Old-Fashioned Gumdrop Cookies Recipe for Christmas
These Old-Fashioned Gumdrop Cookies are colorful, chewy, and full of Christmas charm. They’re the kind of cookies you’d find cooling on Grandma’s kitchen counter, tucked inside a holiday tin, or shared during a church cookie swap. My great grandmother made then for years and now it’s my turn to make them for my family.
Servings: 36 pieces
Calories: 46kcal
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Lard or shortening
- 1 Cup Sugar divided
- 1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract
- 1-3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Fruit Flavored Gumdrops chopped or spiced gumdrops
- 2 Large Egg Whites room temperature
Instructions
- Cut fruit-flavored gumdrops into quarters using kitchen scissors. Lightly coat with 1 tablespoon of flour so they don’t stick together or sink while baking. Lightly coat the blades with cooking spray or flour to prevent sticking.1 Cup Fruit Flavored Gumdrops
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream lard and 3/4 sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes using an electric mixer on medium speed. Beat in almond extract.3/4 Cup Lard, 1 Cup Sugar, 1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix well.1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda, 1/4 Teaspoon Salt, 1-3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- Stir in gumdrops.
- In a separate bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar continuing to mix until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into dough.2 Large Egg Whites
- Shape Dough. Drop by tablespoonfuls or use a 1-inch cookie scoop about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. I like to line my baking pans with parchment paper.
- Bake for 10–14 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden. Cool on the baking sheet for 2–3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Your Own Private Notes
Notes
How to Tell When Gumdrop Cookies Are Done
The edges should be lightly golden. Not brown. Just the faintest touch of color around the edges.If the edges are fully golden, they’re already overbaked. The centers should still look soft and slightly puffy. They will not look fully set while in the oven. They finish setting as they cool. Touch test: tap the edge lightly. If the edge feels firm but the center still feels soft, they’re perfect. Look for a dull surface, not shiny dough. The tops should lose their raw, glossy shine but shouldn’t be dry or cracked. Gumdrop edges shouldn’t bubble If the gumdrops look like they’re beginning to melt outward, pull the cookies. They’re done even if the centers look soft. They should easily lift from the parchment after cooling for a few minutes. When they slide off cleanly with a spatula, they’ve set just right.
Helpful Tips for Perfect Gumdrop Cookies
Use Kitchen Shears Instead of a Knife
This is the easiest method!Scissors cut gumdrops cleanly without dragging or squishing them. Tip: Lightly coat the blades with cooking spray or flour to prevent sticking.
Chill the Gumdrops
Pop gumdrops in the freezer for 10–15 minutes before cutting.Cold gumdrops become firmer and much easier to chop. Pea-sized chunks are ideal, but they don’t need to be perfectly even. Once baked, they disperse beautifully in the dough.
Chill the Dough (optional)
If your kitchen is warm or dough feels sticky, chill for 20 minutes before baking.Nutrition
Calories: 46kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.03g | Saturated Fat: 0.002g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 6mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 38IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg