Ahoy Mateys! Celebrate Talk like a Pirate Day any day of the year with this swashbuckling cookie crew! Chewy and sweet, fall flavored Gingerbread Pirate Cookies are spiced with ginger and cinnamon.
Why you'll love these gingerbread cookies
- The firm, chewy cookies bake without spreading.
- Use a regular gingerbread man cookie cutter to make these adorable pirate cookies.
- These Gingerbread Pirate Cookies were inspired by the book, "Gingerbread Pirates" written by Kristin Kladstrup and illustrated by Matt Tavares. Making the cookies and book a great gift idea.
Surprisingly, the publisher of "The Gingerbread Pirates" didn't pounce on the opportunity to include a gingerbread recipe and market the book with a cookie cutter and sprinkles.
The Monday Box is filling that gap! Though a Christmas story, this book (and the Gingerbread Pirate Cookies) are sure to delight pirate enthusiasts, young and old, year round.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- There is no special equipment needed for creating Gingerbread Pirate Cookies. A gingerbread cookie cutter (like this one) is all that is needed for the buccaneer crew.
- The captain cookie's shape has an added hat. I cut-out a triangular hat stencil, laid it on top of the cookie cutter shape, and cut around the stencil with a knife tip. The hat and the head fuse together while baking.
- Use disposable decorating bags with #2 or #3 Wilton tips to pipe the glaze icing, or because the decorating is not detailed, pipe the icing from a tiny hole cut in a plastic bag.
- Preparing the icing for Gingerbread Pirate Cookies is super simple. Divide one batch of icing, with a consistency slightly thicker than white glue, into 5 colors.
- Add the white (¼ cup) icing directly to the piping bag.
- The black is ¼ cup icing mixed with 1 teaspoon baking cocoa (to darken), and 2 drops Super Black food coloring gel.
- Divide the remainder of the icing in thirds for the red, blue, and green icing and is mixed with 2-3 drops of Super Red, Sky Blue, or Leaf Green food coloring gel.
Storage
Leave the decorated pirate cookies overnight to dry completely before wrapping.
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When the icing is dry, store the gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
More molasses cookies recipes
Chocolate Chip Molasses Cookies are chewy cookies speckled with chopped chocolate bits.
Decorate Gingerbread Fall Leaves with sponge painted icing to look just like real colorful fall leaves. The chewy, spiced gingerbread is delicious.
Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and chewy cookies with the flavors of pumpkin pie spice and creamy white chocolate chips.
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Gingerbread Pirate Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
Decorating
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 3 tablespoon milk add more to thin icing to desired consistency
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food coloring gel Super Red, Super Black, Sky Blue, Leaf Green
- Sprinkles candy eyes, oval red nose, optional clothing sprinkles
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and molasses and mix until incorporated. Stir in spices and salt.
- Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough is roll-out consistency. When baking immediately, I needed 4 ½ - 5 cups. For dough that will be refrigerated overnight before baking use only 4 cups.
- Roll ⅓ of the dough out to ¼" thickness on a lightly floured surface. Hint: Because these cookies spread minimally, cutting them out directly on the parchment paper they will be baked on, eliminates the need to transfer the cut out dough. Roll the dough out on a sheet of parchment paper the size of your cookie sheet. Cut out the cookies about 1" apart. Remove the excess dough from around the cut-out cookies (add it to the unused dough). Slide the parchment onto your cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes. (Cookies will firm slightly as they cool.) Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorating
- By hand or with an electric mixer, combine sugar and milk until smooth.
- Add corn syrup and vanilla. Continue beating together until smooth and glossy. Add additional milk in teaspoon increments until desired consistency. (Icing consistency should be slightly thicker than white glue.)
- Divide the icing for 5 colors. The white (¼ cup) can be added directly to the piping bag. Place ¼ cup of icing into a small mixing bowl for the black icing and combine with 1 teaspoon baking cocoa (to darken), and 2 drops Super Black food coloring gel. The remainder of the icing is divided into small mixing bowls in thirds for the red, blue, and green icing and each is mixed with 2-3 drops of Super Red, Sky Blue, or Leaf Green food coloring gel.
- Place the colored icing into disposable piping bags fitted with #2 or #3 piping tips(or ziplock bags with a tiny piece of a bottom corner cut off).
- Decorate pirate cookies with icing and sprinkles.
- Allow to air dry overnight before wrapping. Once dry, store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
First published September 15, 2017. Last updated September 24, 2025. Updated for better reader experience.
Miz Helen
Your Gingerbread Pirate Cookies are just adorable, as only you can make them! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a great week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
The Monday Box
Thank you, Miz Helen! I had fun with these pirates and luckily they were beginner level decorating! Thank you for hosting Full Plate Thursday!
Reeni
I love your new idea and the first book you picked! Perfect match. The cookies are so adorable - your decorating skills are superb!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Reeni! I love children's picture books and so many of them lend themselves to a baking project! I appreciate your enthusiasm and kind compliments!!