Quick and easy gingerbread cookies recipe, made with 3 simple ingredients are a classic. This doctored cake mix recipe makes the best soft cut out cookies.
It's our family tradition to bake these gingerbread cookies with all the kids in the family on Christmas Eve. They taste just as good as they look and the children get super creative decorating them. If you are fond of gingerbread, you also much try this Easy Gingerbread Recipe (Gingerbread Cake) and this Homemade Gingerbread Latte Recipe.
This is a very easy gingerbread cookie recipe!
It's a doctored cake mix recipe and requires only 3 ingredients:
- Spiced cake mix
- Butter
- Egg
How do you make easy gingerbread cookies recipe? How to make gingerbread cookies? How do you make the best gingerbread cookies?
- Mix together egg and butter.
- Add spiced cake mix and chill dough.
- Spread out the dough and cut out shapes with cutters.
- Bake and let them cool.
- Decorate and you are done.
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Can gingerbread man cookies be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze baked cookies (once they have fully cooled down) in air-tight, sealed freezer containers. Let them thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and bake.
Are gingerbread cookies hard or soft?
Typically they should be soft but still be able to hold their shape. Hard ones are used to make gingerbread houses and other decorations like ornaments. Some people prefer the hard ones for dunking in tea or coffee.
What do classic homemade gingerbread cookies taste like?
They are sweet with a spiced flavor that comes from cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Some people like to add orange zest too.
Soft gingerbread cookies vs. Chewy gingerbread cookies
The recipe below is for soft cookies that are crispy on the outside. They don't have a chewy texture.
How to decorate gingerbread cookies? (Gingerbread cookie icing)
Typically, Royal Icing or Glace Icing is used to make all the details, which dry hard and you can even use American Buttercream Frosting. However, I decorated with melted chocolate because my kid prefers chocolate.
How to keep cookies from spreading?
Chill the dough! It makes the dough easier to handle and also prevents cookies from spreading too much and loosing their shape, while baking! 
Tips for Christmas cookies
- Sift the boxed cake mix flour at least once to get rid of the little lumps or else your baked cookies will have little specks of cake mix flour. This is optional and most people don't even notice the tiny specks.
- The batter will become crumbly. Don’t add any type of liquid to thin it out! Just use your hands to gently knead the dough.
- Don’t use an egg at room temperature. Use a cold, refrigerated egg. Using an egg at room temperature will make the dough too soft.
- The butter should be at room temperature and not melted.
- Chill the dough for 40 minutes to 1 hour so that it becomes easier to handle plus chilled cookies don't spread too much while baking and hold their shape better.
- You can apply this same recipe to any cake mix and make any flavor of cut out cookie dough.
- Use a gluten free cake mix to make gluten free gingerbread cookies.
- Please note these cookies are NOT ideal for making gingerbread houses since they can't handle the weight of all the candies. However, you can check out this Gingerbread House Tutorial for my firm and strong gingerbread cookie recipe.
Other doctored cake mix recipes
- Cake Mix Pumpkin Donuts
- Easy Pumpkin Cake With Cake Mix
- Easy Apple Cake With Cake Mix
- Cake Mix Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
- Cake Mix Chocolate M&M Cookies
- Easy Cake Mix Brownies
- Cake Mix Champagne Cupcakes
- Coconut Cranberry Cake With Cake Mix
- Eggnog Cookies
Recipe
Easy Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Add the egg and butter in a mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Sift the boxed cake mix.
- Add the cake mix into the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Don’t over mix.
- Chill dough for about 1-2 hours so that it's easier to handle. It also prevents cookies from spreading too much while baking and they hold their shape better.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of wax paper and use your cutters to cut out various shapes.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until the edges are firm and slightly brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool down and then decorate them with royal icing/ melted chocolate and candies. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge or room temperature for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Until next time, tata my lovelies!
Arwa
Definitely will be trying this! Neve thought to use a spiced cake mix box!
Abeer Rizvi
They are the easiest cookies ever!Hope you enjoy them this holiday season
Kim Beaulieu
I just happened to be perusing around your site while I was pinning tonight and saw these. They are so cute. I'm a sucker for gingerbread cookies.
Abeer Rizvi
Awww... Thanks Kim! These are the easiest gingerbread cookies ever and such darlings that it's almost a shame when I bite into them...hahaha!
T
This was EXACTLY what I was looking for! haven’t made it yet but it’s on the list !
Abeer Rizvi
Seriously, so easy and tastes awesome! Let me know how it goes
Penny
How many cookies does it make? I have a class of Kindergarten kids. I cannot find the easy gingerbread mix. Thank you.
Abeer Rizvi
Oh this is so easy and kiddos love it. The number of cookies you get will depend on the size of your cookie cutter and the thickness of your cookies. I usually 10-12 decent sized gingerbread cookies and some smaller ones.
Amanda
I am making these tonight for my Kinders to enjoy tomorrow! I am so happy I ran across this super easy recipe! I was dreading tonight and having to spend so much time on them, but you saved the day! Thanks!
Abeer Rizvi
I am happy to help!
Beth
Wow! Didn’t know what to expect, but these are also delicious to boot! My daughter loved making the dough and it was easy to handle even after refrigerating. Like the tip of using wax paper. We used a little rolling pin and our gingerbread man cookie cutter and it was so much fun. Breeze compared to years past. Thanks!
Abeer Rizvi
Awwww! That makes me so happy.
Tammy
These were so easy to make thanks for the recipe. They are delicious
Janice Cornejo
Hi! Can this recipe be used to make cookie bars?
Abeer Rizvi
I haven't tried making bars out of them but I do have these Snickerdoodle bars that you might enjoy: https://cakewhiz.com/snickerdoodle-bars-recipe/
Julia
These cookies were easy and delicious! Great recipe!! I’m making more!
Chefnan
We make these every Christmas but use devils food cake mix or vanilla cake mix. They always come out adorable and delicious! Easy easy!