Irresistible No-Chill Stout Gingerbread Molasses Cookies with Decadent Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Prepare to fall in love with these incredible stout gingerbread molasses cookies! What makes them truly special? There’s absolutely no chill step necessary for this gingerbread recipe, making your holiday baking stress-free and wonderfully efficient. If you’re a fan of quick and easy, yet incredibly flavorful, holiday treats, these no-chill gingerbread cookies are a must-try. And for those eager to explore more amazing holiday cookie recipes, be sure to check out my No Spread Sugar Cookies, my Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies, and my Peppermint White Chocolate Sugar Cookies! Each offers a unique festive touch to your celebrations.
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Stout Gingerbread Molasses Cookies: A Holiday Baking Revelation
The holiday season just isn’t complete without the warm, inviting aroma of gingerbread wafting through the kitchen. While I’ve joyfully shared numerous cookie recipes over the years, there’s arguably nothing quite as quintessential to the festive spirit as gingerbread. My own love affair with this classic began when I first tasted traditional German gingerbread at the Chicago Christkindlmarkt. I was instantly captivated by its remarkably soft texture and the bold, complex symphony of spices. That experience sparked a desire to recreate that magic at home, leading to the development of these incredibly soft and flavorful stout gingerbread cookies.
The core inspiration for this soft gingerbread cookies recipe comes from Claudia Fleming’s Stout Gingerbread, a brilliant creation that infuses the full-bodied flavor of stout beer into a gingerbread loaf, complemented by a generous blend of spices. I found that combination utterly irresistible! The deep, rich molasses, the aromatic spices, and the tender, soft texture of these cookies were absolutely perfect. But as many of you know, I’m always looking for an excuse to incorporate brown butter into my baking. So, I took these already exceptional gingerbread treats to the next level by adding a luscious brown butter cream cheese buttercream frosting, and I can confidently say, I regret nothing! This frosting adds an extra layer of nutty depth and creamy sweetness that elevates these holiday cookies to an unforgettable indulgence. These gingerbread cookies are not just a recipe; they are a celebration of holiday cheer and exquisite flavor.
The Magic of No-Chill Gingerbread Dough: Bake Faster, Enjoy Sooner!
One of the most common questions bakers have about gingerbread is, “What happens if you don’t chill gingerbread dough?” For many traditional gingerbread cut-out cookies, chilling is crucial to prevent spreading and maintain intricate shapes. However, these are specifically designed as drop cookies, meaning they are perfectly suited for baking without any prior chilling! This innovative approach saves you valuable time, especially during the busy holiday season, allowing you to enjoy freshly baked gingerbread molasses cookies much faster.
The secret lies in the carefully balanced ratio of ingredients and the chosen method of preparation. Our gingerbread cookie dough is formulated to have just the right consistency to spread beautifully into small, round, and wonderfully soft cookies as they bake. Instead of needing to firm up the butter and molasses to hold a shape, this dough is ready to go from bowl to baking sheet. This makes the recipe incredibly straightforward and accessible for bakers of all skill levels, ensuring a consistent, delightful texture every time without the wait. Say goodbye to long chilling times and hello to instant gratification with these delightfully soft no-chill gingerbread cookies!
Crafting the Perfect Batch: Essential Ingredients for These No-Chill Gingerbread Delights
To create these perfectly soft, chewy, and aromatic no-chill gingerbread cookies, you’ll need a selection of high-quality ingredients. Each plays a crucial role in achieving that signature gingerbread flavor and irresistible texture, making these cookies stand out on any holiday platter:
- All-purpose flour: The fundamental building block of our cookies. For accurate results and to prevent overly dense cookies, it’s essential to measure your flour using the spoon and level method. For professional-level precision, using a kitchen scale is highly recommended – you’ll need precisely 352 grams for this recipe.
- Baking soda: This essential leavening agent works in harmony with the natural acidity of the molasses, creating a chemical reaction that gives these gingerbread cookies a beautiful lift and a wonderfully tender, soft crumb.
- A Symphony of Spices: Ground Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Cayenne Pepper, and Black Pepper: I wasn’t kidding when I said these stout gingerbread cookies boast a truly rich and complex blend of spices!
