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These Gingerbread Man Cookies are cozy, spiced, and just the right mix of soft and slightly crisp at the edges. They hold their shape, make the whole house smell like Christmas, and they are perfect for decorating with kids, grandkids or anyone who wants to get a little festive. If you are looking for a reliable holiday cookie recipe that actually tastes as good as it looks, this is the one.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“These were so tasty and they came out perfect. Not too dark and just the right amount of crisp. if only my decorations were as good as the cookie haha.” – Sara
“I love gingerbread cookies and had never found a recipe that was exactly what I wanted. This recipe delivered in spades. Even my husband likes them.” – Carol
“I love these cookies. The taste is so delicious and just leave a lovely aftertaste. Soooo goood!” – Ad
Why I Love these Cookies
I have such a soft spot for gingerbread. Just seeing a little Gingerbread Man Cookie makes me think of being in a warm kitchen at Christmas, with cinnamon and cloves in the air and kids lined up to decorate. This recipe has that classic gingerbread flavor from molasses, ginger, cinnamon and cloves, and it is simple enough to make every year without stress. I like to chill the dough so it rolls nicely and keeps the shapes really clean, which makes decorating so much more fun.
I also love that this dough is sturdy enough for cut out cookies, but still has that tender bite. Make a batch or two, set out royal icing and candies, and you have an easy holiday activity that everyone actually enjoys.
Ways to serve:
- Hot apple cider or hot cocoa
- Vanilla ice cream or eggnog
- A decorating board with royal icing, sprinkles, mini M&Ms and red hots
🩷 Echo
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Butter – softened unsalted butter gives you the best control over flavor, but salted butter works if that is what you have.
- Brown sugar – dark brown sugar gives deeper color and molasses flavor, light brown sugar works too.
- Egg – room temperature helps it mix in smoothly.
- Molasses – gives that classic gingerbread taste, color and chewy texture.
- All purpose flour – sift if you can, it helps with softer cookie centers.
- Leavening – baking soda to help the cookies bake evenly.
- Spices – ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, plus a little salt to balance the sweetness.
- Royal Icing – for decorating, it pipes easily and dries nicely. White is typically used but you can always add color to the icing.
- Candy and sprinkles – totally optional, but very festive.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- Use light brown sugar if you prefer a lighter color.
- Swap half the molasses for honey for a milder flavor.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg if you like your gingerbread extra spiced.
- Use glaze icing instead of royal icing if you want something softer.
- Make them dairy free with plant based butter that is made for baking.
- If you only have salted butter, just reduce the added salt in the recipe.
How to Make Gingerbread Man Cookies
- Mix the wet ingredients: Beat the softened butter and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and mix again until everything is combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
- Make the dough: Add the dry ingredients to the wet a little at a time and mix just until a soft dough forms. Divide into 2 balls, wrap well and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
- Roll and cut: On a lightly floured surface roll one dough ball out to about ¼ inch thick. Cut out Gingerbread Man Cookies and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges look set. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely.
- Decorate: Once the cookies are fully cool, pipe royal icing on top and add sprinkles or candies.
Recipe Tips
- Chill the dough at least 4 hours so it is firm and easy to cut. Cold dough holds shapes much better.
- Work with half the dough at a time so it stays cold while you roll and cut.
- Even thickness matters for even baking. A rolling pin with guides helps keep the cookies the same thickness.
- Use parchment or a silicone mat so the cookies do not stick and the bottoms bake evenly.
- Cool completely before decorating or the icing will melt.
- Keep royal icing covered with a damp towel when not using so it does not dry out.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Royal Icing is really easy to decorate with, just make sure that you keep it covered with a damp dish towel when you aren’t using it so it doesn’t dry out.
Gingersnaps are baked longer so they are crunchy. Gingerbread man cookies are usually a little softer and meant for decorating.
Use cookie cutters or a knife to cut shapes when the dough is raw. But if they come out misshapen after baking, trim the cookies into to their original shapes while the gingerbread is still warm.
Yes. Traditional gingerbread icing is white, but you can use gel food coloring to make red, green or any color you want.
Yes. Roll the dough a little thicker and bake a few minutes longer so the pieces are sturdy.
Make Ahead and Storage
- To make ahead chill the dough up to 2 days before rolling and baking.
- To freeze the dough wrap it well, place in a freezer bag and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, then roll and bake.
- To freeze baked cookies freeze undecorated cookies in an airtight container with parchment between layers for 1 to 2 months. Decorate after thawing.
- To store baked cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days. Decorated cookies will keep too, especially with royal icing since it dries hard.
More Holiday Cookies
- Chocolate Orange Cookies
- Dipped Ritz Cookies
- Andes Mint Cookies
- Molasses Cookies
- The Best Christmas Sugar Cookies Ever – and How to Decorate Them
- 3-Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
These Gingerbread Man Cookies are classic, reliable and perfect for decorating. You get warm holiday spices, a dough that rolls beautifully and a cookie that actually tastes good. If you make them, come back and leave a rating and tell me how you decorated yours. I love your ideas and your notes help other bakers.🌲❤️
Gingerbread Man Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 4 cups flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Royal icing
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and molasses. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix at high speed to keep it smooth.
- In a different bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Slowly add to the wet ingredients while stirring. Mix until combined.
- Divide the dough in half and shape into two balls. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Remove one from fridge and bring to room temperature (let it sit out for 15 minutes, or microwave for about 10 seconds). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- On a floured surface, roll dough out to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut rolled out dough with cookie cutters.
- Place cut-out dough on a baking sheet that is greased or lined with parchment paper or silicone mat.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let the cookies rest for 5 min on the baking sheet before moving them to a cooling rack.
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, decorate with royal icing and any candies and enjoy!
Notes
- Chill dough at least 4 hours so it rolls and cuts cleanly.
- Keep dough cold by working with one half at a time.
- Roll to ¼ inch for tender cookies that still hold their shape.
- Bake on parchment or a silicone mat for even bottoms.
- Cool completely before decorating so the icing does not melt.
- Store in an airtight container or freeze undecorated cookies for later.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe?
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Can you use the Gingerbread cookie recipe for making a gingerbread house? Do you have a Gingerbread house recipe?
Yes, we do!
Here is the recipe: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/valentines-day-gingerbread-house/
It is decorated with Valentines Day candy but you can just do Christmas candy. 🙂
This was really informational!
A delish crispy cookie.