Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnog Icing

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These Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnong Icing are soft, moist, chewy and delicious! With the tasty combination of eggnog and gingerbread, these are the ultimate Christmas cookies!

Want more gingerbread deliciousness? You have to try my Gingerbread Cheesecake Trifle!

Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnog Icing! The perfect Christmas cookie!

Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnog Icing

One of my favorite kinds of messages that we’ve heard at our church recently are ones where Andy Stanley takes a topic and turns it on it’s head a bit. He’ll take a topic in kind of an unexpected direction and end up giving a bit of a history lesson. I love it because there’s plenty of history that I don’t know. I also love it because it gives me a different way to think about something I’ve already thought and heard about plenty. Here’s one of my recent favorites on the Bible – Who Needs God. Like I said, it’s not what you’d expect. 🙂

And now he just started a new series on Christmas. That’s no surprise since it’s just a couple weeks away. I fully expected the first message to focus on the birth of Jesus, but he surprised me again and I love it! Instead, he focused the first message in the series around events in the Old Testament and what led to the birth of Jesus. He also illustrated how the birth of Jesus is evidence that God fulfills his promises even when it seems like it isn’t possible. How powerful is that? I can say there have definitely been times I felt like there was no way I could get through something and God not only pulled me through it, but I ended up in an even better place than I could’ve predicted. What an amazing gift God gave us when he sent his Son all those years ago. This is one of my favorite times of year because we get to celebrate it.

I really do find history so interesting and if you do too, you should check out the message. It’s great. It’s awesome too because often the stories in the Bible are read and thought of as simply stories, not history. But it is history – and Andy has such a neat way of explaining it. I’m looking forward to where he takes the rest of the series.

Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnog Icing! The perfect Christmas cookie!Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnog Icing! The perfect Christmas cookie!

Now let’s chat about these cookies! They are certainly a tasty treat to enjoy this Christmas and I’m a big fan. 🙂

How to Make The Best Frosted Gingerbread Cookies

The cookies are moist and chewy and they are topped with a delicious eggnog icing. The cookies start off with some butter and brown sugar. Brown sugar is a terrific way to go with these, since brown sugar actually has molasses in it. Makes perfect sense with gingerbread. It’s creamed with the butter until light and fluffy. Always be sure to fully cream them!

Next you’ve got the egg for lift, binding things together and chewiness, and the molasses because it’s absolutely necessary in gingerbread. 🙂

I used a mix of spices in these little bites of heaven. Of course there’s plenty of ginger. Then we’ve got some cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. I love the extra punch of flavor from the cloves. A little baking soda for leavening and salt for taste and you’re ready to bake!

I made them into balls of about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and baked them for about 7-8 minutes. I often like to take cookies out of the oven when the centers are just a touch underdone, but I found I liked these best when they were taken out of the oven just as the center looks cooked. There’s a small window of time there, but if you can get it they’re perfect! 🙂 It was right at about eight minutes for me.

The eggnog icing is easy to put together right on the stove. I love it because it’s nice and smooth but it also firms up a bit after it dries. It adds just the right amount of eggnog flavor – it doesn’t overpower the gingerbread.

These cookies are super easy to make and SO delicious! Two of my favorite Christmas flavors in one!

Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnog Icing! The perfect Christmas cookie!Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnog Icing! The perfect Christmas cookie!

More Gingerbread Treats

Best Gingerbread Cookies (Soft and Chewy Cutouts)
Gingerbread Layer Cake
Gingerbread Cheesecake
Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookie Cups
Gingerbread Cheesecake Trifle
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Caramel Molasses Frosting
Slow Cooker Gingerbread Latte

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Recipe

Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnog Icing

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 30-32 cookies
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnong Icing are soft, moist, chewy and delicious! With the tasty combination of eggnog and gingerbread, these are the ultimate Christmas cookies!


