Lussekatter for Lucia
Saffron buns with raisins – dough, shapes and tips to make them moist and golden.
To the lussekatterGingerbread biscuits – thin and crisp, with dough that rests overnight
Cinnamon, ginger and cloves – roll thin, cut out and bake
- about 100 gingerbread biscuits
- Time: 20 min + resting overnight + 5 min per tray
- Difficulty: Easy
- 12 ingredients
- 8 steps
Gingerbread biscuits are the first Christmas bake for many families – and the most child-friendly. The dough is made the day before, and then the children get to roll it out, cut out men, stars and hearts and watch them turn brown in the oven. The smell of cinnamon, ginger and cloves is Christmas spirit in itself.
Two things make the gingerbread really good: letting the dough rest overnight in the fridge, so that the spices settle and the dough becomes easy to roll, and rolling it thin – then the biscuits are crisp instead of chewy. If you want to take the Christmas baking outside, there is a section further down on baking gingerbread biscuits in a cast-iron pan over the embers.
Method
- Melt the butter in a pan. Stir in the sugar, syrup and water and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool slightly.
- Mix the cinnamon, ginger, cloves and bicarbonate of soda with half the flour in a bowl.
- Pour the butter mixture over the flour and stir to a smooth dough. Work in the rest of the flour a little at a time until the dough comes away from the bowl – it should be soft but not sticky.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest in the fridge overnight, at least 4 hours.
- Set the oven to 200 degrees. Take out one piece of dough at a time and leave the rest in the fridge.
- Roll out the dough thinly, about 2 mm, on a lightly floured board.
- Cut out shapes and place them on a tray lined with baking paper.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 5–6 minutes, until the edges are slightly darker. Let the biscuits cool on the tray for a minute before moving them.
Tips for thin and crisp gingerbread biscuits
- Let the dough rest. Dough that has rested overnight is firmer and easier to roll thin, and the spices taste more.
- Roll between baking paper. Put the dough between two sheets of baking paper so that it does not stick and you need less flour.
- Cold dough. Only roll out one piece at a time. If the dough gets warm and sticky, put it back in the fridge for a while.
- Keep an eye on the oven. Thin gingerbread goes from perfect to burnt in a minute.
- Soft gingerbread? It turns crisp again if it gets a few minutes in the oven at 150 degrees.
Gingerbread with kids
Gingerbread baking is perfect for children of all ages. The youngest press out shapes and put them on the tray, slightly older children roll out the dough themselves and the oldest can make icing and draw patterns. An adult handles the oven and the trays – they are 200 degrees hot. Make your own paper templates for large shapes, like a gingerbread tree or a moose, and cut around them with a small knife.
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All recipes →Gingerbread over an open fire
Gingerbread biscuits can actually be baked outdoors over the fire, in a cast-iron pan with a lid. They turn out rustic, slightly thicker biscuits with a lovely smoky note – and a fun activity for an Advent weekend in the forest.
- Bring rolled-out, cut-out dough in a container with baking paper between the layers.
- Let the fire burn down to an even bed of embers and heat a cast-iron pan or muurikka a little above the embers.
- Put a sheet of baking paper in the pan and a few biscuits on it.
- Put the lid on and bake for 3–5 minutes, until the biscuits have set and the edges have darkened. Check often – it happens fast.
- Lift out the biscuits on the paper and let them cool, and they turn crisp.
We cover how to control the heat under the pan in cooking in the wild. A cup of glögg over an open fire goes well with the gingerbread.
Vary the gingerbread
- With orange: grate the zest of an orange into the dough.
- With cardamom: swap some of the cloves for ground cardamom for a milder flavour.
- Gingerbread house: roll the dough slightly thicker, about 4 mm, and bake the pieces a few minutes longer so that the house is sturdy.
- Gluten-free: use a gluten-free flour mix and add a little extra flour if the dough is sticky.
Common mistakes
- The dough does not rest – it gets sticky and hard to roll.
- Too thick dough – the gingerbread turns soft and chewy.
- Too much flour when rolling – the biscuits turn dry and pale.
- Too long in the oven – thin biscuits burn quickly.
Frequently asked questions
How long should gingerbread dough rest?
At least four hours in the fridge, ideally overnight. Then the dough is firmer, easier to roll and the spices have time to blend.
How long do gingerbread biscuits keep?
In an airtight tin they keep for several weeks. The gingerbread dough can be frozen for up to three months.
Why is my gingerbread soft?
It is too thick or has not been baked long enough. Roll it thinner, and put soft biscuits in the oven at 150 degrees for a few minutes.
Can you make gingerbread without eggs?
Yes, this recipe has no eggs in the dough. Only the icing is made with egg white – it can be made with icing sugar and water instead.
More Christmas baking and Christmas by the fire: bake lussekatter for Lucia, cook rice porridge over an open fire or read the whole the Christmas guide.
More guides and recipes to read
More Christmas baking and Christmas
Glögg with the gingerbread
Homemade glögg for adults and children's glögg made from cordial – in the pot over the fire or on the hob.
To the glöggChristmas with kids 2026
All the dates from the first Sunday of Advent to St Knut's Day, Christmas markets and a Christmas that happens outdoors.
To the Christmas guide