4.85 from 13 reviews

Gingerbread Man Cookies

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snowflake, tree, candy cane, and gingerbread men cookies with white icing on a white circle plate

Christmas time wouldn’t be as fun if there weren’t gingerbread man cookies involved!

I love the smell as the cookies are baking in the oven; they fill the kitchen with a warm and inviting aroma which just screams the holidays. These cookies bring me so much joy and kids and adults alike always love them!

I especially love them with my morning cup of coffee. The blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom makes these cookies stand out from other holiday cookies and they’re such a delicious nostalgic treat.

Some of my other favorite cookies to enjoy with a cup of coffee are my almond butter blossoms, apple butter snickerdoodles, chocolate chipless cookies, and these chocolate peppermint cookies.

gingerbread cookies on a cookie sheet decorated with icing.

You can get creative with different cookie cutter shapes, like stars, snowmen, angels, candy canes, etc. Of course the classic gingerbread man cookie cutters are always cute and fun! After the cookies cool off, you can decorate the cookies with icing, candies, or whatever else you’d like!

Why this recipe works

  • You can make the dough in advance, and bake when you’re ready/the next day.
  • The cookies are ultra soft and not tough or crunchy.
  • They have the perfect blend of spices
  • They’re fun for cookie decorating parties
  • And they’re totally delicious!
ingredients needed to make gingerbread man cookies in small glass bowls.

Ingredient Notes

For the ingredient measurements and entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.

  • Flour: I’m using all purpose flour for these bars. Flour is the main structure of the cookies and provides the framework and bulk. Be sure to spoon and level the flour into your measuring cup. I have not tested this recipe with a gluten free flour.
  • Baking Soda & Baking Powder: These are used as leavening agents to help the cookies rise.
  • Molasses: This is a key ingredient in gingerbread, giving the cookies their characteristic dark color and rich, slightly smoky flavor. I used an unsulphured molasses.
  • Spices: Ground ginger is the key spice, along with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg. The combination of these spices gives gingerbread its signature warm and spicy flavor.
  • Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the cookies.
  • Butter: I used softened butter. You can use salted or unsalted, I actually tested the recipe with both ways and found both equally as delicious.
  • Egg yolk: instead of using the whole egg, I am just using the yolk. This is because the fat in the yolk can make the gingerbread cookies more tender. Whole eggs can sometimes make baked goods a bit tougher or chewier because of the protein in the egg whites.
  • Brown sugar: adds sweetness and contributes to the texture of the cookie.
gingerbread dough being cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
gingerbread man cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Step by Step Directions

For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.

  1. Combine the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Cream together the butter and sugar.
  3. Add in the yolk and vanilla. Then the molasses and milk. Combine.
  4. Gradually add in the dry ingredients.
  5. Bring together the dough into a ball, divide into 4 sections.
  6. Form each section into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill.
  7. OR, roll out each section on a floured piece of parchment, transfer to a cookie sheet and freeze for about 15 minutes. Then you can cut into shapes and bake.
  8. If chilling the disks, after chilling, roll the dough out on a floured surface, cut into shapes and bake.
  9. Cool, then decorate as desired.
gingerbread man cookies on a piece of white parchment paper decorated with icing.
gingerbread men cookies on a white plate decorated with decorative frosting.

Expert Tips

  1. Use Fresh Spices: Fresh, high-quality spices are crucial for the most flavorful cookies. Spices lose their potency over time, so make sure they’re fresh for the best taste.
  2. Chill the Dough: Chilling the dough before rolling it out can help prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, ensuring they keep their shape. It also makes the dough easier to handle.
  3. Don’t Overwork the Dough: Overworking the dough can make the cookies tough. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
  4. Roll to Even Thickness: Roll out your dough to an even thickness to ensure uniform baking. Uneven cookies will bake at different rates, leading to some overcooked or undercooked parts.
  5. Mind the Baking Time: Keep a close eye on your cookies as they bake. Overbaking can lead to hard, dry cookies. They should be just firm to the touch and a little softer in the middle as they will harden as they cool.
  6. Cool Before Decorating: Allow your cookies to cool completely before decorating. This prevents the icing from melting and keeps your decorations neat.
  7. Precision in Cutting Shapes: Use a sharp-edged cookie cutter for clean cuts. Dip the cutter in flour between uses to prevent sticking.
  8. Decorate Creatively: Have fun with the decorating process. Use colored icing, candies, and edible markers to bring personality to your gingerbread men.
gingerbread man cookies on a piece of white parchment paper decorated with icing.
gingerbread man cookies on a piece of white parchment paper decorated with icing.

Variations

  1. Chocolate Gingerbread Men: Add a little cocoa powder to the dough for a chocolate twist on the traditional flavor.
  2. Spice Variations: Adjust the levels of spices based on personal preference, or add in chai spices like pepper or star anise for a fun twist.
  3. Orange or Lemon Zest: Incorporating citrus zest into the dough can add a fresh, zesty flavor, complementing the spices.
  4. Gingerbread Men with Nuts: Adding finely chopped nuts like almonds or walnuts to the dough can provide an interesting texture and flavor contrast.
  5. Molasses-Free Gingerbread Men: For a lighter flavor, some recipes substitute honey or maple syrup for molasses. I have not tested this out with my recipe so I cannot say for sure how this will work.
  6. Mini Gingerbread Men: Make smaller cookies for bite-sized treats, which are especially popular for parties and as gifts.
gingerbread man cookies on a piece of white parchment paper decorated with icing.

Storage

  • Be sure to cool completely and store in an airtight container. Be sure to wait until the icing has hardened before storing. They will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • If you plan to freeze the cookies, it’s best to do so before decorating them. Icing and decorations can become messy once thawed. Freeze cookies for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw then decorate!

