15 Gingerbread Cookies With Icing Ideas That Look Straight Out of a Bakery Window

Gingerbread without icing is just a spiced cracker with good intentions. The icing is the part that turns a tray of cut-outs into something you would photograph before anyone touches it: a lace edge, a dusted star, a tiny row of buttons piped in white. Fifteen designs follow here, each with the exact icing it needs and nothing you cannot buy at a regular supermarket.

Every batch below uses the same reliable spiced dough, so once you have made it once, the rest is just icing and nerve. These cookies contain gluten, dairy and egg (most of the icings use meringue powder, which is dried egg white), so flag that if you are baking for a mixed crowd or a school fair. For the rest of the gingerbread table, from houses to painted trees, the gingerbread Christmas decor ideas round-up has more to build on.

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Classic Gingerbread Men With White Piping

This is the one she already knows how to eat: a plain brown man with a white smile and three buttons, no fuss, no fondant. It earns its spot because it costs almost nothing and takes the least practice of anything on this list, which makes it the right one to bake with a nervous first-time decorator.

Prep 30 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 40 minutes | Yield: about 20 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon meringue powder
• 3 tablespoons warm water

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Divide the dough into two discs and chill for 1 hour.
5. Roll to 1/4 inch thick and cut out gingerbread man shapes.
6. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9 to 11 minutes, then cool completely on a rack.
7. Whisk the meringue powder and water until foamy, then beat in the powdered sugar until stiff and glossy.
8. Pipe a face, buttons and cuffs onto each cooled cookie and let the icing set for 2 hours before stacking.

Gingerbread House Cookies

A full gingerbread house is a weekend project and a small act of aggression against your own kitchen counter. These are the compromise: single cookies cut in a house shape, so you get the roofline and the shutters without the structural engineering. If you want the full-size version later, the gingerbread and candy land Christmas trees piece has the bigger builds.

Prep 35 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 45 minutes | Yield: about 14 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons meringue powder
• 5 tablespoons warm water
• red gel food coloring, a few drops

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough for 1 hour, then roll to 1/4 inch and cut out house shapes.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 11 minutes, then cool completely.
6. Whisk the meringue powder and water to soft peaks, then beat in the powdered sugar until thick enough to hold a sharp line.
7. Set aside a third of the icing, tint it red, and pipe a roofline, door and shutters on each house with the white, finishing the door with red.
8. Let the icing dry fully, at least 4 hours, before packing the houses flat.

Gingerbread Girls With Bows

She gets the same spiced body as the boy, minus the plainness: a red bow at the neck, a little apron trim in white. It reads as more effort than it is, which is exactly the point of a good party cookie, and the bow shape is forgiving even if your piping hand shakes a little.

Prep 30 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 40 minutes | Yield: about 18 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
• 4 tablespoons warm water
• red gel food coloring

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough for 1 hour, then roll and cut out gingerbread girl shapes.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9 to 10 minutes, then cool completely.
6. Whisk the meringue powder and water, then beat in the powdered sugar until it holds a firm peak.
7. Tint half the icing red and pipe a bow at the neckline, then use the white for a dotted hem and cuffs.
8. Leave flat to dry for at least 2 hours before stacking.

Gingerbread Snowflakes With Lace

Flat icing on a snowflake looks unfinished the moment it dries, as if you ran out of time. The lace fixes that: a thin flood base, then fine white lines dragged outward from the center with a very small tip. It takes patience rather than skill, so put on something good to listen to before you start.

Prep 35 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 45 minutes | Yield: about 16 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6 to 8 tablespoons warm water, divided

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough, then roll and cut out snowflake shapes.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9 to 10 minutes, then cool completely.
6. Whisk the meringue powder with 6 tablespoons water, then beat in the powdered sugar until thick.
7. Thin half the icing with extra water to a flooding consistency and spread it inside each outline, left plain.
8. Once the flood sets for 20 minutes, use the remaining thick icing in a fine tip to drag lace lines and dots over the surface.

Gingerbread Reindeer

Nobody needs convincing on a reindeer cookie, but the icing is what stops it looking like a dog with a stick on its head. White dots for the eyes, one red dot for the nose, and nothing else: the restraint is what sells it, and it is one of the fastest cookies on this list to finish.

Prep 30 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 40 minutes | Yield: about 18 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon meringue powder
• 2 to 3 tablespoons warm water
• red gel food coloring, a small amount

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough, then roll and cut out reindeer shapes.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9 to 10 minutes, then cool completely.
6. Whisk the meringue powder and water, then beat in the powdered sugar until stiff.
7. Set aside a small spoonful and tint it red, keeping the rest white.
8. Pipe two white dot eyes and a red dot nose on each reindeer, then let set for 1 hour.

