Description
These soft and chewy gingerbread men cookies are bursting with warm spices and molasses, making them the perfect holiday treat. Decorate them with royal icing, candies, or sprinkles for a festive and delicious dessert!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Gingerbread Cookies:
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (120ml) unsulfured molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
For Decorating (Optional):
- Royal icing (store-bought or homemade)
- Assorted sprinkles or candies
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight).
- Roll and Cut the Cookies:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disk to about ¼-inch thickness. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out shapes and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.
- Re-roll scraps as needed and repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bake the Cookies:
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers remain soft. Avoid overbaking to keep the cookies chewy.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate:
- Once the cookies are completely cool, decorate with royal icing, sprinkles, or candies as desired. Let the icing set before serving or storing.
Notes
- For softer cookies, avoid rolling the dough too thin and bake for the minimum time.
- The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator before rolling out.
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.