The Yummiest Gingerbread Men Recipe
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Perfectly spiced, with just the right amount of crunch and softness, these Gingerbread Men Cookies are SO yummy!
Make these ahead, and plan a decorating party! A fun activity for people of all ages to enjoy!
For more holiday treats, try my No Bake Haystack Cookies, Cranberry Orange Cookies, or my Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies, too!
Step by step photos and instructions below
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Tis the season…. to eat cookies.
I LOVE Christmas and all that it entails. Food, Family, and Fun is pretty much the name of the game.
Baking cookies is a big part of our Christmas tradition. Right after Thanksgiving is done we have my oldest son’s birthday, our wedding anniversary, and THEN! THEN we can decorate for Christmas and get all our cookie baking done.
Why this Gingerbread Cookies recipe works
- It’s FUN! Make a big batch of the cookies and have them cooled and ready to go. Then gather anyone who wants to decorate and let them have fun!
- Easy! Nothing too complex, just good old fashioned baking. See the notes for hints
Do you love Gingerbread flavors? Try my EPIC Gingerbread Latte Recipe!
Kylee’s Notes & FAQs
How to store Gingerbread Men
Store in a covered container at room temperature for 7-10 days.
Make ahead
Make the dough ahead, up to a week. If you need to make this longer, freeze your dough. Wrap it well, and place in a ziploc bag. Freeze up to 2 months, then thaw in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Substitutions/Additions
- You could use store-bought icing if preferred. Royal icing is a good one to use on these!
- Adjust the amount of spices to your personal preference. I feel like the spice level is perfect, but you can amp it up or dial it back if you need or want to.
What to decorate Gingerbread Men with?
Frosting, candy, and little decorations you find in the grocery store works!
Make other shapes!
I’m talking candy canes, circles (made to look like Christmas tree baubles), Christmas trees – let your imagination go!
Key Recipe Ingredients
Remember: this is just an overview and the why of the ingredients I choose here. The full list of ingredients and amounts is found in the printable recipe card below.
How to make this recipe
Scroll for Recipe
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. The full list of ingredients, quantities and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Get prepped
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Make the cookie dough
In a large bowl using a hand mixer (or stand mixer with the paddle attachment) cream the butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add molasses, egg, and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy, making sure to scrape down the edges as you go, about 3 minutes.
In a separate smaller bowl whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together. Then add ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves until well combined.
Slowly add the flour mixture to wet ingredients one cup at a time and mix until fully blended. The dough should be sticky and thick but not too sticky that you can’t handle it.
Chill the dough
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and shape it into a disc. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. The longer you chill it, the better!
Rolling and Cutting
Place the dough disc on a lightly floured surface, split it in half, put one half back in the refrigerator to continue cooling.
Roll out with a rolling pin the other half of the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Using your cookie cutter cut out men from the rolled out dough and add them to the prepared baking sheets.
Baking
Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, and allow the cookies to cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, before removing to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.
Icing
Add egg white, powdered sugar, and milk to a bowl and beat on low speed until combined. Beat on high speed for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. You should be able to pull your beater up and the drips melt into the rest of the icing slowly. If it is too runny add more sugar and if it is too thick add more milk.
Fill a piping bag with a small tip attached with icing, I use a #3 tip, or you can use a sandwich bag with a small cut at the end.
Decorate each gingerbread man with icing or decorative candies and allow the icing to harden for about 10 minutes before eating.
Some of our favorite cookie recipes:
- Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies. Just FOUR ingredients in these yummy Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies (aka Cheater Cookies), you’ll be the hero when you pull these out of the oven in less than 30 minutes!
- Simple Vanilla Caramel Cookies. Easy to make, and filled with aromatic vanilla and sweet caramel, this recipe for Simple Vanilla Caramel Cookies makes a wonderful tasting treat.
- Almond Butter Cookies. Soft and chewy, these almond butter cookies made from homemade almond butter. A treat for those with peanut allergies, and so good, everyone will love them!
- German Chocolate Cookies. German Chocolate Cake in cookie form! Soft, chewy chocolate cookies topped with a creamy, caramel/coconut/pecan frosting and drizzled with melted chocolate.
- Earl Grey Tea Cookies. Crispy and delicately flavored with a fragrant tea, and a hint of orange zest, these Earl Grey Tea Cookies are unique and amazing!
- ALL COOKIE RECIPES
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Gingerbread Men
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Men
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
For Icing:
- 1 egg white
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
For the Gingerbread Men
Get prepped
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Make the cookie dough
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer (or stand mixer with the paddle attachment) cream 3/4 cup unsalted butter and3/4 cup dark brown sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.3/4 cup unsalted butter, 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- Add 1/2 cup molasses, 1 egg, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and mix until light and fluffy, making sure to scrape down the edges as you go, about 3 minutes.1/2 cup molasses, 1 egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate smaller bowl combine 3 cups all-purpose flour, b1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Then add 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon cloves until well combined.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- Slowly add the flour mixture to wet ingredients one cup at a time and mix until fully blended. The dough should be sticky and thick but not too sticky that you can’t handle it.
Chill out
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and shape it into a disc. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight, the longer you chill it the better.
Rolling and Cutting
- Place the dough disc on a lightly floured surface, split it in half, put one half back in the refrigerator to continue cooling.
- Roll out with a rolling pin the other half of the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter cut out shapes and add them to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Baking
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.Allow the cookies to cool completely on cooling rack before frosting them.
For the icing
- Add 1 egg white, 3 cups powdered sugar and 2-3 tablespoons milkto a bowl and beat on low speed until combined. Beat on high speed for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. You should be able to pull your beater up and the drips melt into the rest of the icing slowly. If it is too runny add more sugar and if it is too thick add more milk.1 egg white, 3 cups powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons milk
- Fill a piping bag with a small tip attached with icing, I used a #3 tip, or you can use a sandwich bag with a small cut at the end.
- Decorate your gingerbread men with icing or decorative candies and allow the icing to harden for about 10 minutes before eating.
- Devour.
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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About Kylee Ayotte
I am a born and raised New Zealander (a Kiwi), now living in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m happily married to the love of my life – a hot American boy I met while traveling the world. I’m a mama to 2 awesome little boys and love red things, rugby, cheesecake, and bacon. Mmmmm. Bacon. Meet Kylee
I made these with my kids this weekend and they were such a hit!!! Really easy to make and tasted delicious. This gingerbread recipe will be my new go to for the holidays. Thanks Kylee!