I love gingerbread men and this is the best gingerbread man cookie recipe I’ve ever had! Seriously, you can taste the molasses, the brown sugar, and they’re so soft! Most store bought gingerbread men are crunchy, but these are soft as can be! Plus, you can taste all the delicious spices! This gingerbread men recipe is perfect for the holidays or whenever. And the best part is, once you make a pan full of these tasty gingerbread men, you can decorate them with your family!
Gingerbread Man Cookie Recipe
I think gingerbread men are my favorite Christmas cookie. I’ve always been a huge fan of them ever since I was a child. Frosted or unfrosted, it doesn’t matter. The rich molasses flavor and spices are the absolutely delicious! The best part is this gingerbread man cookie recipe is so easy to make. A little time consuming because you have to allow it to spend some time in the fridge, but that’s okay! The wait is totally worth it!
This recipe for gingerbread men cookies is based on this recipe. I however made a couple tweaks to it. But that’s the fun thing about recipes, you can change them to your taste! I didn’t use salt because I used salted butter, I also added more cinnamon for more of a spicy flavor.
Supplies Needed To Make Gingerbread Man Cookie Recipe
- 2 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 Stick Salted Butter (Soft)
- 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Unsulphured Molasses
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 Egg
- 3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Clove
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
How To Make Delicious and Soft Gingerbread Man Cookies
Step 1
Once your butter has sat out at least 2 hours, the add it to a large mixing bowl with your sugar and molasses.
Step 2
Mix vigorously with a whisk or fork until everything is super creamy.
Step 3
Add your egg and vanilla extract to your butter mixture.
Note
The mix will look a little grainy and odd, don’t fret! Nothing is messed up, I promise!
Step 4
In another mixing bowl add in your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, ginger, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Step 5
Mix the dry ingredients well.
Step 6
Start slowly mixing the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Step 7
Mix until everything is wet and the dough comes together into a ball.
Step 8
Place the dough into saran wrap and squish it down to a disc. Wrap completely so it doesn’t dry out.
Step 9
Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. The dough should be firm.
Step 10
Preheat your oven to 375F. Take the dough out and cut it into 4 pieces of gingerbread man dough.
Step 11
Sprinkle flour on your work space or the cookie dough will stick.
Step 12
Roll it out until it’s relatively thin, around 1/4-1/2 inch.
Step 13
Cut out the cookies and put them on a a baking sheet and bake them for about 9 minutes.
Note
If your cookies are thinner check at 7-8 minutes. If thicker check around 10 minutes.
Step 14
Let them cool and then decorate them with simple cookie icing.
Can You Freeze Leftover Gingerbread Cookie Dough?
Yes, you can, however, make sure it’s properly wrapped. Keep it tightly wrapped in a saran wrap and put in a freezer ziplock bag or an airtight container. When you’re ready to make them, bring the dough out to thaw but roll it out when it is still slightly firm.
How To Store Leftover Gingerbread Man Cookies?
Not eating all the cookies in one sitting or serving them at a party? No problem! These gingerbread man cookies can be stored in an airtight container. I’d probably eat them within a week.
Enjoy Your Soft and Delicious Gingerbread Man Cookies
These gingerbread man cookies are so tasty, soft, spicy, and just overall amazing. You definitely need to make these this holiday season! This is a great gingerbread man recipe for kids. It’s easy, and they’re fun to decorate. These traditional gingerbread men would also make a great gift for loved ones.
Some Frequently Asked Questions About Gingerbread Men and Gingerbread Men Recipes
The answer is… it depends. On what you may ask? Your preference. I believe a soft gingerbread man cookie is ideal. But I have a friend that likes her cookies crunchy. So it really depends on whether you like your gingerbread men soft or hard.
Gingerbread men will firm up as they cool. As do all cookies. If you try to move any cookie right out of the oven you will find it falls apart. But even if you do make crispier gingerbread men cookies, you will find they do soften a bit by the next day.
Technically…yes. Molasses can be swapped out for maple syrup, but you’ll probably need less of it. Molasses does give a distinct flavor to gingerbread cookies so don’t expect the flavor to be the same.
Sulfured molasses is made from green sugarcane that is still immature and treated with sulfur fumes during the sugar extracting process. Unsulphured molasses is made from ripe sugarcane and doesn’t require the addition of sulphur.
If you find your gingerbread men spreading the issue is the temperature of your dough. The colder they are, the less they will spread. So if you find your dough room temperature right before you bake put them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
The Best Gingerbread Man Cookie Recipe Ever
Equipment
- Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter
Ingredients
- 1 Stick Stick Salted Butter (Soft)
- 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Unsulphured Molasses
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Egg
- 3/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/4 tsp Ground Clove
- 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 2 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
Instructions
- Once your butter has sat out at least 2 hours, the add it to a large mixing bowl with your sugar and molasses.
- Mix vigorously with a whisk or fork until everything is super creamy.
- Add your egg and vanilla extract to your butter mixture.
- In another mixing bowl add in your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, ginger, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
- Mix the dry ingredients well.
- Start slowly mixing the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Mix until everything is wet and the dough comes together into a ball.
- Place the dough into saran wrap and squish it down to a disc. Wrap completely so it doesn’t dry out.
- Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. The dough should be firm.
- Preheat your oven to 375F. Take the dough out and cut it into 4 pieces of gingerbread man dough.
- Sprinkle flour on your work space or the cookie dough will stick.
- Roll it out until it’s relatively thin, around 1/4-1/2 inch.
- Cut out the cookies and put them on a a baking sheet and bake them for about 9 minutes.
- Let them cool and then decorate them with simple cookie icing.
Notes
More Sweet Desserts And Christmas Treats From Homemaking For God
- Learn how to make a gingerbread house with your family.
- You have to make this deliciously easy and festive Christmas cookie charcuterie board.
- This is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever!
- These easy chocolate dipped tuxedo Oreos are the best.
- This is the richest, creamiest, oat milk hot chocolate ever.
- Are you ready for the best apple pie recipe?
- This simple cinnamon pumpkin pie recipe is going to be a hit with your family.
Did you try out this recipe for gingerbread men? How did your gingerbread cookies turn out?