Ingredients

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

  • 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup (144g) lightly packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp (45ml) molasses
  • 2 1/4 cups (293g) all purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • pinch of cloves
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

EGGNOG ICING

  • 2 tbsp (28g) salted butter
  • 1/4 cup (52g) sugar
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) eggnog
  • 1 1/2 cups (172g) powdered sugar
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar together for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Don’t skimp on the creaming time.
3. Add the egg and molasses and mix until well combined.
4. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Dough will be thick.
5. Make balls of cookie that are 1 1/2 tablespoons in size and place them on the prepared cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until the centers of the cookies are just cooked. Don’t over bake.
7. Allow cookies to cool for 3-4 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
8. To make the eggnog icing, combine all the ingredients except for the powdered sugar in a small sauce pan. Heat on low until the sugar is melted, then turn heat to medium to bring to a boil.
9. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat and immediately pour into a heat-proof glass bowl.
10. Whisk in powdered sugar and allow to cool slightly and thicken. If you find your icing to be a little thick, just add a touch of cream or water to thin it back out. If it seems too thin, add additional powdered sugar. If it cools too much and firms before adding to the cookies, just microwave it for about 10 seconds.
11. Frost the cookies with the icing and add sprinkles, if desired.
12. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Cookie
  • Calories: 130
  • Sugar: 12.3 g
  • Sodium: 70.5 mg
  • Fat: 5.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 19.3 g
  • Protein: 1.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 21.5 mg

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Enjoy!

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51 Comments
  1. Beth

    The cookies were delicious and were such a hit everyone is asking about them! My ixing did not get thick like the photo or white for that matter lol. It was more clear? Regardless it tasted great. And i followed the tbsp and a half for scooping and rolling into balls, i made 3 batches and got 20 cookies each time instead of 30-32. Are you sure you didn’t mean a tsp? Mine were much larger than how yours look! Great recipe overall!

    1. Lindsay

      Glad they were a hit! It sounds like the icing was just too thin. You can add up to an additional half cup of powdered sugar, if needed to thicken it. As for the size and amount of cookies, 1 1/2 tablespoons is correct. I’ll have to double check the number of cookies.

    1. Lindsay

      I haven’t tested it, so it’s hard to say for sure. But there’s the possibility that the icing won’t hold up as well. Condensation can make things run or wet. But if you want to try it, thawing them in the fridge would be best.

  2. Jayd

    I only used the icing recipe portion and I have mixed feelings. It tastes delicious but it did not thicken at all like it said it would. I even added more powdered sugar and tried to whip it up to no avail. The icing was runny and never set.






    1. Lindsay

      I have used various flavors of this icing many times without any issues. I don’t know why it would’ve turned out so thin that you couldn’t even thicken it with more powdered sugar. It makes me think it has something to do with your particular ingredients, but it’s hard to say from a distance. I’m sorry you had trouble with it.

  3. Patty

    Icing recipe says if too thick, add a ‘touch more water.’ I didn’t see water listed as an ingredient. Did I miss something? Making these today! Thanks.

  4. Liis

    I just baked these cookies. The taste is very good. Haven’t done the frosting yet, waiting for cookies to cool. Would it be ok to freeze these before frosting?

  5. Amy

    The only problem with these cookies is trying not to eat them all! Such a fantastic flavour and soft texture. The eggnog icing really takes it up a notch. This will definitely be added amongst my favourites.






  6. Amber Reijnaert

    I made these cookies today and WOW, delicious! My icing didn’t turn out very thick & white like the picture though.






  7. Kristin

    This was the third recipe of yours I baked in the last week – and I wasn’t disappointed. It had the most amazing gingerbread flavor, and the texture was perfect. So, so good.






  8. Ebony

    They came out beautiful and absolutely delicious! Quick question, can I use salted butter for the cookies instead? I don’t feel like running to the store and all I have here is salted butter.






  9. Lori carraway

    I had the same issue with the first batch not spreading, but the second batch I flattened slightly and they came out perfect!  Taste is great!  






