Perfect Edible Gingerbread Playdough

‘Tis the season for all things sugar and spice, including playdough! If you’re looking for a great gingerbread playdough recipe, you have come to the right place. But this homemade playdough recipe also doubles as a cookie recipe too, making it even more fun for kids!

Gingerbread Playdough Makes Cookies, too!

The holiday season is the perfect time to whip up some gingerbread playdough. The fragrance of the spices is unbeatable and reminds little ones of all the lovely things about Christmas.

You can add this gingerbread recipe to your collection of amazing playdough recipes, and keep it on hand for your gingerbread preschool unit. Whenever I do my lesson planning, I always add a playdough activity. No matter what. This gingerbread playdough recipe is the perfect thing to add to your Christmas sensory activities for preschoolers.

Is it a playdough recipe or a cookie recipe?

You caught me! It’s both.

This is not only a gingerbread playdough recipe but also a cookie recipe. Ok…it’s really a cookie recipe that can also be manipulated like playdough. The best part is cutting out the cookies and baking them after playing!

The recipe doesn’t call for eggs, which is what makes it ok to nibble on. Unlike other playdough recipes on my site, this one is not only taste-safe but also edible. Your little one can eat a raw golf-ball size of dough and it will not harm her one bit, but it might give her some sugar induced energy!

Why You Should Use This “Playdough Recipe”

Play dough is the perfect tool for developing the hand strength and fine motor muscles necessary before young children are able to write. That’s why I’m always adding playdough activities to any of my preschool themes. When the play dough also smells delicious, it makes it even better.

But preschoolers love this recipe because it can be baked into cookies afterward. Ever met a preschooler who doesn’t love cookies? Me neither. Adding this playdough recipe to your gingerbread activities this holiday season will create such memories for your preschoolers.

What to do with Gingerbread Playdough

While this may not be your traditional gingerbread playdough recipe, there is still lots of fun to be had with it.

Preschoolers will enjoy rolling out the playdough, among other things. Encourages your preschooler to experience the playdough by trying any of the following fine motor skills:

• rolling into snakes
• rolling into balls
• smooshing into pancakes
• poking
• pinching
• squeezing
• twisting
• picking

How to Make Playdough More Fun

You can add all sorts of kitchen utensils to make playdough even more fun. All these things help promote hand strength and fine motor skills, too!

And don’t forget you can add extra bits and pieces to make gingerbread playdough fun, too. Although, if you choose to use “add-ins” you may not want to bake these into cookies afterward.

Alternatively, you can really amp up your playdough game by offering an assortment of embellishments after the cookies have been made. This makes a holiday party really fun, but again…it’s more fine motor practice!

These are some of my favorite things to add:

All that said, sometimes simple if best. My preschoolers love just rolling out the dough and using cookie cutters. Sometimes as they work, they retell the Gingerbread Story, or sometimes they make up their own!

Gingerbread Playdough & Cookie Recipe

There’s few things more fun than a playdough recipe that can easily be turned into cookies!

Ingredients

3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp powdered ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp allspice (for a bit of spicy bite)
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup room temperature butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup dark molasses (for a nice robust flavor)

How to Make Gingerbread Playdough

Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg together into a mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until soft and creamy.

When the butter is thoroughly worked in, slowly add the honey and molasses and mix on low until well blended. 

Gradually add the flour mixture a little bit at a time, mixing slowly to incorporate all the flour. The dough should start pull away from the bowl.  If there is an excess of flour, turn out the dough on a floured counter top and gently kneed until fully blended.

Then, invite your preschooler to play!

Once your preschooler is done playing, follow the remaining instructions to turn them this gingerbread playdough recipe into the most delicious gingerbread cookies.

How to Make Gingerbread Cookies

Roll into a ball and pat into a disc. Refrigerate for an hour, or longer if possible. This dough can be made several days in advance and the longer the dough rests the more time it has to set up and develop flavors.

Preheat the over to 350°.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the dough out about 1/8 inch thick on a floured board or between sheets of waxed paper. Cut it into the shapes of gingerbread men or other holiday shapes. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for a minute, then finish cooling on cake racks.

Once cookie are completely cooled, use any assortment of holiday frosting and sprinkles to decorate them. Or, enjoy them plain!

Looking for more playdough recipes?

Then you’ll love my playdough recipe e-book!

This eBook of playdough recipes was designed with preschoolers, kindergarten and early first graders in mind featuring a 45 unique recipes for making playdough.  From the classic recipe your grandmother made to modern recipes that provide undeniable texture, this playdough ebook is a must have in very early childhood classroom or home.