Gingerbread Man Cookies: Classic Holiday Recipe

I made these gingerbread man cookies at 9pm on a Tuesday because my kid announced that the class party was the next morning and I had completely forgotten. I had exactly one egg, a half-stick of butter, and the kind of panic that makes you Google “easy gingerbread cookie recipe to decorate” with shaking hands.

The dough came together in about ten minutes, the house smelled like a candle shop, and I went to bed feeling like I had actually pulled it off. This is my go-to classic gingerbread cookie recipe now, and I make it every December whether I need to or not. Here is exactly how I do it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One bowl, no mixer: Stir the dough together with a wooden spoon while the oven preheats.
• Kid-friendly chaos: Tiny hands can roll, squish, and re-roll the forgiving dough.
• Cheap ingredients: Molasses, flour, butter, and spices create the cookies.
• Soft gingerbread man cookies for Christmas: They stay tender for days.
• Holiday cookie tray ready: The cookies suit a potluck, cookie exchange, or Christmas party.

Tools You’ll Need

Nothing fancy, I promise.

• Rolling pin: Roll the dough flat and even. A wine bottle works in a pinch.
• Gingerbread man cookie cutter: Cut the classic shape. A circle cutter creates round gingerbread blobs instead.
• Baking sheet: Use a standard rimmed sheet lined with parchment.
• Parchment paper: Prevent sticking and simplify cleanup.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour – Plus extra for rolling. You will use more than you think.
• 1 teaspoon baking soda – This is what gives the cookies a little lift. Do not skip it, and do not confuse it with baking powder.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt – Just a pinch of balance so the molasses does not take over.
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger – Yes, a whole tablespoon. This is not a shy cookie.
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – The warm background note that makes the whole house smell like December.
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves – A little goes a long way. Too much and it tastes like a dentist’s office.
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened – Softened, not melted. Melted butter makes the dough greasy and sad.
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar – Regular white sugar is fine. No need to get fancy.
• 1 large egg – Room temperature if you remember, cold if you do not. It will still work.
• 2/3 cup molasses – Not blackstrap. Blackstrap is bitter and will make you think you ruined the cookies. You did not, you just used the wrong molasses.

How To Make Gingerbread Man Cookies

This dough is genuinely hard to mess up, which is why I keep making it even when I am distracted and tired.

1. Mix the dry stuff: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a medium bowl. If a few lumps of cinnamon survive, that is fine. Nobody is grading you.
2. Cream the butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until it looks lighter and a little fluffy. If you are doing this by hand, it takes about two minutes and your wrist will complain. Ignore it.
3. Add the egg and molasses: Beat in the egg, then the molasses, until everything is combined. The mixture will look dark and glossy and slightly alarming. That is correct.
4. Combine wet and dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two or three batches, stirring between each. The dough will get stiff. Switch to your hands if you need to. It is supposed to be stiff, so do not panic and add liquid.
5. Chill the dough: Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour. I know. I hate waiting too. But warm dough sticks to everything and you will lose your mind trying to cut shapes.
6. Roll and cut: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll one disc out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick. Cut out your gingerbread men and move them to a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving an inch between them.
7. Bake: Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just barely firm and the centers still look slightly soft. They will firm up as they cool. If you wait until they look done in the oven, they will be crunchy rocks by dinner.
8. Cool and decorate: Let them sit on the baking sheet for five minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely before you start your Christmas cookie decorating. Frosting on warm cookies is a slippery disaster.

Perfect Pairings

These go perfectly with a mug of something warm and a complete lack of self-control.

• A cold glass of milk balances the warm gingerbread spices.
• Hot cocoa with extra marshmallows pairs well with molasses and chocolate.
• A potluck cookie tray gives these cookies a place beside more delicate treats.
• Black coffee on a weekday morning cuts through the sweetness.

Soft Gingerbread Man Cookies

These gingerbread man cookies combine 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, and 2/3 cup molasses. You chill the dough for at least 1 hour, roll it to 1/4 inch thick, cut out gingerbread men, and bake them at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Make these gingerbread man cookies for a class party, cookie tray, or Christmas cookie decorating when you need a classic gingerbread cookie recipe.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 24 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 32 minutes mins

Servings: 24 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 173

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter ((1 1/2 sticks softened))
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup molasses (I prefer Grandma's original )
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon ground ginger (see note)
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Equipment

• Rolling Pin
• Gingerbread man cookie cutter
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper

Method

 

1. Mix the Dry Ingredients

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until evenly combined. Set aside. A few small lumps of cinnamon are perfectly fine. The important thing is to distribute the spices throughout the flour.
2. Cream the Butter and Sugar

   In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until lighter in color and slightly fluffy. If mixing by hand, this should take about 2 minutes. Make sure the butter and sugar are well combined before moving on.
3. Add the Egg and Molasses

   Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Pour in the molasses and mix until everything is well combined. The mixture will look dark, glossy, and quite thick. This is exactly how it should look!
4. Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients

   Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients in 2 or 3 batches, stirring well after each addition. The dough will gradually become thick and stiff. If it becomes difficult to mix with a spoon, use your hands to bring everything together. Do not add extra liquid, as gingerbread dough is supposed to be firm.
5. Chill the Dough

   Divide the dough into two equal portions. Flatten each portion into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling makes the dough easier to roll and cut while helping the cookies maintain their shape during baking.
6. Roll and Cut the Cookies

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Working with one disc at a time, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately 1/4 inch thick. Use gingerbread man cookie cutters to cut out the shapes. Carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie.
7. Bake the Cookies

   Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges feel just firm while the centers still look slightly soft. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool. Avoid baking them until they look completely done in the oven, as this can make them too hard and crunchy.
8. Cool and Decorate

   Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely before decorating. Adding frosting while the cookies are still warm can cause it to melt and slide off.

Recipe Notes

Easy Cookie Icing:
Combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add more milk if needed. The icing should have a thick, toothpaste-like consistency. I used a #4 round piping tip to decorate the cookies.

Spices:
For a milder ginger flavor, reduce the spices to 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.

Freezing Instructions:
These cookies freeze well. Let them cool completely, then store them in a freezer-safe container. You can also freeze the wrapped dough for 2 to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using.