Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (2024)

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (1)

Fact: Gingerbread is to Christmas what pumpkin pie is to Thanksgiving. You could celebrate without it, but it really wouldn't be the same. And why would you want to? Gingerbread is fantastic! Aside from its namesake ginger, the quintessential Christmas flavor typically features cinnamon, nutmeg, molasses, and other spices, making it rich, warming and spicy. Whether you're a superfan or just a regular fan, odds are that the family will expect at least one or two gingerbread treats on to your Christmas menu. Now, you could just bake (or buy) a few gingerbread cookies, and maybe toss up a gingerbread house and call it a season. But there's so much more you can do with this flavor that we wanted to inspire you to think outside the cookie cutter. So we've rounded up all kinds of easy gingerbread dessert recipes that put a playful spin on the traditional sweet.

Try your hand at our gingerbread cheesecake with pecan-graham crust, opt for something a little more elegant with a gingerbread pear loaf, or introduce children to the flavor with gingerbread-chocolate chunk no-churn ice cream. The wonderful thing about gingerbread is that you can make it the dominant taste of a Christmas dessert recipe, or simply incorporate it as more of a supporting player if your Christmas dinner guests have a more sensitive palate. Whichever route you choose, make sure at least one gingerbread recipe is on your table. It just wouldn't be the holidays without it.

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1

Ginger Pumpkin Pie

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (3)

With a gingersnap crust and three different kinds of ginger in the pie itself, this spicy take on pumpkin pie is a surefire gingerbread lover's dream.

Get the recipe.

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2

Gingerbread Cheesecake With Pecan-Graham Crust

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (5)

A gingerbread cheesecake has our names written all over it.

Get the recipe.

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3

Gingerbread Pear Loaf

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (7)

You can dress up a loaf pan with a strip of parchment paper, tinsel, and vintage ornaments to turn it into a lovely Christmas food gift.

Get the recipe.

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4

Gingerbread Eggnog

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (9)

Eggnog fans and gingerbread lovers can agree this Christmas co*cktail is downright delicious.

Get the recipe.

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5

Gingerbread-Chocolate Chunk No-Churn Ice Cream

Celebrating Christmas somewhere warm? Cool off after dinner with this gingerbread no-churn ice cream.

Get the recipe.

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6

Gingerbread Rolls

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (13)

You could make these gingerbread rolls for your neighbors...or you could just eat them yourself. (No judgement.)

Get the recipe.

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7

Mini Gingerbread Bundt Cakes

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (15)

These sweet, bite-sized treats are cute as can be, and perfect for dessert or a snack!

Get the recipe at Brown Sugar.

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8

Gingerbread Souffle with Maple Creme Anglaise

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (17)

Possibly the only thing tastier than gingerbread is maple, and this rich, impressive, and sneakily easy-to-make dessert has both, plus a whole bunch of cream! What's not to love?

Get the recipe at Brown Sugar.

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9

Butterscotch Gingerbread Trifle

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (19)

The only thing better than gingerbread trifle is gingerbread trifle with butterscotch in it.

Get the recipe at The Gold Lining Girl.

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10

Chocolate Chunk Gingerbread Cookies

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (21)

Santa will go nuts for these gingerbread cookies.

Get the recipe at The Food Charlatan.

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11

No Bake Gingerbread Cream Pie

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (23)

Save your precious oven space for cookies, casseroles, and other festive foods this holiday season by whipping up a pan of this rich no-bake pie.

Get the recipe at Homemade in the Kitchen.

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12

Gingerbread Boy Granola

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (25)

Snap out of your snack time rut with this crunchy and sweet granola.

Get the recipe at Half Baked Harvest.

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13

Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnog Icing

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (27)

You better double—or even triple!—this recipe because these eggnog-flavored treats are going to fly off the plate.

Get the recipe at Life, Love, and Sugar.

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14

Gingerbread Swirl Fudge

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (29)

This flavorful fudge will melt in your mouth just like your favorite molasses cookies.

Get the recipe at Sally's Baking Addiction.

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15

Gingerbread Brownies with Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (31)

Enjoy the flavors of three delicious treats—gingerbread cookies, brownies, and eggnog—in one Christmas dessert with this easy recipe.

Get the recipe at Carlsbad Cravings.

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16

Gingerbread Cheesecake

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (33)

A molasses mousse topping perfectly complements this Christmas cheesecake's gingerbread filling and cookie accents.

Get the recipe at Life, Love, and Sugar.

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17

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Caramele Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (35)

You can choose to make this caramel and gingerbread combo in either cupcake or cake form–or both if you've got a large crowd to feed this Christmas!

Get the recipe at Half Baked Harvest.

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18

Gingerbread Poke Cake

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (37)

This buttermilk and gingerbread Christmas cake gets extra flavor from sweetened condensed milk, plus cinnamon, caramel sauce, and gingerbread PEEPS, all of which are layered on top.

Get the recipe at Something Swanky.

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19

Nutella-Stuffed Gingerbread Deep Dish Cookie

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (39)

In every bite of this deep dish cookie you'll taste rich Nutella, spicy gingerbread, and sweet molasses.

