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Home » Holidays » How to Make A Gingerbread Tree

How to Make A Gingerbread Tree

Published on December 19, 2011 Updated on December 9, 2021 by Eden

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This year, instead of making a gingerbread house we made a gingerbread Christmas 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, we were able to make the most delicious tree that was the perfect centerpiece for our holiday party.

Also, check out our mini gingerbread houses that fit perfectly on a mug filled with hot chocolate!

gingerbread Christmas tree

I love how easy it is to make gingerbread too. The recipe we use below smells so good when baking! It’s truly 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 beautiful Christmas decor piece.

Furthermore, it fills the house with a delightful and cheery scent. Read below for our directions for this gingerbread Christmas tree!

Now start the Christmas tunes and begin baking!

How to Make a Gingerbread Tree

Table of Contents

  • How to Make a Gingerbread Tree
    • Ingredients
    • Directions
  • Tips for Making a Gingerbread Tree
  • How Long Will a Gingerbread Christmas Tree Last?
  • More Christmas Ideas You’ll Love!
  • Gingerbread Tree
      • Icing
      • Icing Recipe

You’ll need these items to make this gingerbread tree:

Cookie Cutters – Star gingerbread cookie tree cutouts OR snowflake gingerbread tree cutouts.

Rolling Pin

Parchment Paper

Piping Bag

Mixing Bowls

Plastic Wrap

ingredients to make a gingerbread tree

Ingredients

  • butter
  • dark brown sugar
  • light molasses – Grandma’s molasses is what we use.
  • ground cinnamon 
  • baking soda 
  •  ground ginger 
  •  ground cloves 
  • all-purpose flour 

Tip – Molasses is a very unique sweetener. If you’re in a bind you can use a substitution for molasses, however, it will change the texture and flavor of the gingerbread.

Directions

gingerbread cookie dough
  • 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.
chilled gingerbread dough
  • Chill 20 minutes or until semi firm.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
rolling pin and gingerbread dough
  • Roll out the dough and use cutters to create the different star shapes.
gingerbread tree cookie cutout
  • Follow the directions on these cookie-cutters which you tell you exactly how many cookies to make. To make a tall tree, you will need to make 2 sets of cookies in each size.
gingerbread snowflake cutouts and icing
  • Then, bake for about 10 minutes or until crispy.
royal icing to make a gingerbread tree
  • Next, let the gingerbread cutouts cool while you prepare the icing. We have the best gingerbread house icing that is simple to make and dries quickly.
  • Once the icing is done, add it to a piping bag and cut a small hole at the bottom.
gingerbread tree with icing
  • Starting with the largest cookie, outline it with icing and add a dot in the middle. Then do the same with the next cookie and place it over the top of the larger cookie. Continue until you reach the top!
gingerbread tree for Christmas decorations

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.

gingerbread Christmas tree decoration

More Christmas Ideas You’ll Love!

  • Gingerbread House Recipe to Build One Like a Pro
  • Gingerbread Moscow Mule
  • 5 Tips for a Perfect DIY Gingerbread House Party
  • Santa Hat Gingerbread Cupcakes
  • The Best Christmas Cocktails to Make!
  • Gingerbread Chocolate Parfait
  • Mini Gingerbread Houses
  • Fluffy Gingerbread Cake
  • The Best Gingersnap Cookies

  • Gingerbread Cold Brew Latté

  • The Best Christmas Cookie Recipes

  • Charming Gingerbread Man Cookies

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.

gingerbread Christmas tree

Let us know if you make this gingerbread tree by leaving a comment and review below! We’d love to know your thoughts.

You can also FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious recipes, cocktails, desserts, and parties!

gingerbread Christmas tree

Gingerbread Tree

The most adorable homemade, gingerbread tree recipe that is perfect as a centerpiece and makes the house smell incredible!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 1 Tree
Calories: 4148kcal
Author: Eden

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 4148kcal | Carbohydrates: 814g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 95g | Saturated Fat: 59g | Cholesterol: 244mg | Sodium: 2133mg | Potassium: 482mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 601g | Vitamin A: 2836IU | Calcium: 254mg | Iron: 15mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @sugarandcharm or tag us #sugarandcharm!
gingerbread tree


10 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kristine says

    December 20, 2011 at 8:56 pm

    Beautiful tree! Do you let the icing dry before you stack?

    Reply
  2. Maria says

    December 20, 2011 at 3:00 pm

    This is such a cute idea! I love gingerbread!

    Maria xx
    http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    December 20, 2011 at 12:05 am

    Stunning, Eden!!!

    Reply
  4. Sugar and Charm says

    December 19, 2011 at 8:23 pm

    Thank you all for the wonderful comments!! The tree looks so pretty on our table and it smells good too! Xo

    Reply
  5. Colores says

    December 19, 2011 at 8:13 pm

    SOOOO Christmassy!!! beautiful!!!

    Reply
  6. Ashley says

    December 19, 2011 at 7:40 pm

    This is absolutely brilliant. Although I feel like it could be tricky to transport (knowing me, that is!). Ha!

    Reply
  7. The Sweet Cupcaker says

    December 19, 2011 at 7:27 pm

    beautiful and creative! I love it!

    Reply
  8. Jennifer says

    December 19, 2011 at 6:54 pm

    this is adorable!

    Reply
  9. Aubrey S. says

    December 19, 2011 at 6:31 pm

    How fun!

    Reply

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