Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnog Icing

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

• A festive flavor combo: Spiced gingerbread cookies and comforting eggnog are two of the most iconic Christmas treats I can think of. These cookies wrap the two into one incredible cookie.
• Moist and chewy. Just beneath the delicate shell of eggnog icing, you’ll find moist, soft cookies with the perfect chew to them.
• Quick and easy. Both the cookie dough and the eggnog icing are super easy to make and come together in a matter of minutes. You don’t even need to chill the dough before you form it into balls and bake it. The most time-consuming part of this recipe is waiting for the cookies to cool before you ice them!

Ingredient Notes

Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to make these gingerbread cookies with eggnog icing. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for a printable ingredient list.

Gingerbread cookies

• Unsalted butter – The butter should be at room temperature. If it is too cold (or too melted), it won’t cream properly with the sugar, and your cookies will turn out too dense.
• Brown sugar – Pack the brown sugar lightly into the measuring cup in order to get the proper amount.
• Egg – I prefer using a room-temperature egg so that it will mix easily with the other ingredients.
• Molasses – You can’t have gingerbread without molasses! Use light molasses for a sweeter, milder flavor or dark molasses for a deeper, richer flavor with some bite.
• All-purpose flour
• Spices – Ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
• Baking soda – Don’t swap this for baking powder as it is not the same thing.
• Salt – Just a tiny bit. To balance out the sweetness of the cookies.

Eggnog icing

• Salted butter – You could use unsalted butter instead. Just add a pinch of salt to the saucepan (you need a little salt to balance out the sweetness of the icing).
• Sugar
• Eggnog – Grab some from the store or make your own! My Homemade Eggnog Recipe is pretty spectacular.
• Powdered sugar – Do not try to use a different kind of sugar here.
• Nutmeg – A classic addition to anything involving eggnog.

The Key to Perfect Icing for Gingerbread Cookies

• Be careful with heat. Sugar burns quickly and easily. So, start on low heat until the sugar has melted. Then, turn the heat up to medium – no higher.
• Keep an eye on the time. Set a timer and boil the icing for 3 minutes exactly. Any longer, and you risk burning it.
• Keep things moving. When boiling the icing, keep things moving to ensure even cooking and to prevent it from burning or clumping together.
• Adjust consistency. You’ll have to use your gut on this one. If the icing seems too thin (like it might drip right off the cookies), add more powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time. If it looks too thick, add a little cream or water, one tablespoon at a time.
• Let it cool. Allow the icing to cool a bit before adding it to the cookies. It will firm up during this time so that it sits properly on the cookies instead of running off. If it gets too firm, no worries. Just pop it in the microwave for about 10 seconds (using a microwave safe container, of course).
• Cool cookies. Allow the cookies to cool completely before icing them. Otherwise, the icing will slide off.

Variation Ideas

• Add color. If you’d like to add gel icing color to your eggnog icing, go for it! Red or green would be my top picks.
• Half-dip. Instead of spreading the icing on top of the cookies, you can dip each cookie into the icing to envelop half of the cookie.
• Leave the icing off. I love the eggnog icing on these cookies, but if you want to skip making the icing and dip your cookies in Homemade Eggnog instead, be my guest!
• Try a different icing. If you’re not a big eggnog person, you can always use a different flavor of icing. The chocolate icing from these Iced Chocolate Cookies would be great. So would my trusty Royal Icing.

How to Store

• Countertop: Once the icing has set, arrange the cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper separating any layers. They will stay good at room temperature for up to 4 days. After that, you can store them in the fridge* for up to 1 week.
• Freezer: Allow the icing to set before arranging the cookies on a sheet pan and popping them in the freezer for an hour or so to firm up. Next, transfer them to a large freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

* Note that these cookies will dry out in the fridge, so it’s best to eat them within 4 days or to freeze them for a later date.