- Ground Ginger: The undisputed star of the show, delivering that iconic warm, zesty, and slightly pungent gingerbread flavor that defines this classic treat.
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds a sweet, woody, and comforting aroma that perfectly complements the assertive ginger, creating a balanced spice profile.
- Ground Cloves: Offers a potent, sweet, and intensely aromatic note that is a hallmark of traditional gingerbread.
- Cardamom: A more subtle, yet incredibly important addition, providing a unique citrusy, floral, and slightly spicy undertone that elevates the overall complexity of the spice blend.
- Ground Nutmeg: Delivers a warm, slightly sweet, and woody flavor, tying all the other spices together beautifully.
- Cayenne Pepper and Black Pepper: These are the secret weapons for adding a wonderful, subtle kick and an unexpected depth of flavor. While you can certainly omit them if you prefer a milder cookie, I highly recommend including them for that authentic, bold, and warming gingerbread experience! They won’t make the cookies overtly spicy, but will leave a pleasant, intriguing warmth on the palate.
- Salted butter: Always use good quality salted butter, ensured to be softened to room temperature. This crucial step allows it to cream smoothly and effortlessly with the brown sugar, creating a light and airy base for your dough, which is vital for the cookies’ soft texture.
- Brown sugar: You have the option to use either light brown sugar for a milder, buttery caramel note, or dark brown sugar for an even richer, deeper molasses flavor that intensely enhances the overall gingerbread profile. The brown sugar’s inherent moisture also significantly contributes to the cookies’ wonderfully soft and chewy texture.
- Egg: A single, large, room temperature egg acts as a crucial binder, providing structure to the cookie dough and adding a desirable richness that contributes to the cookies’ moistness.
- Stout beer: My personal choice is a rich, dark stout like Guinness, but you are free to use your favorite stout or any full-bodied, dark beer. The stout beer provides an incredible depth of flavor, introducing subtle malty and roasted notes, while also contributing significantly to the cookies’ moistness and their appealing dark color, truly elevating them beyond typical gingerbread cookies.
- Dark molasses: This is an absolutely crucial ingredient for authentic gingerbread. Dark molasses not only gives these soft stout gingerbread cookies their characteristic rich sweetness and deep, inviting color, but also imparts a unique, slightly smoky, and complex flavor that gingerbread is famous for. Moreover, it plays a key role in keeping these cookies wonderfully soft and delightfully chewy for days after baking!
- White sugar: This is specifically used for rolling the cookie dough balls before baking. This step adds a delicate, sparkling crispness to the exterior, a pleasing touch of extra sweetness, and helps to subtly prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking, thus ensuring those perfect, appealing round shapes.
And for the truly unforgettable and decadent brown butter cream cheese frosting, which perfectly complements the rich gingerbread flavors, you’ll need these specific components:
- Salted butter: Softened to room temperature, this butter will undergo the magical transformation into brown butter, creating a nutty, caramel-like foundation for the frosting.
- Cream cheese: Also softened to room temperature, the cream cheese provides the signature tangy, rich, and incredibly creamy texture that makes a classic cream cheese frosting so irresistible.
- Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar. Just like with your flour, measure this accurately using the spoon and level method or, ideally, a kitchen scale. This precision ensures your frosting achieves the perfect consistency—neither too runny nor too stiff.
- Pure vanilla extract: For the most exquisite flavor, be sure to use a high-quality pure vanilla extract. For an even more special and homemade touch, consider checking out my post on how to make vanilla extract at home with just two simple ingredients!
- Pinch of salt: A small amount of salt is essential in frosting recipes, as it brilliantly balances the sweetness and enhances all the delicious flavors, preventing the frosting from being cloyingly sweet.
If you’re as enamored with the depth and complexity of brown butter as I am, you’ll definitely want to try my Brown Butter Pumpkin Donuts for another delightful treat that showcases this amazing ingredient!
Essential Equipment for Your Gingerbread Baking Journey
To successfully bake these delightful no-chill gingerbread molasses cookies, having the right tools makes the process smooth, efficient, and enjoyable. Here’s what you’ll need in your kitchen arsenal:
- Stand mixer or hand mixer: Absolutely essential for creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, and then blending in the wet and dry ingredients evenly to achieve a perfectly smooth and consistent dough.
