Gingerbread Men Cookies
Gingerbread men cookies are a Christmas baking favorite, with molasses, brown sugar, and plenty of ginger and cinnamon.
This homemade cookie recipe is perfect for cookie cutters, so you can make a batch of little gingerbread people ready for icing, sprinkles, and candy buttons.
Make them for a cookie exchange, package them as homemade gifts, or set aside an afternoon to decorate with the kids.
You’ll need to allow time for the dough to chill before rolling and baking. Below, you’ll find tips for working with the dough, choosing a softer or crunchier texture, and decorating once the cookies have cooled.
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Ingredients for Gingerbread Men
- Molasses – This is the star ingredient that gives the cookies their deep color, rich flavor, and signature chewiness. Choose dark molasses for the best results.
- Brown Sugar – Adds sweetness while also keeping the cookies soft and moist thanks to its molasses content.
- Warm Spices – Ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice work together to create that cozy, unmistakable gingerbread flavor. The balance of these spices is what makes these cookies stand out.
- Butter – Provides richness and a tender crumb. Make sure it’s softened so it blends smoothly into the dough.
- Egg – Helps bind the ingredients and adds structure, ensuring your cookies hold their shape when baked.
Pantry staples—flour, baking soda, salt, and vanilla—work quietly in the background to give gingerbread men cookies their structure, balance, and depth of flavor.
How to Make Gingerbread Man Cookies
You’ll want to plan ahead as Gingerbread cookies taste even better the next day as the spices meld together.
- Mix the dough, divide it into two disks, and chill for at least 3 hours.
- Work with one disk at a time, keeping the other refrigerated so it stays easy to handle.
- Roll the dough between sheets of parchment paper to about ¼ inch thick, then cut out your gingerbread men. If the dough gets sticky, chill it again before continuing.
- Bake similar-sized cookies together so they finish at the same time.
- Let the cookies cool completely before decorating so the icing doesn’t melt or slide off.
- For more tips on packing and keeping your cookies fresh, check out my guide on how to store Christmas cookies.
Don’t Forget To…
- Scroll down to print the full recipe with step-by-step instructions and exact measurements.
- Check out my Kitchen Essentials for the pans, mixing bowls, and baking tools I use to make this recipe a breeze.
- Save or share this recipe on Pinterest!
Plan Your Christmas Baking
Keep your recipes, ingredient lists, and baking schedule together with my Christmas Baking Planner. It’s an easy way to organize cookies for gifts, cookie swaps, and family gatherings.
Either is fine—it comes down to how you like them! For softer gingerbread men, roll the dough a little thicker and use the shorter baking time for your cookie size. For crunchier cookies, roll it thinner and bake a little longer. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
Yes! Keep the dough covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before rolling and baking. You can also wrap the dough tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before using.
Royal icing works well for details such as faces, outlines, and buttons. A simple powdered sugar glaze or ready-made cookie icing is an easy option for decorating with kids. Let the cookies cool completely before adding any icing.
Cold dough can crack when you first start rolling. Let it sit briefly until it is easier to work with, then roll slowly and press small cracks back together with your fingers. It should still feel cool and firm.
Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutters 3PCS, Stainless Steel Christmas Cookie Cutter Tools with Red Environmental PVC, Gingerbread Boy Shape Moulds Set for BakingFarberware Nonstick Bakeware 3-Piece Cookie Pan Set, Gray
Unbleached Parchment Paper Baking Sheets, 9x13IN Precut Non-Stick Parchment Paper for Baking, Grilling, Air Fryer, Steaming-70 Sheets Unbleached Parchment Sheets for Bread Cup Cake Cookie And More
Cooling Racks for Cooking and Baking – 2 PCS 10
Wilton Cookie Icing, Fast-Drying Squeeze Bottle Icing for Decorating Sugar Cookies & Gingerbread, 7.5 oz., White, Packaging May Vary
More Christmas Baking Ideas
- Try my gingerbread cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting for another way to enjoy those familiar holiday spices.
- Browse more gingerbread recipes for your December baking list.
- Planning a party? My Christmas cookie exchange ideas will help you get started.
- Use my Cookie Swap Printables to help organize your exchange.
Gingerbread Man Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground all-spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅔ cup unsulphured or dark molasses
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- icing of your choice
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, all-spice, and cloves.
- In a separate large bowl, using a handheld or standing mixer, beat the butter for one minute until smooth. Add the brown sugar and molasses and continue to beat until creamy. Then, add in the egg and vanilla and mix for two minutes.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and beat on low speed until well combined.
- Separate the dough into two parts and form both into a disk shape. Place the dough into a bowl and cover. The dough will need to chill for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. This step is necessary.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 1-2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough between sheets of parchment paper to prevent sticking and make it easier to transfer the cut-out shapes to the baking sheet.
- Begin to roll out the dough. It is likely that the dough will crack. Work slowly and as you notice a crack while rolling, mend the crack using your fingers. The dough will become smoother as you continue to roll.
- Repeat the process with both disks of dough.
- A thickness of about 1/4 inch is a common choice for gingerbread men.
- Cut into shapes using your gingerbread man cookie cutter.
- Dip the cutters in flour before each use to prevent sticking.
- Reroll the scraps and cut into shapes until all the dough is gone.
- Place the cookies into the oven and bake for approximately 10 minutes. If your cookies are smaller than 4 inches, start with 8 minutes. If they are larger than 4 inches, bake for approximately 11 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to the cooling rack. The cookies are ready to decorate as desired once fully cooled.
- Gingerbread cookies often improve in flavor after a day or two as the spices meld, so consider making them in advance for a richer taste.
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