Soft Gingerbread Men Cookies

Get Ready to Elevate Your Christmas with These Irresistibly Soft and Spiced Gingerbread Men Cookies! Delight in Their Tender Interior, Crispy Edges, and Stunning Decorations Courtesy of Our Homemade powdered sugar icing

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this recipe
• Ingredients You Need
• How to Make Soft Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
• Sugar Icing
• Tips for best results
• Storage instructions
• Variations & Substitutions
• Recipe Questions
• More Christmas Cookies
• Soft Gingerbread Men Cookies

If you like all Christmas gingerbread recipes and shortbread recipes that are part of the Christmas tradition and which we like to do with the children during vacations, then you'll love making this gingerbread men recipe in your holiday baking.

Made with gingerbread-flavored cookie dough, a hot spice mix of cinnamon ground, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and the molasses flavor that gives, a combination that gives all its wonderful taste to these soft gingerbread cookies.

Gingerbread cookie recipes have a softer texture than simple sugar cookies, and this is my favorite gingerbread recipe that I use in all of my cookie recipes, as in this recipe for a mini gingerbread house or this snowflake cookie.

Craving for more Christmas cookie recipes? Give these a try: Chocolate spritz cookies, iced gingerbread cookies, iced Christmas sugar cookies, mini gingerbread houses, Candy cane cookies, white chocolate candy cane cookies, chocolate thumbprint cookies, Frosted gingerbread cookies.

Ingredients You Need

You need these ingredients to make these soft gingerbread cookies:

Gingerbread cookie dough

• Butter: Use unsalted butter at room temperature. If needed, soften it slightly in the microwave for easier mixing.
• Sugar: Choose brown sugar, like dark brown or cane sugar, for a rich, molasses-like sweetness.
• Eggs: Use room temperature eggs to ensure smooth, even dough.
• Molasses: Essential for the classic gingerbread flavor. Blackstrap molasses is traditional, but you can substitute with a mix of honey and maple syrup if preferred.
• Flour: Use all-purpose flour as the base. For a gluten-free option, substitute with a gluten-free flour blend.
• Leavening Agent: Use baking soda or baking powder to help the cookies rise and stay soft.
• Spices: A blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves provides warm, traditional gingerbread flavor. Freshly grated ginger can be used for an extra zing.
• Vanilla and Salt: A touch of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt enhance the overall flavor.

Sugar Icing

• Powdered Sugar: The base for the icing, providing sweetness and thickness.
• Water: Helps achieve the right consistency for royal icing. Add water gradually to create a smooth texture that's ideal for decorating. Adjust as needed to reach your preferred thickness.

How to Make Soft Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Here are some quick visual instructions. Don't forget that full recipe instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the recipe card below!

Step 1: Place the softened butter and brown sugar in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer or stand mixer until smooth and creamy.

Step 2: Add egg and vanilla extract and molasses (or honey-maple syrup mixture) and beat again to combine.

Step 3: In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, salt and the spices of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves and if possible sift them.

Step 4: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix again with a mixer at medium speed until you get a homogeneous dough.

Step 5: Gather the dough with your hands until it forms a smooth and slightly sticky dough. Cover the gingerbread dough ball with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

Step 6: Roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 3 mm and cut out gingerbread man shapes with the cookie cutter and place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Bake cookies

Step 7: Preheat oven to 347°C / 175°C and let the cookies bake for about 8 to 10 minutes until they are puffed and golden brown.

Step 8: Remove the baked gingerbread men from the oven and let them cool a bit on the baking sheet before moving them to a plate or cake rack to cool completely.

Sugar Icing

• Place powdered sugar in a container with water and beat with an electric whisk for about 5 minutes until thick and fluid.
• To add color to your icing, separate the royal icing into small bowls and add your food coloring and mix with a fork until the color is well blended.
• Decorate gingerbread cookies with a piping bag filled with royal icing. Decorate immediately with sugar or sugar decorations before icing hardens.
• Let the gingerbread men cookies dry for about 1 hour at room temperature before eating them.

Storage instructions

At Room Temperature: Store gingerbread men cookies in an airtight container or cookie jar. They’ll stay fresh and soft for 1 to 2 weeks if kept in a cool, dry place away from sunlight and heat.

In the Freezer: Freeze undecorated cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag with parchment between layers.

They can be frozen for 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before decorating.

Recipe Questions

How do I keep my gingerbread man cookies soft?

To keep your cookies soft, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Adding a slice of bread or a marshmallow to the container can help maintain moisture.

Why are my gingerbread cookies too hard?

Overbaking can cause cookies to become too hard. Make sure to bake just until the edges are set and lightly browned. Also, be sure to measure flour accurately and don’t overmix the dough.

Can I use different spices in the dough?

Absolutely! You can customize the spice blend by adding or adjusting spices like cardamom, allspice, or even a pinch of black pepper for an extra kick.

How can I tell when the cookies are done?

The cookies are done when the edges are set and slightly firm to the touch, but the centers may still be soft. They will continue to firm up as they cool.

More Christmas Cookies

I hope you love these spiced ginger men cookies. If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Happy Baking!

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