Gingerbread Baking with Kids (Printable)

Warm spiced gingerbread cookies with soft dough and fun decorating ideas for an engaging baking activity.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 2 teaspoons ground ginger
04 - 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
05 - ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
06 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

08 - ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
09 - ¾ cup packed brown sugar
10 - 1 large egg
11 - ½ cup molasses
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ For Decorating

13 - Royal icing or simple icing sugar glaze
14 - Assorted sprinkles, candies, or chocolate chips

# How to Make It:

01 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
02 - Beat softened butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
03 - Add egg, molasses, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and blend until fully combined.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms.
05 - Divide dough in half, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disk to approximately ¼ inch thickness.
08 - Use gingerbread cookie cutters to cut shapes and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
09 - Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are just set. Cool cookies on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Once cooled, decorate with icing and sprinkles as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dough is forgiving and soft enough for small hands to shape without frustration or mess.
  • Warm spices fill your kitchen with that unmistakable holiday comfort that no candle can quite capture.
  • Kids remember the decorating part more than the eating, which somehow makes the whole thing feel like magic.
02 -
  • Cold dough cuts cleanly and holds details; warm dough smudges and loses definition, which is frustrating even for kids.
  • Overbaking for even one minute turns these from tender cookies into something closer to hard candies, so watch the clock.
  • Molasses varies in thickness between brands, so if your dough feels too soft, chill it longer rather than adding flour.
03 -
  • Room temperature butter creams properly and makes the dough easier for kids to handle; cold butter will fight you during mixing.
  • A light dusting of flour on the work surface and the rolling pin prevents sticking without toughening the dough if you don't use too much.

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