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Gingerbread Men Cookies

Assorted Gingerbread Men Cookies decorated with icing and colorful candy on a wooden surface.
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Soft, buttery, and perfectly spiced, these Gingerbread Men Cookies are the ultimate festive holiday treat—easy to make, fun to decorate, and full of classic flavor.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (100 g) light or dark brown sugar, tightly packed
  • ½ cup (120 ml) unsulphured molasses
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ¾ cups (345 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • For icing:
  • 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2–4 tablespoons milk
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Decorative candies and sprinkles, as desired

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, beat together softened butter, brown sugar, and molasses until creamy and well-combined.
  2. Stir in the egg and vanilla extract. The mixture may look separated, but this is normal.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg).
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until smooth dough forms.
  5. Divide dough into two portions, wrap each in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
  6. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Roll out dough on a floured surface to ¼-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out gingerbread men shapes.
  8. Place cookies on baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8–10 minutes.
  9. Let cookies cool completely before decorating.
  10. To make the icing, whisk together powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth. Adjust consistency with more milk or sugar as needed.
  11. Transfer icing to piping bag and decorate cookies. Let icing harden before serving or storing.

Notes

  • Dough is naturally sticky—do not add too much flour; chilling helps manage it.
  • Use unsulphured molasses for the best flavor; avoid blackstrap molasses.
  • Let icing fully harden before stacking or packaging cookies.
  • Freeze undecorated cookies or dough for up to 2 months.
  • Store decorated cookies in an airtight container for up to a week.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://recipeeasily.com/gingerbread-men-cookies-method/