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Gingerbread Men Cookies

Name: Gingerbread Men Cookies
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: about 2 dozen.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened; 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar; 1/3 cup molasses; 1 large egg, room temperature; 2 tablespoons water; 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice; Frosting of choice

57 reviews

Test Kitchen Approved

Total Time

Prep: 40 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling

Makes

about 2 dozen

Updated: May. 05, 2023

No holiday treat platter would be complete without gingerbread men cookies! This is a tried-and-true recipe I'm happy to share with you. —Mitzi Sentiff, Annapolis, Maryland

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Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 large egg, room temperature
2 tablespoons water
2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Frosting of choice

Directions

Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in molasses, egg and water. In another bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients minus frosting; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; cover. Refrigerate until easy to handle, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 4-in. gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets.
Bake until edges are firm, 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Frost as desired.

Gingerbread Men Cookies Tips

Can you skip chilling the gingerbread cookie dough?

No, we don't recommend skipping the chilling step. Chilling cookie dough makes it easier to handle.

How can you decorate gingerbread men cookies?

Dress up gingerbread cookies in frosted outfits, buttons and decorative piping. If you like, you can even tint white frosting (like this classic royal icing) with liquid, gel or paste food coloring. Liquid coloring will produce a pastel color, while gel and paste food coloring will create deeper hues. Look to these other gingerbread men cookie recipes for inspiration!

Can you make gingerbread men cookies ahead of time?

These gingerbread men are fantastic make-ahead Christmas cookies. Just make sure you know how to store them properly, and frost them closer to when you plan to serve them. Like other cutout cookies, gingerbread men cookies last for about a week at room temperature in an airtight container. You can also freeze baked cutout cookies or gingerbread cookie dough for 6 months. Here's how long other Christmas cookies last.

—Christina Herbst, Taste of Home Social Media Editor

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie (calculated without frosting): 118 calories, 4g fat (2g saturated fat), 17mg cholesterol, 128mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 0 fiber), 2g protein.