Description
Soft and spiced gingerbread cookies made with ginger, cinnamon, molasses, and a touch of applesauce for moisture. Perfect for decorating during the holidays and full of festive flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup dark molasses
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 1/2 tbsp egg whites
- 1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Pinch cream of tartar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and applesauce until smooth.
- Mix in the egg and molasses until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll dough to 1/4 inch on a floured surface. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
- Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 10–12 minutes.
- Cool completely before decorating.
- For the icing: Beat egg whites and lemon juice until frothy, then gradually mix in powdered sugar and cream of tartar until smooth. Adjust consistency with more sugar or a drop of water if needed.
- Pipe or spread icing on cooled cookies and decorate as desired.
Notes
For softer cookies, reduce bake time by 1–2 minutes. Dough can be made ahead and chilled for up to 24 hours. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes + 2 hours chill
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cookies
- Calories: 133
- Sugar: 16g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 1.7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 29.8g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1.9g
- Cholesterol: 10mg