Gingerbread Cookies
You’ll love making holiday memories with this gingerbread cookie recipe! Crisp, crunchy, and sturdy, they’re perfect for decorating. The easiest dough you’ll ever roll out, with a flavor that just screams holiday!
Thank you to Aldi Stores for sponsoring this post, and helping me to make happy holiday memories with my family! All opinions expressed herein are straight from my heart.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I participated in a pin party hosted by Better Homes and Gardens. I was scouring the web for anything and everything to get the holiday spirit flowing, and I saw so many gorgeous images of gingerbread houses. It just inspired me!
Have you ever made a house though? It’s a lot. I mean, I’m the kind of person that likes a lot, but whole gingerbread houses are a lot a lot. Even for me. And the front facade is really the best part anyway, so I just decided to do that. I used a 4-inch square cutter and just went nuts with the royal icing and Christmas candy decorations.
I picked up all the trimmings at my favorite place in all the land, Aldi. Once again you got me, Aldi. Everything you see here, plus eggs, bacon, milk, bagels (of the big and mini variety), and a loaf of bread rang up at just a little over 20 bucks. I will never stop being astonished by just how much I can get for so little at that store.
When I was at the headquarters a couple of weeks ago, I learned all about just how they do it (read more about that here). No credit card fees help (they just take cash or debit there), and so do no bags. Bring your own reusable bags, or take advantage of the empty boxes they put out for customers.
Also, they have fewer employees. Just a couple in the store at any given time, and it’s on you to put your shopping cart back when you’re done with it. You see this chain thingy? I stick my quarter in there and it unlocks it. The quarter stays right there with me while I shop, and when I put the cart back and hook the chain back up, it pops the quarter back out for me. I will gladly put my own cart back if it cuts my grocery bill like that! And you notice how all the boxes are stacked there? It’s pretty genius. The packaging is designed to do double duty as shelving. No need to place products on a shelf one by one. Just stack up the crates and rip off the front of the box. That’s what I call efficient!
Once I got home with all my Aldi loot, I couldn’t wait to get to decorating. But first I had to settle upon a good gingerbread cookie recipe- and I think this one nails it. It took me a couple tries. The first time around, the kiddos were right there with me, lovin’ every minute of it, until the part where the molasses goes in. Uh oh. Game over. They just couldn’t get into that slightly bitter funk. So I reworked the recipe with less molasses and a touch of floral honey for balance. This time around they were all in!
I always add a bit of cornstarch to my roll-out cut-out (whatever you want to call them) cookies, because it just does something so magical to the dough. Honest to goodness, I was scared to death to make cookies like this until I discovered that secret ingredient. The thought of sprinkling flour all over my counters and everything else was about the last thing I’d ever want to do, but when I discovered this trick I just couldn’t stop baking cut-outs. No flour sprinkling necessary! Just plop a ball of dough between two sheets of parchment and roll away. The shapes hold beautifully, the edges stay nice and clean, and you can re-roll the scraps without them getting tough. Check out this post for a vanilla version, and this one for chocolate.
These gingerbread cookies are so much fun to make! My boys and I had a blast working on them together, and Aldi made it all so much more manageable. They’ve got tons of great cookies, candies, and gift items for the holidays, so be sure to check your local store and let your creativity run wild!
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Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons (88.72 g) unsalted butter,, softened
- 1/2 cup (110 g) dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (32 g) cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons milk, I used 1%
Instructions
- Cream the butter and brown sugar together until smooth.
- Mix in the molasses and honey until incorporated.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda, and mix on low speed until moistened. Add the milk and stir until the dough forms a ball.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Roll the dough, between sheets of parchment paper, to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Cut shapes and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until set around the edges and just barely soft in the middle.*
We’re thinking along the same lines today, love these cookies, the idea of making the house on the flat cookie is brilliant!
Thank you so much Sue! Hope you’re enjoying what’s left of the weekend 😉
These are totally adorable. I wish my own house was made of candy!
Lol same here Ashley!
Allie, you are seriously SO talented… but in an approachable way, which is why I was so drawn to your blog to begin with 🙂 I love everything about this… the fact that you purchased the ingredients at Aldi, the fact that your boys and I are in agreement with not liking the taste of a ton of molasses (!), and the secret ingredient of cornstarch. I had NO idea! These pictures and the houses and the little men are adorable, but not something I am cringing at because I know I couldn’t try and recreate it myself. Pinned and will be sharing on Facebook!
Thank you so much Jill! You always make my day with your sweet comments! I’m so glad this spoke to you and so glad for your friendship. Hope you’re having a great weekend! xoxo
CUTEST gingerbread house ever! I love how you used the honey grahams! Deliciouuuus and pretty!
Yay! Thank you so much Kayle I’m so happy you like them 😀
Seriously, the perfect gingerbread cookies Allie! Pinned and shared on FB!
Thank you so much Trish! Hope you’re having a great weekend and enjoying the season with your boys. Hugs to you!
Oh my goodness!!! These are the cutest!!! I love that you just made the front, a whole house is too much for me too and the front is mostly what you see anyway 🙂 I love the gingerbread cookies too, everything looks perfect!
Thanks Kelly!
Look at you being all crafty. Your cookies look awesome. I have always been intimidated by making Gingerbread Houses. Maybe now I will.
Yeah, I took a shortcut lol. Getting the walls to stand up straight and all that was more than I wanted to take on. This way was a little easier and more fun 😉
Oh my! These cookies are so adorable and put me in the Christmas spirit.
Aw thank you Chineka!
Ah, these are SO cute–especially the mini gingerbread men 🙂 I’ve never really gotten into making these (because they are so a lot) but I think I could handle this version!
Thanks Amy! I had a lot of fun with these and so did my kids 😉
Allie, these are the cutest!!!
Thank you Alice! 😀
I’ve never been to Aldi, but I’ve always wanted to go!! We don’t have any near me 🙁 it sounds awesome though!! And how gorgeous are these gingerbread houses! Mine would not look nearly this cute. The cookies sound delicious as well – I played with a gingerbread muffin recipe and it had way too much molasses too! Sometimes that flavors a little too full on, so I love that you made this recipe have a little bit less of it. Pinned!
Thanks for the pin Rachel! And you’re right, molasses is strong. I don’t mind it but it’s not for everyone! 🙂
Sooo perfect! I’ve been craving gingerbread cookies…I am so in the spirit this year! I don’t think mine will come out quite as perfect though 😉
xo
I’ve been craving too! We had a great time putting all the candies on. So glad you enjoyed Tammy! Thanks for the sweet comment 🙂
I totally love these gingerbread cookies, Allie. They’re super duper cut though it takes a dedication to put them together. You’re a total gem!
Aw thank you Linda! 🙂
Allie dear these are so cute!! I love the idea of gingerbread house but I just can’t do the whole shebang. So these are perfect 🙂
Omg! I want to live in a village made of these adorable cookies!
Lol thank you so much Tori! PS same here 😉
Your cookies are perfect, Allie! I can see all the love and patience you put into them. Well done!
Thank you so much Jen!
These cookies are so great, Allie! I totally wish I had the patience to make them 🙂
Thanks Kelli! I actually love doing it 😉
These cookies are absolutely perfect!!!
Aw, thanks hon!
I agree, i just like to drool over massive gingerbread houses, but this is such A CUTE IDEA Allie!!!!!! I’m loving all the sweet treats used to construct these super-awesome gingerbread cookies ! Pinning! <3
Thank you so much Samina!
These are so cute Allie!! I really need to try my hand at gingerbread cookies!
Girl they are so much fun! I could spend hours…