GINGERBREAD WREATH

Let’s make your Christmas unforgettable this year, with this warm and cozy Gingerbread Advent Wreath. Made from real edible Gingerbread Cookies decorated with Royal Icing and formed into a beautiful Advent Wreath.

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Festive gingerbread cookie wreath you’ll want to display (and eat!)

There’s something truly magical about holiday baking, and this gingerbread cookie wreath, really brings that Christmas spirit. Combining the warm, spiced aroma of classic gingerbread cookies with a beautiful, festive presentation, this edible advent wreath is both a delicious treat and also beautiful centerpiece for your Christmas table.

Whether you’re baking it for your family or as a surprising gift for friends, this recipe will create not only memories, but also unforgettable tradition with the right touch of holiday charm.

We love baking and decorating gingerbreads every year for Christmas with my family, it’s the main event and tradition that keeps for generations. And this year, we have one more thing to call tradition, and it’s this beautiful Christmas ginger wreath.

What is advent wreath

The Advent wreath, or Advent crown, is mostly known as Christian symbol and tradition, that symbolizes the passage of the four weeks of Advent in the liturgical calendar of the Western church. In most Eastern European countries, you will find this tradition in almost every household, whether you are Christian or not.

In many Eastern European countries, Christmas wreaths are deeply symbolic, representing eternity, unity, and the cycle of life. Meanings that come from their circular shape with no beginning or end. Traditionally made from evergreen branches to symbolize resilience and hope during the long winter months, wreaths are often displayed on doors or tables as a sign of welcome and festive spirit. Over time, this tradition has also inspired edible versions, like cookie wreaths, bringing together cultural heritage with the joy of holiday baking and sharing.

And today we will be making our very own edible Christmas wreath. I will show you how to bake the gingerbread, how to decorate it and how to assemble this beautiful Christmas wreath. It’s up to you what kind of shape of cookie cutter you will use, but preferably Christmas motives such as stars, fishes, trees would be the best.

I am also going to share my and mom’s secret to long-lasting soft and chewy gingerbread dough.

Ingredients

How to make best gingerbread cookies

Start with preparing the ingredients. All ingredients must be in room temperature to get the highest quality results. If you have stand mixer prepare paddle attachment and place all dry ingredients in a medium bowl and mix; combine. Then start adding all the wet ingredients. Mix on medium-high speed until a ball of dough is shaped. Remove it from the kitchen bowl and place it on counter. Shape it well into a bowl or a rectangle flat shaped (this will help with rolling the dough). Cover the dough in plastic food wrap and let stand in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

After the chilling period, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let the dough sit on kitchen counter for about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F / 177 C. Roll out the gingerbread dough on clean floured working surface about (3-5 mm) 1/4 inch thick and cut out your preferred Christmas cookie shapes.

Place the cookies on a baking sheet, covered with parchment paper, placing them 1 inch apart. Brush them with warm water before placing them in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Take the gingerbread cookies out of the oven and brush them off with whisked whole egg (or egg yolk only). This will give them a nice shine. Let the cookies cool off on the baking sheet and place them on a plate. Decorate them with icing.

Royal Icing for decorating gingerbread cookies

In a medium kitchen bowl, with hand electric mixer, whisk the egg white on low-medium speed. Gradually increase the speed to high and mix until soft peaks are formed.

Add the confectioner sugar and mix on high speed until the icing is smooth and thick.

Place it in the plastic piping bag and cut a tiny hole to decorate the cookies. Use immediately for decorating the cookies or store in an airtight container in the fridge. It is good for up to one week if kept in the fridge.

How to decorate gingerbread cookies

Decorating gingerbread cookies is where your creativity really shines. You don’t need complicated designs to make beautiful cookies. Classic white icing on golden-brown gingerbread is the best, but if you want to elevate things, try adding sprinkles, colourful dust, or sugar pearls.

Use royal icing and adjust the texture depending on your design. A thicker icing is perfect for outlining and details, while a slightly thinner “flood” icing creates smooth, glossy surfaces. The key is control: if your icing is too runny, it will spread; too thick, and it won’t pipe cleanly.

Always pipe a clean outline around your cookie before filling it in. This creates a barrier that keeps the icing neat and professional looking. Use a toothpick to spread the icing evenly and pop any air bubbles.

For sprinkles, crushed candy, or sugar pearls, place them immediately after flooding so they stick naturally. This is especially great if you’re decorating with kids, quick, fun, and forgiving!

How to assemble gingerbread cookie wreath

All your cookies should be decorated with royal icing and dried at least for 24 hours. After this time, your cookies are ready to be assembled into a Christmas wreath.

Also keep a small portion of icing for stacking and gluing together the gingerbread cookies. Get ready your cookies in advance. I recommend starting with larger cookies to be placed on the bottom and smaller on the top.

Take the baked base of gingerbread circle and start gluing with Royal icing the larger pieces of gingerbread cookies. In my case, I used large starts. Place them all around the base ginger circle. Second layer will consist with smaller cookies. Glue them onto the large cookies.

For the third, decorative layer, attach small cut-out cookies to add texture and visual interest. Be sure to mark or lightly outline four evenly spaced spots for the tea candles. Using royal icing as glue, secure one tea candle in each quarter of the wreath, pressing gently so they hold firmly in place.

Tips & Tricks

More recipes

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• LINZER COOKIES
• MINI FLORENTINE COOKIES
• ISCHLER MINI COOKIES
• WALNUT CRESCENTS

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