These Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookies have crisp, lightly browned edges and tender centers with the classic warmth of ginger, cinnamon, and molasses. The dough is easy to roll and cut into festive shapes, making these cookies a natural choice for holiday baking and decorating.
A short chilling period helps the dough hold its shape in the oven while keeping the finished cookies soft. They can be decorated with a simple vanilla icing once completely cool.
Recipe at a Glance
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 8–10 minutes per batch
- Additional Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 24 gingerbread men cookies
- Difficulty: Intermediate
What Makes This Recipe Work
- Molasses adds moisture and chew, giving the cookies their characteristic deep flavor while helping the centers stay soft.
- Brown sugar contributes tenderness, preventing the cookies from becoming dry or brittle.
- Chilling firms the dough, making it easier to roll and helping the cut-out shapes retain their definition during baking.
- Moderate baking time protects the center; removing the cookies when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft keeps them chewy after cooling.
- A balanced spice blend gives classic gingerbread flavor, with ginger and cinnamon providing warmth without overpowering the molasses.
Tools for This Recipe
- 2 large baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Rolling pin
- 4- to 5-inch (10- to 13-cm) gingerbread man cookie cutter
- Mixing bowls
- Wire cooling rack
- Piping bag or small zip-top bag (optional for decorating)
Ingredient Notes
- â– Molasses: Unsulphured molasses provides the deep, slightly bittersweet flavor and moisture that define gingerbread. Avoid blackstrap molasses.
- â– Brown sugar: Keeps the cookies tender and adds a mild caramel note. Granulated sugar can replace it but will yield drier cookies.
- â– All-purpose flour: Provides structure for cleanly cut shapes while keeping the cookies tender. A gluten-free blend may work but can be fragile.
- â– Ground ginger: Gives the cookies their characteristic spicy warmth. Reduce slightly for a milder cookie, but it alters the spice balance.
- â– Butter: Unsalted butter provides flavor and helps create a tender texture. Margarine can work but may differ in flavor and spread.
Step-by-Step Method
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, kosher salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
- Add the wet ingredients: Beat in the egg until incorporated. Add the molasses and vanilla and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Make the dough: Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low speed just until no dry flour remains. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky.
- Chill the dough: Divide the dough into two portions and flatten each into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Prepare the oven and baking sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough: Lightly flour the work surface and rolling pin. Roll one portion of dough to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick.
- Cut the cookies: Cut the dough with a 4- to 5-inch (10- to 13-cm) gingerbread man cutter. Transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the edges look set and slightly darker while the centers still look soft.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Cool completely before decorating.
- Make the icing: Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together until smooth and thick enough to pipe.
- Decorate and set: Pipe the icing onto the completely cooled gingerbread men as desired. Let the icing sit uncovered until firm.
Make-Ahead and Storage Notes
- Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- The unbaked dough can be refrigerated, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 days.
- For longer storage, freeze baked, undecorated cookies for up to 2 months.
FAQ
Can I make the gingerbread dough ahead of time?
Yes. Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Why are my gingerbread cookies hard instead of chewy?
Overbaking or adding too much flour are the most common causes. Measure the flour carefully and remove the cookies when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft.
Can I use blackstrap molasses?
It is not recommended for this recipe. Blackstrap molasses has a much stronger, more bitter flavor than regular unsulphured molasses and can overpower the spices.
Can I make smaller gingerbread men?
Yes. Smaller cookies will bake more quickly, so begin checking them a few minutes earlier.
Can I decorate these cookies with royal icing?
Yes. Royal icing can be used instead of the simple vanilla icing.
Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookies
These Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookies have crisp, lightly browned edges and tender centers with the classic warmth of ginger, cinnamon, and molasses. The dough is easy to roll and cut into festive shapes, making these cookies a natural choice for holiday baking and decorating.
Ingredients
Method
Method
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, kosher salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. The mixture does not need to become extremely fluffy.
- Add the wet ingredients: Beat in the egg until incorporated. Add the molasses and vanilla and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so the mixture is evenly combined.
- Make the dough: Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low speed just until no dry flour remains. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky but cohesive. If it seems unusually sticky, cover and chill it rather than adding a large amount of extra flour.
- Chill the dough: Divide the dough into two portions and flatten each into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The dough should feel firm and cool when ready to roll.
- Prepare the oven and baking sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough: Lightly flour the work surface and rolling pin. Roll one portion of dough to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Keep the second portion refrigerated while working with the first. If the dough becomes too soft to handle, return it to the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes.
- Cut the cookies: Cut the dough with a 4- to 5-inch (10- to 13-cm) gingerbread man cutter. Transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) between cookies. Gather the scraps, chill them briefly if needed, reroll once, and continue cutting.
- Bake: Bake for 8–10 minutes, one sheet at a time, until the edges look set and slightly darker while the centers still look soft. Do not wait for the cookies to become completely firm in the oven; they will continue setting as they cool.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Cool completely before decorating. The centers should be tender and chewy once fully cooled.
- Make the icing: Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together until smooth and thick enough to pipe. If the icing is too thick, add milk a few drops at a time. If it is too thin, whisk in a little more powdered sugar.
- Decorate and set: Pipe the icing onto the completely cooled gingerbread men as desired. Let the icing sit uncovered until firm before stacking or storing.
Notes
The cookies can be decorated with a simple vanilla icing once completely cool.