Gingerbread Stars With Gold Dust

A plain star looks like something off a cheap tree topper. Brush the dried white icing with a little edible gold luster dust and it suddenly looks like you ordered it from a bakery with a French name. The trick costs one small jar of dust that will last through several Christmases.

Prep 35 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 45 minutes | Yield: about 20 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6 to 7 tablespoons warm water
• 1 teaspoon edible gold luster dust
• 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla or vodka, for brushing

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough, then roll and cut out star shapes.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9 to 10 minutes, then cool completely.
6. Whisk the meringue powder and water, then beat in the powdered sugar to a flooding consistency.
7. Flood each star with white icing and let it dry fully, at least 4 hours.
8. Mix the gold dust with the vanilla or vodka to a paint, then brush over the edges or tips of each star.

Gingerbread Mittens

Mittens get away with a busier pattern than most shapes because the cuff gives you somewhere to put it. A band of red at the wrist, a scattering of white snowflake dots above: it looks like a Nordic sweater shrank in the wash, in the best way, and the cuff band hides any wobble in your piping.

Prep 30 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 40 minutes | Yield: about 18 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
• 4 to 5 tablespoons warm water
• red gel food coloring

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough, then roll and cut out mitten shapes.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9 to 10 minutes, then cool completely.
6. Whisk the meringue powder and water, then beat in the powdered sugar until stiff.
7. Tint a third of the icing red and pipe a solid band across the cuff of each mitten.
8. Use the white icing to dot small snowflakes across the rest of the mitten, then dry flat for 2 hours.

Gingerbread Trees With Green Glaze

Royal icing is lovely but it is also another bowl, another piping bag, another thing to clean. The green glaze skips all of that: dip the cooled tree, let it drip for a second, and set it down. It dries with a slight shine rather than a flat matte finish, which actually suits a tree better than a flood coat would.

Prep 25 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 35 minutes | Yield: about 18 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
• green gel food coloring
• red and white nonpareils, for the top

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough, then roll and cut out tree shapes.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9 to 10 minutes, then cool completely.
6. Whisk the powdered sugar and milk until smooth, then tint green with the gel coloring.
7. Dip the top of each cooled tree into the glaze, letting the excess drip back into the bowl.
8. Scatter nonpareils over the wet glaze immediately, then let set for 1 hour.

Gingerbread Hearts With Buttons

Somewhere between a Valentine and a Christmas cookie, this one earns its keep twice a year. A flood of solid red, then a short row of white dots down the middle like buttons on a coat: it is almost childishly simple to pipe, which is exactly why it looks so deliberate once it is dry.

Prep 30 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 40 minutes | Yield: about 20 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6 to 7 tablespoons warm water
• red gel food coloring

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough, then roll and cut out heart shapes.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9 to 10 minutes, then cool completely.
6. Whisk the meringue powder and water, then beat in the powdered sugar and tint it red.
7. Thin most of the red icing to flood each heart, keeping a small amount thick and white, unmixed, for the buttons.
8. Once the red flood sets for 20 minutes, pipe three or four white dots down the center with a thin line connecting them.

Gingerbread Cottage Cookies

A cottage reads softer than a house, more storybook than structural: a round door, a curved roof, maybe a single piped window with a light on. It suits a smaller cutter if you would rather not commit to full house-sized dough, and it packs flat for gifting better than anything else on this list. If you are boxing a few up, the Christmas stockings ideas page has ways to tuck them in as a small gift.

Prep 35 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 45 minutes | Yield: about 16 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6 to 7 tablespoons warm water
• red gel food coloring, a small amount

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough, then roll and cut out cottage shapes.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 11 minutes, then cool completely.
6. Whisk the meringue powder and water, then beat in the powdered sugar until thick.
7. Pipe a curved roofline across the top of each cottage and a small round door below it.
8. Tint a touch of icing red for the door and add one tiny square window with white, then dry for 3 hours.

Gingerbread With Lemon Glaze

Straight cinnamon and ginger can get heavy by the fourth cookie. A lemon glaze cuts through it: fresh juice and a little zest instead of milk, pale yellow rather than white, sharp enough to wake the spice back up. It is also the fastest icing in this whole list if you are short on time.

Prep 25 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 35 minutes | Yield: about 20 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough, then roll and cut out shapes of your choice.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9 to 10 minutes, then cool completely.
6. Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and pourable.
7. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies in thin lines using a spoon or a bottle.
8. Scatter the zest over the wet glaze and let it set for 30 minutes.

Gingerbread With Brown Butter Icing

This is the icing for the friend who thinks cookie glaze is usually too sweet to finish. Browning the butter first adds a nutty, almost caramel note that plain icing never gets near, and it only costs you five extra minutes at the stove watching the pan so it does not burn.

Prep 30 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 40 minutes | Yield: about 20 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, for the icing
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough, then roll and cut out shapes of your choice.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9 to 10 minutes, then cool completely.
6. Melt the icing butter in a light pan over medium heat until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, then cool for 5 minutes.
7. Whisk the browned butter into the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth.
8. Spread or drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies while it is still warm and pourable.

