This gingerbread men recipe makes classic cut out gingerbread men cookies. This simple recipe takes minimal prep to make, and the gingerbread men make a tasty addition to any cookie tray.
Embrace the holiday spirit and fill your kitchen with the warm, inviting aroma of freshly baked gingerbread men cookies! These classic treats are not just delicious, they’re also surprisingly simple to make.
These cookies don’t just smell fantastic; the delightful blend of ginger and warm spices makes them taste like Christmas. The gingerbread men are perfect for holiday baking with family and friends, and decorating the cookies is half the fun.
So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and make some memories while you make these tasty gingerbread men cookies!
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Flour: It’s important to properly measure the flour. Weighing the flour will give you the most accurate measurement. You can also sift or stir the flour to break it up, lightly spoon it into the measuring cup, and level. Avoid packing the flour as that will give you dry dough.
- Spices: Feel free to adjust the spices to your liking.
- Butter: If you’d like to use salted butter, simply substitute the salted butter and omit the salt.
- Brown sugar: Dark brown sugar will give you richer flavor. If you can’t find dark brown sugar, use light brown sugar.
- Molasses: I like to use robust molasses for more molasses flavor. Regular molasses will also work. I don’t recommend using blackstrap molasses as it can be bitter.
How to make gingerbread men
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including instructions, is given below.
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: In a separate large bowl, cream the softened butter using a stand mixer or a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 3: Add the brown sugar and vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Step 4: Beat in the molasses and the egg until well-combined.
Step 5: Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in a few batches, mixing until the dough comes together. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl in between additions.
Step 6: Divide the dough into two equally sized balls and flatten into discs.
Step 7: Wrap each dough disc in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Step 8: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 9: Working one portion at a time, roll out the chilled dough on a well floured surface until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Keep the other portion chilled while you work.
Step 10: Use cookie cutters to cut out your gingerbread men.
Tip >> Add more flour to the surface, rolling pin, and cookie cutters as needed to prevent sticking.
Step 11: Use a floured spatula to transfer them to the baking sheets, placing the cookies 2 inches apart.
Step 11: Bake for about 8 minutes, or until the cookie edges are slightly browned.
Step 12: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
Recipe Tips!
- Cutting the cookies: Dipping your cookie cutter in flour and then tapping off any excess can help to prevent the cookie cutter from sticking to the dough.
- Re-rolling the dough: Try to cut out the dough shaped as close together as possible. The more you add flour and re-roll the dough, the tougher and drier the dough gets.
- Decorating the cookies: You can decorate the cookies any number of ways! Some ideas are to use colored sugar, sprinkles, or royal icing.
Recipe FAQs
If you skip chilling the dough, the cookies will bake out (be really flat). If you’d like a recipe that doesn’t require chilling, try my no-chill gingerbread men recipe instead.
You can! Wrap the dough well and place in a freezer-safe container. The frozen dough will keep for up to 3 months.
Yes, you can. Let the baked cookies cool completely before freezing in a freezer-safe container. I recommend waiting until after the cookies have thawed to decorate them as freezing/thawing can make the royal icing melt into the cookies.
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. The cookies will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored.
More Christmas cookie recipes!
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Gingerbread Men Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour properly measured
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses not blackstrap
- 1 large egg at room temperature
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, cream the softened butter using a stand mixer or a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar and vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Beat in the molasses and the egg until well-combined.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in a few batches, mixing until the dough comes together. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl in between additions.
- Divide the dough into two equally sized balls and flatten into discs.
- Wrap each dough disc in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Working one portion at a time, roll out the chilled dough on a well floured surface until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Keep the other portion chilled while you work.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out your gingerbread men and use a floured spatula to transfer them to the baking sheets, placing the cookies 2 inches apart. Add more flour to the surface, rolling pin, and cookie cutters as needed to prevent sticking.
- Bake for about 8 minutes, or until the cookie edges are slightly browned.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
Notes
- Flour: It’s important to properly measure the flour. Weighing the flour will give you the most accurate measurement. You can also sift or stir the flour to break it up, lightly spoon it into the measuring cup, and level. Avoid packing the flour as that will give you dry dough.
- Spices: Feel free to adjust the spices to your liking.
- Butter: If you’d like to use salted butter, simply substitute the salted butter and omit the salt.
- Brown sugar: Dark brown sugar will give you richer flavor. If you can’t find dark brown sugar, use light brown sugar.
- Molasses: I like to use robust molasses for more molasses flavor. Regular molasses will also work. I don’t recommend using blackstrap molasses as it can be bitter.
- Yield: The number of cookies you get from the recipe will vary depending on the size and shape of the cookie cutters you use.Â
- Nutrition values are estimates.Â
Nutrition
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