    1. Lindsay

      It’s really hard to say without being there. It could have something to do with creaming the butter and sugar – it helps give the cookies rise. Could also be butter temperature – if it’s too warm, it doesn’t cream correctly. Could be something to do with how an ingredient was measured out. I’m sorry I don’t have a better answer of you, but those are all possibilities.

  10. Danni

    The cookies turned out amazing but I’ve now tried this recipe twice and both times the icing didn’t turn out. It’s so runny! I tried to add cornstarch and more powdered sugar to thicken it and nothing worked 🙁 

    1. Lori carraway

      I think the key to the icing is to really boil the eggnog down until it carmelizes and reduces.  The full 3 minute boil worked for me, then when I added the powdered sugar the icing was nice and thick!  Good luck!

  11. Efrat

    Hi!! I would really love to try and make the cookies. But I live in china, and cannot find molasses anywhere. Do you think that I can try and substitute the molasses for something else? maybe honey, or melted whole brown sugar? thank you so much!

    1. Lindsay

      I don’t know of a good molasses substitute, I’m sorry. I don’t know if honey would work or not, but it’d change the flavor of the cookies quite a bit.

      1. Heather

        You can use equal parts dark corn syrup in place of the molasses. If you can’t find that then use 3/4 dark brown sugar and 1/4 hot water instead of what is required of molasses. IE; 3tbsp of molasses would be 2 1/4 tbsp of dark brown sugar and 3/4 tbsp of hot water to make a syrup.

  12. Sandra

    The cookies turned out great, ut the icing is a disaster! I have now made 2 dufferent lots, and it’s still like water, no way it will firm up enough to use. What have I done wrong? ????

    1. Lindsay

      That seems very strange. Did it cook/boil long enough? That will thicken the mixture. The powdered sugar also thickens it. I’d suggest either cooking it a little longer or adding additional powdered sugar.

      1. Hawkette

        My icing is much too runny as well, but then I’ve never seen a recipe like that with so much liquid. Usually it’s about a tablespoon. Perhaps you used a much thicker eggnog? I cannot imagine a powdered sugar icing thickening up with this much liquid in it, but I’m glad yours worked out. Mine did not.

  13. Brittany

    Hey Lindsay!! That’s so awesome you go to Andy Stanley’s church, I have been listening to his podcast for years (I live in Illinois)

    Quick question about these cookies, I just made them and the flavor is delicious, however, my cookies didn’t spread and/or flatten like yours. Did you flatten them after you made the 1 1/2 tablespoon balls? Just trying to think of what went wrong. Regardless of the shape, we will eat them all up because they are so good!

    1. Lindsay

      Yes, I love his messages – he’s so great! The church does some amazing things. 🙂

      For the cookies – if they didn’t spread as well, typically that’s because of having a bit too much flour. Did you use cups or grams when measuring? Sometimes people scoop cups differently – be sure not to pack the flour into the scoop. I typically loosen up the flour, then scoop and level. If you have a scale, weighing in grams would be more accurate. 🙂 I hope that helps!

  14. Lisa

    I am making these now.

    They are not flattening out much as all. Were the balls supposed to be flattened before baking?

    1. Lindsay

      If they didn’t spread as well, typically that’s because of having a bit too much flour. Did you use cups or grams when measuring? Sometimes people scoop cups differently – be sure not to pack the flour into the scoop. I typically loosen up the flour, then scoop and level. If you have a scale, weighing in grams would be more accurate. 🙂 I hope that helps!

    2. Lindsay

      I didn’t flatten them. If they aren’t spreading as well, typically that’s because of having a bit too much flour. Did you use cups or grams when measuring? Sometimes people scoop cups differently – be sure not to pack the flour into the scoop. I typically loosen up the flour, then scoop and level. If you have a scale, weighing in grams would be more accurate.

  15. Linda

    Hi Lindsay!
    Thank you so much for the delicious looking cookie recipe, and also for sharing Andy Stanley’s Christmas message! I love the history he brought to light leading up to the birth of Jesus! I’m looking forward to his next message!! Have a great day, and thank you again for sharing!!????

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29