How to Make Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Mix in a Jar

This chocolate gingerbread cookie mix is THE perfect gingerbread cookie to make at home for yourself or to give to others – either pre-baked or as a mix in a jar.

Also Read: Chocolate M&M Cookie Mix in a Jar, Cranberry Oat Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, Free Printable Christmas Labels

We love these chocolate gingerbread cookies because:

• they have chocolate.
• they hold their shape so they make the cutest gingerbread people.
• they’re not too spicy with ginger and molasses.
• you can bake, decorate and give them as gifts.
• you can pour the ingredients into a jar and give them as gifts.
• you can bake and eat them just as they are.

You don’t have to give these cookies away! Go ahead, make a batch for yourself, you don’t even need to wait for Christmas!

Gingerbread Cookies Make Great Decorations

Another way to gift these cookies is to bake them, decorate them, put a ribbon through them and give them as decorations.

Pro Tip: Make the dough as indicated. Before baking, use a bamboo skewer or toothpick to poke a hole in each cookie. The hole will be there after baking. Decorate, add a ribbon and your gift is ready to eat or to hang.

HELPFUL TIPS FOR COOKIE MIXES IN A JAR

Careful layering of ingredients is what will make cookie mixes in a jar look the most attractive. Such a simple, tasty homemade gift. Here are a few tips:

• Wide mouth jars are most convenient for filling and pressing down ingredients.
• Use a funnel to add ingredients or place ingredients on parchment paper and use it to transfer ingredients to the jar.
• Press down on each layer of ingredients.
• If making several jars, measure and add to each jar at a time to ensure proper proportions.
• Set up an assembly line for filling to see the different layers you’ll create.
• Seal jars tightly to prevent air in the jar which can dry out the sugar.
• Cookie mixes are safe for 1-3 years, but for best quality use within 3-6 months so sugar doesn’t harden.
• You’ll get best results if you chill the dough before rolling as recommended in the instructions. Not only will it make it easier to handle the dough, but the shape of the cut outs will stay sharper.

Recipe for Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Mix

Bake them or assemble a beautiful jar perfect for gift giving. The instructions are below.

HOW LONG DOES THIS COOKIE MIX LAST?

All the ingredients are shelf stable so there’s no problem keeping this mix around for a year or more. That said, I recommend using it within 3 to six months so the ingredients don’t dry out too much and are hard to remove from the jar.

WHAT ICING IS BEST FOR DECORATING GINGERBREAD?

For precision, fast setting icing I recommend using Royal Icing like I used to decorate these Soccer Cookies. I follow the recipe and advice from Crouton Crackerjacks. The link is no longer active, but here’s the recipe.

Royal Icing – by Crouton Crackerjacks

3 cups powdered sugar
2 egg whites (use pasteurized egg whites in carton to avoid risks associated with raw eggs)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
water as needed to reach the desired count
To determine the consistency of the icing I used the counting trick.

Flooding Icing – I used a 5 to 10 count icing

Outlining Icing – I used a 12 to 15 count icing

By 5 to 10 count icing, I mean, how long does it take for a ribbon or line of icing to recede and disappear when it’s drizzled on top of a bowl of icing. The thinner the icing the shorter it takes.

Don’t worry about the exact count, it’s just a point of reference and comparison.  Do what works for you! Practice and test out various consistencies. You can always adjust with more water or more icing sugar. Even if you’ve already filled the bag, just squeeze it back into a bowl and adjust as needed.

Fill your piping bag and tip of choice. I like #1 or #3 (small and medium.) For more icing tips click to the Soccer Cookies.

If you just want to get the job done, just mix powdered sugar with milk until you have the desired consistency. This is perfect when the kids are helping and there are a lot of gum drops, Smarties, M&Ms or sprinkles involved!

PRINTABLE LABEL & DECORATING

Decorating the jar is easier than icing the cookies! Cut a square piece of holiday fabric, pliable wrapping paper or burlap. Tie a string or ribbon around the top and you’re pretty much done! Adding a gingerbread person cookie cutter is a cute touch. And don’t forget to include the instructions.

You can print instruction labels by clicking on this PDF of Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Mix Labels.  I recommend you print them on card stock or heavy paper for added durability. Or, you could print on regular paper and glue to card stock. For other ideas or some blank Christmas tag labels check out my Free Resources section.

More Gifts from the Kitchen

Who are you thinking of sharing some cookie mix with?  Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @getgettys and Facebook @GettyStewart.HomeEconomist.