14 Ginger Cookie Recipes for Celebrating the Holidays (2024)

Bring home the holidays with these ginger cookies that are sweetened with molasses and flavored with warm spices. We’ll show you how to make gingerbread cookies including classic cutouts. We have ginger cookies decorated with white icing for a classic look and whimsical designs decorated with colorful icing for a pop of color on your holiday cookie platter. These ginger cookie recipes are perfect for the holidays.

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Gingerbread Cutouts

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Here’s the recipe to make a gingerbread man for a holiday cookie tray or your holiday decor. This classic gingerbread cookie recipe’s spices and molasses bake together to form a perfect combination of spicy and sweet flavor. Pipe simple white lines and dots with royal icing or powdered sugar icing on the baked cutout cookies for a traditional decorative touch.

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Gingerbread Cookie Bars

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There's no need to roll and cut out an entire tray of ginger cookies! This big-batch gingerbread bar recipe makes 24 squares and is flavored with molasses, cinnamon, and powdered ginger.

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Cardamom Gingerbread Trees

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Use this ginger cookie recipe to create gingerbread decor, a complete design scheme in your home. Turn the cookies into 3-D trees to add dimension to a dessert buffet or fireplace mantel. If you want to focus on enjoying the cookies’ distinct flavor, keep it simple and make flat cookies decorated with royal icing.

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Triple-Ginger Cookies

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Homemade ginger sugar, ground ginger, and crystallized ginger combine to make this flavorful ginger cookie. Once you know the secret to peeling fresh ginger, you’ll find it easy to add to this recipe and all of your favorite recipes. Roll this drop cookie in ginger sugar for a beautiful cookie with a crackled appearance.

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Scalloped Wreath Gingerbread Cookies

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It takes two cookie cutters to make these wreath cookies. Simply cut out the dough with the flower-shaped cookie cutter and use a round cookie cutter to cut a circle from the center of each cookie. Tint portions of royal icing using three colors—light green for the cookie outline and branches, dark green for the wreath shape, and red for the berries.

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Wheel of Candy Canes Cookies

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A swirl of melted candy canes gives these ginger cookies a refreshing flavor. Use a candy cane-shaped cookie cutter to cut four candy canes from each round cutout, then bake, decorate, and attach the candy cane cookies with royal icing to round cookies. Pipe stripes of white royal icing on the red-tinted icing to make this cookie’s vibrant design.

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Gluten-Free Giant Ginger Cookies

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Stir together our gluten-free flour mix and use it to make one of our favorite gluten-free dessert recipes. A quarter cup of cookie dough is used to make each cookie. If you’d rather make smaller cookies, make the recipe’s variation for mini ginger cookies.

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Gingersnap Logs

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Think outside the box and create ginger cookie logs using crushed gingersnaps and white chocolate. Add colorful red sprinkles for a Christmas-ready touch.

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Gingersnap-Blondie Brookies

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Each bite of these chewy gingersnap cookie bars is a decadent combination of blondies and ginger cookies. Start with a blondie layer and top with a rich spiced ginger cookie layer. Finish the bars with a generous sprinkle of coarse sugar.

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Ombre Reindeer Cookies

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Ginger, cinnamon, and molasses give this classic reindeer cookie its toasty brown color. Try making marbled icing for a beautiful ombre effect. Melt semisweet chocolate to decorate the deer’s antlers and nose.

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Spice Snowball Cookies (Lemon-Ginger Snowballs)

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Rather than relying on dried spices, these spiced cookies are flavored with lemon-ginger tea. Chopped crystallized ginger and rolled coconut add texture to the buttery cookies. If you're not a fan of coconut, roll them in a homemade glaze and powdered sugar.

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Gingerbread-Espresso Spirals

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Espresso powder is known for enhancing the flavor of baked goods. Here, store-bought gingerbread cookie dough and sugar cookie dough combine with expresso powder for two-tone treats that pack a punch. For a chocolatey option, try the recipe’s variation for Mocha Spirals.

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Cinnamon-Ginger Madeleines

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Ginger combines with cinnamon and molasses to make this spice-flavored cookie that has a cakelike texture. The classic shell shape of these cookies comes from the fluted madeleine pan that they are baked in. Look for metal, nonstick, or silicone madeleine pans at kitchen supply stores or online. If the holidays have you in the mood to decorate madeleines, try making our Santa Madeleines.

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Traditional Tree Gingerbread Cutouts

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Brighten up your holiday cookie exchange plate with these gingerbread cookies. The recipe makes three to four dozen cookies so you’ll have plenty to share. Simply pipe dots of royal icing in rows using a small leaf tip. Decorate branches with white pearl candies and candy-coated chocolate pieces.

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