- Large baking sheets: You’ll likely need two to bake all 32 cookies efficiently, ensuring adequate space for spreading and even baking.
- Silicone baking mat or parchment paper: For lining your baking sheets, these are crucial for preventing the cookies from sticking, promoting even baking, and making cleanup incredibly easy.
- Cooling rack: Essential for allowing your freshly baked cookies to cool completely after coming out of the oven. This prevents them from becoming soggy on the bottom and helps maintain their perfect texture.
- Light-colored sauté pan: Specifically for browning the butter for the frosting. A light-colored pan allows you to easily monitor the color change of the butter and prevents it from burning, ensuring a perfect nutty flavor.
- Kitchen scale: (Optional but highly recommended) For precise measurement of flour and powdered sugar, a kitchen scale guarantees consistent results every time and is a key tool for more accurate baking.
- Measuring cups and spoons: For accurate measurement of all other liquid and dry ingredients, ensuring the recipe’s balance is maintained.
- Mixing bowls: A variety of sizes for comfortably combining your dry ingredients, creaming butter and sugar, and mixing the final dough and frosting.
- Whisk: Ideal for thoroughly combining dry ingredients, ensuring your spices and leavening agents are evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.
Storing Your Stout Gingerbread Molasses Cookies for Lasting Freshness
Proper storage is key to enjoying your delicious stout gingerbread molasses cookies for as long as possible. Due to the presence of the creamy brown butter cream cheese frosting, refrigeration is highly recommended for these baked cookies. Here’s how to keep them fresh and flavorful:
- Refrigeration (Frosted Cookies): Store the frosted gingerbread cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. The cool environment will help maintain the frosting’s texture, prevent it from melting, and extend the freshness of the cookies.
- Freezing for Longer Storage (Unfrosted Cookies): These cookies freeze exceptionally well, making them perfect for advance preparation during the busy holiday season.
- Once completely cooled, arrange the unfrosted cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid (this prevents them from sticking together).
- Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- They can be stored frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting and serving.
- Freezing for Longer Storage (Frosted Cookies): For best results when freezing frosted cookies, first place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until the frosting is completely firm (this prevents smudging and ensures they retain their beautiful appearance).
- Once firm, transfer them to an airtight freezer container, again using parchment paper between layers.
- Frosted cookies will keep well in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw them in the refrigerator, then bring them to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor experience.
- Room Temperature (Unfrosted Only): If you opt to serve these gingerbread cookies unfrosted, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. However, for maximum freshness and to enjoy the full flavor profile, frosting them and refrigerating is generally recommended.
More Festive Christmas Cookie Recipes to Sweeten Your Season
If these stout gingerbread cookies have ignited your passion for holiday baking, you’re in luck! I have a wonderful collection of other festive treats that are perfect for sharing with family and friends, gifting, or simply enjoying with a warm cup of coffee or hot cocoa. Explore these delicious options to expand your holiday cookie repertoire and make your celebrations even sweeter:
- Zesty Lemon Curd Cookies: Bright and tangy, these cookies offer a refreshing contrast to traditional rich holiday flavors.
- Slice and Bake Christmas Cookies with Cranberries and White Chocolate: Incredibly convenient and bursting with festive colors and flavors, these are perfect for last-minute baking.
- Spicy Ginger Crinkle Cookies: Another fantastic ginger-spiced option with a beautiful cracked sugar coating, offering a chewy texture and bold flavor.
- Festive Christmas Cookie Cake: A show-stopping, oversized dessert perfect for gatherings, easy to share, and a joy to decorate.
- Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies with Cinnamon Sugar: A delightful combination of sweet, salty, and spiced flavors, featuring a soft, buttery base with a gooey caramel center.
