Description
This Gingerbread Man Cookies recipe yields soft, chewy, and flavorful cookies perfect for holiday decorating and sharing. Made with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, these classic cookies have a rich molasses sweetness and a tender texture that’s easy to achieve. With simple ingredients and straightforward steps, this recipe is ideal for bakers of all levels looking to create homemade festive treats.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 12 Tablespoons butter, room temperature, cut into 12 pieces
- 3/4 cup dark molasses
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Frosting
- 2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt to a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly to combine all the spices and dry elements evenly.
- Cut in Butter: Add the 12 pieces of room temperature butter to the dry mixture and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the texture resembles fine meal.
- Add Molasses and Milk: With a mixer running on low speed, gradually add the molasses and 2 tablespoons of milk, mixing until just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Chill Dough: Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball. Wrap each ball tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. If short on time, freeze for about 20 minutes until firm. This chilling step is crucial to prevent sticky dough that’s hard to roll.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy cleanup.
- Roll and Cut Dough: Remove one dough ball from the fridge or freezer and place it on a well-floured surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin. Roll out the dough until it’s about 1/2 inch thick, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
- Chill Cut Cookies: Place the baking sheets with cut cookies back in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. This helps the cookies hold their shape while baking. Meanwhile, roll out the second dough ball and repeat the cutting process.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the centers are set but still slightly soft and the dough barely retains an imprint when gently touched. Avoid overbaking to keep cookies soft and chewy.
- Cool Cookies: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and transfer the cookies to a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely at room temperature before decorating or storing.
- Store and Freeze: Store the cooled gingerbread cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper layered between cookies to prevent sticking. They can be frozen for up to 3 months for longer storage.
Notes
- Refrigeration of dough is essential to prevent sticky dough and to ease the rolling and cutting process.
- Do not overbake the cookies to maintain a soft and chewy texture.
- Use parchment paper to line baking sheets for easy cookie removal and cleanup.
- Freeze leftover dough or baked cookies in airtight containers to extend freshness.
- Decorate cooled cookies with your favorite frostings and sprinkles for a festive touch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 214 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 143 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 18 mg
