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4.4 from 63 votes

Gingerbread Christmas Tree Cookies

These Gingerbread cookies are made with a fraction of the butter – yet they still have the same great flavor and texture. This year I wanted to make them into Christmas trees. No cookie cutter required, all I used was a knife to cut them into triangles!

Prep Time
2 hrs 20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 60 cookies
Calories: 106 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp egg whites (room temperature)
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (170 grams)
  • 1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 5 to 6 drops green food coloring
  • 1/3 cup dark molasses
  • colored sprinkles
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting (485 grams, plus more for dusting)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and applesauce until smooth. Add the egg and molasses, mix well.
  2. Mix the egg whites with lemon juice. Combine with powdered sugar, mixing well then add a few drops of green food coloring until you get the color you desire.
  3. In another large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and spices. Add to sugar and molasses mixture, stirring well with the mixer. Use your hands to form a large ball, the dough will be a little sticky.
  4. If the icing is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar, if it's too thick add a drop of lemon juice or water. Transfer to a piping bag to decorate cookies when cookies are cooled.
  5. Wash and dry your hands. Place flour on your hands so the dough doesn't stick to you, lay dough on a floured surface, then divide the dough into two flat balls, adding more flour if sticky; cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
  6. To decorate, pipe the cookies with the frosting one at a time, quickly adding the sprinkles before it hardens.
  7. After the dough has chilled 2 hours, preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously dust the surface of your working area with flour before rolling out the dough. Work with one ball of dough at a time, keep the other refrigerated while you do so.
  8. Depending on how thin you roll the dough out and the size of your trees, makes at least 60 tree cookies.
  9. Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness, sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough if it's a little sticky. Trim the uneven edges off to square the dough, then using a knife cut the dough into 3 1/2 inch strips. Then cut the strips into triangles.
  10. Place the cookies 1 or 2 inches apart on a silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Serving 2cookies Calories 106kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 24g (8%) Protein 1.5g (3%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 11mg (4%) Sodium 50mg (2%) Sugar 13.5g (27%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 60cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 106

% Daily Value*

Serving 2cookies
Calories 106kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Protein 1.5g 3%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 50mg 2%
Sugar 13.5g 27%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.