These Gingerbread Men are the ultimate Christmas cookies! This recipe yields soft, yet firm gingerbread cookies that are perfectly spiced, buttery, and hold their shape beautifully. Top them off with my foolproof icing that makes plenty for decorating, and you’ve got yourself a fun holiday activity for the whole family. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Perfect Gingerbread Cookies
Christmas cookie season is here, and I can’t think of a cookie that’s more festive than gingerbread men.
With their adorable icing faces and candy bowties and buttons, they’re almost always the cutest cookies on the tray–but they’re not always the most tasty. Many recipes call for loads of flour to make the very sticky dough (a byproduct of using molasses) more manageable, but this often leads to dull, dry cookies that just don’t taste great.
While my recipe takes a little bit more patience, I simply chill my dough for a few hours, which guarantees gingerbread men that are easy to make and flavorful.
These cookies are soft and perfectly spiced in a way that’s not overwhelming, but still distinctly gingerbread -flavored. Besides their perfect blend of spices, they have a subtle buttery note that adds richness and balances everything out beautifully. Like my well-loved sugar cookies, my gingerbread cookies maintain their shape while baking, so they’re perfect for precise cut-out shapes. Even better, they don’t get too hard (like gingersnaps); instead, the centers are firm, but ultimately melt in your mouth.
I’m confident you’re going to love them, so let’s get to it!
What You Need for Gingerbread Men
These gingerbread cookies are easy to make and so flavorful! Let’s touch on a few of the key ingredients in the cookies:
- Butter. Use unsalted and make sure it’s softened, but not melty.
- Brown sugar. You can use either light or dark brown sugar. Dark brown will add a stronger flavor, so just keep that in mind.
- Molasses. This is an essential gingerbread ingredient! It adds color, flavor, and moisture. Look for molasses that says “unsulphered” on the label and avoid blackstrap molasses, which could make the cookies bitter.
- Egg. Just one egg helps bind our dough together.
- Flour. Use all-purpose flour, and don’t be afraid to add extra when you’re rolling your dough (it will be sticky). Note: I’ve increased the flour just a little bit (about ¼ cup) compared to my original recipe that was published several years ago.
- Spices. We’ll use traditional gingerbread spices, including ginger, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.
While you could always use royal icing, I prefer to frost my gingerbread men with the same easy icing I use for my sugar cookies. It’s super simple, and it tastes much better than royal icing! Here’s what you need:
- Powdered sugar. Sift your powdered sugar before using it to avoid any lumps.
- Milk. Pretty much any kind of milk will work here.
- Corn syrup. Not to be confused with high fructose corn syrup, this ingredient can be left out (you might need a splash more milk) but your icing won’t dry as quickly, as shiny, or as well, unfortunately.
- Vanilla. Just a splash of vanilla extract adds a nice smooth flavor.
- Sprinkles/decoration. Use whatever you like! Or skip the sprinkles and just do some fun icing decorations.
SAM’S TIP: Many have asked if this recipe can be used to make a gingerbread house instead of gingerbread men. While I haven’t tried it myself, I think it should work as long as you keep your house small and simple. The cookies bake up with crisp edges but somewhat tender middles, so if the house is too big, it may not hold up structurally.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Gingerbread Men
- Beat together butter, sugar, and molasses and then stir in an egg and vanilla extract.
- Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually stir them into the wet ingredients. You’ll have a sticky dough, wrap it tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Generously flour a clean surface and use a rolling pin to roll your dough until it is ¼″ thick.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Gather scraps and re-roll your dough to cut out as many cookies as you can, and bake for 8-10 minutes.
SAM’S TIP: This dough will be VERY sticky once you’ve mixed it all together–this is normal! To make it more manageable, chill it for several hours. Some recipes would instead call for more flour to minimize the wait, but I don’t prefer this because it can make the cookies hard, dry, and much less flavorful. Chilling our dough allows us to let that buttery, perfectly spiced gingerbread flavor shine!
This icing recipe makes a bit more than you typically need so you can have fun decorating your gingerbread men! If you don’t need a lot of icing, simply make a half batch.
- Combine icing ingredients with a whisk, starting with only two tablespoons of milk. You’ll know its ready when you hold your whisk out of the bowl and the ribbon of icing that falls down hold its shape for several seconds before dissolving into the rest of the bowl. If your icing is too thick at this stage, add the remaining milk. If it’s too thin, add some more powdered sugar.
- Transfer icing to a piping bag and decorate! Let the icing harden before enjoying (or don’t, I don’t judge!).
SAM’S TIP: To make the icing in advance, simply store in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap against the surface. You can either refrigerate it or keep at room temperature, but just make sure to stir again before using.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is really a personal preference, but I prefer my gingerbread men to be softer with crisp, well-defined edges and chewy, melt-in-your-mouth interiors. If you like dry, crisp gingerbread cookies, this recipe may not be for you.
