Cranberry pistachio gingerbread cut-outs with ruby dried cranberries and green chopped pistachios attached to white icing details.
The red and green accents are added after baking rather than folded into the dough. Chop both toppings finely and attach them to fresh icing while it is still tacky. Let the decorated shapes dry in a single layer before arranging them on a platter.
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Cranberry Pistachio Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Per tray: 8–12 minutes · About 3 trays of 12 cookies
Allow 165 minutes: 55 hands-on, 60 chilling, 30 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
- US measuring cups/spoons and digital scale
- Saucepan, bowl and whisk
- Rolling pin and parchment
- Two 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Wire cooling rack
- Piping bags with fine round and small leaf tips
- 3-inch star, tree or gingerbread-person cutters
- Knife and chopping board
Ingredients
Cookie dough
Spice blend
Topping
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.
Instructions
Melt & season
- Gently melt butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in sugar, molasses, salt and spices until evenly combined. Let cool until lukewarm before beating in the egg.
Combine
- Whisk flour with baking powder and baking soda, then mix into the wet ingredients until no dry flour remains. Dough will be sticky; do not add more flour.
Firm the dough
- Divide into two flattened rectangles, wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 60 minutes, until cold and firm enough to roll. Chilling firms the butter and lets the flour hydrate.
Shape
- Heat to 350°F (175°C) conventional, or 320°F fan. Roll chilled dough 1/4 inch thick and cut 3-inch festive shapes. Keep the dough itself smooth: the fruit and nuts are added after baking. Transfer to lined pans, spacing 1 inch apart.
Check doneness
- Place on parchment-lined pans about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Bake one tray at a time for 8–12 minutes. Check at 8 minutes, especially with fan: edges should darken slightly and surfaces look set. Smaller shapes finish sooner.
Cool before icing
- Rest 5 minutes on the pan, then cool on a rack about 15 minutes until completely cold. Chop cranberries and pistachios finely. Pipe white garlands or outlines, then add small icing dots where topping should stick. Press a little chopped fruit and nuts into the wet icing, distributing the measured topping across the batch. Let icing dry according to its packaging before packing.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Keep cut-outs smooth
Adding chunky fruit to the raw dough can tear narrow shapes. This version puts the fruit and nuts on top instead.
Chop the topping small
Fine pieces grip the icing better and are easier to bite than whole pistachios or large cranberries.
Work while icing is wet
Decorate a few cookies at a time and add fruit and nuts before the icing surface sets.
Storage and 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. |
| Raw freezing | 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. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 2 months at 0°F (−18°C) | For best appearance, freeze undecorated, cooled cookies airtight. Thaw covered at room temperature before icing. |
| Restoring | 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
- Cranberries and pistachios are a visible topping, attached with icing after baking; they are not mixed into this rolled dough. Contains pistachios, wheat, milk and egg. Drying time is additional.
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition per serving; brands and portion sizes vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I put the cranberries in the dough?
No. This recipe uses a smooth rolled dough and adds dried cranberries and pistachios to the icing after baking.
Can I use fresh cranberries?
Use dried cranberries. Fresh fruit releases moisture and does not give the same tidy, shelf-stable topping.
How do the pistachios stay attached?
Press finely chopped pieces into small dots or lines of wet icing, then let it dry fully before packing.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Gingerbread Cookies Ideas collection.
