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Red Gingerbread Cookies are one of my favorite ways to add a little color magic to the holiday season. I first made these on a snowy December afternoon when my daughter asked for red cookies to match the bows on our Christmas tree. I already had a batch of Green Gingerbread Cookies and Classic Gingerbread Dough in the fridge, but I thought, why not try something different and more festive?
A few drops of red food coloring, and the dough transformed into a bright, cheerful red that made our cookie cutters look even more fun. These cookies quickly became a staple in our cookie boxes and decorating sessions. The flavor is still that warm, spicy gingerbread we all love, with a soft bite and vibrant holiday color.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Colorful & Festive: That red hue really pops on a cookie platter.
- Perfect for Decorating: Holds shape well for cutouts.
- Soft Texture: Not too crisp, just the right chew.
- Holiday Ready: Ideal for gifting, cookie parties, and baking with kids.
I love pairing these with Royal Icing or a light dusting of powdered sugar. They’re also great alongside my Chocolate Ginger Sugar Cookies or Green Gingerbread Cookies for a beautiful holiday cookie board.
Watch how I make this recipe
Tools That Make It Easier
- Kitchen Mixer: Makes creaming butter and sugar effortless.
- Glass Mixing Bowls: Easy to see your dough color progress.
- Silicone Spatulas: I always use them for scraping and folding.
- Adjustable Rolling Pin: Helps me roll dough to even thickness.
- Christmas Cookie Cutters: Ornaments, stars, hearts – all look amazing with this dough.
- Cake Spatula: Optional, but helpful for lifting delicate cutouts.
- Vinyl Gloves: If you’re working with food coloring, these keep your hands clean.
You can find more of my cookie decorating must-haves in Tools and Equipment for Perfect Cut Out Cookies.
What You’ll Need From Your Pantry
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ginger
- ¾ teaspoon Cloves
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Maple Syrup
- Red food coloring
- ¾ cup Unsalted Butter (room temp)
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
Before You Start: My Quick Tip
- Coloring Tip: For a deeper red, I use gel food coloring. Start small and add more if needed.
- Test Cookie: Bake one first to check how the color darkens.
- Chilling: Don’t skip the extra chill on the baking sheet—it really helps keep sharp edges.
- Batching: I usually make 2-3 dough disks at once and freeze what I don’t need right away.
And here’s a little secret—the red dough makes great hearts for Valentine’s Day too. Just change the cutters and you have cookies for two seasons!
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Let’s Make It Together
- Whisk dry ingredients.
- Mix egg, syrup, vanilla, and red coloring.
- Cream butter and sugar.
- Add wet mixture.
- Mix in dry ingredients gradually.
- Wrap dough and chill.
- Roll, cut, chill shapes.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 min.
Recipe variations
- Red & White Marble: Swirl some plain dough with red.
- Flavor Twist: Add peppermint extract for a cool touch.
- Dipped: Half-dip in white chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy cane.
- Two-Tone Cutouts: Combine with Green Gingerbread Dough for Christmas-themed swirl cookies.
Make Ahead & Storage
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
- Fridge: Store wrapped dough for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Dough keeps well for 3 months.
- Baked cookies can also be frozen (undecorated).
I like labeling my dough disks with the date and color, especially when making multiple kinds during my Christmas prep.
Troubleshooting Common Issues with Cutout Cookie Dough
Even with the best recipes and careful preparation, sometimes things don’t go as planned in the kitchen. But don’t worry! I’ve encountered plenty of baking hiccups, and I’m here to share some tips to help you troubleshoot common issues with cutout cookie dough.
Dough Too Sticky
If your dough feels sticky and hard to handle, it might need a little extra flour. This can happen due to slight measurement variations or even humidity in the kitchen. Start by adding one tablespoon of all-purpose flour at a time, gently kneading it into the dough until it’s firm but still pliable. Be careful not to add too much flour, as it can make the cookies dry.
Dough Cracking While Rolling
Sometimes chilled dough can feel a bit too stiff and crack when rolled out. If this happens, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to soften slightly. The high butter content in the dough makes it firm when cold, but letting it warm up a bit will make rolling much easier.
Cookies Spreading During Baking
If your cookies lose their shape in the oven, it’s often due to insufficient chilling. After cutting out your cookies, place them back in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking. This step helps the dough hold its shape and prevents spreading.
Another trick is to add a teaspoon of cornstarch to the dry ingredients. Cornstarch reduces spreading during baking and keeps the cookies nice and sturdy for decorating.
Uneven Baking
Uneven baking can happen if the cookies are different sizes or if multiple trays are stacked in the oven. To avoid this, make sure your cutout cookies are all the same thickness and bake one tray at a time on the middle rack. This ensures even heat distribution and perfectly baked cookies every time.
Overbaked or Burnt Edges
If your cookies are coming out with dark edges, they may have baked too long. Keep an eye on them as they bake—most cookies are done when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft. Start checking a minute or two before the recommended baking time to ensure they don’t overbake.
Dough Too Soft to Cut
If the dough is too soft when you’re cutting out shapes, it likely hasn’t chilled long enough. Pop it back in the fridge for another 20-30 minutes to firm up before trying again. Patience is key for perfectly shaped cookies!
Personal Tip
Don’t get discouraged if things don’t go perfectly the first time. Baking is as much about learning as it is about enjoying the process. I’ve had my share of “oops” moments, but each one taught me something new. And honestly, even the imperfect cookies still taste amazing!
Troubleshooting is just part of the fun when baking, and with a little patience and these tips, you’ll have beautiful, delicious cut-out cookies ready to share. Let’s move on to the best part—enjoying these delightful creations!
