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Gingerbread man cookies in a basket
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Gingerbread Cookies

This Gingerbread Cookies recipe is perfect for making cut-out gingerbread men cookies. They have the most delicious balance of molasses and spices with a slightly soft & chewy texture. A must-make for the holidays!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gingerbread cookies, gingerbread cookies recipe, gingerbread men cookies
Servings: 24 cookies (3 inches)

Ingredients

  • 3 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground cloves
  • 1 cup salted butter , softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses (such as Grandma’s brand)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • sugar cookie icing , for decorating

Instructions

  • Whisk together 3 & 1/4 cups spooned and leveled flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons ground cloves; set aside.
    Flour and spices in a bowl
  • In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together 1 cup butter and 1 cup granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.
    Creamed butter and sugar in a bowl
  • Blend in 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
    Vanilla extract, molasses, and eggs added to creamed butter and sugar mixture in a glass mixing bowl.
  • Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined, scraping down the bowl, as needed, including the bottom.
    Flour added to the wet ingredients for gingerbread cookies in a glass mixing bowl.
  • Knead the dough together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl until it comes together. Divide dough in half and shape each into a disk.
    Two balls of gingerbread cookie dough
  • Lightly flour a rolling pin and a clean work surface. Roll each portion of the dough out to 1/4" thickness, and cut with a floured 3-inch Gingerbread men cookie cutter. (Re-roll dough scraps until all the dough is shaped and sprinkling a touch more flour on the work surface if necessary to avoid sticking.)
    Gingerbread cookie dough rolled into a rectangle
  • Place on parchment-lined baking sheets 2 inches apart and then transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
    unbaked Gingerbread man cookies on a baking sheet
  • Bake for 8 minutes until just barely golden on the bottoms. Watch them carefully and don’t over-bake (the longer they bake, the harder and crunchier they’ll be. See note below.) Let sit for 2-3 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before icing.
    baked Gingerbread man cookies on a baking sheet
  • Enjoy plain or decorate and allow to set (usually 3 hours or overnight) before stacking. For decorating, I use my tried and true sugar cookie icing recipe.
    decorated Gingerbread men cookies on wire rack
  • Or flip them upside down turning the gingerbread man's feet into reindeer antlers and decorate as Reindeer cookies!
    decorated reindeer gingerbread cookies on wire rack

Video

Notes

The exact baking time will vary based on the thickness of your dough and the size of your cookie cutters. I roll my dough out to 1/4-inch thick, use a 3-inch cookie cutter, and bake for about 8 minutes, which results in a soft & chewy cookie. See adjustments in the article.

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 113mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg