Name: Gingerbread House Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 2 h
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; ¾ cup brown sugar (packed); ¾ cup unsulfured molasses; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ½ teaspoon ground cloves (optional, for a deeper spice); 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened); 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; Royal icing (for “glue” and snowy trim); Mixed Candies including gumdrops mini candy canes peppermints chocolate chips sprinkles; Powdered sugar (for dusting snow)

Gingerbread House Cookies Recipe is made from molasses, brown sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter and flour. This heartfelt Gingerbread House Cookies Recipe is created from holiday favorite that can be prepared in about 2 hours and is able to feed up to 10 people. These aren’t cookie recipes – they’re edible memories waiting to be built.

Gingerbread House Cookies Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup brown sugar (packed)
¾ cup unsulfured molasses
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves (optional, for a deeper spice)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Decoration:
Royal icing (for “glue” and snowy trim)
Mixed Candies including gumdrops mini candy canes peppermints chocolate chips sprinkles
Powdered sugar (for dusting snow)

Gingerbread House Cookies Instructions

Cream Butter and Sugar In a large bowl beat softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy — about 2 minutes. Add egg, molasses, vanilla extract, and mix until smooth.
Mix the Dry Ingredients In another bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
Combine wet and dry Ingredients Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture gradually mixing on low speed until mixture becomes soft. If too dry add a little at a time of flour until dough begins to form into a ball.
Chill the dough divide the dough into 2 parts, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour at least (I usually brew some tea and go through my recipe binder while chilling).
Roll and cut Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). On a floured surface roll out 1 disc of dough to about 14 inch thickness. Use gingerbread house cookie cutters or templates to cut out house pieces.
Bake Place cutouts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Cool completely before decorating.
Attach and Decorate Glue the houses together using royal icing as glue. Allow the “walls” to dry for about 30 minutes before adding rooftops. Once the walls are dry let the kids add candies, frosting and anything else they like.

Recipe tips

Don’t skip the chill time: Chilling the dough also helps the cookies keep their shape especially when you ‘re cutting out intricate shapes for little houses. I always tell my daughter Catrina ” patience is in the recipe, sweetheart “.
Use dark molasses for deeper flavor: If you want that rich, old – fashioned flavor that reminds you of Grandma ‘s pantry, go for dark molasses, just do not use blackstrap because it ‘s too bitter for cookies.
Royal icing works wonders: For the best “ glue “ make your royal icing a little thicker when building the houses and thinner when piping the snowy trims. I always use a piping bag with a small round tip – it makes decorating really feel like drawing in icing.

How To Store Gingerbread House Cookies

Refrigerate: Let the gingerbread cookies cool completely. Then put them in an air tight container. Divide the gingerbread cookies in layers of parchment or wax paper to protect the decorations. Store them in the refrigerator for 7–10 days.
Freeze: You can also freeze the cookies add decorations before freezing to keep them fresher. Wrap each part individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container to freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the cookies at room temperature before decorating or serving them.

How To Reheat Leftover Gingerbread House Cookies

In The Oven: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Lay the gingerbread cookies out on a baking sheet and cover them loosely with foil (to prevent the cookies from over browning) Heat for 5–7 minutes until they are soft and almost warm to the touch. Serve with a spiced tea.

In The Microwave: Put a cookie or two on a microwave friendly plate cover with a damp paper towel to keep from drying out. Microwave on medium power for about 10-15 seconds. Be sure to look closely they molasses cookies cook fast!

In The Air Fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 300°F (150°C ) and set it to single layer. Heat the cookies for 2–3 minutes. Watch them carefully so they don’t get too crispy you don’t want to rock hard-chiseled cookies.

What to serve Gingerbread House Cookies

Gingerbread House Cookies Recipe goes well with hot cocoa, spiced apple cider, warm milk and vanilla tea, as well as whipped cream, chocolate fondue, fresh berries and mini marshmallows for a good to go snack option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my cookie pieces spread or lose their shape?

Usually that’s something caused by not chilling enough dough or having the oven too hot. Chill the dough at least 1 hour and double-check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer if you can.

Can I use this dough to make gingerbread men / other shapes?

Yes it works with all types of cookie cutters. Just make sure you increase the time you bake them for smaller / thinner shapes – they will bake faster.

What ‘s the best way to keep pieces of the house from breaking?

Roll each piece evenly to 14 inch thick and do not over bake. Let them cool completely before touching or assembling. If one of them cracks don’t panic as royal icing is really forgiving glue!

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