Wholesome Holiday Fun: Crafting The Best Gingerbread Men Cookie Recipe!

There’s something truly magical about the scent of warm spices mingling in the air, especially when it heralds the arrival of gingerbread season! Gather your loved ones, roll up your sleeves, and embark on a delightful baking adventure with the best Gingerbread Men Cookie Recipe. This classic dough isn’t just flour and spices; it’s a canvas waiting for your family’s creativity to come to life!

 

Crafting these gingerbread men isn’t just about making cookies; it’s an opportunity to create edible masterpieces. Roll out the dough and cut it into charming little men, ready to be adorned with colorful icing, candies, and sprinkles. Let your imagination run wild! Create quirky expressions, fashionable outfits, or even festive themes for each cookie—no two need to be alike.

So, turn on some festive tunes, dust the counter with flour, and let the magic of the season unfold as you craft these delightful, spiced creations that embody the true spirit of the holidays!

More Gingerbread Recipes you’ll love!

Chocolate Gingerbread Men Cookies: Do you get tired of basic gingerbread cookies. People can’t get enough of the molasses and chocolate flavor combination. An added benefit of these cookies: The supple dough is very easy to work with, and the scraps can be rerolled and cut out.

Gingerbread Cheesecake: I love Gingerbread. Another favorite of mine is cheesecake, so I thought, why not combine the two? The result was a delicious creamy gingerbread cheesecake that will be on our holiday menu going forward.

Gingerbread Hot Chocolate: There is nothing better than a cup of hot chocolate when the weather turns cool! One of our very favorites is this yummy Gingerbread Hot Chocolate recipe! It is perfect for warming up on those crisp autumn days and from the chilly winter air!

Want even more Gingerbread recipes?  Here are 89 Must-Make Gingerbread Recipes Your Family Will Love.

Supplies you’ll need: 

• Gingerbread man cutter  
• Piping bags
• Red Round Sprinkles
• Baking Sheets
• Stand Mixer
• Medium Bowl
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Rolling pin

Gingerbread Men Cookie Ingredients:

For the gingerbread men: 

• 12 T unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ brown sugar
• ½ c molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 t vanilla
• 3 c flour
• 2 t ginger
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 t baking soda
• ½ t nutmeg
• ½ t salt

For the frosting:

• 4 c sugar, divided
• 2 T meringue powder
• 2 t vanilla, divided
• ½-¾ c water, divided
• 2 T corn syrup

Gingerbread Men Cookie Directions:

For the cookie dough:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine the sugar and brown sugar in a stand mixer bowl.  Cream until smooth. 

Add in the molasses, vanilla and egg.  Mix thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.  Whisk to combine.  

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Mix well, scrape the sides, and mix again. 

Chill the bowl in the freezer while making the icing. 

For the soft-bite icing:

In the bowl of the stand mixer, combine the 2 c powdered sugar, meringue powder and 1 t vanilla.  Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for about 30 seconds.  Add in 3 teaspoons worth of water as the mixer is going.  Allow to mix until combined.  Increase the speed to medium for another 2-3 minutes. The icing will be very stiff.  Transfer to another bowl and cover with a damp paper towel. 

Using the same mixing bowl, combine the other 2 cups of powdered sugar, corn syrup, 2 tablespoons of water and the other teaspoon of vanilla.  Mix on low speed until combined with the whisk attachment.  

Combine the two icing mixtures into one bowl and whisk until smooth.  Add in additional water if needed to thin the mixture.   Using a spatula, scoop a bit of icing up and allow it to drop back into the bowl.  The icing should re-incorporate back into itself and settle within about a 12-15 second count.  A icing that is too thin will need a bit more powder sugar, and one that is too thick will need another dash of water. 

Continue to test if needed until desired consistency is achieved.  Thin icing spreads nicely but can run over the edges of the cookie.  Thick icing will not move – it is good for lettering and flowers.  

Transfer the icing to a piping bag.  Set aside. 

