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3.92 from 50 votes

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookie Recipe

This Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookie Recipe is so simple, delicious and adorable! Made in one bowl and take less than an hour to make!
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time53 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 60 3 inch gingerbread cookies

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup molasses
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. cloves
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 3-3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3-4 Tbsp. milk; whole or reduced fat
  • Decorative candies or sprinkles; optional

Instructions

To make the cookie dough

  • In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Stir until well incorporated.
  • Add the egg and stir until combined into the mixture.
  • Add the baking soda and flour and mix with a wooden spoon or use an electric mixer to incorporate all of the ingredients. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Continue to mix until a gingerbread cookie dough has formed. If the dough is sticky, add more flour.
  • Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To make the gingerbread cookies

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats and set aside.
  • On a well-floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll one half of the cookie dough into 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Cut out cookies with a gingerbread cookie cutter (or you can use any cookie cutter of choice). Place cookies about an inch apart on the cookie sheets.
  • Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes or just until the edges are browned. You want them to be slightly underbaked as they will firm up as they cool. Let cookies cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack. Repeat with leftover cookie dough.

To frost the gingerbread cookies

  • In a medium bowl, whisk all of the frosting ingredients together until smooth and no lumps remain. The frosting should be slightly thick, if it's too thick add water.
  • Transfer the frosting into a pipping bag OR place in a ziplock bag and snip a small piece of the corner. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled gingerbread cookies and add decorative candies or sprinkles if desired.
  • Allow the frosting to harden for about 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Make the dough ahead of time: store the cookie dough in the refrigerator after wrapping each half in plastic wrap for up to 3 days. When ready to roll out and bake, let the dough rest for  20-30 minutes to come to room temperature. 
Leftovers: these cookies will stay fresh when stored in a dry and cool area in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 2 weeks. Storing these in your pantry or counter is perfect! 
Freezing: these cookies freeze great and you have a few options on how you want to freeze these cookies!
  1. Once the unfrosted cookies have cooled, place them in a freezer safe airtight container or large ziplock bag. They will stay fresh for up to 3 months. When ready to frost, let the cookies thaw for several hours. 
  2. Freeze the cookie doughboy wrapped each half of the dough tightly with plastic wrap and place in a large ziplock bag. The dough will last up to 2-3 months in the freezer. When ready to bake cookies, let the cookie dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight.