Don Signature Crab - Singapore Food Guide

Gingerbread Cookies

Singapore-style oven-baked gingerbread cookies made with molasses, warm spices and crisp edges with chewy centres — perfect for festive potlucks and kopi breaks.

Gingerbread Cookies

About this dish

These gingerbread cookies bring a touch of cosy holiday warmth to a Singapore home kitchen — think HDB balconies hung with fairy lights, a tray of cookies cooling beside a steaming pot of kopi, or jarred gifts for colleagues at the office potluck. The recipe balances dark molasses (or gula melaka for a local twist) with ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves to create that classic molasses-and-spice flavour we love at teatime.

They’re an easy bake for busy Singaporeans: mix the dough in one bowl, chill briefly in the fridge, roll and cut on a lightly floured surface, then oven-bake until the edges are crisp and the centres stay slightly chewy. This recipe suits busy parents, condo-dwelling bakers and anyone bringing festive treats to a neighbourhood gathering in places like Tiong Bahru or East Coast. For a Singlish touch, dunk them into kopi-O or pair with teh tarik for a comforting contrast.

Texture-wise expect a snap at the edge with a tender, chewy centre, highlighted by warm aromatic spice notes — a perfect foil to creamy icing or a simple dusting of icing sugar. Local substitutions like using gula melaka instead of molasses or serving with pandan-infused buttercream make the cookies feel at home on a Singapore festive table, whether for Christmas, year-end potlucks or as a Lunar New Year bake with a slightly different spice profile.

Ingredients

  • 280 g plain/all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 115 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 110 g light brown sugar, packed
  • 60 ml dark molasses (or 60 ml melted gula melaka for a local palm-sugar flavour)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp golden syrup or honey (optional, for extra chew)
  • Icing: 150 g icing (confectioners') sugar + 1-2 tbsp warm water or lemon juice
  • Optional decorations: coloured sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, edible glitter
  • Optional: 1/2 tsp ground white pepper (adds a slight warming Singapore twist)
  • Parchment paper or silicone baking mat for rolling and baking
  • Extra flour for dusting

Step-by-Step Method

  1. In a medium bowl whisk together the plain flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the softened butter and light brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
  3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until incorporated, then add the molasses (or melted gula melaka) and golden syrup. Scrape down the bowl and mix until smooth — the mixture will be dark and fragrant.
  4. On low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture until a soft dough forms. If the dough feels too sticky, add 1–2 tbsp more flour; if too dry, add a tsp of water or extra molasses.
  5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a flat disc, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30–60 minutes — chilling firms the dough and prevents spreading during baking.
  6. Preheat the oven to 180°C (conventional) or 160°C (fan). Line baking trays with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  7. Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to about 4–5 mm thickness. Use cookie cutters to stamp shapes, transfer carefully to the prepared trays leaving 2–3 cm between cookies.
  8. Bake in the preheated oven for 8–12 minutes depending on size — edges should be set and slightly darker, centres still a touch soft. Rotate trays halfway for even colour.
  9. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool.
  10. Mix icing sugar with warm water or lemon juice to a pipeable consistency, then decorate cooled cookies with piping, sprinkles or chocolate. Let icing set for 30–60 minutes before stacking.
  11. Store baked and fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days, or freeze uniced cookies between sheets of parchment for up to 3 months.
  12. Taste and adjust: if you prefer a stronger spice hit like the gingerbread from a Christmas market, add an extra 1/4 tsp ground ginger or a pinch of black pepper before rolling, test-bake a small cookie first.

Tips & Serving Ideas

  • Buy molasses or gula melaka from local supermarkets (NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage or Sheng Siong) — gula melaka gives a caramelised palm-sugar note that’s very Singaporean.
  • Chill the dough well: a cold dough reduces spreading in Singapore’s humid climate and gives sharper cookie shapes.
  • Use an oven thermometer if your oven runs hot or cold; bake on the middle rack and rotate trays for even browning to achieve the ideal crisp edge and chewy centre.
  • For a local flavour twist, replace half the molasses with melted gula melaka and add a tiny pinch of white pepper to brighten the spice profile.
  • Make ahead: dough can be chilled overnight or frozen for up to 1 month; thaw in the fridge before rolling. Baked cookies keep well in an airtight tin for several days — great for office potlucks.
  • Adjust spice level for kids by reducing ground cloves or pepper; for a more grown-up spice, add an extra 1/4 tsp ginger or a splash of dark rum in the dough.
  • If you don’t have cookie cutters, use a small round glass or the rim of a jar to cut shapes for a rustic look.

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