Easy no chill gingerbread men cookie recipe! This delicious cut out gingerbread men cookie recipe is ready in under 30 minutes.
It’s no secret that we love cookies around here. Quick and easy and worth-the-wait, we love them all!
Around the holidays, there’s so much going on, and I often make quick and easy cookies – like these easy no-chill gingerbread men. These simple cookies don’t need to be chilled before they’re rolled and cut out, so they can be ready in about 30 minutes.
The dough can also be mixed up in just one bowl, and fewer dishes make life that much easier! Plus the cookies are soft and make the perfect base for any cookie decorations.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Molasses: I don’t recommend using blackstrap molasses.
- Brown sugar: Using dark brown sugar will give you richer flavor. You can light brown sugar if you prefer.
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. If you’re using unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Flour: Be sure to properly measure the flour. Stir or sift the flour. Lightly spoon into a measuring cup and then level.
- Spices: The cookies are lightly spiced. If you like stronger spices, feel free to increase the spices.
How to make no chill gingerbread men
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: In a small bowl, stir molasses, brown sugar, and spices together. Microwave until the sugar has melted, about 60 seconds.
Step 2: Stir the molasses mixture and butter together until the butter has melted and has cooled slightly.
Step 3: Add the eggs and stir in.
Step 4: Stir in the flour and baking soda until combined. Don’t overmix.
Step 5: Place the dough onto a floured surface.
Step 6: Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough into desired shapes, re-rolling dough scraps as needed.
Step 7: Place the cut out cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheets.
Step 8: Let the cookies bake until the cookies are set but still soft and puffed in the center, about 10 minutes.
Step 9: Decorate the cooled cookies with royal icing or other desired decorations.
Recipe FAQs
You can! Just let the cookies cool to room temperature. Then store in a single layer in a resealable, freezer-safe container. Decorate the cookies after freezing.
Absolutely! You can use different types of cookie cutters to make different shapes.
Storage
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. The cookies will keep for up to 3 days when properly stored.
More Christmas cookie recipes!
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No Chill Gingerbread Men
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup molasses1
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar2 packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger3
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour4 properly measured
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl, stir together the molasses, sugar, cinnamon, and ginger.
- Microwave until the brown sugar has melted, about 60 seconds.
- Add the butter, and mix until the butter has melted.
- Continue mixing until well-combined and the butter has cooled slightly.
- Mix in the eggs until well-combined.
- Add the flour and baking soda, and stir in just until incorporated.
- Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface.
- Roll to 1/4-inch thick.
- Cut dough into desired shapes, re-rolling the scraps as needed.
- Bake until the cookies are puffed and soft in the center, about 10 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a baking sheet to finish cooling.
- Let the cookies cool to room temperature before decorating.
Video
Notes
- Molasses: I don’t recommend using blackstrap molasses.
- Brown sugar: Using dark brown sugar will give you richer flavor. You can light brown sugar if you prefer.
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. If you’re using unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Flour: Be sure to properly measure the flour. Stir or sift the flour. Lightly spoon into a measuring cup and then level.
- Spices: The cookies are lightly spiced. If you like stronger spices, feel free to increase the spices.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Originally published 12/18/19.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
stephen gossman says
Good cookies, family loved them.
Kate says
Thank you!
Audrey Bossolt says
Absolutely love this recipe but the cookies don’t have much flavor but that would not stop me from making these again!!
Kate says
Hi! If you would like the cookies to have stronger spice flavor, you can double or triple the amount of spices.
Holly says
Very easy to follow. I added more spices. The cookies are light, soft, and fluffy!
Kate says
Thank you!
trish says
beautiful festive cookies! so easy and delicious. can i make ahead and freeze before frosting/decorating?
Kate says
Thank you! Yes, the undecorated cookies can be frozen.
Desi D says
Delicious!
This is one of the best gingerbread cookies I’ve ever had, so light and fluffy! I wish the recipe included an icing recipe also. I found it very hard to roll out, because every time I did, it stuck to either the rolling pin or surface it was on. So I recommend rolling into a ball! Overall very delectable!
Kate says
Thank you! If you find that your rolling pin is sticking to the dough, you can sprinkle it with a little bit of flour or powdered sugar.
Malodey A Mcgrath says
I was wondering if I could use is to syrup instead of molasses? My grandbaby doesn’t like the harshness of molasses.
Malodey A Mcgrath says
I meant karo syrup
Kate says
Hi! I haven’t tried using it in this recipe, but dark corn syrup can should substitute for molasses at a 1:1 ratio. Hope that helps!
Brittany Andreasen says
How many cookies about does it make!?
Kate says
The recipe makes 24 cookies.
Heidi K says
Wonderful!
Kate says
Thank you!
Brittany Andreasen says
Can I use all coconut sugar!?
Kate says
I haven’t tried using coconut sugar in this recipe to say for certain how it would work.
Brittany Andreasen says
Ok thanks! I will try it and let you know how it works!
Kate says
Good luck!!
Brittany Andreasen says
They turned out beautifully! Thanks for this recipe! I doubled the amount of ginger and cinnamon and added a teaspoon of allspice and used 1 cup of coconut sugar!
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad that they turned out well! Thank you for taking the time to come back and share your notes!
Jennifer shroyer says
All I have is black strap molasses. Can I use it?
Kate says
You can. Blackstrap is just a stronger, more bitter molasses, so it will work fine. It just changes the flavor of the cookies.
Rebacca Herr says
Do u have to use dark brown sugar? I only have light
Kate says
You can use light brown. Dark brown just gives it a slightly richer flavor.
Jenna says
These turned out great. All the recipes I read said to chill for our 2-3 hours. I loved not having to do that with this and they tasted great!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that you liked the cookies!
Jj says
Definitely needs more spice. But good recipe.
Kate says
Thanks! That’s certainly an easy change!