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These Easy Gingerbread Cookies are our go-to holiday cookie recipe. They are SO super simple to make with the kids and they are delicious for the whole family to share. (They also happen to be low in sugar and free from eggs and nuts, so more kiddos can enjoy them!)
Easy Gingerbread Cookies
If there’s one thing that I’ve learned as a parent, it’s that iced cookies go first. And these cookies, while only having a little icing, are a great option to make with the kids. When thinking about this recipe, I wanted to make it as simple as possible, but also ensure that it has the classic gingerbread flavor. And since I know how much a short ingredient list can matter when baking with kids—because they aren’t always the most patient!—the dough is incredibly simple to mix up.
TIP: You don’t even need a mixer to make these healthy cookies since you can simply use your hands to combine the dough. (My girls loves to do that step!)
Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe for Kids
These cookies have flavor and just enough sugar to make them taste like a treat—but not so much that a younger toddler won’t be able to enjoy them too. We love to make these around the holidays! They have a hint of spice perfect for this time of the year, and the simple icing on top gives ample opportunities for the kids to get in on the decorating action.
TIP: You can do more elaborate decorating on these with the kids if you prefer.
Ingredients in Super Easy Gingerbread Men Cookies
You don’t need any electric cooking tools to make these cookies—just a bowl and clean hands! Here’s a look at the ingredients you’ll need:
- white whole-wheat flour (or half all-purpose and half whole-wheat)
- baking powder
- cinnamon
- ground ginger
- allspice
- salt
- maple syrup
- molasses
- milk
- butter
- sprinkles, raisins, chocolate chips as desired
TIP: You can also make this recipe dairy-free or gluten-free if needed for your family.
How to Make Easy Gingerbread Cookies Step-by-Step
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this easy gingerbread. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full information.
- Place all ingredients into a bowl. Use your hand to mix together to form a dough. Make a flattened disc of dough.
- Preheat the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out the dough
- Cut out the dough with a cookie cutter and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Bake!
- Let cool and add icing!
TIP: You can make these the day before you want to serve them if desired.
What do these Gingerbread Cookies taste like?
These cookies are definitely not sugar-cookie-sweet, but they for sure taste like a treat from the hint of maple syrup, molasses, and spices. And they have a crisp, buttery texture that is delicious.
What kind of icing do you use on these cookies?
For the icing, you can either stir together powdered sugar and milk or use softened cream cheese and honey. Add food coloring (like this natural set from McCormick) and decorations as you and your kids like. We’ve done raisins for buttons, sliced almonds for mouths, chocolate chips, and sprinkles!
TIP: Each healthy cookie has only about a gram and a half of sugar, but they are plenty of fun so the kids will get a big holiday kick out of making them together.
Can I make these gingerbread cookies gluten-free?
Yes! These are naturally egg-free and nut-free, and you can make them gluten-free by using this gluten-free flour from King Arthur and adding 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed to the dough. (You can try another gf flour, but this is the one I tested them with so I know it works really well!)
Can I make these cookies ahead of time?
You can make the dough the night before or a few hours in advance and store it in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap. It will need to sit at room temperature for about an hour to soften up, or you can remove it from the plastic, put it onto a plate, and microwave for 5-10 seconds.
Best Tips for Baking with Kids
Breaking the process of making these cookies into a few steps is a great way to get the kids involved and avoid having anyone get too overwhelmed. You can make the dough ahead and have it ready. You can bake the cookies and just let the kids help ice them. Either way, have your ingredients ready, a work space set up where it’s okay to make a mess, and have the kids wash their hands before they get started.
Tips for Making the Best Gingerbread Cookies
- Use white whole wheat flour or half all-purpose and half whole-wheat.
- If the dough seems a little too dry once you’ve incorporated the liquid and butter into the flour, you can add another tablespoon of milk but go easy on the liquid as more will make the dough stickier. It’s ready when it holds together when you try to form it into a ball.
- Refrigerate the dough briefly to help prevent sticking if desired.
- Roll out the dough between parchment to prevent sticking. Do this for sure if you skipped chilling the dough.
- To make them gluten-free: Use this gluten-free flour from King Arthur and add 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed to the dough.
- To make them dairy free: Use melted and slightly cooled coconut oil instead of butter and plain unsweetened nondairy milk.
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it with your kids, so please comment below!
Description
Flavorful, whole-wheat gingerbread with just a hint of natural sweetness. These are a perfect holiday cookie to make with the kids.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour (or half all-purpose and half whole-wheat)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- sprinkles, raisins, chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a bowl and use your hand to mix together to form a dough. You’ll want to be gentle but thorough to incorporate the butter into the dough. (If the dough seems a little too dry once you’ve incorporated the liquid and butter into the flour, you can add another tablespoon of milk but go easy on the liquid as more will make the dough stickier. It’s ready when it holds together when you try to form it into a ball.)
- Make a flattened disc of dough. Optional: Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes. This will make the dough a little less sticky for rolling out, but it works okay to skip this step too if the kids don’t want to wait.
- Preheat the oven to 370°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough ¼-inch thick between two pieces of parchment or plastic wrap. (You can do it on a lightly floured surface, but I always find this easier. You’ll want to use parchment paper if you skipped chilling the dough so it doesn’t stick.)
- Cut out the dough with a cookie cutter and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. (Keep an eye on them after 8 minutes since the edges can brown fast. 9 minutes was perfect in my oven.)
- Remove from the oven, let cool on the baking sheet for a minute, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Use a small butter knife to spread on the icing or pipe on as desired. If adding sprinkles or other decorations, add them to the iced cookies right away before it dries.
Notes
Royal Icing: Stir together 1/2 cup powdered sugar with a few drops of milk, adding more of either as needed to make a thick icing. Spread on cookies or put into a ziptop bag, seal, and snip one edge off to make a little piping bag for the kids.
Cream Cheese Icing: Stir together 4 ounces cream cheese, softened, with 1-2 tablespoons honey until spreadable or pipeable. You can put some into a ziptop bag, seal it and snip one edge off to make a little piping bag for the kids. Add on raisins or chocolate chips as you like!
Make-Ahead: You can make the dough the night before or a few hours in advance and store it in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap. It will need to sit at room temperature for about an hour to soften up, or you can remove it from the plastic, put it onto a plate, and microwave for 5-10 seconds.
Use white whole wheat flour or half all-purpose and half whole-wheat.
If the dough seems a little too dry once you’ve incorporated the liquid and butter into the flour, you can add another tablespoon of milk but go easy on the liquid as more will make the dough stickier. It’s ready when it holds together when you try to form it into a ball.
Refrigerate the dough briefly to help prevent sticking if desired.
Roll out the dough between parchment to prevent sticking. Do this for sure if you skipped chilling the dough.
To make them gluten-free: Use this gluten-free flour from King Arthur and add 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed to the dough.
To make them dairy free: Use melted and slightly cooled coconut oil instead of butter and plain unsweetened nondairy milk.
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