Rolled gingerbread cut-outs with even thickness and a versatile mix of stars, hearts and rounds.
This version focuses on a tray of smaller, evenly rolled shapes rather than large gingerbread figures.
Arrange cutters close together before lifting the scraps. Fewer rerolls mean less bench flour and more tender cookies.
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Cut-Out Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Per tray: 8–10 minutes · About 4 trays of 12 small 2 1/2-inch shapes
Allow 156 minutes: 40 hands-on, 60 chilling, 36 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
- Digital scale, 1 g increments (0.1 g for small spice weights)
- Small saucepan and a large mixing bowl
- Rolling pin with ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness guides
- Simple 2 1/2-inch star, heart and round cookie cutters
- Two light-colored aluminum baking sheets, about 13 × 18 inches (33 × 46 cm), and parchment
- Wide spatula, wire cooling rack and oven thermometer
Ingredients
Cookie dough
Spice blend
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 oven to 350°F (175°C) conventional, or 320°F (160°C) fan. Roll chilled dough between lightly floured parchment sheets to 3/16 inch thick. Cut 2 1/2-inch stars, hearts or rounds and arrange 1 inch apart. Bake similar shapes together; thin star points finish sooner.
Check doneness
- Bake one tray at a time for 8–10 minutes, checking at 8. Edges should look set and slightly darker; the middle remains a little soft. Use cooled pans for the next batch.
Cool before icing
- Rest on the pan 5 minutes until safe to lift, then transfer to a rack for about 15 minutes or until fully cool. Optional prepared cookie icing may be used according to its packaging; it is additional to this dough formula.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Baker’s science
Brown sugar and molasses help retain moisture. Cooling the melted butter mixture protects the egg; chilling makes the sticky dough manageable without excess flour.
Keep the shapes
If cut-outs soften while you work, refrigerate the loaded tray 10–15 minutes before baking. Use a cool pan and consistent ¼-inch thickness; extra chilling adds to total time.
Flavor & finish
The spice flavor settles after an airtight overnight rest. Decorate only when fully cool, and let icing dry completely before packing so the surface stays tidy.
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
- Yield is 36–42 cookies depending on cutter shape; nutrition uses 39 cookies. Spice weights are approximate; use spoon equivalents if your scale cannot resolve small quantities. Optional icing is additional. Contains wheat, milk and egg.
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition per serving; brands and portion sizes vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which cutters work best?
Simple 2 1/2-inch shapes bake evenly and are easy to transfer. Avoid narrow projections for your first batch.
Can I mix large and small shapes on a tray?
Bake similar sizes together. Small shapes and narrow points brown before large centers are ready.
How do I keep thickness even?
Use rolling-pin guides set to 3/16 inch and check the center as well as the edges of the dough.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Gingerbread Cookies Ideas collection.