Get the recipe Cafe Delites.

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20

Homemade Gingerbread Loaf

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (41)

Drizzle this Christmas dessert loaf with a simple vanilla glaze and sprinkle some cranberries on top before serving with coffee or tea.

Get the recipe at She Wears Many Hats.

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Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What country is gingerbread from? ›

According to Rhonda Massingham Hart's Making Gingerbread Houses, the first known recipe for gingerbread came from Greece in 2400 BC. Chinese recipes were developed during the 10th century and by the late Middle Ages, Europeans had their own version of gingerbread.

What is the meaning of the gingerbread man? ›

The gingerbread man story's moral is slightly dark for a fable meant for children: Be careful who you trust. The cookie believed the fox when he said he wasn't tempted to eat him—this misguided trust led to the protagonist's downfall.

Why are my gingerbread biscuits hard? ›

Keep in mind that the longer the cookies bake, the harder and crunchier they'll be. For soft gingerbread cookies, follow my suggested bake times. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Who popularized the modern day gingerbread cookie? ›

Legend traces gingerbread men back to Queen Elizabeth I, who supposedly had her cooks mold the pastry into the shapes of her favorite courtiers and liked to give VIP guests ginger "biscuits" that were edible caricatures.

Where is the best gingerbread in the world? ›

Victorian cook Sarah Nelson invented Grasmere Gingerbread® in 1854 in the English Lake District village from where it gets its name. A unique, spicy-sweet cross between a biscuit and cake, its reputation quickly spread and it is now enjoyed by food lovers all over the world.

Which country eats the most gingerbread? ›

In 2018, the highest levels of gingerbread per capita consumption was registered in the Netherlands (2,361 kg per 1000 persons), followed by Germany (886 kg per 1000 persons), Belgium (799 kg per 1000 persons) and Spain (748 kg per 1000 persons), while the world average per capita consumption of gingerbread was ...

Is The Gingerbread Man a dark story? ›

Although a bit dark and twisted, the moral of the gingerbread man is an important one: Be careful who you trust. The sweet confection was tempted by a clever fox which led to his downfall.

What is the moral of the story of The Gingerbread Man? ›

Moral Of The Story

The gingerbread man was very confident that he could run fast and escape from everyone. However, he was proved wrong when the sly fox caught him. Secondly, “we should never trust anyone blindly”. The gingerbread man believed the fox offered him and was not at all tempted to eat him.

Where was the largest gingerbread man made? ›

NORWAY - Largest gingerbread man. Guinness World Records Day 2009.

What are the three types of gingerbread? ›

The three distinct types of gingerbread are brown gingerbread, wafer-based gingerbread and honey gingerbread.
  • BROWN GINGERBREAD.
  • WAFER GINGERBREAD.
  • HONEY GINGERBREAD.

What happens if you don't chill gingerbread dough? ›

Chilling the dough before it goes into a hot oven gives the butter a chance to firm up and reduces how much it spreads when baking. “You should chill the dough both before rolling and cutting and after,” she said.

Why molasses in gingerbread? ›

The deep, caramel-like sweetness of molasses pairs perfectly with the warm spices of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, creating the iconic flavor profile of these classic treats. The choice of molasses over other sweeteners adds a depth and complexity that elevates gingerbread to a cherished holiday tradition.

What is the surprisingly dark history of gingerbread? ›

​Superstitions about gingerbread flourished in the 17th century. Witches supposedly made gingerbread figures, ate them, and thereby caused the death of their enemies. Dutch magistrates went so far as to declare baking or eating molded cookies illegal.

What is America's first favorite cookie? ›

Nearly 93% of all American households serve and enjoy cookies as treats or after meals. However, it's the chocolate chip cookie that's the most popular in the U.S. and around the world.

What are some fun facts about gingerbread? ›

5 Things You Might Not Know About Gingerbread
  • Originally gingerbread was made with honey and breadcrumbs. ...
  • Queen Elizabeth once served her guests miniature gingerbread versions of themselves. ...
  • Children could learn the alphabet using gingerbread letters. ...
  • Queen Victoria enjoyed sharing gingerbread with her dog.

Did gingerbread come from Germany? ›

Historians agree that gingerbread houses originated in Germany. But to really get to the root of the matter, you'll have to go back about 5,000 years to China ,when the ginger root was discovered. According to Food Network, the ginger root was first used for medicinal purposes, and it still is today.

Did gingerbread originate in Poland? ›

TORUN, Poland — This medieval city on the banks of the Vistula River is known for two things: astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and gingerbread cookies.

Is gingerbread from Poland? ›

Pierniki - the famous ginger spiced cookies that hail from Poland's medieval city of Toruń, have a history that is well over 700 years old! Because of its long-upheld tradition, Polish gingerbread has become a symbol of the city, famous not only all over Poland but also recognized all over the world!

Is gingerbread from Sweden? ›

A brief history

Gingerbread was first brought to Europe in 992 CE by the Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis when he taught French Christians the art of gingerbread baking. Later, during the 13th century, gingerbread was brought to Sweden by German immigrants.

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