This year, instead of making a gingerbread house I made a gingerbread tree! It’s the most adorable homemade, gingerbread tree and perfect recipe that’s beautiful as a centerpiece and makes the house smell incredible!
Using star and snowflake cookie cutters, I made the most delicious tree, the perfect centerpiece for our holiday party.
Also, check out my mini gingerbread houses made with homemade gingerbread house icing that fit perfectly on a mug filled with hot chocolate!
I love how easy it is to make gingerbread, too. The recipe I use smells so good when baking! It’s a beautiful centerpiece for a dessert table or even the kids’ table for Christmas. You can also leave it on a shelf in the kitchen as a lovely Christmas decor piece. Now start the Christmas tunes and begin baking!
You’ll need cookie cutters – Star gingerbread cookie tree cutouts OR snowflake gingerbread tree cutouts.
Gingerbread Tree Ingredients
- Butter: Adds richness and helps create a tender, soft gingerbread.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Provides a deep, caramel-like sweetness and moisture.
- Light Molasses: We use Grandma’s molasses, which gives the gingerbread its signature rich flavor and dark color.
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds warmth and a touch of spice to the cookies.
- Baking Soda: Leavens the dough, giving it a soft and chewy texture.
- Ground Ginger: Delivers a bold, spicy note that complements the other spices.
- Ground Cloves: Adds an earthy, aromatic spice that enhances the gingerbread flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the dough, giving it structure.
Tip: Molasses is a unique sweetener that adds texture and depth to gingerbread. If you need a substitute, keep in mind that it may alter the cookies’ texture and flavor.
Tips for Making a Gingerbread Tree
- The dough will be soft, so make sure to let it firm up a little in the refrigerator. Otherwise, it will be hard to transfer the cutout cookie to the cookie sheet.
- Use extra flour on the bottom and top of the gingerbread dough when rolling it out. This will help the roller not stick and also help when transferring the cookies to a cookie sheet.
- Bake 2 sets of cookies in each size to make a taller tree.
- When staking the cookies, make sure you stack them opposite of each other to make the tree appear to have branches. If you place the cookies directly on top, not alternating them it’s not going to give a tree appearance.
- Add a dusting of powdered sugar over the top of the gingerbread tree.
How Long Will a Gingerbread Christmas Tree Last?
Gingerbread lasts a very long time! You will have no problems keeping this gingerbread tree as decoration for months. When the holidays are over, you can toss it and then make a new, fresh one the next year.
Can I make the gingerbread dough ahead of time?
- Yes! You can prepare the dough a day in advance and refrigerate it, or freeze it for up to a month. Just bring it to room temperature before rolling out.
Do I need to use molasses, or can I substitute it with something else?
- While molasses gives gingerbread its characteristic flavor and texture, you can use honey or dark corn syrup in a pinch. However, this may affect the final taste and chewiness.
How long will the gingerbread tree stay fresh?
- Once assembled, the gingerbread tree can last up to two weeks if stored in a cool, dry place. For optimal taste, enjoy it within a few days.
More Gingerbread Recipes You’ll Love
You will absolutely love this gingerbread tree. It will last the entire month of December, so place this show-stopping tree somewhere everyone can see it.
Let me know if you make this gingerbread tree by leaving a comment and review below! We’d love to know your thoughts.
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Gingerbread Tree
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup light molasses , or dark corn syrup
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp ground ginger
- 3 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp water
Icing
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp meringue powder
- 8 tbsp warm water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves and baking soda together until the mixture is smooth
- Blend in the flour and water to make a stiff dough.
- Chill at least 30 minutes or until firm.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Roll out the dough and use cutters to create the different star shapes.
- There is a chart inside the cookie-cutter package that tells you exactly how many cookies to make, 19 cookies total, but I ended up only using 16 cookies.
- Bake for about 10 minutes or until crispy.
Icing Recipe
- With the whisk attachment, beat all of the ingredients for about 5-10 minutes, until the frosting is fluffy and thick.
What quantities of ingredients do I need? Do I need creme of tartar?
The recipe card is at the bottom of the post, and it has ingredient quantities.
Beautiful tree! Do you let the icing dry before you stack?
This is such a cute idea! I love gingerbread!
Maria xx
http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com
Stunning, Eden!!!
Thank you all for the wonderful comments!! The tree looks so pretty on our table and it smells good too! Xo
SOOOO Christmassy!!! beautiful!!!
This is absolutely brilliant. Although I feel like it could be tricky to transport (knowing me, that is!). Ha!
You can always set it up when you get there
beautiful and creative! I love it!
this is adorable!
How fun!