Gingerbread Sugar Cookies

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Total Time 34 minutes

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Soft and sweet Gingerbread Sugar Cookies with light and airy texture and the perfect flavor.  A must make for treat the holidays! 

More holiday treats await! Eggnog Snickerdoodle Whoopie Pies, Churro Toffee, Peppermint Cookies, and Santa’s Cookies.

Ad – This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Crisco®. The opinions and text are all mine.

a hand holding a gingerbread sugar cookie above a cooling rack of more cookies.

My mom is the ultimate holiday decorator. Growing up, I remember our house turning into a winter wonderland at Christmas time and the only thing that has changed has been the transition from felt and cotton decorations, to sparkly glass and hammered metal.

She’s got style and she’s rubbing off on me. Mostly because she has made it her personal mission to decorate my house for me for the holidays. I think it could be because she is literally running out of 1) space to store decorations and 2) places to decorate! Every room is covered floor to ceiling. It is elaborate.

top view of hands holding a cooling rack of gingerbread sugar cookies.

Two years ago when my twins were born my mother gave us a cookie plate and milk glass set, hand painted in red and white with a cute little letter to Santa. I just pulled it out a couple of days ago and the kids are obsessed with “The Santa Plate” and the “Santa Grink” – which, loosely translated, means Santa drink/cup.

top view of sugar cookies on baking pans.

This year on Christmas Eve we are whipping up a batch of Santa’s favorite cookie – Gingerbread Sugar Cookies with cream cheese glaze and the cutest red and green sprinkles! Crisco Shortening makes these cookies light and airy with melt-in-your-mouth flavor, and there is no cooling time for the cookie dough. From bowl to cutting board to oven in just a few minutes!

a Crisco shortening package.

I can’t wait to watch those chubby little toddler fingers carefully place these delicious gingerbread sugar cookies on our Santa Plate!

close up of a gingerbread sugar cookie with more cookies around it on a cooling rack.
Gingerbread Sugar Cookies | lecremedelacrumb.com
5 from 12 votes

Gingerbread Sugar Cookies

Light and airy gingerbread sugar cookies with a rich glaze. A must make for treat the holidays! 
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 9 minutes
0 minutes
Total: 34 minutes
Servings: 32 cookies
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Ingredients 

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tsp gingerbread spice
  • 1 cup Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening, (one stick)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2-4 tablespoons milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze

  • 1 ounce cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons butter flavored Crisco Vegetable Shortening
  • 1 teaspoon maple extract
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 2-3 cups powdered sugar
  • sprinkles, optional

Instructions 

For the Cookies

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. 
  • With an electric mixer, in a large bowl cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes on high speed). Blend in egg, 2 milk, and vanilla. Gradually blend in flour mixture. (Dough will be somewhat crumbly)
  • Roll out half of the dough on a pastry board to 1/2 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out cookies, then place on a large baking sheet 2-inches apart. 
  • Bake in preheated oven for about 6-8 minutes (Cookies should start to brown just around the edges). Allow to cool completely on baking sheet. 

For the Glaze

  • Cream together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in maple extract and salt. Gradually mix in powdered sugar until incorporated and cream until completely smooth. 
  • Dip cookies in the glaze, then set on a cooling rack. Decorating with sprinkles if desired, then allow glaze to set up for about 15-25 minutes (not necessary but recommended!)

Notes

Store in airtight container at room temperature up to five days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 19mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Ad – This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Crisco®. The opinions and text are all mine

Tiffany of Creme de la Crumb in the kitchen

Welcome!

Hey there, I’m Tiffany – chef, photographer, mother, and avid taco eater. I am passionate about turning simple flavors and ingredients into tasty meals the whole family will love, with minimal prep and cleanup so there’s more time to spend eating and enjoying. Stay awhile, and help yourself to a taco or two!

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5 from 12 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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15 Comments

  1. Donna says:

    Can I use butter instead of shortening?

    1. Gabriela Alcazar says:

      Can I use butter instead of shortening?

      1. Tiffany says:

        Yes, you should be able to 🙂

  2. Shellina says:

    Hi I am wondering if these cookies can be frozen once glazed. Thank you.

    1. Tiffany says:

      You should be able to as long as the glaze is set completely. You can then put the cookies on a baking sheet and freeze them for an hour then place the cookies in a zip lock or air tight container carefully.

  3. Shellina says:

    What spices make up the Gingerbread Spice Mix, we don’t have any spice mix by that name. Thank you.

    1. Tiffany says:

      Gingerbread spice is ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, ground cloves and optionally ground cardamom and/or ground coriander.

  4. Beth says:

    The recipe listed on this page is for the maple glazed sugar cookie not the gingerbread sugar cookie. Are they the same?

    1. Tiffany says:

      Sorry about that! The recipe was correct, the title was incorrect! It is fixed now.

  5. Coco says:

    Hi Tiffany!!
    Where is the recipe for the gingerbread sugar cookies?

    1. Tiffany says:

      Hey! You’re on the right page- not sure how you missed it? All my recipes are at the bottom of each post.

  6. Michelle says:

    Hi Tiffany! Can you share what spices are needed to make these GINGERBREAD sugar cookies? I cant seeM to find the recipe for the GINGERBREAD version.

    1. Tiffany says:

      Oh my heck- that is an awful typo. I am so sorry! Thank you for pointing that out. It should call for 1 tsp gingerbread spice. It is fixed now!

      1. Patricia Deutschman says:

        1/2 inch is very thick. Is that a typo?

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