How to Make A Gingerbread Tree

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

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!

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

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

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

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 20 minutes or until semi firm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out the dough and use cutters to create the different star shapes.

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.

Then, bake for about 10 minutes or until crispy.

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.

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.