No! Gingersnaps are typically very crisp (although I do have a soft and chewy version) and have a different spice profile. Gingersnaps have no nutmeg, more ginger, and less cinnamon, plus a few extra spices that differentiate them from gingerbread men. I add both cayenne and black pepper to my gingersnaps to give them a slight heat, which my gingerbread men don’t have.
Molasses adds flavor, color, and moisture. It’s an essential ingredient for gingerbread and gingerbread men, so don’t skip it! I typically to use “Grandma’s” or “Brer Rabbit” brand.
Enjoy!
More Recipes You Might Like
- Pizzelle
- Peppermint Bark Cookies
- Funfetti Christmas Cookies
- Gingersnap Cookies (Crisp, Snappy Cookies!)
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Gingerbread Men
Ingredients
For Gingerbread Men
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (100 g) light or dark brown sugar tightly packed
- ½ cup (120 ml) unsulphured molasses (I use Grandma's or Brer Rabbit brand and avoid using blackstrap)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups (345 g) all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For Icing:
- 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar sifted
- 2-4 Tablespoons milk
- 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Decorative candies and sprinkles as desired
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
For Cookies:
- Combine butter, sugar, and molasses and use an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment to beat until ingredients are creamy and well-combined.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (100 g) light or dark brown sugar, ½ cup (120 ml) unsulphured molasses
- Stir in egg and vanilla extract until well-combined. The mixture may look piecey/like it's separating, this is fine and it will come together when you add the dry ingredients.1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg).2 ¾ cups (345 g) all purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- With mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until the dough is smooth, cohesive, and completely combined.
- Divide the dough into two parts (it will be quite sticky, use a spatula) and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Rolling and Cutting Cookies
- Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (alternatively bake cookies directly on ungreased baking sheet)
- Generously flour a clean surface and lightly flour the dough as well (see note).
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to be approximately ¼” (.6cm) thick, and use a cookie cutter (my cookie cutter for these was about 3.5” long) to cut out shapes.
- Use a spatula to place cookies on prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 2" apart and then transfer to 375F (190C) oven, and bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before decorating.
Gingerbread Cookie Icing
- Combine sugar, 2 Tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl and stir until combined. Look for a consistency where the icing that drizzles off the spoon and back into the bowl holds its shape for several seconds before dissolving back into the rest of the icing. If frosting is too thick, add more milk, about a teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is thick but pipeable. If too thin, add additional powdered sugar until desired texture is reached.3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar, 2-4 Tablespoons milk, 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Transfer to a piping bag with a piping tip (I used Wilton #5), or place in a Ziploc bag and snip a small piece of the corner off. Pipe frosting on cookies and decorate with decorative candies, if desired.Decorative candies and sprinkles
- Allow frosting to harden before enjoying (this took only about 30 minutes for me, but may take longer if your frosting is wetter)
- Keep uneaten cookies sealed in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
Brown Sugar
Either light or dark brown sugar will work just fine in this recipe, I typically use whichever I have on hand. Dark brown sugar will yield darker, slightly sweeter cookies with a slightly stronger molasses taste.Notes for When Rolling
When rolling cookies, generously dust your surface with flour so the cookies don’t stick, and if the dough still seems sticky while rolling dust the dough and rolling pin with additional flour as needed. This is a softer dough by nature but it should not be so sticky that it isn’t manageable. If the dough is difficult to roll (too stiff) or is cracking, let it sit at room temperature for 10-20 minutes before continuing.Making in Advance
The cookie dough may be made and chilled in the refrigerator up to 5 days in advance of rolling, cutting, and baking. The icing may be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in either the refrigerator or at room temperature. To store, place in a small airtight container and cover the surface of the icing tightly with plastic wrap before replacing the lid. Icing will likely need to be stirred again before using.Storing
These cookies can be stored (before or after decorating) in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks (but are freshest when enjoyed within one week).Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Elena
I added allspice and orange rind, delish!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Elena! 🙂
Lety
Hi!! This us my first attempt of gingerbread cookies, maybe I did something wrong because my cookies expand like crazy, they get puffy and even lose their shape.
Do I need to refrigerate before putting into the oven? I’d love your kind guidance.
Sam
Oh yes, you need to refrigerate at least 3 hours (see instructions) or they will spread like crazy.
Lety
I refrigerate overnight, I was wondering if I should refrigerate at some point between cutting and putting them in the oven.
The flavour was amazing!!!
Sam
Unless the dough is sitting at room temperature for a very long time, seems sticky, or it’s really warm in your kitchen you shouldn’t need to chill them again between cutting and baking. I’m so glad the flavor was still good, though! 🙂
Nan
Yes, you need to chill the dough at least 3 hours or even over night.
Yasmin
Is the butter softened
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Yasin! Yes, it is. 🙂
Anonymous
Hi, is there anyway I can substitute the baking soda?
