Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies Recipe

This soft and chewy gingerbread man cookies recipe makes cookies that are soft in the middle with lightly crunchy edges and plenty of warm gingerbread flavor. I like that they hold their shape really well after baking, so you can cut them into gingerbread men without worrying about them spreading.

This chewy gingerbread cookies recipe is perfect for decorating, gifting, or enjoying with a cup of eggnog during the holidays. If you like festive cookies, you should also try these Linzer Cookies. Keep reading to see why chilling the dough and rolling it thick helps keep these easy gingerbread cookies soft in the center.

Jump to:

• Video Instructions
• Try This Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies Recipe
• Why You’ll Love It
• Ingredients
• How to Make Gingerbread Man Cookies
• Recipe Tips
• What Can You Serve With This?
• FAQs
• Recipe

Video Instructions

Try This Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies Recipe

If you’ve had gingerbread cookies that turn out hard or lose their shape in the oven, these are worth trying. The dough is easy to prepare, and chilling it before rolling makes it much easier to work with.

This is one of my favorite cookie recipes because you can decorate these gingerbread men in different ways. You can keep them simple, add icing, or decorate them with whatever you like once they have cooled completely.

Why You’ll Love It

• Soft in the middle: Rolling the dough no thinner than ¼ inch helps keep the cookie centers soft.
• Hold their shape: These cookies don’t spread during baking, so the gingerbread men keep their shape, without needing baking soda.
• Warm gingerbread flavor: Ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg give the cookies their classic spiced flavor.
• Great for decorating: You can decorate the cooled cookies with the optional icing, chocolate, sprinkles, or nuts.
• Good for gifting: The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: Spoon and level the flour when measuring. This helps keep the dough from becoming too heavy, especially since the cookies are meant to stay soft in the center.
• Ground ginger: This is the main spice that gives the cookies their classic gingerbread flavor. I like the amount in this recipe because it works together with the other warm spices rather than overpowering them.
• Unsalted butter: The butter is beaten until creamy before the brown sugar and molasses are added. This helps create the base for the cookie dough.
• Brown sugar: Dark Brown sugar adds sweetness and works with the molasses to give the cookies their rich gingerbread flavor.
• Unsulphured molasses: I recommend using unsulphured molasses because it is lighter and sweeter. Blackstrap molasses is darker and more bitter, so it isn’t recommended for this recipe.

How to Make Gingerbread Man Cookies

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside.

2. In another large bowl, using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add brown sugar and molasses and mix until combined. Add egg and vanilla and mix until fully combined.

3. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. The dough will be sticky and thick.

4. Knead it by hand a few times and divide in half. Shape into discs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

6. On a well-floured surface or counter, roll out the dough discs to a thickness of ¼-inch (6mm).

7. Using a 4-inch (10cm) gingerbread man cookie cutters, cut out cookies and place on prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1-inch (2.5cm) between them.

8. Then bake for 8-9 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

OPTIONAL: Whisk together the sugar, water, and salt until combined. Place in a piping bag and cut off a small piece of the tip.

9. Decorate the cooled cookies as desired. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Recipe Tips

• Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape them into discs. This makes the dough easier to roll out.
• Chill the dough for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, before rolling and cutting. Otherwise, the dough can stick.
• Roll the dough no thinner than ¼ inch (6 mm). This helps guarantee soft cookie centers.
• Use unsulphured molasses rather than blackstrap molasses because blackstrap molasses is darker and more bitter.
• Let the cookies cool completely before decorating them.
• Adjust the baking time if you use a different size cutter: 2-inch cookies need about 5 minutes, while 6-inch cookies need about 11 minutes.

What Can You Serve With This?

• Eggnog
• Coffee
• Tea
• Hot chocolate

FAQs

Recipe