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Embark on a festive adventure with our Gingerbread Men Cookies, a classic dough that invites the whole family to partake in the joy of holiday baking. Transform each cookie into a charming gingerbread man with your creativity. The best part? These delightful treats take just about 40 minutes to make.
Dive into the fun of decorating with an array of colorful icing, candies, and sprinkles, turning each cookie into a unique and edible work of art. These gingerbread men cookies are a fun baking project for kids or the whole family.
Much like these Christmas butter cookies, raspberry linzer cookies or these Cut-out Sugar cookies, these cookies are customizable as you can decorate them any way you like.
🍪 Why To Try This Recipe
Flavorful - these cookies are the perfect blend of sweetness and spices.
Customizable - you can decorate them any way you like, so have fun and be creative.
Perfect for gifting - give the gift of baked goods this holiday season with these cookies. They're cute and hold together well for transporting.
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🥄Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Large spoon or Spatula
- Cookie sheet
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoon
- Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter
- Piping Bags
📋Ingredients
- Butter - softened
- Brown Sugar - light or dark
- Molasses
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Flour
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Baking Soda
- Numeg
- Salt
- Powdered Sugar
- Meringue Powder
- Water
- Corn Syrup
- Red Ball Sprinkles
See recipe card for quantities.
📖Substitutions & Variations
Try out these ingredient substitutions variations to make these cookies suit what you have in your kitchen.
- Substitute molasses - if you want to leave out the molasses, you can use maple syrup or honey, but the cookies will have a slightly different taste.
- Use different decorations - use candy eyes, colored icing or any other type of decorations you desire to make these cookies your own.
- Clear vanilla extract - for a pure white icing, use clear vanilla extract in it.
Looking for other spice filled cookies? Try these Soft & Chewy Gingersnaps also.
⏲️Instructions
Use these step-by-step instructions and process phots in order to easily bake up these gingerbread men cookies.
Step one: If needed, line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step two: Add softened butter and brown sugar to the mixing bowl. Cream them together on medium high speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until combined, light and fluffy.
Step three: add molasses, vanilla and egg to the mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed for a minute or two or until smooth.
Step four: combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in a separate bowl. To the mixer on medium low and slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl. Continue mixing until well combined.
Step five: chill the dough for about 10 - 20 minutes in the freezer. You can make the icing during this time, if desired.
Step six: take the chilled dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. It should be about ½ - ⅝ of an inch thick. Then, use the gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut the dough into cookies. Gather the scraps, reroll and cut until all the dough is used.
Step seven: Place the cookies on a cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes or until the edges are firm.
Step eight: in the empty mixing bowl, combine meringue powder, powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix on low using the paddle attachment. Add in water and continue mixing at medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes until icing becomes thick.
Then, transfer to another bowl and set aside.
Step nine: in the empty mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, water and corn syrup. Mix with a whisk until well combined.
Step ten: combine the two icing mixtures into one bowl and whisk them together until smooth. Scoop some icing with a spatula and drop it into the bowl. It should re-incorporate in 12 - 15 seconds.
Then, place icing into piping bag and cut a small hole at the tip of the bag.
Step eleven: after cookies are cooled, use the icing to add dots for the eyes, a "u" for the mouth and zig zags at the legs and arms. Place three dots down the center of each cookie and use that to secure three red button sprinkles.
Hint: make sure to let the icing set completely before moving or stacking the cookies. This usually takes about an hour at room temperature.
⭐Recipe Tips for Success
- Correct Icing Consistency - thin icing will run off the cookies and thick icing won't go on properly. If it re-incorporates faster than 12 seconds, its thin and you need to add sugar. If it re-incorporates slower than 15 seconds, its too thick and you need to add water.
- Chill the dough - this dough does need to be chilled, otherwise you the cookies won't hold their shape well after rolling, cutting and baking. 10 - 20 minutes in the freezer is enough time.
- Even thickness - when rolling the dough out, make sure the dough is an even thickness throughout so that the cookies bake at the same rate.
Storage
These cookies will stay good for 3 - 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container. Or you can freeze them for up to a year.
The dough can be wrapped in cling wrap and place in an airtight container then stored in the fridge for 3 days or the freezer for 3 months.
Gingerbread Men Cookies
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Piping Bag
- Mixing bowl
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Spatula or Spoon
- measuring cups
- Measuring Spoon
- Gingerbread man cookie cutter
- cookie sheet
Ingredients
Gingerbread Men Cookies
- .75 Cups Softened Butter
- .75 Cups Brown Sugar light or dark
- .5 Cups Molasses
- 1 Whole Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups Flour
- 2 teaspoon Ginger
- 2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- .5 teaspoon Nutmeg
- .5 teaspoon Salt
Icing
- 4 Cups Powdered Sugar divided
- 2 tablespoon Meringue Powder
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract divided
- .5 - .75 Cups Water divided
- 2 tablespoon Corn Syrup
- Red Ball Sprinkles
Instructions
Gingerbread Men Cookies
- If needed, grease the cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add .75 cups of brown sugar and .75 cups of softened butter to the mixing bowl. Cream them together at medium high speed for 2 - 3 minutes until smooth and well combined.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 egg and .5 cup of molasses in the mixing bowl. Mix at medium speed for a minute or until combined completely.
- Add 3 cups of flour, 2 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and baking soda, .5 teaspoon nutmeg and salt in a separate bowl. Then, turn the mixer on medium low speed and slowly add the dry ingredients. Continue mixing until well combined.
- Chill dough for 10 minutes in freezer.
- Remove dough from freezer, spread a thin layer of flour on the counter. Roll dough into a ½ - ⅝ inch thick sheet and use cookie cutter to cut cookies. Pull scraps together, reroll and recut until all dough has been used.
- Place cookies on baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes or until edges are firm.
Icing
- Add 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon meringue powder and 1 teaspoon vanilla into the mixing bowl and mix at low speed for 30 seconds.
- Add in 3 teaspoon of water and mix on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until it becomes stiff.
- Transfer this icing to a new bowl.
- In the empty mixing bowl, add 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon of water, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 2 tablespoon corn syrup. Whisk together on low until well combined.
- Combine the two bowls of icing by whisking them together until smooth.
- Scoop some icing up and drop it into the bowl, it should re-combine in 12 - 15 seconds. Too fast - add more sugar, too slow - add more water.
Decorating cookies
- After cookies have cooled, transfer the icing to a piping bag and snip the tip off.
- Add icing dots for the eyes, a "U" for the mouth, zig zags on the arms and legs and three dots down the center. Use the three dots of icing down the center to secure three red ball sprinkles.
- Allow icing to harden (for about an hour) before moving or stacking cookies.
Notes
- Correct Icing Consistency - thin icing will run off the cookies and thick icing won't go on properly. If it re-incorporates faster than 12 seconds, its thin and you need to add sugar. If it re-incorporates slower than 15 seconds, its too thick and you need to add water.
- Chill the dough - this dough does need to be chilled, otherwise you the cookies won't hold their shape well after rolling, cutting and baking. 10 - 20 minutes in the freezer is enough time.
- Even thickness - when rolling the dough out, make sure the dough is an even thickness throughout so that the cookies bake at the same rate.
- Don't overbake them - they will get too hard and crunchy if overcooked. Make sure that you remove the cookies from the oven when the centers are still soft.
- Storage - keep them for 3 - 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container or freeze for up to a year.
