Our Best Gingerbread Recipes for Holiday Baking (2024)

Home Recipes Cakes Gingerbread

ByLara Eucalano

Taste of Home's Editorial Process

Updated: Feb. 12, 2024

For Christmas baking, you can't go wrong with a dash of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. The gingerbread flavor brings holiday cheer to all sorts of baked goods!

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Lemony Gingerbread Whoopie Pies

These spiced-just-right whoopie pies combine two popular flavors in one fun treat. The moist cookies are rolled in sugar before baking for a bit of crunch. —Jamie Jones, Madison, Georgia

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From recipes to tips, decorations to inspiration, find everything you might need with our

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Gingerbread Men Cookies

No holiday treat platter would be complete without a gingerbread men cookie recipe! This is a tried-and-true recipe I’m happy to share with you. —Mitzi Sentiff, Annapolis, Maryland

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Gingerbread Spritz

I get so busy during the Christmas season that cutout cookies are a hassle. But I love gingerbread and spritz cookies so I combined my favorite recipes and was pleased at the results.—Sherry Gazelka, Iron, Minnesota

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Granny's Gingerbread Cake with Caramel Sauce

The rich molasses and spice flavor of this old-time dessert is complemented with a buttery caramel sauce.—Joy Sparks, Muskegon, Michigan

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Gingerbread Yule Logs

I was never fond of gingerbread until I rolled it up with Nutella. These logs are a fabulous addition to any cookie platter. —Terri Gilson, Calgary, Alberta

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Gingerbread Pudding Cake

Super-moist cake gets all spiced up in this scrumptious slow-cooked dessert. If you want it a little sweeter, drizzle it with maple syrup. —Barbara Cook, Yuma, Arizona

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Citrus Gingerbread Cookies

Orange and lemon zest give gingerbread cutouts a refreshing twist. Brushing a honey glaze over the top adds a subtle shine and an extra touch of sweetness. —Monique Hooker, DeSoto, Wisconsin

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Looking for more recipes? Learn how to make these gluten-free gingerbread cookies at home.

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Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies

Every time I make these wonderful cookies, the spicy aroma takes me back to my childhood. I helped Mom make them and delivered them to neighbors. —Kara Cook, Elk Ridge, Utah

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Contest-Winning Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce

I asked my mother-in-law for this recipe once I learned it's my husband's favorite. Now I bake it whenever he needs an extra-special treat. Spice cake topped with lemony sauce makes us both smile. —Kristen Oak, Pocatello, Idaho

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10/31

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Crystallized Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is the best of twp worlds—gingerbread and chocolate chip cookies. Since they're combined, you don't have to choose between them. —Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia

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11/31

Gingerbread Snowflakes

Cutting my favorite gingerbread cookie dough into snowflake shapes and decorating them with white icing was ideal for my theme get-together. I save these crunchy treats to enjoy on the way home from our Christmas tree outing.—Shelly Rynearson, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

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Gingerbread Buttermilk Waffles

We created this recipe so folks could enjoy the festive flavor of gingerbread at breakfast. For a pretty look, sprinkle the waffles with confectioners’ sugar.— Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies

Cookie butter and ground ginger add a new layer of flavor. The recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies, and they go fast. You may want to make a double batch. —Carole Resnick, Cleveland, Ohio

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Gingerbread Cutout Cookies

Our two boys linger around the kitchen when these homemade gingerbread cookies are baking. I make this gingerbread cookie recipe throughout the year using a variety of cookie cutters. —Christy Thelan, Kellogg, Iowa

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Gingerbread Syrup

Here’s a wonderful treat for the winter. Stir a tablespoon of this syrup into coffee, tea or cider. Drizzle it over pancakes, hot cereal or yogurt. Or use it as a glaze for roast chicken or pork chops! — Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon

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Gingerbread Coffee Cake

At our house, we love gingerbread that’s not too sweet. To sweeten it, mix confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla extract for drizzling on top. —Barbara Humiston, Tampa, Florida

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19/31

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Easy Gingerbread Pancakes

Molasses and spices turn an ordinary pancake mix into a special breakfast. These are so easy to make that you can have them any day of the week. —Trina Stewart, Yacolt, Washington

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Gingerbread Meringue Bars

For the best of both worlds, I combined my grandmother's gingerbread recipe with my aunt's special brown sugar meringue. The result? These lovable holiday-perfect bars that have become a new family tradition. —Eden Dranger, Los Angeles, California

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22/31

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Gingerbread Belgian Waffles

I like to combine the sweet and spicy taste of gingerbread with the cool and dreamy taste of cream cheese frosting. It's a heavenly way to start the day! —Jannine Fisk, Malden, Massachusetts

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Pear Upside-Down Gingerbread

I prefer to bake from scratch, but this Christmasy cake mix recipe is a favorite. For a change of pace, use apples and walnuts in place of the pears and pecans. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho

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Gingerbread Hot Cocoa

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? If not, this special cocoa will do the trick. It’s like drinking a chocolate gingerbread cookie! —Erika Monroe-Williams, Scottsdale, AZ

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Gingerbread Cookie Bites

I transformed store-bought cookie mix into mini tarts similar to gingerbread brownies. For garnish, try chopped crystalized ginger or a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg. —Shenae Pulliam, Swansea, South Carolina

