Molasses gingerbread cut-outs finished with naturally flavored pure maple icing for a warm holiday cookie.
Maple syrup flavors the icing on this molasses cut-out version. Roll the chilled dough evenly, bake matching shapes together, and pipe the maple finish onto completely cold cookies. Keep the icing thick enough to hold a line and give it time to dry before packing.
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Maple Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Per tray: 8–12 minutes · about 3 trays of similar-size shapes
Allow 201 minutes: 40 hands-on, 60 chilling, 36 for all baking trays, 20 cooling and 45 icing setting. 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
- Cookie cutters, about 3 inches (7.5 cm)
- 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
Maple icing
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
- Preheat to 350°F (175°C) conventional, or 320°F (160°C) fan. Lightly flour a clean worktop and rolling pin. Roll one portion ¼ inch (6 mm) thick; cut 3 inches (7.5 cm) shapes. Gather scraps gently; keep the other portion cold.
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 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.
Pipe pure maple icing
- Whisk confectioners sugar with maple syrup and water until smooth and thick enough to hold a line. If needed adjust with a few drops of water. Pipe simple details on fully cold cookies. Let icing dry 45 minutes in a cool room; humidity can require longer before stacking.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Use real maple syrup
Pure maple syrup gives the intended flavor; pancake syrup gives a different taste.
Keep the icing pipeable
It should flow from a bag yet hold a thin line; adjust water one drop at a time.
Dry before boxing
Even a small amount of wet icing can stick to a stacked cookie.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 3–4 days | Cool completely, then store airtight in a cool room. |
| Refrigeration | Raw dough: up to 2 days | Wrap dough tightly. Plain baked cookies do not need refrigeration. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze portions airtight; thaw covered in the refrigerator before baking. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze plain baked cookies, thaw covered and add fresh maple icing. |
| Restoring | Before serving | Warm undecorated cookies briefly at 300°F for 3–5 minutes if desired; cool before decorating. |
Notes
- Pure maple syrup flavors the icing; regular molasses stays in the dough. Maple syrup is thinner and does not directly replace the molasses in this formula. Extra icing drying time may be needed before packing.
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition per serving; brands and portion sizes vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can maple syrup replace the dough molasses?
Not directly. The syrup has different flavor and moisture; this recipe keeps molasses in the dough.
Where is the maple flavor?
In the pure maple icing piped over the cooled gingerbread.
Why is my icing sticky?
It may need more drying time, especially in humid weather. Pack in a single layer until dry.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Gingerbread Cookies Ideas collection.
