Classic Gingerbread Men Cookies

My daughter pressed raisins into the dough for eyes, then ate half of them before I could stop her. The kitchen smelled like Christmas in a jar, all ginger and molasses, and flour dusted every surface. We'd been rolling and cutting gingerbread men for an hour, and somehow the cookies outnumbered the decorations we'd planned to use.

I made these every December with my grandmother, who insisted on using dark molasses because it gave the cookies a deeper flavor. She'd let me decorate them however I wanted, which usually meant lopsided icing smiles and mismatched buttons. Those cookies never looked perfect, but they tasted like tradition, and I still use her recipe today.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: This forms the structure of the cookie, and measuring it correctly keeps the dough from becoming too sticky or too dry.
• Baking soda and baking powder: Together they give the cookies a slight lift without making them puffy, so they hold their shape beautifully.
• Ground ginger: The star of the spice blend, it brings warmth and a little bite that defines gingerbread.
• Ground cinnamon: Adds sweetness and depth, balancing the sharpness of the ginger.
• Ground cloves and nutmeg: Use them sparingly because they can overpower, but they round out the flavor with cozy complexity.
• Salt: Enhances every spice and keeps the sweetness in check.
• Unsalted butter: Softened butter creams smoothly with the sugar and creates a tender crumb.
• Dark brown sugar: The molasses in brown sugar deepens the flavor and adds moisture.
• Egg: Binds everything together and gives the dough richness.
• Unsulphured molasses: This is what makes gingerbread taste like gingerbread, dark and slightly bitter in the best way.
• Vanilla extract: A subtle backdrop that makes the spices sing.
• Royal icing or decorations: Optional, but half the fun is turning plain cookies into little edible characters.

Instructions

Mix the dry ingredients:

Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined. Set it aside while you work on the wet ingredients.

Cream the butter and sugar:

Beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until the mixture looks light and fluffy, which takes about three minutes with an electric mixer.

Add the wet ingredients:

Mix in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract until smooth. The dough will look a little glossy and smell incredible.

Combine wet and dry:

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Dont overmix or the cookies will be tough.

Chill the dough:

Divide the dough in half, flatten each piece into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour. Chilled dough is much easier to roll out cleanly.

Preheat and prep:

Heat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll and cut:

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out shapes with a gingerbread man cutter and place them on the baking sheets an inch apart.

Bake:

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just set but the centers still look soft. Let them cool on the sheet for five minutes before moving to a wire rack.

Decorate:

Once the cookies are completely cool, decorate them with royal icing, sprinkles, or candies. This is where the magic happens.

Save

One year I made a batch for a school bake sale, and a little boy told me my gingerbread man looked happy. He bought three of them, one to eat and two to keep. I realized then that these cookies arent just dessert, theyre little edible memories that people hold onto.

How to Store Them

Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, and theyll stay fresh for up to a week. If you stack them, slip a piece of parchment paper between layers so the icing doesnt smudge. I sometimes freeze undecorated cookies for up to three months, then thaw and decorate them when I need a quick holiday treat.

Decorating Ideas

Royal icing is classic and dries hard, perfect for stacking or gifting. You can also use store-bought icing tubes if youre short on time. Mini chocolate chips make great buttons, and a dusting of colored sugar adds sparkle without much effort.

Make Them Your Own

I sometimes add a pinch of black pepper to the dough for a subtle kick that surprises people in the best way. You can also swap out the gingerbread man cutter for stars, trees, or any shape you like. The dough is versatile and holds detail beautifully.

• Brush the unbaked cookies with a beaten egg for a shiny finish.
• Press a whole almond or dried cranberry into the dough before baking for an elegant touch.
• Use this same dough to build gingerbread houses if you roll it slightly thicker.

Save

These cookies remind me that the best recipes are the ones you make with people you love, even if the kitchen ends up messy and the decorations look a little wild. Theyre meant to be fun, not perfect.