Description
Classic Gingerbread Man Cookies recipe featuring a soft and tender spiced dough, perfect for holiday baking. These cookies are made with traditional warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, sweetened with molasses and decorated with your choice of royal icing, glaze icing, or buttercream frosting. The dough is chilled for easy rolling and cut into charming gingerbread shapes, baked to perfection at 350°F. Fun to make and decorate, these cookies can be stored or frozen with tips provided for each icing style.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup molasses (unsulphured, not blackstrap)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 & 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
For Royal Icing:
- 1/4 cup meringue powder or 3 egg whites
- 4 cups powdered sugar (about 1 pound)
- 6 tablespoons warm water (omit if using egg whites)
- Gel food coloring (optional)
For Glaze Icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 6-7 tablespoons milk (or more as necessary)
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch kosher salt
For Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 batch Buttercream Frosting (see Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies recipe)
- Gel food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 cup softened butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until creamy. Add 1 cup dark brown sugar and beat another 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in 1 cup molasses and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract until incorporated. Add 4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) to the bowl but do not mix yet. Make a well in the flour and add 1 & 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon allspice, stirring to break up spice clumps. Mix dry ingredients into wet dough on low speed until just combined; scrape bowl edges and ensure no flour streaks. Avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender.
- Chill the dough: Divide dough into 3 portions, wrap each in plastic wrap, and chill for about 2 hours until firm. For quicker chilling, freeze separated discs for 30 minutes then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Dough should be firm but not sticky.
- Prepare baking sheets: Line 3 half baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Roll out the dough: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin. Place one disc of dough on the surface, lightly flour both sides and roll out to about 3/8 inch thickness, turning dough occasionally to prevent sticking and dusting with more flour as needed.
- Cut the cookies: Dip cookie cutter in flour and press firmly into dough near edges. Carefully lift cutter and place cut cookies on prepared baking sheets 1-2 inches apart. For clean edges on small shapes, run finger along cutter edges after cutting. Optionally chill cookie sheets with cut cookies in freezer for 5 minutes before baking to help maintain shapes.
- Bake the cookies: Bake at 350°F according to cookie size: 6-8 minutes for 2-inch cookies, 8-10 minutes for 3-inch, 10-12 minutes for 4-inch tall cookies. Remove when centers are no longer shiny but not browned. Watch closely to avoid overbaking.
- Shape the cookies (optional): Within 30-60 seconds of removing from oven, use the side of a knife to gently nudge edges inward or separate cookies touching. Let cookies firm on the baking sheet for 5 minutes or longer for larger cookies. Transfer to cooling racks and cool completely.
- Decorate your cookies: Choose your frosting style:
- Royal Icing: Whisk 1/4 cup meringue powder (or 3 whipped egg whites) with 4 cups powdered sugar. Gradually add 6 tablespoons warm water (omit if using egg whites), beat on low then medium speed until thick and white but not overbeaten. Adjust consistency with small amounts of water. Divide and color as desired. Pipe onto cookies.
- Glaze Icing: Beat 2 cups powdered sugar with 6 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon corn syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Add more milk by teaspoons to achieve a thin, dip-able glaze. Dip cookie tops into glaze then set on cooling racks. Allow glaze to dry 1-3 hours, rotating cookies occasionally.
- Buttercream Frosting: Prepare buttercream as per Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies recipe. Color if desired. Spread or pipe frosting on cookies.
- Storage and Freezing: Once frosting is fully dry (except buttercream), store cookies in airtight containers at room temperature for 4-5 days. For freezing:
- Dough: Wrap discs tightly and freeze up to 1-2 months, or roll and cut cookies, flash freeze on sheets 30-60 minutes before stacking with parchment.
- Baked un-frosted: Cool completely then store airtight for 2-4 weeks.
- Decorated with Royal Icing: Freeze fully dry cookies in sealed containers for 2-3 weeks. Thaw at room temp.
- Decorated with Glaze Icing: Freeze completely dry cookies separated by parchment. Thaw in single layers; re-dry glaze as needed.
- Decorated with Buttercream: Flash freeze then freeze in layers with parchment. Thaw in single layers to prevent sticking.
Notes
- Nutrition calculation includes Royal Icing, excludes Glaze Icing and Buttercream.
- Royal icing using egg whites: Beat 3 egg whites until frothy, add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and beat until combined, then add remaining powdered sugar. Adjust with water or powdered sugar for desired consistency.
- For shipping cookies with glaze, use the glazed donut glaze recipe for a firmer, longer drying glaze that seals moisture better and allows stacking. Dunk whole cookies rather than just the tops for best results.
- Buttercream frosting forms a slight crust when mixed with meringue powder (1-3 teaspoons) added to powdered sugar, making it sturdier but not stackable.
- Do not overmix dough or overbake cookies to maintain soft, tender texture.
- Rolling dough to 3/8 inch thickness is critical for ideal cookie texture.
- Using parchment or silicone baking mats prevents cookie sticking and aids even baking.
- Chilling dough before rolling helps achieve cleaner cookie shapes and prevents spreading.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (3-inch)
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
