This recipe for Gingerbread Men cookies are a classic holiday favorite. They are perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, molasses and bake up soft and chewy with slightly crisp edges.
‘Tis the season for holiday cookies galore! Whenever I think of Christmas classics….shortbread, cut out sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies always come to mind.
These Gingerbread men are my son’s absolute favorite holiday cookie. We not only make them around Christmas, but a few times throughout the year as well.
He loves using the fun shapes to help cut out all the adorable gingerbread men. We usually use this royal icing recipe to add the eyes, bows and other fun details.
We’ve tried quite a few recipes throughout the years and finally found one that my son loves best. It’s based off of this no fail recipe from America’s Test Kitchen. We dial down the ginger, add some nutmeg and freeze the dough briefly before popping the pan in the oven.
These gingerbread cookies bake up soft, chewy and is full of that warm ginger, brown sugar and molasses flavor. And I love that the cookies hold their shape without any spreading in the oven.
And if you’re looking for a crispier cookie, just roll the dough a bit thinner than listed and bake for 1-2 minutes longer if needed.
HOW TO MAKE SOFT AND CHEWY GINGERBREAD MEN COOKIES:
- Start by stirring together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda at low speed in a stand mixer. Add butter and mix until gritty.
- Very slowly add molasses and milk and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Divide dough in half and roll the first dough portion out between two large sheets of parchment paper, into a 1/4 inch thickness. Place rolled dough sheet (with parchment papers) on a large baking pan.
- Repeat with second half of dough and stack on top of the first sheet.
Place baking pan in the fridge for 2 hours or freezer for 25 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350 F degrees. Line two large baking pans with parchment paper and set aside.
Remove one dough sheet from freezer, peel off both parchment papers to ensure the dough is not sticking and lay back on top of bottom parchment sheet. Using a cookie cutter (I used a 3-inch), cut into shapes and transfer to lined baking pans at least 3/4 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough. Place the baking sheet back in the freezer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the other dough sheet and repeat.
- Bake (one pan at a time) in preheated oven until cookies are puffy and just set around edges, 8 to 11 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Be careful not to overbake.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking pan for 2 minutes, then remove with wide metal spatula to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with any remaining dough.
HELPFUL TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST GINGERBREAD MEN COOKIES:
CHILLING THE DOUGH
Just like these sugar cookies, it’s important to refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days. This helps the dough roll out cleaner and helps the gingerbread men keep their shape.
USE PARCHMENT PAPER
Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick between two parchment papers. The parchment paper helps to ensure the dough does not stick without having to incorporate any extra flour into the dough. For a crispier cookie, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch.
FREEZE BEFORE BAKING
Just before baking, pop the baking pan once more into the freezer for about 10 minutes to help the butter firm up and prevent spreading.
DO NOT OVER-MIX
Once you add the flour to the rest of the ingredients, mix until just combined. This ensures the cookies stay soft and chewy.
DO NOT OVERCROWD ON BAKING SHEET
Place the gingerbread cutouts at least 1 inch apart so they have enough room to breathe.
DO NOT OVER-BAKE
If you are using a standard sized gingerbread cookie cutter, the cookies should only take about 8-11 minutes in the oven. For smaller cookies, you may have to reduce the time to 7-8 minutes.
These guys bake up soft and chewy in the center and slightly crisp on the edges. They’re just the right amount of sweetness and are packed with ginger, cinnamon and molasses flavor and will make the house smell amazing.
For my frosting, I went with my simple go-to royal icing recipe.
I use this recipe for decorating sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies. This recipe uses meringue powder to stabilize the icing instead of egg whites but feel free to use your favorite royal icing to decorate your cookies.
Once they’re all dressed, you can enjoy them as is or package them up for friends, family or your neighbors.
This recipe for Gingerbread Men cookies are a classic holiday favorite. They are perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, molasses and bake up soft and chewy with slightly crisp edges.
- 3 cups flour measured correctly (spoon, sweep and level method)
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 Tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into cubes and softened slightly
- 3/4 cup unsulphured molasses
- 2 Tablespoons milk room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons meringue powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons warm water less for stiff icing and more for thin icing
- Gel food coloring optional
- In the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add butter pieces, one at a time while mixing at medium-low speed until mixture is slightly gritty, about 1-2 minutes.
- Very slowly add molasses and milk and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Divide dough in half and roll the first dough portion out between two large sheets of parchment paper, into a 1/4 inch thickness. Place rolled dough sheet (with parchment papers) on a large baking pan.
- Repeat with second half of dough and stack on top of the first sheet.
Place baking pan in the fridge for 2 hours or freezer for 25 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350 F degrees. Line two large baking pans with parchment paper and set aside.
Remove one dough sheet from freezer, peel off both parchment papers to ensure the dough is not sticking and lay back on top of bottom parchment sheet. Using a cookie cutter (I used a 3-inch), cut into shapes and transfer to lined baking pans at least 3/4 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough. Place the baking sheet back in the freezer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the other dough sheet and repeat.
- Bake (one pan at a time) in preheated oven until cookies are puffy and just set around edges, 8 to 11 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Be careful not to overbake.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking pan for 2 minutes, then remove with wide metal spatula to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with any remaining dough.
Beat all ingredients together until icing forms peaks, about 7 minutes.
- Tint with gel food coloring as desired and frost cookies.
More Holiday Cookies:
50+ Must Have Cookies for the Holiday Cookie Platter
Perfect Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies – 7 Ways
Did you try this recipe?
Eva @ Eva Bakes -
What a great project with your son, Kelly! My daughter loved baking and decorating gingerbread people with me a few years ago. We might have to do it again this holiday season!