Gingerbread Men Recipe

A red and white striped plate holding gingerbread men cookies stacked overlapping each other.

This gingerbread men recipe makes cut out gingerbread men cookies that are perfect for decorating!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 8

Chill 1

Total Time 1 23

Servings cookies

Calories 127kcal

Author Kate @ I Heart Eating

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour properly measured
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
¾ cup dark brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup unsulphured molasses not blackstrap
1 large egg at room temperature

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and salt.
3 cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon 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.
¾ cup unsalted butter
Add the brown sugar and vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
¾ cup dark brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Beat in the molasses and the egg until well-combined.
½ cup unsulphured molasses, 1 large egg
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.
Nutrition values are estimates.

Nutrition