📖 Recipe
No-Chill Gingerbread Cookies with Stout and Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
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Equipment you may need
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hand mixer
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measuring cups and spoons
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parchment paper
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stand mixer
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mixing bowls
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cooling rack
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silicone baking mat
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light-colored sauté pan
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¾ sheet baking pan
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whisk
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food scale
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- pinch cardamom
- pinch freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper – optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter – softened
- 1 cup brown sugar – packed
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoon stout beer (see note)
- ⅓ cup dark molasses
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 8 oz cream cheese – softened
- 16 oz powdered sugar – (one 1-lb. box)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- salt – to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt until thoroughly combined and no lumps of spice remain. Set this dry mixture aside.2 ¾ cups all purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 ½ tablespoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, pinch cardamom, pinch freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt
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In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer (stand or hand mixer), cream the softened unsalted butter and packed brown sugar together on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined, which usually takes about 2-3 minutes. Next, beat in the room temperature egg, followed by the stout beer and dark molasses, mixing well after each addition until all wet ingredients are fully incorporated. Finally, gradually add the reserved dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients, blending slowly on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies; scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters as needed to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 large egg, 3 tablespoon stout beer (see note), ⅓ cup dark molasses
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Using a small cookie scoop or your hands, portion the dough into one-inch balls. For an extra touch of sweetness and a delicate crisp texture, roll each dough ball generously in white sugar before placing them evenly on the parchment-lined baking sheets. Ensure they are spaced 1-2 inches apart to allow for proper spreading during baking. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly set and the centers still appear slightly soft and puffy. Overbaking will result in drier cookies. After 5 minutes of cooling on the hot baking sheet, carefully transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. This helps prevent the bottoms from becoming soggy.
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
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Begin by making the brown butter. In a light-colored sauté pan (to easily observe the color change) over medium heat, melt the 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Continue to cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, for 6 to 8 minutes. The butter will first foam, then clear, and finally, the milk solids at the bottom of the pan will turn a beautiful golden brown and emit a rich, nutty aroma. Watch carefully to avoid burning, as brown butter can turn black quickly!4 tablespoon unsalted butter
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Immediately remove the pan from the heat once browned and carefully pour the brown butter, along with all the delicious golden-brown bits from the bottom of the pan, into a heatproof bowl. Cover the bowl to prevent a skin from forming and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or until the butter is completely cool and has solidified to a spreadable consistency, similar to softened butter. This chilling step is absolutely crucial for achieving the perfect frosting texture.
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Once the brown butter is chilled and firm, combine it in a large bowl with the softened cream cheese. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until the mixture is completely creamy and smooth, ensuring no lumps of cream cheese remain. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating until the frosting becomes wonderfully light and fluffy. Finally, stir in the pure vanilla extract and add a pinch of salt to taste, adjusting as needed to brilliantly balance the sweetness and enhance all the flavors.8 oz cream cheese, 16 oz powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
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Once the stout gingerbread cookies are completely cool, frost them generously with the prepared brown butter cream cheese frosting. You can spread it with an offset spatula or pipe it for a more decorative look. Allow the frosting to set slightly before serving. Enjoy these delightful, homemade holiday treats, perfect for sharing with loved ones!
Notes
Storage and Freezing for Optimal Freshness: These soft gingerbread molasses cookies, especially when adorned with the delightful brown butter cream cheese frosting, require careful storage to maintain their quality and flavor.
Room Temperature (Unfrosted): If you plan to serve these cookies without frosting, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Ensure they are completely cool before storing to prevent condensation.
Refrigeration (Frosted): For frosted cookies, storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator is essential. This will help maintain the integrity and texture of the cream cheese frosting and keep the cookies fresh for up to a week. Place them in a single layer or separate layers with parchment paper to prevent smudging.
Freezing Unfrosted Cookies: These gingerbread cookies freeze exceptionally well, making them an excellent choice for holiday meal prep! Allow them to cool completely after baking. Then, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until they are completely solid. Once frozen, transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together. They can be stored frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to enjoy, simply thaw them at room temperature before frosting and serving.
Freezing Frosted Cookies: If you wish to freeze already frosted cookies, place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until the frosting is completely firm (this step is crucial to prevent the frosting from smudging). Once the frosting is solid, carefully transfer the cookies to an airtight freezer container, again using parchment paper between layers. Frosted cookies will keep well in the freezer for up to one month. To thaw, move them to the refrigerator overnight, then bring them to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving to achieve the best texture and flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
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