Gingerbread cookies with royal icing are a staple Christmas treat. All the delicious festive spices in a crisp cookie with pretty decor. This gingerbread cookie recipe is fool-proof; the dough is easy to work with, does not need to be chilled for too long, is not too fragile and the cookies don’t spread out in the oven. No wonky snowflakes or warped gingerbread man happening here! Keep reading for icing instructions including step by step decor cheat sheet and a fun video.

How to Decorate Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing: Step by Step + Cheat Sheet

Royal Icing Consistency

The most important thing is to get the consistency of the icing right. I use a very simple 3 ingredient royal icing recipe with no eggs: royal icing sugar, milk/water and a small amount of almond extract for flavour. Add the liquid in little by little while stirring so you don’t over-do it. If the result is too runny, simply add more sifted(!) royal icing sugar. Vice versa, if it’s too thick, add a very small(!) amount of liquid.

Nest, transfer to a piping bag with a small round tip and test it out on a piece of parchment paper. If you don’t have piping tips, just snip off the tip of the piping bag neatly. The consistency that we’re looking for is icing that can be piped easily with only a small amount of pressure added to the piping bag BUT it shouldn’t be runny or dripping out. Adjust as needed and you’re ready for the next step!

Snowflake Designs

I made this easy step by step cheat sheet for inspiration. First, follow the first two images as they are consistent for all the different designs. Once you have the base ready, choose one of the four snowflake options or make all of them for some variety!

Piping is very simple in concept, but if you’re new to it, it can get frustrating. I suggest practising on parchment paper first until you get used to the feel of things. But most of all, just relax and enjoy it!

As always, let me know if you make them, I’d love to see!

Happy indulging,

Kim x

Find more Christmas recipes by clicking here.

Yield: 28 cookies

Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing

Gingerbread cookies with royal icing are a staple Christmas treat. This recipe is fool-proof and the cut out cookies don't spread out in the oven.

Prep + Decor Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Chill Time 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup soft light brown sugar
1/4 cup black treacle
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 medium egg, room temp

Dry Ingredients

2 1/2 cups 00' flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsps ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Royal Icing

1 cup royal icing sugar, sifted(!)
1/2 - 1 tbsp milk of choice
1 tsp pure almond extract

Instructions

Use a hand-held whisk machine to cream the butter and sugar or do it by hand. Add the treacle, vanilla and egg and whisk. Sift in the dry ingredients and stir until it turns into a dough. Cover in clingfilm and flatten into a disc. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180°c. Double line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the dough on a generously floured surface and cut out the snowflakes with a cookie cutter. Transfer the dough onto the baking sheet.
Bake for 9 - 11 minutes until slightly firm and the edges start to brown. They will continue to crisp as they cool so don't leave them in too long. Let cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating. If decorating the next day or later, store so they stay crispy.
Mix the icing ingredients together (the milk a little at a time) until you reach a thick consistency. Adjust ingredients as necessary if too thick/runny. Transfer to a piping bag with a small piping tip and decorate the snowflakes. Let dry and harden for at least 20 minutes.
Enjoy!

Notes

Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 2 weeks.

Tip 1: If you can't find black treacle, you might be able to substitute it for molasses. I haven't tested this though so I can't guarantee the same results.

Tip 2: If you don't have piping tips, then just snip off the end of the piping bag neatly. Read the blog post for notes on the perfect royal icing.

Tip 3: The icing consistency should be flowing just enough to pipe it with a small amount of pressure but it shouldn't be runny.

You can also use this recipe to make gingerbread men, stars or other shapes. Simply keep an eye on your oven to take them out on time.