Decorating Cutout Cookies: Techniques and Tips
Once my cutout cookies are baked and cooled, it’s time for my favorite part—decorating! This is where I can transform these tasty cookies into beautiful treats for any occasion. Whether I’m using royal icing, chocolate icing, or dipping them in chocolate, decorating is where creativity and tradition converge in my kitchen.
Getting Ready to Decorate
First, I always make sure my cookies are completely cooled before decorating. Trying to decorate warm cookies is a recipe for disaster—melting icing and smudged designs are no fun. Let them cool completely for the best results.
I like to set up my decorating area with everything I need organized and ready:
• Royal icing in piping bags with fine tips for detailed designs.
• Chocolate icing in piping bags, used just like royal icing for piping intricate patterns or designs.
• Dipped in chocolate for adding a glossy finish to cookies.
• Sprinkles, crushed nuts, or crushed peppermint candy canes for decorating dipped cookies.
• Edible markers for writing or drawing directly on the cookies.
I also line my workspace with parchment paper, which keeps cookies from sticking and makes cleanup easy.
Decorating with Royal Icing
Royal icing is my go-to for that smooth, polished cookie look. I start by outlining the cookie with a thicker consistency icing, then flood the center with a thinner icing. A toothpick is perfect for spreading the icing evenly and popping any air bubbles.
If I’m layering colors or adding details, patience is key! A light design or piping dries in about 24 hours, but fully flooded cookies can take up to 48 hours to dry completely. For a detailed guide on working with royal icing, check out my blog post How to Flood Cookies with Royal Icing. It’s packed with tips and tricks to make your cookies look professionally decorated!
Decorating with Chocolate Icing
Chocolate icing works similarly to royal icing—it’s piped on top of the cookies using a piping bag. It’s great for adding intricate patterns or creating fun, festive designs. You can use dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate, depending on the look and flavor you’re going for.
Unlike dipped chocolate, chocolate icing dries with a slightly glossy finish and is ready to handle in about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the thickness of the design. I go into more detail about working with chocolate icing in my blog post Chocolate Cookie Decorating Tips, so be sure to check it out for inspiration!
Dipped in Chocolate
Another fun and simple method is dipping cookies in melted chocolate. I dip half of the cookie into the chocolate for a two-tone effect, which looks both elegant and festive.
While the chocolate is still wet, I sprinkle the dipped side with holiday sprinkles, crushed nuts, or crushed peppermint candy canes. This method adds texture, color, and a burst of flavor to every bite. Unlike piped chocolate icing, dipped chocolate works as a base for these fun toppings. If you’re curious about how to achieve the perfect dipped cookie, check out my blog post How to Decorate Cookies with Melted Chocolate for a step-by-step guide.
Dipped cookies dry much faster than royal icing—typically within 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how thick the chocolate layer is.
Storing Decorated Cookies
Once decorated, I let the cookies dry completely before stacking or packaging. For royal icing, I allow up to 48 hours for flooded cookies to set, while chocolate icing or dipped cookies are usually ready in about an hour.
For gifting, I individually wrap each cookie in self-sealing plastic bags. This keeps them fresh, prevents decorations from smudging, and makes them look beautifully presentable.
More Recipes You Might Like
Chocolate Ginger Sugar Cookies
Orange Zest Gingerbread Cookies
How To Perfectly Flood Cookies With Royal Icing
Essential Tools for Decorating Cookies
Classic Sugar Cookie Dough for Cutouts
Easy Way to Decorate Mitten Cookies
Red Gingerbread Cookies
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Equipment
- Dredge shaker optional
- Cake Spatula optional
- Disposable Vinyl Gloves optional
Ingredients
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ¾ teaspoon Ground Cloves
- ½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Maple syrup
- Food Coloring green or red
- ¾ cup Unsalted Butter at room temperature
- ½ cup Brown Sugar packed
Instructions
Preparing the Dough
- Measure and prepare all of your ingredients before starting to ensure a smooth process.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients until fully combined and set the bowl aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Add the food coloring (1 teaspoon for a lighter shade or 2 teaspoons for a deeper color) and mix until the color is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
- In the bowl of your kitchen mixer, add the room-temperature unsalted butter and packed brown sugar. Using the paddle attachment, cream them together on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes, until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- Scrape the butter mixture from the sides of the bowl using a silicone spatula, then add the egg and maple syrup mixture with food coloring. Mix on medium speed until fully combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, about ⅓ at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition. Continue mixing until a smooth, slightly firm dough forms.
- Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap it in food wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. This helps firm the dough, making it easier to roll and cut.
Baking cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).Remove the dough disk from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes to soften slightly.
- Lightly flour your countertop, unwrap the dough, and roll it out with an adjustable rolling pin to a thickness of ¼ inch.
- Use Christmas cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes.
- Carefully lift the cutouts with a cake spatula and place them 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.Chill the baking sheet with the cutouts in the fridge for 10 minutes to help the cookies retain their shape while baking.
- Transfer the chilled baking sheet directly to the middle rack of your preheated oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are set.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating.
Nutrition
From My Kitchen to Yours
Gingerbread Recipes
- How to Host a Gingerbread House Decorating Party at Home
- Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing for Christmas Baking and Decorating
- Colored Gingerbread Cookie Dough
- Classic Gingerbread Cookie Dough – Perfect for Holiday Cutouts
- How to Make Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Dough for Holiday Cutout
- Moist Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Warm Caramel Hidden Inside
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Here’s a peek at the tools, gear, and camera setups I use to film my recipe videos and photograph food at home. Over the years, I’ve tested dozens of different setups, and now I’m sharing what actually works for me—whether I’m filming overhead shots for YouTube or styling still photos for my blog. If you’re curious about how I create the content you see here, these posts are a great place to start.
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