Gingerbread Men Cookies
Classic gingerbread men cookies flavored with warming spices and molasses, perfect for festive celebrations and holiday treats.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Decorations (optional): icing, candy eyes, sprinkles
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until the dough forms.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten each into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.
- Use gingerbread men cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are firm but cookies are still soft.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate with icing and candies if desired once fully cooled.
Notes
For extra festive cookies, try adding a pinch of black pepper or cardamom to the dough for a subtle spicy twist.