How Long Do I Cook Gingerbread Cookies

Whether or not you actually like gingerbread cookies is kinda irrelevant. You make them every single year because they make people happy. And because they're so damn adorable. We tested this recipe over and over (and over again) until it was perfect. And we think you'll actually like these and even start to look forward to them because these are soft and full of warm spice. Here's everything you should know.

Softened butter > melted butter.

Melted butter will lead to denser cookies. We like our gingerbread people soft and almost a little fluffy. For this texture, you need to cream the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy. And for this, the butter needs to be nice and soft.

There's a way to soften butter faster.

On the counter, butter can take forever to soften. I always like to cut my stick into tablespoon tabs to maximize surface area (and exposure to warmth). If even that isn't fast enough, I microwave the stick(s) on a very low level and check on it every 10 seconds. It sounds excessive, but it's necessary. Otherwise, half it will be melted.

The type of molasses you use can make a BIG difference.

When we ran out of Grandma's Molasses in our test kitchen and used Wholesome (a brand we found at Whole Foods), the cookies came out many shades darker. They still tasted amazing and looked very cute, but the difference was surprising. Especially considering that they looked very similar in the jar.

You can change the amount of spices.

For me, gingerbread should have a lot of ground ginger, a bit of cinnamon, and a tiny amount of cloves. It's the perfect Christmas formula. But if you don't have cloves (or really loathe them), you can just leave them out. As for the ginger, it's necessary but negotiable. Feel free to use less.

Don't skip the chill time!

Even if the dough seems rollable after mixing, DO NOT skip refrigerating it. If you roll the dough out before it's really firm, the gingerbread people won't keep their shape in the oven. Be patient and wait at least 3 hours.

You can make the dough ahead of time.

The dough will stay good in the fridge for about 2 days wrapped in plastic wrap. If the disc feels super stiff, just let it be on your counter for a bit until it's more pliable.

Cookies will stay good for up to one week.

If you store them in an airtight container at room temperature, they'll stay amazing and soft. Although it's very doubtful that they'll last longer than 10 minutes once they're on a platter.

You can bake the cookies ahead of time.

If you want to plan ahead of time, you can bake and decorate the cookies completely. Just keep them in an airtight container, separated by wax paper, until ready to serve. If you want to bake the cookies ahead of time, but leave the decorating for later, let the cookies cool completely before freezing them.

You don't need fancy decorating tools.

Yes, the most traditional way to decorate gingerbread people is to pipe royal icing. But they can be just as festive spread with frosting and covered in sprinkles.

They make great gifts!

Because they last for a while and they're sturdy, these make great treats to share with friends, family, and neighbors. They ship well too!

Made them? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!

Editor's Note: This recipe was updated on December 23, 2020.

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