Description
Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies are a holiday classic! Get my easy recipe for perfectly spiced, soft cookies that bring pure joy.
Ingredients
Scale
- Flour Base:
- 2 ¾ cups (340g) All-Purpose Flour
- Dry Spice Blend:
- 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- Wet Base Ingredients:
- ¾ cup (170g) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) Dark Brown Sugar, packed
- ½ cup (120ml) Molasses (unsulphured)
- 1 large Egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Icing & Decoration:
- 2 cups (240g) Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 2–3 tablespoons Milk
- ¼ teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for icing)
- Food Coloring (optional)
- Sprinkles/Candies (optional)
Instructions
- Mixing the Dry & Wet: First things first, let’s get our dry ingredients ready. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, baking soda, and salt. Give it a good whisk, making sure all those lovely spices are evenly distributed. This step is crucial for consistent flavor throughout your Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies. I once just dumped everything in, and let’s just say some cookies were spicier than others!
- Creaming the Butter & Sugar: Now, in a large bowl, or your stand mixer, cream together the room-temperature unsalted butter and dark brown sugar until it’s light and fluffy. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes. You want it to look almost like sandy, light brown clouds. This step incorporates air, which helps with the texture of our Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies. Honestly, I sometimes get impatient here, but don’t rush it; it makes a difference!
- Adding the Molasses & Egg: Next, pour in the molasses and mix until it’s fully combined and the mixture looks uniformly dark and sticky. Then, crack in that large egg and add the vanilla extract. Beat until everything is just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure no bits are left behind. The mixture will be dark and fragrant, smelling like pure holiday magic already!
- Combining Wet and Dry: With your mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix! Overmixing can make your Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies tough, and we’re going for soft and chewy, remember? The dough will be thick and a little sticky, but that’s exactly what we want.
- Chilling the Dough (Don’t Skip This!): Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Seriously, don’t skip this step! Chilling makes the dough much easier to roll out and prevents the cookies from spreading too much. I’ve tried to rush it before, and my gingerbread men looked more like blob-men. It’s worth the wait, I promise.
- Rolling, Cutting, and Baking: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of chilled dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use your gingerbread man cookie cutters to cut out shapes and carefully transfer them to the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just set. They’ll look slightly underdone in the middle, but that’s the secret to keeping them Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies! Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Decorating Your Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies: Once the cookies are completely cool, it’s time for the fun part: decorating! In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add more milk a tiny bit at a time if needed to reach a pipeable consistency. Use a piping bag with a small round tip (or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped) to draw faces, buttons, and squiggles. Get creative! This is where the personality of your Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies really shines.