Gingerbread Man Cookies
Soft, chewy gingerbread man cookies are a classic holiday cookie. These cookies are so much fun to make and decorate, plus they are super easy to make!
Why you will love our recipe for gingerbread men cookies
- You can make soft and crispy gingerbread cookies with our recipe.
- They are super easy to make.
- Gingerbread man cookies are great for holiday decorating.
Ingredients
Flour: To make our gingerbread man cookie recipe, you want to use a low-protein flour like all-purpose flour. This will help to get the perfect texture. You can use gluten-free flour, but we haven’t tested this ourselves.
Sugar: We always use dark brown sugar when we make this recipe. This not only adds a great color and a deeper flavor, but it also adds moisture to the dough. The moisture helps to create a chewy texture while still being firm enough to hold their shape while you bake them in the oven.
Molasses: This is one of the key ingredients in gingerbread. It gives the cookies their characteristic caramel flavor, plus it adds moisture to the mix.
Butter: Always use unsalted butter when you make one of our recipes unless we tell you otherwise. We like to add the salt separately so you have more control over the flavor. If you want to use salted butter, you can omit the salt in the recipe.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla highlights the warm spices in the dough and adds a subtle sweetness. We like to use vanilla extract, but you can also use vanilla sugar for this recipe.
Spices: You can’t make gingerbread without spices. For this recipe, we use a mixture of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
How to make gingerbread man cookies
When you make gingerbread cookies, you want to start by creaming the butter and sugar until it is fluffy. Because we use brown sugar, it won’t get a pale color, but you will see a difference when the butter is ready. This helps with the texture and prevents overworking the dough.
When the buffer is nice and fluffy, it is ready to add the egg. Make sure it is fully incorporated before continuing with the next step. To make this step a lot easier, you should use a room-temperature egg.
Next, we add the molasses. Molasses can be sticky when it is cold, so just as the egg, it should be room temperature or a little bit warmer.
Mix together the dry ingredients, and once they are mixed, you can fold them into the wet mixture. When everything is combined, you want to transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface and knead it until you have a smooth, firm dough. You don’t want it to be too soft because that will cause the cookies to spread in the oven.
Once your dough is ready, it is time to wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for a few hours, but preferably overnight. This gives the spices time to develop their flavor fully and helps with the texture.
After a few hours, the dough is ready to bake. Remove the chilled cookie dough from the fridge and roll it out until you have a 1/4-inch-thick disk.
Now it is time to cut out your cookies. We like to use our favorite gingerbread cookie cutters, but you can use any shape you like.
How to decorate gingerbread man cookies
We love to make frosted gingerbread cookies, and once your gingerbread man cookies are completely cooled, you can make the icing. To keep things simple, we use a powdered sugar icing, but you can use royal icing if you want. Once it has the right consistency, you can transfer it to a piping bag with a small round nozzle.
With your piping bag, you can draw cute faces and decorations on your gingerbread. Don’t worry if they are not perfect; practice makes perfect, and it is more about having fun than creating the perfect cookie. We also like to add sugar pears for the buttons. Let the icing dry before storing them in an airtight container or a bag as a gift.
What is the secret to the best gingerbread man cookies?
- Let the dough rest in the fridge overnight. This will improve the texture of your cookies and give them a better flavor and color. You should let it rest for at least an hour, but we highly recommend letting it chill in the fridge overnight.
- Make sure to roll out your dough on a well-floured work surface. The dough can be sticky, so dust your counter with flour or two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to roll it out.
- Use a freezer bag for the icing. Not everybody owns a piping bag with nozzles, but don’t worry! You can use a freezer bag or a piping bag made with parchment paper to decorate your cookies!
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients in two separate bowls. This makes distributing the species a lot easier and helps your dough come together more quickly.
Frequently asked questions
Well, that is up to you. We love chewy gingerbread cookies but if you want hard, crunchy cookies you simply leave them in the oven for another 3-5 minutes!
Absolutely. It will affect the flavor but if you prefer pumpkin spice or if that’s all you have on hand feel free to use that instead.
Sure. We have made this recipe with vegan butter but never with an egg replacement, so if you have tried it please let us know ow they turned out!
Storage
Freshly baked gingerbread man cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to five days. You can also freeze the cookie after decorating! Frozen, they will last for three to six months. Any leftover dough is also suitable for freezing. When you’re ready to bake your cookies, take them out of the freezer to thaw, give the dough a quick knead, and continue the recipe as usual.
More of our favorite cookie recipes
Gingerbread Man Cookies
Ingredients
For the gingerbread cookie dough
- 3 1/4 cups 450 grams all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 160 grams stick butter
- 3/4 cup 150 grams brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup 190 grams molasses
For the frosting
- 3 tablespoons milk you might need more or less
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
How to make gingerbread man cookies
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl.
- Add the egg and mix until the egg is completely incorporated.
- Whist in the molasses and vanilla extract. Because the molasses can be sticky when it is cold, it should be room temperature or a little bit warmer.
- In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
- Add the dry to the wet ingredients and mix until combined before transferring the dough to a well floured work surface.
- Knead the dough until it is smooth and firm before wrapping it in plastic wrap and letting it rest in the fridge for 1-12 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out until it is 1/4-inch-thickness.
- Use your favorite cookie cutters to shape your cookies and place them on your tray.
- Bake the gingerbread for 8-10 for soft gingerbread cookies and 10-13 minutes for crunchy cookies.
- Let the gingerbread man cookie cool completely on a wire rack before decorating them with icing.
How to make the icing
- Mix the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl. Add the milk a little bit at a time until you have the right thickness.
- Transfer the icing to a piping bag with a small round nozzle to decorate your cookies.
- Let the icing dry before serving them, or store them in an airtight container or cookie jar.
