Perfect Gingerbread Cookies

Rating: 3.6 stars
10 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 4
  • 4 star values: 2
  • 3 star values: 2
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 2

Not-too-soft, not-too-hard, not-too-spicy, not-too-bland... These are the absolute PERFECT gingerbread cookies for everyone and anyone at the holidays-You will get rave reviews from kids, dieters, parents, and traditionalists alike. This is a very malleable recipe; you don't need to follow it precisely. Feel free to add or reduce things as you wish, depending on your taste, as long as the dough looks and feels about right. I use from 6 to 8 cups of flour in this recipe.

By BallerinaBaker

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Recipe Summary

prep:
30 mins
cook:
30 mins
additional:
1 hr
total:
2 hrs
Servings:
72
Yield:
6 dozen cookies
Nutrition Info
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Ingredients

72
Original recipe yields 72 servings
The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

Directions

  • Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease several baking sheets. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger in a bowl; set aside.

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  • Beat together 1 cup white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, butter, canola oil, applesauce, water, egg substitute, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until evenly combined. Stir in the flour mixture to make a soft, thick, not-very-sticky dough. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Stir 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon together with 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar in a small bowl; set aside.

  • Roll the dough on a heavily floured surface to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Cut into shapes using a cookie cutter. Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

  • Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, and the bottoms are slightly darker than the tops, 9 to 11 minutes. Remove the cookies from the baking sheets immediately, and place on a wire rack to cool. After 10 minutes of cooling, they should be hard, like typical gingerbread cookies, but still slightly bendable, and soft on the inside.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:
83 calories; protein 1.2g; carbohydrates 17.7g; fat 0.9g; cholesterol 0.9mg; sodium 68.6mg. Full Nutrition
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Reviews (10)

Read More Reviews

Most helpful positive review

N Morski
Rating: 5 stars
11/05/2010
A really good cookie! It is my experience with gingerbread cookies that the dough will be sticky there is nothing wrong with this recipe. I had to add a minimal amount of flour as I was rolling the cookies out and the they stuck to the glass I was using to cut out round cookies. With the last of the dough I tried rolling (about a spoonful) per cookie into small balls and then flattening them a bit with a spatula. These turned out great and were so much easier than trying to roll out the dough. The cookies were a little thicker and very good that way. Read More
Helpful
(27)

Most helpful critical review

Shanna
Rating: 3 stars
12/22/2009
As written, this recipe was way too sticky and the dough had already been chilling for an hour before I tried to work with it. I think I've ended up putting about two cups of flour or more into it just from lining the work surface and recovering but it doesn't seem to have helped much. The dough was delicious, however. Read More
Helpful
(16)
10 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 4
  • 4 star values: 2
  • 3 star values: 2
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 2
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
N Morski
Rating: 5 stars
11/05/2010
A really good cookie! It is my experience with gingerbread cookies that the dough will be sticky there is nothing wrong with this recipe. I had to add a minimal amount of flour as I was rolling the cookies out and the they stuck to the glass I was using to cut out round cookies. With the last of the dough I tried rolling (about a spoonful) per cookie into small balls and then flattening them a bit with a spatula. These turned out great and were so much easier than trying to roll out the dough. The cookies were a little thicker and very good that way. Read More
Helpful
(27)
Shanna
Rating: 3 stars
12/22/2009
As written, this recipe was way too sticky and the dough had already been chilling for an hour before I tried to work with it. I think I've ended up putting about two cups of flour or more into it just from lining the work surface and recovering but it doesn't seem to have helped much. The dough was delicious, however. Read More
Helpful
(16)
Cassidylea16
Rating: 1 stars
11/26/2010
way too spicy way too dense way too soft. will not make again. Read More
Helpful
(11)
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Michelle Salois Krantz
Rating: 4 stars
04/25/2014
I really enjoyed this recipe. I used Granny Smith applesauce which gave a much more potent apple flavor. I didn't make the icing though. I like them just fine without it! Read More
Helpful
(3)
mandypants
Rating: 5 stars
01/10/2015
I LOVE this recipe!! Yes the dough is sticky but isn't that the way all gingerbread cookie dough is? When I rolled them out I made sure to use plenty of flour--- no longer sticky! I give it 5 stars because it was easy to make didn't make hard crunchy cookies perfect consistency inside and tasted great!! Thanks BallerinaBaker!! Read More
Helpful
(2)
Mommy4Baker
Rating: 5 stars
12/06/2011
Excellent recipe. Simple to make but delicious to taste!!! Read More
Helpful
(2)
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heidabean
Rating: 1 stars
01/02/2014
Perfect is definitely an over statement. I followed this receipe to a T and the dough was so sticky I had to add more flour and more flour just to roll them out. Then when I tried to use the cookie cutters the dough would completely fall apart in my hands transferring them to the cookie sheet. My kids and I were so frustrated and will never use this recipe again. Read More
Roberta Henson
Rating: 5 stars
12/23/2016
I really like the flavor. I did not add the water because every one said it was to sticky. My daughter said that she had use the recipe also and said she liked the tasted. Read More
Shari Quick
Rating: 3 stars
12/18/2018
yes. alert to high altitude cooks (7000ft) you should add 1-1/2 to 2 cups flour to achieve not so sticky mix. Read More
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