Gingerbread wreath cookies with open centers, raised green icing leaves, red berry dots and bright red Christmas bows.
Open rings create a wreath shape before any decoration is added. Keep the dough rim supported during transfer, then pipe short green leaves with icing that holds its shape. Red bows and berry dots finish the rings after the cookies are fully cool.
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Gingerbread Wreath Cookies Recipe
Per tray: 8–12 minutes · About 3 trays of 10 cookies; shape and cutter size affect yield
Allow 181 minutes: 60 hands-on, 60 chilling, 36 for all baking trays, 25 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 scalloped round cutter and 1-inch round cutter
Ingredients
Cookie dough
Spice blend
Decoration
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 cold dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut 3-inch scalloped circles and remove a 1-inch center from each. Keep the rings flat and lift with a wide spatula. Transfer to lined pans 1 inch apart; reroll scraps gently.
Check doneness
- Bake 8–12 minutes until set with lightly darker edges. Rings can bake faster than solid cookies, so check at 8 minutes. Cool pans before reusing.
Cool before icing
- Rest 5 minutes on the pan, then cool on a rack about 20 minutes. With a small leaf tip, pipe short green leaves around the ring. Pipe a red bow at the top and red berry dots between the leaves; add a few white snow dots. Use prepared icing stiff enough to hold the leaf shape. Let it dry according to its packaging before stacking.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Cut a sturdy ring
A 3-inch outer cutter and 1-inch center leave enough cookie to lift safely.
Use the right icing consistency
A leaf should hold its shape when piped on parchment; do not use thin glaze.
Finish with small accents
Red berry dots and one bow make the wreath recognizable without covering every part of the cookie.
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
- Use stiff prepared piping icing for leaves and bows; runny flood icing does not hold these raised details. Decorating time assumes simple rings; elaborate leaf piping and drying take longer.
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition per serving; brands and portion sizes vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my wreath ring break?
Keep the ring cold, roll evenly and support it with a wide spatula. Do not make the center hole too large.
Can I use thin icing for the leaves?
No. Use stiff piping icing that holds a leaf shape; thin glaze runs flat.
What if I do not have a leaf tip?
Pipe short green teardrops with a small round tip, then add red berry dots and a bow.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Gingerbread Cookies Ideas collection.