Sam
Unfortunately I’m not sure how a substitute would work here. Baking soda is one of those ingredients that can be very tricky to substitute. 🙁
Chloe Warren
Hey, do you know of a way to store the icing if you don’t want to use it immediately after making it? would be much appreciated!
Sam
Hi Chloe! Unfortunately it doesn’t store very well. It will start to stiffen up. It’s a pretty quick icing to stir together so it’s really best to make right before using. 🙂
Maureen
Can i freeze the cookies? How long will they stay fresh in a container? Do i store on counter or fridge? I have baked the cookies but I’m not using them with the children for 6 days so not sure how I should store them.
Sam
Hi Maureen! They stay fresh in an airtight container for about a week if not frozen, so if you’re using them in 6 days I would probably just store in an airtight container at room temperature. I would not refrigerate them but they may be frozen.
Jamie
My family loved these!! They were previously not fans of gingerbread cookies, but they now love them (only these ones though, because they are soft and the flavor is not too strong). I did use a lot of flour when rolling these out like you mentioned.
Sam
I’m so glad to hear they were such a success, Jamie! Thank you for commenting and letting me know how they turned out, I appreciate it 🙂
Stephanie Ann Villalpando
Can you use salted butter? its all I have and don’t want to go to the store lol!
Sam
Hi Stephanie! You can use salted butter, just cut the salt by about 1/4 teaspoon. 🙂
Molly
My dough is very sticky. I added a lot more flour and tried chilling the dough more it is still to sticky, I could roll it out but not cut the dough. Do you know why it is so sticky, I did chill it overnight.
Sam
Hi Molly! Hmm, it definitely should not be that sticky, especially not after chilling overnight. Is it possible an ingredient might have been measured incorrectly? If it’s a little bit sticky you should be able to firm it up by dusting the dough with additional flour and working that into the dough when rolling it out.
Kris
Hi Molly–
What brand of flour did you use? I have found that flour can vary widely by brand. I would stick with Gold Medal or Pillsbury or King Arthur brand white all-purpose unbleached flour for this. White Lily flour is wonderful for biscuits but does not work up the same for other baked goods like cookies or pie crust–it’s a different kind of wheat than is used for other brands (if you want to get really nerdy, you can research it, but I’ll spare you the details!).
Jennifer
This recipe sounds delicious! I’m looking for a recipe that won’t be too strong in flavor for my young granddaughters. Would you suggest me halving the amount of spices for their sensitive tastebuds or do you think making it as is will be okay? If I make a basic cream cheese frosting to decorate them do you think that would work?
Angie
Hi Jennifer, this is a year late, but it’s holiday time again, so if you want to make it less strong in flavor, take out the nutmeg. It’s not overpowering in spices already, but if you want to lower down the ramp, that’ll be great.
Cream cheese frosting also tends to melt rather quickly, so I recommend using icing or adding up to 4 cups of powdered sugar instead. 🙂
Celina
Oh so Wonderful!! This recipe is almost exactly the same as the one I got from my granny – mine uses also cardamom and ground bitter orange peel, but otherwise it’s the same. And yes – this recipe truly makes the Best Gingerbread Cookies Ever!! 🙂
Thank you for sharing it with those heartwarming photos 🙂
Have a Very Merry and Restful Christmas 🙂
* Greetings from Finland *
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Celina! I am so glad that you enjoyed the gingerbread men cookies. I really appreciate the warm wishes. I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas! 🙂
Donna
I made these exactly by the recipe and they came out perfect! My family loves them! They are soft and have a great gingerbread flavor!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that everyone enjoyed the gingerbread cookies, Donna! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Heather
How long will the dough keep in the fridge?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Heather! The gingerbread dough will keep for a few days in the fridge. I hope that you enjoy! 🙂
Clare
Some recipes suggest freezing the gingerbread dough instead of refridgerating to cut the time. Would that work with your recipe? If so how long should I freeze?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Clare! If you are trying to cut down the chill time of 3 hours, you can try it. I have not, I would be afraid that the dough would be too hard. Let me know how it works for you. 🙂
Swati
Hi, I made the ginger bread men…turned out great.! Though had a question about the frosting… You have used powdered sugar…not icing sugar.. right? Just wanna confirm!
Clare
Absolutely delicious! They came out great, not too soft or hard, and very flavorful. This is one of the best gingerbread recipes I have ever tasted! The frosting also came out delicious and together the two made one great cookie! They did not last very long here! Maybe next year I’ll have to triple the recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the cookies, Clare! Thank you so much for commenting. 🙂
Clare
Sounds really delicous, and I can’t wait to make. Do you know of anything to subsitute for cloves?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Clare! Unfortunately, I haven’t tried substituting the cloves. Possibly allspice? Again, without messing up the flavor, I am not certain. 🙂