Gingerbread Men Cookies
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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 1/4 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 1/4″ 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
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Is this icing good for sugar cookies too?
Yes, I’ve shared it as a standalone sugar cookie icing recipe here 🙂
hi there, can I substitute the molasses I don’t have any.. I have dark brown sugar, also honey? thanks in advance
Samantha
Hi Samantha! Unfortunately, I don’t have a great substitute for the molasses. It’s a really big part of the flavor in these cookies.
Thank you! I think the UK alternative is black treacle.. so I’ll try that and let you know ☺️
These are great! We thought they would have a timid flavor because we tried them warm. Let them cool! We tried them again completely cooled (without icing) and they are perfect!
Yummy cookies. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Am adding them to my Christmas cookies platter😃
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them, Edna, thank you for commenting!
Thank you for this lovely recipe of gingery cookies and they came out perfect, the right amount of spices and soft, I don’t like the hard cookies! 13 year old granddaughter loved making them!
Can I substitute vegan butter for the unsalted butter?
Hi Kayla! Unfortunately I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure how they would turn out. Let me know how it goes if you try it! 🙂
What can I substitute for corn syrup?
Hi Ellen! You can use golden syrup or just leave it out completely. The icing will still work nicely it just doesn’t dry as shiny.
Scrumptious!! Fun & well liked to gift. They sure didn’t last long at my house😋 Will make again.
Can you freeze the dough
Hi Cheryl! I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work fine. I would thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using. 🙂
Hi! My daughter & I have been making your gingerbread (and sugar) cookies for years now. They are our Go To favorites every holiday–everyone LOVES our (YOUR) cookies, and we often give them as gifts to friends and family. The icing is perfect for decorating and the flavors are classic and cannot be beat. We can’t wait to make the again this holiday! Thanks so much for creating such fantastic cookies.
(I searched for a sourdough bread recipe, and your site was 2nd in my results, and I recognized your site from our cookies. I am new to bread baking and so excited to try your sourdough.)
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the cookies so much, Laura! I hope you love the bread as well. 🙂
I am curious why you avoid Blackstrap Molasses for this recipe?
Does it change the taste or texture? I picked some up & use that instead of Grandma’s Molasses for most recipes. Generally most individuals haven’t noticed a difference.
Hi Andrew! The taste of blackstrap molasses is just a bit too intense and won’t taste quite like a classic gingerbread man recipe. 🙂
Turned out perfect!
The entire family loves these cookies. We will be making them again after the holidays…why wait until next year? Thank you for sharing the recipe.
We’re so happy the cookies were a hit for your family! And we totally agree–these are great all winter long 💙
Great cookie! My husband who usually passes on gingerbread can’t get enough! And we had to peel my three year old away from the cookies 😆
Sounds like they were a huge hit for you, Emma! Thanks for trying our recipe ❤️
Im not a baker and let me tell you… these are wonderful… easy recipe!!! Saving this for next year!
Yay! Thanks for giving our recipe a shot, Shantae! 🥰
can I use this recipe for a gingerbread house instead of gingerbread men cookies?
Hi Nicole! I don’t recommend it as the dough is pretty soft and sturdy and will spread a little when baking, making it not ideal for a house. I do have a gingerbread house recipe coming early next month, though!
can these be frozen after they are iced? They are delicious 😋
That should work just fine. 🙂
Baked these today with my 2 year old and they are just lovely!! The dough isn’t fussy and is very easy to roll out and work with. Cookies baked up beautifully, and the gingerbread flavor is perfect. Not too strong for the little one, but enough to satisfy a gingerbread lover. 🙂 Soft and delicious!! Thanks for a great recipe!
It is July. I just baked these really late at night because it’s been so hot but I’m going to see my nephew tomorrow for his birthday. A few years ago, he asked if I was going to bring these for his birthday and his mom said no, they’re seasonal. Well, I wasn’t going to say no to a very reasonable request so now it’s a birthday tradition for him. 🙂 Thanks, Sam. I’ve made these a bunch of times and they’re really not just super easy to make, but also the best.
Hi! How long do these cookies keep for? Wondering how far in advance I can make them with them still tasting fresh
I actually provide storage instructions in the post. 🙂