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Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes

These luscious cupcakes have a touch of semisweet chocolate in the batter and white chocolate in the filling. They melt away fast at our house. —Patricia Harmon, Baden, Pennsylvania

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Gingerbread Cookies with Lemon Frosting

When I spread these spicy gingerbread rounds with my lemony cream cheese frosting, I knew I had a hit. Cardamom and allspice add a hint of chai tea flavor. —Aysha Schurman, Ammon, Idaho

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Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwiches

When it comes to making an ice cream sandwich, not all gingerbread men are created equal. Some are too crispy; others too soft, but these thin yet sturdy boys hold up nice in the freezer and make for a whimsical make-ahead dessert. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Originally Published: November 26, 2018

Author

Lara Eucalano

Lara has been an editor for Taste of Home since 2018. Prior to her work in food and lifestyle publishing, she spent nearly a decade in the world of marketing as a brand storyteller. In her personal life, Lara runs the world's smallest farm, comprised of several raised beds and a flock of demanding chickens.

Our Best Gingerbread Recipes for Holiday Baking (2024)

FAQs

How do you make a strong gingerbread house? ›

So to make sure our walls could stand strong, we sandwiched melted marshmallow cement between two graham crackers. The marshmallow adds weight, which helps stabilize the structure. It also acts as a sealant, ensuring that the cracker won't crumble.

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Do I need to chill gingerbread before baking? ›

Mistake #2: Not resting your dough

After the gingerbread is cut out, Lomas recommends putting it into the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to three days. Chilling the dough before it goes into a hot oven gives the butter a chance to firm up and reduces how much it spreads when baking.

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How do you make a gingerbread house stay together? ›

Fit Everything Together with Melted Sugar or Royal Icing

The traditional technique is to use icing, such as our Royal Icing (with Meringue Powder). Generations of home bakers have used this tried-and-true method, and it works like a charm and tastes amazing. The second way is to use burnt sugar as your glue.

How long do you refrigerate gingerbread dough? ›

Divide the dough into two thick disks and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. (The dough can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.) To roll out the cookies, work with one disk at a time, keeping the other disk refrigerated.

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What is the strongest glue for gingerbread house? ›

It's royal for a reason because royal icing is the king of glues for gingerbread houses. As my go-to choice for edible cement I can't really fault it's versatility and strength. Royal icing for the uninitiated is a mix of egg white and icing sugar.

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Should gingerbread be hard when it comes out of the oven? ›

The cookies should still be slightly soft when you take them out of the oven. Most regular-sized gingerbread cookies will take 9-10 minutes, but you might need a little more or less time depending on whether your cookie cutters are small or extra large.

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How do you know when gingerbread is done? ›

Timing is the key to achieving the crispy edges and chewy centers of a perfect gingerbread cookie. Due to gingerbread's dark color, it can be tricky to tell when they're done baking—look for puffed up, just-set centers. Gingerbread cookies will collapse as they cool, delivering that chewy cookie texture.

What keeps gingerbread houses from falling apart? ›

She recommends using granulated sugar instead of royal icing to hold the walls together. How? Just melt the sugar in a pan over low heat. You want to allow it to turn brown, but make sure not to burn it (otherwise it won't taste so great).

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Why is my icing not sticking to my gingerbread house? ›

Temperature can greatly affect the longevity of your gingerbread house. If your kitchen is warm or the temperature is humid, the icing may melt or fall off your gingerbread house. Be careful not to overwhip your icing. Incorporating too much air may make it difficult for the icing to stick to the cookie.

Why is my gingerbread so hard? ›

Extra sugar made this cookie way too hard.

As was expected because of the extra brown sugar, this cookie looked dark in color and took on the texture of molasses. I thought I was going to chip my tooth when I bit into this finished, extra-sugary cookie. It was hard and dense throughout.

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Should gingerbread be soft or crunchy? ›

Gingerbread cookies should be soft. They should be supple. They should bend to your teeth before the cookie skin breaks and the crumbs fall all over you. They should retain a bit of elasticity, and maybe you can even leave your fingerprints on the cookie if you hold them too hard because you're just that excited.

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What if gingerbread dough goes hard in the fridge? ›

The safest method is to take the too-firm dough out of the refrigerator and simply wait until it's soft enough. If you want to speed the process up a bit, choose a warm spot.

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How do you make a gingerbread house that won't fall apart? ›

Cement the pieces together

The traits that make it great for decoration—it's flimsy and crumbly—do not work so well for holding walls together. Enter: white chocolate. Unlike icing, white chocolate dries into a very firm solid—namely, back into solid chocolate. (Yes, we know, it's not really chocolate.

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How do you make a gingerbread house that doesn't fall apart? ›

Just melt the sugar in a pan over low heat. You want to allow it to turn brown, but make sure not to burn it (otherwise it won't taste so great). Then take your gingerbread house pieces, dip the edges in melted sugar and hold them together for a few seconds. That's it!

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What holds gingerbread houses together the best? ›

An egg white whipped with 250g of icing sugar did the job for us. You need more than just royal icing, you need to add meringue powder (available to buy online or sometimes in your supermarket) to make it thicker and able to support the house, plus cream of tartar also available at supermarkets.

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