Soft chewy gingerbread biscuits are perfect at Christmas time. These bite-sized little ginger biscuits are ideal to make with your kids too as well as being great for snack time!
So of course when I was given a gingerbread man cutter I was excited to use it with her. I had never made gingerbread men before so I thought we would have a great time together making gingerbread men.
Well, I wanted to make gingerbread men. Little Miss Spice had other ideas. She didn't seem to like the idea of making little men and only wanted to use the star, tree and butterfly cutters. Bells were acceptable too. But no little men. Not even one.
I even kept some of the gingerbread cookie dough in the fridge and tried again in a few days time but little Miss Spice still did not want little gingerbread men!
Christmas gingerbread biscuit shapes
It's now 7 years since I first made these and I'm pleased to report that we have managed to use that gingerbread man cutter! However, as these biscuits are perfect for Christmas I like to use stars and Christmas trees instead. Maybe Little Miss Spice was right all those years ago!
What is the texture of these gingerbread biscuits?
Some gingerbread biscuits are very hard but I like my ginger biscuit to be a little soft. These ones are just right. They're soft and a bit chewy so you definitely won't break any teeth on them! The recipe makes a huge amount of little biscuits but of course that will depend on the size of your cookie cutters.
What ingredients do you need for gingerbread biscuits?
- Plain flour
- Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- Spices - I like to use a mixture of ginger and cinnamon
- Butter - I usually use unsalted but salted is also fine. It needs to be at room temperature so it is easier to mix in to the flour.
- Soft light brown sugar - Adds a much more caramel flavour than white sugar and helps the cookies to keep their soft texture.
- Golden syrup
- Egg
- Icing sugar - For decoration only.
How do you make gingerbread biscuits?
These biscuits are very easy to make. Just put all the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a large bowl. Rub the butter in with your finger tips till you get a breadcrumb consistency. Then mix in the sugar.
Beat the egg and golden syrup together and then stir into the flour mixture. You will get a stiff dough that you can then roll out and cut out whatever biscuit shapes you want.
Put them on baking trays lined with baking paper and bake in the oven for just 7 minutes to get soft chewy gingerbread biscuits. If you want a harder gingerbread then you can bake them for 9-10 minutes.
How long do ginger bread biscuits keep?
I have found that these biscuits keep really well in an airtight container for at least a week and probably longer. They are so moreish! You'll be glad you made a big batch.
However, if you really think you'll have a problem eating all these gingerbread cookies up then you can freeze the dough and use it later. You can also keep the uncooked dough in the fridge for a couple of days wrapped in cling film.
Can you use this dough to make a gingerbread house?
I'm afraid not. This dough makes soft gingerbread biscuits so it wouldn't hold up the weight of a gingerbread house.
Can you adapt the gingerbread recipe?
You can see from my recipe that I've use ginger and cinnamon in these ginger biscuits. That's just because I love ginger and cinnamon together and think it makes a great flavour for these biscuits. They still taste more of ginger than of cinnamon.
However, if you want to make them more traditional then omit the cinnamon and use more ginger instead. You can also vary the recipe by using mixed spice or by adding some nutmeg or ground cloves.
If you like spiced biscuits then why not check out my recipe for lebkuchen?
Can you give this ginger bread as a gift?
Who doesn't love being giving cookies as a Christmas present, especially homemade ones! These chewy gingerbread biscuits make a great homemade present. Just put them in an airtight box and wrap them up prettily!
You could also gift these delicious caramelised pecans.
More Festive Christmas Baking
I love making biscuits and other sweet bakes with my kids at Christmas time. Well, not just at Christmas! I love it at any time of year!
If you are looking for Christmas bakes do take a look at these recipes:
You might also like my ginger cake recipe.
Gingerbread Biscuits
Ingredients
- 350 g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 115 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 175 g soft light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoon golden syrup
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Put the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a bowl. Soften the butter slightly in the microwave if it is straight out of the fridge or use room temperature butter. Chop the butter into cubes and add to the flour mixture. Rub in in with your fingers. Then stir in the sugar.
- Put the golden syrup and egg in another bowl and beat together. Then stir into the flour mixture. Knead it with your hands until you get a stiff but smooth dough.
- Line baking trays with baking paper.
- Roll the dough out so it is 5mm thick and then use whatever cutters you want to make biscuits. Put them on the baking trays.
- Bake in the oven for 7 minutes for biscuits that are still a bit soft and chewy on the inside or for 9-10 minutes if you prefer harder biscuits.
- If you want sift the icing sugar over the biscuits to decorate.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin for Later
Places I'm sharing these easy gingerbread biscuits
Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by me, Corina, here at Searching for Spice
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
Such cute little stars and trees! I love making gingerbread at this time of year
Corina Blum
Thanks Kat! It's very seasonal isn't it! I always miss all the spicy baking after Christmas.
Monika Dabrowski
Gingerbread biscuits are for me the most essential Christmas treat. Yours look super cute. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare
Corina Blum
Thanks Monika! I love all the spicy bakes around at this time of year too.
Anna | Once Upon A Food Blog
These are so pretty and I love the fact that they are soft. I don't like hard gingerbread either!
Corina Blum
Yay! I'm so pleased you like soft gingerbread as well Anna!
Cat | Curly's Cooking
Soft gingerbread is my kind of gingerbread! These look so tasty and festive!
Corina Blum
Yay! I'm pleased you agree! Although saying that I am considering attempting a gingerbread house with hard gingerbread this weekend. Just for the children though so it's unlikely to make it onto the blog.
Janice Pattie
I love gingerbread everything! I've never made chewy gingerbread men, mine are always the crisp kind. I may give these a try.
Corina Blum
I hope you like them! I've never actually made the crisp kind!
Julie Running in a Skirt
I love a soft gingerbread cookie! This recipe looks so perfect for the holidays. can't wait to try!
Corina Blum
I'm so pleased you like them! I find them quite addictive when I'm at home - It's hard to stop snacking on them.
Beth
Gingerbread is my favorite and for some reason, I never make them! Too funny, that she didn't want to do the men!
Corina Blum
I know! We did manage to make the gingerbread men eventually though. She definitely knew her own mind then and still does!
Claudia Canu
These biscuits look absolutely delicious and I think they would make a perfect edible present if wrapped in a nice package 🙂
Corina Blum
Thanks! It is always good to get some edible presents at Christmas isn't it!
Mayuri Patel
Finally a soft gingerbread biscuits. Hubby doesn't like the hard ones. Such cute little biscuits. I too have not had a chance to use the man cutter... its usually round. The stars is will on my agenda soon to get into the festive mood.
Corina Blum
My husband and I are both fans of soft gingerbread biscuits too!
Lesli Schwartz
Nothing like the smell of gingerbread cookies baking in the oven! These look wonderful!
Corina Blum
I couldn't agree more! THey do make the house smell lovely as they're baking.
rhiannong
I love "makes a lot". Whenever I follow biscuit recipes they'll say makes 24 or some other reasonable number and then I end up with an entire kitchen full!
Corina
That's so true! I think it's impossible to say with biscuits as it all depends on the size of the cutters and in this case we'd eaten them before I wrote this up so I couldn't count them anyway!