Baking the Cookies: 

Remove the dough from the freezer.  Roll the dough out to about ½-⅝ of an inch thick on a lightly floured work surface.  

Cut out desired shapes and carefully transfer to your parchment-lined baking sheets – there should be minimal spread, so about an inch apart is sufficient.  

Save the dough scraps and reroll until the dough is too small to cut any more cookies. 

Bake the cut-out cookies in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Overbaking will result in crisper cookies that are not chewy ones.  

Allow to cool before decorating. 

When ready to decorate, cut a small hole in the tip of the piping bag.  

Pipe the eyes, a “U” shaped mouth, stitches on both arms and both legs.  Use three small dots to create the bond for the buttons and then place the round sprinkles.  

Icing will set at room temp after about an hour.  Then, they can be stacked.  

FAQs:

• These cookies are very versatile.  Use whatever sprinkles and decorations that you’d like!
• Use clear vanilla in the icing recipe to make it bright white and true colors.  
• Toothpicks are great to help spread the icing.  
• The quantity of cookies will depend on the thickness and the size of the cookies.  

Storage:  Cookies are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for 3 months.  

Print the Recipe:

Best Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Yield: 36-40

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes

Gather the family and transform this classic dough into charming gingerbread men – the perfect canvas for your creativity.

Print

Ingredients

• For the gingerbread men:
• 12 T unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ brown sugar
• ½ c molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 t vanilla
• 3 c flour
• 2 t ginger
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 t baking soda
• ½ t nutmeg
• ½ t salt
• For the frosting:
• 4 c sugar, divided
• 2 T meringue powder
• 2 t vanilla, divided
• ½-¾ c water, divided
• 2 T corn syrup

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar and brown sugar.  Cream until smooth. 
3. Add in the molasses, vanilla and egg.  Mix thoroughly.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.  Whisk to combine.  
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Mix well - scraping the sides, and mixing again. 
6. Chill the bowl in the freezer while making the icing. 
7. For the soft-bite icing - In the bowl of the stand mixer, combine the 2 c powdered sugar, meringue powder and 1 t vanilla.  Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for about 30 seconds.  Add in 3 teaspoons worth of water as the mixer is going.  Allow to mix until combined.  Increase the speed to medium for another 2-3 minutes. The icing will be very stiff.  Transfer to another bowl and cover with a damp paper towel. 
8. Using the same mixing bowl, combine the other 2 cups of powdered sugar, corn syrup, 2 tablespoons of water and the other teaspoon of vanilla.  Mix on low speed until combined with the whisk attachment.  
9. Combine the two icing mixtures into one bowl and whisk until smooth.  Add in additional water if needed to thin the mixture.   Using a spatula, scoop a bit of icing up and allow it to drop back into the bowl.  The icing should re-incorporate back into itself and settle within about a 12-15 second count.  Too thin of icing will need a bit more powder sugar and too thick of icing will need another dash of water.  Continue to test if needed until desired consistency is achieved.  Thin icing spreads nicely but can run over the edges of the cookie.  Thick icing will not move - it is good for lettering and flowers.  
10. Transfer the icing to a piping bag.  Set aside.  
11. Remove the dough from the freezer.  Roll the dough out to about ½-⅝ of an inch thick on a lightly floured work surface.  
12. Cut out desired shapes and carefully transfer to your parchment lined baking sheets - there should be minimal spread, so about an inch apart is sufficient.  
13. Save the dough scraps and reroll until the dough is too small to cut any more cookies. 
14. Bake the cut out cookies in the preheated oven for 8 minutes.  Overbaking will lead to crisper cookies and not chewy.  
15. Allow to cool before decorating. 
16. When ready to decorate, cut a small hole in the tip of the piping bag.  
17. Pipe the eyes, a “U” shaped mouth, stitches on both arms and both legs.  Use three small dots to create the bond for the buttons and then place the round sprinkles.  
18. Icing will set at room temp after about an hour.  Then they can be stacked. 

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