Do you like your gingerbread man cookies with frosting, or without?

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

snowflake, tree, candy cane, and gingerbread men cookies with white icing on a white circle plate
4.85 from 13 reviews

Gingerbread Man Cookies

Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 25 cookies
My Gingerbread Man Cookies have the perfect blend of sweet and spicy, with a slightly moist, dense texture to the cookie. The combination of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom create a warm and aromatic cookie that is comforting and enticing for the holiday season. These cookies are more on the soft and chewy spectrum, as opposed to super crispy and crunchy. You can add the decorative icing or candies for extra sweetness and fun or enjoy them as is!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
  • 3/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup molasses (I used Grandmas unsulphured Molasses)
  • 2 Tbsp. milk

Decorative icing

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. milk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

Directions

  • In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt & set aside.
    3 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 Tbsp. ground ginger, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ground cloves, 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom, 3/4 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt
    dry cookie ingredients
  • Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or hand mixer, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when needed.
    3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
    cubed butter added to cookie ingredients
  • Mix in the egg yolk (not with the egg white, just yolk) and vanilla extract.
    1 large egg yolk, room temperature, 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
    egg added to dry cookie ingredients
  • Then mix in the molasses and milk.
    1/2 cup molasses, 2 Tbsp. milk
    cookie ingredients in a clear bowl
  • With mixer set on low speed slowly and gradually add in the dry ingredients.
    dry cookie ingredients
  • Mix until combined.
    ingredients mixed together to make cookies
  • Form the dough into a disk on a lightly floured work surface and divide the dough into four equal portions.
    rolled out gingerbread cookie dough split into quarters
  • At this point, you need to chill the dough and you have 2 options. The first option is a longer chill time, second option is quicker: 1. Form each portion into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours or overnight. Once dough is chilled you can roll it out on a floured surface (flour the rolling pin lightly too) and cut into shapes; continue baking as directed below. OR option 2. Roll out each portion of dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper (about 1/2-inch thickness) and transfer the parchment paper and dough to a baking sheet. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until firm. Then continue baking as directed below.
    gingerbread cookie dough rolled out
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a few sheet pans with parchment paper.
  • Cut into shapes using a gingerbread man cookie cutter (or whatever shape you’d prefer: stars, stockings, etc. (Pro tip: cut with a floured gingerbread man cookie cutter).
    gingerbread cookie dough being cut into shapes
  • Transfer to prepared cookie sheets, spacing cookies about 1-inch apart, and bake in preheated oven 9-11 minutes or until slightly set.
    baked gingerbread cookies on a baking sheet
  • Remove cookies oven and cool on baking sheet 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
    baked gingerbread cookies on a baking sheet
  • Re-form the dough scraps into a ball, roll it out and repeat. I only recommend to re-form the dough scraps only twice (three times maximum) because overworked dough might have too much extra flour added to it, which would make the cookies drier, denser, and harder.
  • If decorating with icing, combine the icing ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Decorate using a piping bag using a #2 decorating tip. Enjoy!
    2 cups powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp. milk, 2 tsp. vanilla extract
    gingerbread men, christmas trees, snow flakes, and candy cane gingerbread cookies with white icing

Video

Notes

  • Be sure to cool completely and store in an airtight container. Wait until the icing has hardened before storing. They will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • If you plan to freeze the cookies, it’s best to do so before decorating them. Icing and decorations can become messy once thawed. Freeze cookies for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw then decorate!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 189kcal (9%), Carbohydrates: 34g (11%), Protein: 2g (4%), Fat: 5g (8%), Saturated Fat: 1g (6%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 8mg (3%), Sodium: 143mg (6%), Potassium: 143mg (4%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 21g (23%), Vitamin A: 227IU (5%), Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 42mg (4%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

FAQs

How can I make my gingerbread cookies crisp and snappy?

This recipe makes a more soft and chewy cookie, so if you’re looking for a crisp, crunchy, snappy cookie I recommend to bake them a little longer, decrease some of the molasses, roll the dough out more thinly, use white sugar, or you can try increasing the oven temperature.

How do you decorate gingerbread man cookies?

You can use a store bought icing or make the one I have listed in the recipe card. Transfer the icing into piping bags fitted with small round tips (I used a #2 tip). And if you don’t have piping bags, you can use a ziplock bag and snip a tiny corner off. You can outline them or fill them in, get creative!

Why did my gingerbread men spread and lose their shape when baking?

Your dough may have gotten too warm, be sure to chill it prior to baking. Be sure to use a light colored baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using too little flour may also be a culprit.

Photography: photos taken in this post are by Megan from The Broke Girl Table.

Krolls Korner

Krolls Korner

Welcome to my tiny “korner” on the Internet! I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who loves cookies as much as kale. (OK, maybe I like cookies a little bit more but shh, don’t tell anyone). I am so glad you’re here! Follow along for hassle free, realistic and approachable recipes.

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9 Comments
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Shelle

I am so excited to try this recipe, as they are one of my favorites. Are there any adjustments that need to be made if baking above 4500 feet? Thanks!

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Sara Welch

What a fun holiday activity to do with my kids! Adding these to my baking line up this weekend!

Noelle

The pictures turned out so cute! Loved how easy they were to make and customize with cute little faces!

Emily Liao

These gingerbread cookies look great and so festive! Definitely will whip these up with the kids during Christmas.

Jordin

PERFECT for the holidays! I need to make these, everyone in the family would love them.

Kelly Anthony

These are the cutest gingerbread men I have ever seen. I don’t love icing either so I really like that you decorated them with the stamps!

Amber @ Homemade Nutrition

These cookies are adorable; I love all the faces! And the recipe looks delicious. 🙂