Gingerbread Sweater Cookies

Cut gingerbread into a rectangle and it stops looking like gingerbread at all and starts looking like a tiny ugly Christmas sweater, which is the entire appeal. A Fair Isle style pattern in red and white across the front turns a plain slab into the cookie everyone photographs first on the tray.

Prep 35 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 45 minutes | Yield: about 16 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6 to 7 tablespoons warm water
• red gel food coloring

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough, then roll and cut out rectangle or sweater shapes.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 11 minutes, then cool completely.
6. Whisk the meringue powder and water, then beat in the powdered sugar until stiff, and tint a third of it red.
7. Pipe a white zigzag or snowflake band across the chest of each cookie, leaving gaps.
8. Fill the gaps with small red diamonds or dots, then dry flat for 2 hours.

Gingerbread Snow Globes

A round cookie with a piped dome and a scatter of white dots inside reads as a snow globe the instant it dries, no extra explanation needed. It is a satisfying one to hand to a child who wants to help decorate, since the dots forgive a shaky hand far better than a straight line would.

Prep 30 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 40 minutes | Yield: about 18 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6 to 7 tablespoons warm water

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough, then roll and cut out round cookies with a small base trimmed flat.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9 to 10 minutes, then cool completely.
6. Whisk the meringue powder and water, then beat in the powdered sugar until stiff.
7. Pipe a curved dome outline across the top two-thirds of each cookie, leaving the base bare.
8. Fill the dome with a scatter of small white dots to look like falling snow, then dry for 2 hours.

Gingerbread With Royal Icing Lace

This is the one for a baker who already owns a fine piping tip and wants a real reason to use it. Cut the dough into a plain rectangle or oval, flood it white, and once it sets, pipe a doily-style lace pattern across the whole surface rather than just the edge. It is slow, genuinely, so start it the night before you need it.

Prep 40 minutes (plus 1 hour chill) | Total 1 hour 50 minutes | Yield: about 14 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
• 7 to 9 tablespoons warm water, divided

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and molasses.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
4. Chill the dough, then roll and cut out plain rectangle or oval shapes.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 11 minutes, then cool completely.
6. Whisk the meringue powder with most of the water, then beat in the powdered sugar until thick.
7. Thin two-thirds of the icing to flood each cookie and let it dry fully, about 4 hours.
8. Fit the stiffer remaining icing into a very fine tip and pipe a looping lace pattern over the entire dried surface.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best icing for gingerbread cookies, royal icing or glaze?

It depends on what the design needs. Royal icing is the most versatile choice for decorating gingerbread cookies due to its smooth texture, quick drying time, and ability to hold intricate details, making it popular for beautiful designs and vibrant colors. A simple glaze is the faster route when you just want shine or color without piped detail, since glaze icing dries much softer than royal icing, which makes it easier to bite into decorated cookies.

Does royal icing for gingerbread cookies need raw eggs?

Not if you use meringue powder instead. Traditional royal icing is made with egg whites, but this royal icing recipe uses meringue powder, so you also don’t need to worry about using raw egg whites. It still contains dried egg, so it is not egg-free, just safer than raw egg white for anyone avoiding uncooked eggs.

How long does gingerbread cookie icing take to dry?

Plan for longer than you think. For a touch-dry finish, allow 1 to 2 hours, but for completely hardened icing that’s perfect for stacking or packaging, give it a full 24 hours in a cool, dry place. Royal icing specifically will take 20-30 minutes to begin to harden but it won’t be fully dry for a couple of hours.

Can I use the same icing to build a gingerbread house?

A soft everyday icing usually will not hold panels together. A simple icing recipe isn’t quite strong enough to glue together gingerbread houses, so a dedicated house icing made with liquid egg whites works better for structural pieces. For single house-shaped cookies like the ones here, a stiffer royal icing piped thick does the job fine, since there is no weight to support.

How do I get gingerbread icing the right consistency for piping versus flooding?

Test it with a drizzle before you commit a whole batch. Pick up a small amount and drizzle it back into the bowl; the drizzled bit should take 3 to 4 seconds to reabsorb into the rest of the icing, which means it will stay in place when piped onto cookies. For flooding, thin the same icing further with a few drops of water at a time until it spreads on its own but still sets with a smooth, even surface.

Can you freeze decorated gingerbread cookies?

Undecorated dough and plain baked cookies freeze well, but iced ones are trickier. You can keep unfrosted gingerbread cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months, then thaw in the fridge overnight and bring them back to room temperature before eating or decorating. Frosted cookies can be frozen too, but the icing will turn much whiter with a crystallized look once you freeze it, so for anything with fine piping it is safer to freeze the cookies plain and decorate after thawing.