Chewy, no-chill, perfectly spiced Gingerbread Men Cookies are a must to bake and decorate during the holidays!
A Must-Make Christmas Cookie
It wouldn’t be the holidays without Gingerbread Men Cookies! I’ve always thought they were so cute and fun to decorate, but I’d honestly never met one that tasted great…until now! These cookies are soft and chewy and spiced just right. You’re going to love them, too!
Easy No-Chill Gingerbread Recipe
I decided this was the year I was going to create my own gingerbread men recipe to prove that these cuties could taste delicious, too. Out with the hard, crumbly, flavorless and in with the chewy, tender and perfectly spiced.
This recipe is quick and easy and guaranteed to give you gingerbread men cookies that hold up to the excitement of decorating and then dancing them into your mouth. Just mix the dough, roll it out and cut it into the gingerbread man shape. No need to chill the dough. Amazing, right?
So Fun for the Whole Family
Cutting out the gingerbread men shapes is definitely a highlight for my crew when we make these cookies. Tip! I like to roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness for a thicker, chewier cookie.
And they bake so quickly that you can have all 4 dozen baked in less than 20 minutes. Makes for such a great recipe to bake with kids because it’s quick and easy.
Ingredients and Supplies
(see recipe card at the bottom of this post for measurements and details)
Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Dark brown sugar
- Molasses
- Vanilla extract
- Large eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Ground ginger
- Ground cinnamon
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Powdered sugar
- Whole milk
Supplies:
- 2 baking sheets
- Parchment paper or nonstick cooking spray
- Electric mixer with paddle attachment
- Rolling pin
How to Make Gingerbread Men Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and dark brown sugar until smooth. Add the molasses and vanilla and beat until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients.
- Mix on low speed until the flour is fully incorporated.
- Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll the dough to ¼-inch thick.
- Using a gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out the gingerbread men.
- Transfer to lined baking sheets and bake for 7-9 minutes or until they start to crisp around the edges.
- Let cookies cool on baking sheets 5 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
- To make the icing, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk 3 cups powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons whole milk until smooth and thick.
- Once the cookies have cooled, they’re ready to decorate with the icing and festive candies.
- I love making my own icing, but I will sometimes buy several of the store-bought icing tubes of colorful cookie icing to decorate these cookies because the tubes with the little tips make it much easier for everyone to draw their desired design on the cookies. Using a variety of colored icings, sprinkles, candies, etc., it’s such a fun activity to do with the kids this holiday season.
Storage
Store baked and undecorated gingerbread men cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Or store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. If the cookies are already decorated, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze undecorated cookies in a freezer-safe airtight container or plastic bag, with parchment paper between each layer, for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before decorating and enjoying.
If you want to prepare the cookie dough in advance, place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Let set at room temperature for about 10 minutes before rolling out and cutting into shapes. Or you can store prepared gingerbread cookie dough in the freezer. Simply form the cookie dough into two discs and wrap each disc in plastic wrap before placing in freezer-safe plastic bags in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then let set at room temperature for about 10 minutes or until soft enough to roll out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best baking time for gingerbread man cookies? Baking time depends on oven temperature and thickness of the cookies. For this recipe, I recommend baking at 350°F for 7 to 9 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time and checking at one minute intervals towards the end of the baking time.
How do you prevent gingerbread cookies from being too hard? If your cookie dough is rolled too thin or if you bake them too long, they are likely to turn out hard and crunchy. My best tips for cookies that stay soft and chewy yet still hold their shape while baking is to use fresh ingredients, to cut the dough to 1/4 inch thickness, and to try not to over bake the cookies. You’re better off slightly underbaking the cookies to ensure that they stay soft. It’s also best to store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature so they don’t lost moisture and turn hard.
What if I don’t have molasses? Molasses is essential in a gingerbread recipe to make them soft and to get that deep, rich, caramel-like color and flavor, but if you don’t have molasses, you can use honey, dark corn syrup, maple syrup or make your own substitute. If you’re substituting the molasses with honey, dark corn syrup or maple syrup, it would be a 1:1 ratio. If you want to make your own molasses substitute, simply mix 1/4 cup dark brown sugar with 1/2 cup honey to get the 3/4 cup of molasses that you would need for this recipe.
More Christmas Cookies
Bring your A game to this year’s Christmas cookie exchange! I’ve got the Best Christmas Cookies to share at holiday cookie exchange or to gift to your neighbors this holiday season. They’re sure to spread tons of cheer! Plus, get tips on hosting your own Christmas cookie exchange party.
If you make these Gingerbread Men Cookies, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see. If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join my Friends of The BakerMama group to connect and share all the fun and yummy recipes of mine that you make! 
I just love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the ideas I share. Enjoy!
xoxo,
Gingerbread Men Cookie Recipe
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 7 mins
- Total Time: 32 mins
- Yield: 4 dozen
- Category: Dessert
Description
Chewy, no chill, perfectly spiced Gingerbread Men Cookies are a must to bake and decorate during the holidays!
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon koser salt
Icing:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- festive candies, for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and dark brown sugar until smooth. Add the molasses and vanilla and beat until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- Add the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed until the flour is fully incorporated.
- Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Using a gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out the gingerbread men.
- Transfer to the prepared baking sheets and bake for 7-9 minutes or until they start to slightly crisp around the edges.
- Let cookies cool on baking sheets 5 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
- To make the icing, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk 3 cups powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons whole milk until smooth and thick.
- Once cookies are cooled, decorate with the icing and festive candies.
The only gingerbread cookies I’ll make! My family loves these and kids have a blast decorating them. It’s become their favorite Christmas tradition. I use an oversized cookie cutter and these make beautiful cookies. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi, Leslie! Aw, thanks of sharing! I’m so happy you all enjoy them.
Cookies are bland. After review of the recipe realized salt and cloves missing in the recipe. The dough was easy to work with and the no chill is awesome when your short on time. The next time I make them I will modify the recipe as mentioned above by adding more spice and the missing ones as well.
Hi there, these look great! How do you measure your flour? I normally lightly spoon mine into my measuring cup and then level, but I know that others sometimes scoop directly with the measuring cup. I want to ensure I am adding enough flour. Thanks!
Hi Pam! I scoop my measuring cup into the flour to fill it up and then level it off with a knife. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Hi what if we have baking soda but no baking powder ?
Hi Kiarra! 1/4 teaspoon baking soda is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
do I have to put vanilla in the mix? can I put vanilla extract? thx
Hi Nick! The recipe calls for vanilla extract. I updated the instructions to clarify. I recommend pure vanilla extract. Enjoy!
There is no nutmeg? I am searching for a new recipe but yours has no nutmeg…did you forget to add it? Thx
Hi Paula! No, I didn’t use nutmeg in this recipe, but you could certainly add it or replace some of the ginger with it. Enjoy!