I rounded up 25 easy gingerbread recipes for Christmas, from soft gingerbread cookies and crackly gingersnaps to old fashioned gingerbread cake, fudge and pancakes.
A dozen of them bake in 25 minutes or less, so they fit right into busy December weekends, cookie exchanges and Christmas morning. Every one has that warm ginger and spice flavor that tastes like the holidays.
Grandma's Old-Fashioned Christmas Classics
My grandma always stuck to the old-fashioned Christmas classics, and our family still makes those same recipes decades later. Gingerbread was part of that lineup, and nothing says Christmas to me like the smell of ginger and molasses coming out of the oven.
Gingerbread keeps well, so many of these are easy to bake a day or two ahead for church potlucks and holiday parties. Most start with the same pantry spices: ginger, cinnamon and cloves, plus a jar of molasses.
If you're planning the whole holiday spread, you'll also love my old fashioned Christmas cookies, easy traditional Christmas cakes and old-fashioned Christmas candy.
Easy Gingerbread Cookies
Chilling is a must for this dough. Give it at least 3 hours, or make it up to 3 days ahead and roll it out when you're ready.
Roll these to ½ inch thick and bake about 10 minutes for the softest cookies. Use real butter here, not margarine.
Roll the dough into small, even balls so every cookie cracks and crisps the same way. Pull them at 8 minutes if you like a softer center.
Freeze the dough for just 15 minutes before rolling it in powdered sugar. Any longer and it gets too firm to roll.
Chill the dough at least 2 hours, or the cookies spread thin and crisp instead of staying soft and cakey.
Decorate the walls before you put the house together. It's much easier than icing them once they're standing.
Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cakes and Breads
Bake it a day ahead if you can. The spice flavor gets even better after 24 hours.
Poke holes all over the warm cake with a toothpick before you pour on the lemon glaze, so it soaks right in.
Making it ahead? Bake the cake, wrap it tightly and keep it at room temperature for 1 to 2 days. Add the maple glaze right before serving.
Pour the butter and hot water over the batter and don't stir. That's what gives it the cracked top and gooey center.
Stir just until combined. A few lumps keep the muffins soft.
Keep the butter cold and don't overmix the dough for tender scones.
Easy Gingerbread Desserts, Bars and Fudge
Use regular unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap. Blackstrap tastes harsh and bitter in sweet bars.
This one is made for making ahead. It needs at least 6 hours in the fridge, or overnight.
It needs 2 to 4 hours in the fridge to set, so plan to make it the day before you package it up for gifts.
Cube the gingerbread and let it dry out overnight so it soaks up the custard without turning mushy. Leftover gingerbread loaf works well here.
Christmas Morning Breakfasts and Holiday Drinks
The batter is thin at first. Let it rest about 3 minutes and it thickens up.
Leftover waffles freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat them in a 300°F oven or the toaster.
For Christmas morning, shape the rolls the night before and keep them in the fridge. Let them sit out about 30 minutes before baking.
It soaks in the fridge overnight, so all that's left on Christmas morning is baking it.
Keep the milk at medium heat and don't let it boil, or it can separate.
Easy Gingerbread Recipe FAQs
What kind of molasses is best for gingerbread?
Regular unsulphured molasses, light or dark. Skip blackstrap, which is bitter and can overpower the spices. That's what I use in my gingerbread loaf, and black treacle works as a swap.
Why does gingerbread cookie dough need to chill?
Chilling firms up the butter so the cookies hold their shape. Without it, gingerbread dough spreads thin and bakes up crisp at the edges. The doughs in this list chill anywhere from 15 minutes in the freezer to 3 hours in the fridge, so check each recipe.
What's the difference between gingerbread cookies and gingersnaps?
Gingerbread cookies are rolled out and cut into shapes, and they're usually softer. Gingersnaps are rolled into small balls and baked until they crack and crisp, which is where the snap comes from.
How far ahead can I make gingerbread?
Gingerbread cakes and loaves are great made ahead. My gingerbread loaf tastes even better after 24 hours and keeps, wrapped, up to 3 days on the counter, 5 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer.
More Easy Christmas Recipes
- Old Fashioned Spritz Cookies
- Old Fashioned Butter Cookies for Christmas
- Old Fashioned Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Grandma's Overnight Christmas Breakfast Casserole
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