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    Gingerbread Man Cookies

    Published: Dec 8, 2021 · Modified: Apr 6, 2022 by Jenn · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Enjoy a little bit of Christmas in your mouth with my mother-in-law’s classic gingerbread man cookies recipe. She’s been making it for decades and it’s one of my husband’s favorite flavors.

    A plate of three classic gingerbread man cookies decorated with white icing and silver sanding sugar.

    Gingerbread cookies aren’t ultra-sweet and the icing is more for decoration than for taste. With that in mind, feel free to use store-bought icing. That’s what my baking extraordinaire mother-in-law does so give yourself that permission if you want to save time and energy.

    She uses straight-up Better Crocker or Great Value brand cookie icing and likes to use colors in addition to white for fun. Especially if the kids are helping you decorate your gingerbread cookies, feel free to get wild! 

    Betty Crocker Cookie IcingBetty Crocker Cookie IcingBetty Crocker Cookie Icing

     

    If you’re a purist and want every part of your classic gingerbread man cookies to be homemade, then use your favorite royal icing recipe. 

    What’s In Gingerbread Cookies?

    • butter
    • dark brown sugar
    • molasses
    • egg
    • vanilla extract
    • all-purpose flour
    • baking powder
    • baking soda
    • ground cinnamon
    • ground ginger
    • ground cloves
    • ground nutmeg
    • Royal icing
    • Assorted candies, sprinkles, or sanding sugar for decorating (optional)

    Note that the yield for this gingerbread man recipe will depend on the size of the cookie cutters you use. If you use a 2″ cutter (the Small size pictured in the sets below) you’ll end up with 4 dozen cookies! That’s great news if you’re making gingerbread cookies for a cookie exchange or to feed a crowd. 

    However, if you’d rather save time making cut-outs, icing, and decorating use the 3″ or 4.5″ sizes (Medium and Large below) so you’ll have less work to do.

    Gingerbread Man Cookie CuttersGingerbread Man Cookie CuttersGingerbread Man Cookie Cutters

     

    How to Make Gingerbread

    In a large bowl, combine butter and brown sugar then add molasses, egg, and vanilla.

    In a separate large bowl combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add remaining dry ingredients.

    Add wet ingredients (butter and brown sugar mixture) to the dry ingredients and beat with a mixer until the dough is light and fluffy.

    A mixing bowl full of classic gingerbread cookie ingredients being mixed to form dough.

    Separate dough into two equal portions. Press each portion of dough into a disc-shape onto a piece of plastic wrap. Top with an additional piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for three hours.

    On a floured surface, roll the dough to a ¼″ thickness. I’d work with one disc at a time leaving the other in the fridge so your dough stays chilled and easy to work with.

    A circle of rolled out gingerbread cookie dough resting on a butcher block with a gingerbread man cookie cutter resting to the left.


    Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut dough into the desired shape, then place the cut-outs on a prepared cookie sheet (a non-stick, silicone cookie sheet such as Silpat works best or you can place parchment paper on a regular cookie sheet).

    Silicone Baking MatsSilicone Baking MatsSilicone Baking Mats

     

    Bake at 350° for 10-14 minutes.
    Cool completely on wire racks.
    Decorate with icing and candies if desired. Store in a covered container for up to two weeks.

    A plate of six classic gingerbread man cookies in two different sizes decorated with white icing and gold sprinkles.
    Can I freeze gingerbread cookies?

    Gingerbread cookies freeze very well. Be sure to pop them in the freezer without any icing or other decorations on them. Freeze for up to a month and then decorate them after they are completely thawed.

    Can gingerbread cookies be made without molasses?

    For the most authentic taste, you’ll want to use molasses but dark corn syrup can be used instead if you are having trouble sourcing molasses.

    Classic Gingerbread Man Cookies

    Jenn
    Enjoy a little bit of Christmas in your mouth with my mother-in-law's classic gingerbread man cookies recipe. You can store these classic gingerbread man cookies in a covered container on your countertop for up to two weeks!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 14 mins
    Additional Time 3 hrs
    Total Time 3 hrs 44 mins
    Course Recipes
    Cuisine Dessert
    Servings 24
    Calories

    Equipment

    • 6PCS Cute Funny Gingerbread Boy and Girl Christmas Lebkuchen Cookie Cutter Molds
    • STATINT Silicone Baking Mat Non-Stick, Set of 2 Half Sheet 

    Ingredients
      

    • ¾ cup butter softened
    • ¾ cup dark brown sugar
    • ¾ cup molasses
    • 1 egg
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 2 teaspoon ground ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • Royal icing – homemade or store-bought
    • Assorted candies for decorating optional

    Instructions
     

    • In a large bowl, combine butter and brown sugar then add molasses, egg, and vanilla
    • In a separate large bowl combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add remaining dry ingredients
    • Add wet ingredients (butter and brown sugar mixture) to the dry ingredients and beat with a mixer until the dough is light and fluffy
    • Separate dough into two equal portions. Press each portion of dough into a disc-shape onto a piece of plastic wrap. Top with an additional piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for three hours.
    • On a floured surface, roll the dough to a ¼" thickness. I’d work with one disc at a time leaving the other in the fridge so your dough stays chilled and easy to work with.
    • Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut dough into the desired shape and place on a prepared cookie sheet (a non-stick, silicone cookie sheet such as Silpat works best or you can place parchment paper on a regular cookie sheet)
    • Bake at 350° for 10-14 minutes.
    • Cool completely on wire racks
    • Decorate with icing and candies if desired. Store in a covered container for up to two weeks.

    Notes

    Yield will depend on the size of your gingerbread man cookie cutter so use a large cutter if you want to do less cutting and rolling and use a smaller cutter if you need to make lots of cookies for a Christmas cookie exchange or to serve a large group.
    Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or share on Pinterest

    I didn’t realize how much Hubs enjoys his mom’s gingerbread cookies until he ordered a gingerbread man from one of our trips to the bakery recently. I always go for Cream Wafer Cookies and Pecan Crescents when MIL shares her bounty at Christmastime. Loos like it’s time to add these classic gingerbread man cookies to my rotation too. Merry Christmas!

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    Hi, I'm Jenn, a Southern food blogger and mother living in Alabama. After having my wonderful daughter, I decided to embark on a journey of sharing my Southern cooking recipes with the world.

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