Easy Gingerbread Cookies Without Molasses
Gingerbread cookies without molasses: learn how to make delicious gingerbread cookies with this easy recipe. Perfect for the holiday season or anytime you’re craving something sweet.
You don’t need molasses to make delicious homemade gingerbread cookies! Follow this easy recipe and enjoy!
Delight your family and friends with these delicious, homemade gingerbread cookies – made without molasses! With easy step-by-step instructions and a few simple ingredients, you can whip up a batch of tasty holiday treats in no time.
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Ingredient notes and substitutions
Gather the ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda, and powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, butter, and sugar. Once you have all the ingredients at hand, you’re ready to make your cookies!
- All-purpose flour – it adds structure to the gingerbread cookies. I used all-purpose flour.
- Unsalted Butter – I love to regulate the amount of salt I use for baking, that is why I always use unsalted butter. Important to use the butter at room temperature.
- Brown Sugar – brown sugar is granulated sugar that has molasses added to it. What we need for gingerbread cookies. Therefore you cannot substitute brown sugar with granulated sugar. Light brown has a small amount of molasses, while dark brown sugar has a larger amount of molasses. You can use both for this recipe, but I recommend dark brown sugar because of its richer flavor.
- Maple Syrup – is a substitute for molasses. You can also substitute this with honey, sorghum, dark corn syrup, and golden syrup. It gives the cookies their flavor.
- Vanilla Extract – Gives the Christmas cookies more taste. Choose a good quality vanilla extract, because that really makes a difference.
- Egg – so the gingerbread cookies have structure and richness
- Spices – for the flavor
- Salt – salt enhances the sweetness of the gingerbread cookies.
What are good substitutes for Molasses?
There are several good substitutes for molasses that you can use in your recipes. Maple syrup, brown sugar, honey, date syrup, agave syrup, dark corn syrup, and golden syrup are all great alternatives.
For this recipe using maple syrup and brown sugar was the best choice for me, because the other substitutes are rare in the Netherlands.
- Maple syrup is a great substitute for molasses because it has a similar sweetness but with a more subtle, complex flavor. It is also a natural and healthier alternative, as it is low in sugar and high in antioxidants. Maple syrup also has a thinner consistency than molasses, making it easier to incorporate into recipes.
- Brown sugar is also a great substitute for molasses because it has a similar flavor profile and it contains molasses. Therefore the outcome of these cookies will be the same as making them with molasses.
🔪 Step-by-step instructions
Make the dough
The first step in making gingerbread cookies without molasses is to use the handheld mixer to beat the butter for 1 minute until creamy. Then add the brown sugar and maple syrup to cream together the ingredients until they are light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides if needed. Then add in the vanilla extract and the egg and mix until everything is combined and you have a smooth, creamy batter (about 2 minutes).
Combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt together in a medium bowl. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients until everything is well combined and you no longer see any streaks of the dry ingredients in the dough. Finally, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours before rolling it out and continuing with your recipe. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the surface when cutting out the cookies. And it allows the gluten to relax.
Preheat oven
Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C). Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
Cut out the cookies
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to desired thickness (about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick). Make sure that the rolling pin and your work surface are lightly floured. This will ensure that the dough doesn’t stick to either the surface or your rolling pin. It is also important to roll the dough out evenly so that all of your gingerbread cookies bake up uniformly. You can use any type of holiday-themed cookie cutter with this dough! Enjoy creating your own unique designs!
Bake
Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack or plate before serving or storing them in an airtight container. Allow to cool completely and decorate the cookies as desired.
How to decorate Gingerbread Men Cookies?
Decorating gingerbread cookies can be a fun and creative activity for the whole family! You can decorate gingerbread cookies with a variety of different ingredients. For example, try using colorful icings and sprinkles to create fun shapes and designs. You can also use candy canes and other small candies to make festive decorations. For an extra touch, try using edible food markers to draw unique designs. Have fun and get creative with your cookie decorating!
🍽 Equipment
The equipment you need for making these gingerbread cookies
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisks or electric mixer
- Holiday Cookie Cutter
- Wiring rack
- Parchment paper or non-stick baking mats
- Kitchen scale
- Oven
How to store Gingerbread men’s cookies?
Storing gingerbread cookies is easy! First, let the cookies cool completely. Then, you can place them in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. If you are storing them for a few days, you can also wrap them in a layer of plastic wrap and then place them in a container or bag to keep them fresh.
How to freeze the Holiday cookies
If you plan on storing them for more than a few days, you can freeze them in an airtight container or freezing bag for up to three months after they have cooled. Get them a day before eating out of the freezer so they can come to room temperature.
Enjoy your delicious gingerbread cookies!
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
Making gingerbread cookies can be a fun and rewarding experience! Here are some expert tips to help you get the most out of your baking experience:
- Start with a high-quality gingerbread cookie dough (like this recipe). This will ensure that your cookies have a rich, deep flavor and a nice texture.
- Before baking, chill your cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. This will help the dough hold its shape when it’s baked.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out the shapes of your cookies. Press down firmly and evenly to ensure that all of your cookies are the same size.
- Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on your baking sheets. This will help keep your cookies from sticking to the pan.
- Bake your cookies at the temperature and time indicated in the recipe. Be sure to keep an eye on them so that they don’t get over-baked.
- Allow your gingerbread cookies to cool completely before decorating. This will help ensure that your icing and decorations stay put.
- Have fun decorating! Let your imagination run wild and create something unique and special.
We hope these tips help you make the perfect gingerbread cookies! Happy baking!
❓FAQ
Chilling dough before baking helps to relax the gluten, resulting in a more tender and flavorful finished product. Chilling also helps prevent the dough from spreading too much in the oven, helping to maintain the desired shape of the finished pastry. Additionally, chilling helps to keep the butter in the dough from completely melting during baking. All of these factors come together to make a dough that is delicious, with a texture that is light and flaky.
Yes, because we use good substitutes for molasses you won’t notice any difference. Brown sugar contains molasses as well, therefore we use that in this recipe. So the cookies have still the same taste!
⚖️ Baking in grams
The most accurate way to bake is by baking by weight. Measuring cups are very inaccurate and can lead to baking failures. Therefore all of my recipes are posted in grams. I always bake with a scale, so I have a recipe card that automatically converts metrics to US customary, but it can have errors. So I advise you to bake with a digital scale. You can find them on Amazon for a small price.
⭐️ Did you make this? Please leave a star rating below or a review in the comments section.
📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Cookies Without Molasses – An Easy Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 170 grams Unsalted butter room temperature, cut cut into small cubes
- 165 grams Dark brown sugar or light brown sugar
- 160 ml Maple syrup
- 450 grams All-purpose flour
- 1 egg room temperature, large
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch of kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground cloves (optional, but recommended)
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg (optional, but recommended)
- Optional: easy cookie icing
Instructions
Gingerbread Cookie Dough
- Beat the butter for 1 minute in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the brown sugar and maple syrup and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides if needed.170 grams Unsalted butter, 165 grams Dark brown sugar, 160 ml Maple syrup
- Beat in the vanilla extract and egg for 2 minutes.1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 egg
- In a separate bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients until combined. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients on low speed until combined.450 grams All-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp ground ginger, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground cloves, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 pinch of kosher salt
- Divide the cookie dough in two and wrap it in plastic. Chill it for at least 3 hours or chill overnight.
Roll out and bake the cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350 F (170 C). Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to desired thickness (about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick). Make sure that the rolling pin and your work surface are lightly floured. You can use any type of holiday themed cookie cutters with this dough!
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack or plate before serving or storing them in an airtight container. Allow to cool completely and decorate the cookies as desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
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