Gingerbread Men cookies bring holiday cheer with their soft centers, crispy edges, and the irresistible flavor of sweet spices and molasses. These festive Christmas classics are a must for holiday baking, making every bite feel like a warm celebration of the season.
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Cutout gingerbread cookies are fun to make with family, offering endless possibilities for decorating.
Whether decorated with icing or left plain, these classic cookies capture the sweet, spiced flavors of the holidays. For my gingerbread men, I kept it simple with a touch of white icing.
If you love gingerbread flavor, try making gingerbread Rice Krispie treats and gingerbread muffins!
Recipe Highlights
Get the essential details of these gingerbread cookies at a glance:
- Type of recipe: Cookie
- Cooking method: Oven baked with 3-hour chill time
- Skill level: Easy, using electric mixer and rolling out dough
- Flavors & textures: Spiced, warm, molasses-rich, chewy, crisp
Gingerbread Men Cookie Ingredients
- Butter: Adds richness and helps create a tender cookie texture. Read this guide to learn how to soften butter quickly for this recipe.
- Brown Sugar: Provides sweetness and a subtle caramel flavor that complements the spices. For this recipe I used light brown sugar, or you can make homemade brown sugar.
- Molasses: Contributes a deep, robust flavor and moisture, essential for classic gingerbread cookies.
- Ginger, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice: Create the warm, spiced flavor profile characteristic of gingerbread.
- Icing: Powdered sugar sweetens, milk adjusts the consistency, and corn syrup adds a smooth, glossy finish perfect for decorating.
Don’t forget your gingerbread man cookie cutter. There are lots of shapes and sizes to choose from, so pick your favorite. I used this 3 inch cutter.
How To Make Gingerbread Men Cookies
Step 1. Add butter, brown sugar and molasses to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand or stand mixer until all ingredients are combined.
Stir in the egg and vanilla extract using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Step 2. In another bowl, add the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Whisk all ingredients together.
Add approximately one cup of the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir. Continue adding the flour slowly until well combined.
Step 3. Roll out two pieces of plastic wrap and place half of the dough into each piece. Wrap securely and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Step 4. Using the rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is approximately ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Use a 3-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out shapes and add a spacing about an inch apart to the baking sheet.
Step 5. Bake for 7-10 minutes until the edges are beginning to brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool fully.
Step 6. Make the icing and add it to a piping bag or ziploc bag. Cut a very small opening in the corner of the bag.
Arrange the cookies on a sheet of parchment paper or a flat surface. Gently squeeze the icing to decorate cookies and allow the icing to set for at least 20-30 minutes.
What To Pair with Christmas Gingerbread
Alongside the gingerbread cookies, serve triple ginger cookies for an extra layer of spice. Honey ginger tea offers a warm, soothing drink that complements the flavors.
Gingerbread Rice Krispies add a fun, crunchy side that ties into the gingerbread theme for Christmas. Hot chocolate provides a rich, comforting beverage to balance the spiced cookies.
Recipe FAQ’s
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Yes, you can prepare the dough in advance and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
Only remove one ball of dough at a time. If it becomes too soft while rolling, use flour as needed or chill it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
More Christmas Cookies
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Easy Gingerbread Men Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Cookies
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp salt
Icing
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ Tbsp whole milk
- ½ Tbsp light corn syrup
Instructions
- Add butter, brown sugar and molasses to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand or stand mixer until all ingredients are combined.
- Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula stir in the egg and vanilla extract.
- In another bowl, add the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Whisk all ingredients together.
- Add approximately one cup of the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir. Continue adding the flour slowly until well combined.
- Roll out two pieces of plastic wrap and place half of the dough into each piece. Wrap securely and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- When ready to proceed, preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.
- On a clean and flat surface, sprinkle a handful of flour in the area where you will be rolling the dough. Lightly flour the rolling pin as well.
- Remove one dough ball at a time from the fridge and place onto the floured surface. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with extra flour.
- Using the rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is approximately ¼ inch thick. Use a 3 inch gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out shapes and add to the baking sheet spacing about an inch apart.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes until the edges are beginning to brown.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool fully.
- Once cookies have cooled, make the icing by mixing the powdered sugar, milk and corn syrup.
- Add the icing to a piping bag or ziploc bag. Cut a very small opening in the corner of the bag.
- Arrange the cookies on a sheet of parchment paper or a flat surface. Gently squeeze the icing to decorate cookies and allow the icing to set for at least 20-30 minutes.
Notes
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Nutrition
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Hello there, I’m Jere’
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven® sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
