These Gingerbread Christmas Tree Cookies are an easy, holiday-friendly twist on classic gingerbread. By using unsweetened applesauce in place of much of the butter, the cookies stay tender and full of flavor while cutting down on fat. They keep the familiar ginger-molasses taste and chewy texture you expect from gingerbread, but with a lighter touch. I make these every year because they are quick to prepare, decorate beautifully, and are perfect for cookie swaps, holiday parties, or wrapping up as edible gifts.
Gingerbread Christmas Tree Cookies
My family loves to decorate gingerbread cookies, and this version works great for shaping into simple Christmas trees without a cutter. Roll the dough thin and use a knife to cut triangles — it’s fast, kid-friendly, and reduces cleanup. The recipe below yields many cookies, so it’s ideal for holiday baking marathons.
These cookies are great for bakers who want the cozy spices of gingerbread — ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves — while keeping the recipe a bit lighter. The dough chills well, so you can prepare it ahead of time and bake on the day you plan to decorate. For a festive touch, tint the icing green, pipe tree lines, and add colorful sprinkles to look like ornaments.
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Gingerbread Christmas Tree Cookies
Summary: These gingerbread cookies are made with just a fraction of the butter thanks to applesauce, yet they deliver the same rich flavor and pleasant texture. They are rolled thin, cut into triangles to resemble Christmas trees, and finished with a simple green icing.
Yield: About 60 cookies (depending on size)
Serving Size: 2 cookies
Prep Time: 2 hrs 20 mins (includes chilling)
Cook Time: 10–12 minutes per batch
Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (about 170 g)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup dark molasses
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (about 485 g)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
For the icing:
- 1 1/2 tbsp egg whites, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 5 to 6 drops green food coloring (or to desired color)
- Colored sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
For the cookies:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and applesauce until smooth. Add the egg and dark molasses and mix thoroughly until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring with a mixer or wooden spoon until incorporated. The dough will be slightly sticky.
- Lightly flour your hands, then form the dough into two flattened balls. Add a little more flour only if the dough is too sticky to handle. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours; chilling firms the dough and improves flavor.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously dust your work surface with flour. Work with one dough ball at a time, keeping the other refrigerated. Roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness; a thin roll makes crisp-edged trees.
- Trim uneven edges to square the dough. Use a knife to cut the dough into 3 1/2-inch strips, then cut those strips into triangles to form simple Christmas tree shapes. Depending on thickness and tree size, this recipe yields around 60 cookies.
- Place cookies 1–2 inches apart on a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges set. Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
For the icing:
- Whisk the room-temperature egg whites with the lemon juice. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add green food coloring a few drops at a time until you reach the desired shade.
- If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar a spoonful at a time. If it’s too thick, add a tiny drop of lemon juice or water to loosen it. Transfer the icing to a piping bag or a small zip-top bag with the corner snipped off for decorating.
- Pipe icing onto cooled cookies and quickly add sprinkles before the icing sets. Work one cookie at a time to keep the decorations fresh and vibrant.
Tips and Variations
- For sturdier cookies to hang as ornaments, roll the dough slightly thicker and bake toward the longer end of the time range.
- If you prefer a dairy-free version, substitute vegan butter and ensure your powdered sugar and sprinkles are vegan-friendly.
- To make the dough ahead, freeze portions of the chilled dough wrapped tightly; thaw in the refrigerator before rolling.
- Swap a portion of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat pastry flour for a nuttier flavor, keeping the texture light by not exceeding one-third whole wheat.
Storage
Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, place cookies in a single layer between sheets of parchment and freeze; thaw to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition (per serving: 2 cookies)
Calories: 106 kcal • Carbohydrates: 24 g • Protein: 1.5 g • Fat: 1 g • Saturated Fat: 1 g • Cholesterol: 11 mg • Sodium: 50 mg • Sugar: 13.5 g
Enjoy these Gingerbread Christmas Tree Cookies for your holiday gatherings, cookie exchanges, or as a family decorating tradition. The applesauce keeps them tender and slightly lighter while maintaining classic gingerbread flavor.