cinnamon, made with cold butter and no scheduled chilling.
Ingredients
Scale ingredients and US equivalents, including eggs. Keep cookie size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. More trays add time; weigh beaten egg for fractional batches.
Cookie dough
Spice blend
Instructions
Mix
- Mix cold butter and sugarBeat cold cubed butter with dark brown sugar about 3 minutes until evenly blended; avoid beating until very fluffy. Scrape the bowl. Beat in cold eggs, salt and spices.
- Add flourMix in flour on low just until a cohesive dough forms. There is no molasses and no chemical leavener in this formula.
Temperature
- Keep the dough coolNo scheduled chill is needed because the ingredients start cold. If rolling makes the dough greasy or soft, chill briefly until workable; extra chilling adds time.
Shape
- Roll and cutHeat to 350°F (175°C) conventional, or about 325°F fan. Roll between lightly floured parchment to 1/4 inch. Cut 3-inch shapes, transfer to lined pans and space 1 inch apart.
Bake
- Check the edgesBake one tray at a time 9–12 minutes until the edges are set and lightly darkened. Cool each pan before loading another batch.
Cool
- Cool gentlyRest 5 minutes on the pan, then cool on a rack about 15 minutes until completely cold. Optional icing is additional.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Start cold
Cold cubed butter and cold eggs help keep this no-chill dough workable.
Use dark brown sugar
Dark brown sugar gives the strongest flavor in a recipe made without bottled molasses.
Mix without fluffing
Over-aerating butter and sugar can distort outlines; stop once the mixture is blended.
Storage & Make-Ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 5 days | Store fully cooled cookies airtight in a cool, dry place. Let icing dry, then separate layers with parchment; follow any icing storage instructions. |
| Refrigeration | Dough: up to 48 hours | Keep dough tightly wrapped. Let it soften just enough to roll while remaining cool. Plain baked cookies do not need refrigeration. |
| Freeze raw dough | Up to 2 months at 0°F (−18°C) | Wrap flattened dough portions tightly, then bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and roll while cool. |
| Freeze baked cookies | Up to 2 months at 0°F (−18°C) | For best appearance, freeze undecorated, cooled cookies airtight. Thaw covered at room temperature before icing. |
| Refresh | Before decorating | For crisper edges, warm plain cookies at 300°F (150°C) conventional for 3–5 minutes. Cool on a rack. Do not reheat iced cookies. |
Notes
- Dark brown sugar supplies the deeper flavor normally associated with molasses. Do not reduce its quantity or add leavener to this formula. Start with cold butter and eggs; optional decoration adds time.
Nutrition
Estimated per stated serving from generic ingredient weights and yield. Includes listed icing, fillings, candy and toppings; excludes optional extras. Prepared icing is modeled as sugar-based cookie icing. Brands, coating left over, cutter sizes and yield change the estimate.
RECIPE REVIEWEDGINGERBREADGINGERBREAD COOKIES
Frequently Asked Questions
A few helpful answers before you bake.
What replaces the molasses?
A generous amount of dark brown sugar provides sweetness, moisture and deeper flavor; there is no liquid syrup replacement.
Why are there no baking soda or baking powder?
This cut-out formula is designed without chemical leavener to help retain the shapes.
Can I use melted butter?
No. Start with cold cubed butter as directed; melted butter makes the no-chill shaping method unreliable.
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