A classic and must-have item in any cookie box, the humble gingerbread men. These gingerbread-men sugar cookies bring together warm holiday spice, soft chewiness, and a little bit of whimsy, perfect for decorating and sharing. They bake up tender, slightly chewy in the middle, crisp at the edges, and taste like the kind of cookie you bake when you want your home to smell like holiday smells.
Whether you share them with family, hang them on a tree, or pack them into a cookie tin for gifting, they strike that nice balance between simple and special.
I’ve pulled together the recipe (in grams and simple steps), plus a few notes and tips to help them turn out beautifully even if you’re baking late at night or last-minute.
How to make the best Gingerbread Men
Cream the butter & sugar until super soft, pale, and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla until silky.
Whisk together your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, spices, salt), then fold them into the butter mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together, soft but not sticky.
Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment to about 6mm thickness. Slide onto a tray and chill for at least 30 minutes (this keeps the shapes sharp!).
Cut out gingerbread men using your favorite cookie cutter. Place them onto a lined tray, about 3cm apart. Chill another 10–15 minutes if they’ve softened.
Bake at 175°C for 9–11 minutes, just until the edges are set and the centers look slightly puffed. Let the cookies cool fully, they’ll settle into the perfect soft-chewy texture.
Decorate with royal icing, add buttons, smiles, little scarves — go wild.
A Few Notes & Friendly Baking Tips
Chilled dough → less spreading → nice defined shapes. Even a short fridge-chill helps a lot.
Underbake slightly: For soft & chewy cookies, take them out when edges are just set and centers still soft. They’ll continue to bake as they cool.
Rolling & thickness matters: Try to keep the dough thickness even, this helps cookies bake uniformly. If you roll too thin, they'll crisp; too thick and they may stay doughy inside.
Decorating stress-free: If you’re worried about icing, just outline the shapes or add simple dots and use sprinkles where you can. You don’t need elaborate designs for them to feel festive.
Storing & gifting: Once iced and fully dried, you can stack them with parchment between layers, store airtight ~1 week, or freeze for longer. Dough can be made ahead and chilled a few days before baking.
FAQ + Troubleshooting Guide
Why did my cookies spread too much?
A few things can cause overspreading:
The dough wasn’t chilled long enough — a solid hour in the fridge (or 15–20 min in the freezer) helps the butter firm up.
Butter was too soft to begin with. Room-temp butter should still hold its shape when pressed, not feel oily.
The dough was rolled too thin. Thinner cookies have less structure and melt quickly.
Baking sheets were warm from a previous batch — always cool trays between rounds.
My cookies didn’t spread at all — what happened?
This usually means the dough had too much flour or was rolled too thick. Double-check your measurements (spoon & level, not scoop), and aim for an even 5–6 mm thickness.
Why do my cookies look cracked on top?
A few shallow cracks are normal with gingerbread-style cookies. Deep cracking usually means:
The dough was too dry.
Too much flour was added.
The dough was rolled thicker than intended. They’ll still taste great, and icing smooths out the look.
How do I keep my gingerbread men soft?
Store them in an airtight container with a piece of parchment or a slice of bread (it rehydrates the air, not the cookies). Avoid leaving them uncovered for long periods — they firm up quickly.
My icing is melting or sliding off — what’s wrong?
Likely one of these:
Cookies were still warm. They must be fully cooled before decorating.
The icing is too thin. Add a touch more powdered sugar to thicken.
Humidity is very high — let the cookies dry in a cool room or near a fan (not blowing directly).
How long will decorated cookies stay fresh?
Undecorated: up to 1 week airtight Decorated with royal icing: 7–10 days airtight Frozen (baked or unbaked): up to 2 months — thaw at room temperature before baking or decorating.
Gingerbread Men
A classic and must-have item in any cookie box, the humble gingerbread men.
Cocoa powder (optional, for chocolate‑toned icing)
Additional water (as needed to thin for flooding)
Optional Decorations:
Sprinkles, sanding sugar, or small edible decorations
Instructions
Gingerbread Men
In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and smooth.
Add the egg + egg yolk and molasses, mix until fully combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, spices (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves), baking soda, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to wet, mixing on low or folding by hand, until dough comes together. Dough should be thick, not sticky.
Divide dough into two portions, wrap each in plastic, flatten slightly, and chill 1 hour (or quick‑freeze ~15 min).
Preheat oven to 175 °C. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Roll chilled dough to ~6 mm thickness on a lightly floured surface (or between parchment). Cut shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies ~5 cm apart
(Optional) Chill cut cookies 10–15 min to reduce spreading.
Bake 12–14 minutes — edges set, centers slightly soft. Let cookies cool 10–15 min on sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Royal Icing:
Add egg whites and powdered sugar into a medium sized bowl and mix until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Divide the icing for coloring. Add gel food coloring for colored icing or sift in cocoa powder for chocolate‑toned icing (adjust with a few drops of water if too thick because of the cocoa powder). I would suggest keeping icing: - 1 part white and thick - 1 part cocoa flavoured (both thick and thinner consistencies) - 1 part red and thick - 1 small part black or brown for the eyes
Thin out your flooding icing using a few drops of water
Fit icing into piping bags. Pipe outlines first using stiff icing, allow to crust 10–15 min.
Use the thinner icing for flooding and fill interiors. Use a toothpick to guide icing if needed. Add sprinkles or sanding sugar while wet.
Let cookies dry slightly before piping on the details such as the face & buttons.
Dry for several hours or overnight until icing is firm. Store in an airtight container or freeze undecorated cookies for later.
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