Classic Gingerbread Man Cookies with Simple Icing

Classic Gingerbread Man Cookies

These molasses-spiced gingerbread people have tender centers, set edges, and enough structure for piped decorations. Chill the dough before rolling it about 1/4 inch thick; if the cut shapes soften, a brief second chill helps their arms and legs hold their outlines. Once the cookies are cool, pipe white eyes, smiles, and wavy lines, then add small red and green sprinkles while the icing is wet.

Ingredients for Gingerbread Man Cookies

Cookies

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g), plus a little for rolling
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (170g)
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (150g)
• 1/2 cup unsulphured, non-blackstrap molasses (170g)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing and Decorations

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (180g)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water, plus a little more as needed
• About 2 tablespoons small red and green cookie sprinkles

Yield: About 24–30 cookies with a 3- to 4-inch gingerbread-person cutter; yield varies with cutter size. Allow about 40 minutes to prepare and cut the dough, at least 2 hours to chill it, 8–10 minutes to bake each sheet, and additional time for decorating and drying.

How to Make Gingerbread Man Cookies

1. Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
2. Make the dough: Beat the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Mix in the molasses, egg, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until no dry flour remains. The dough will be soft and may feel slightly sticky.
3. Chill the dough: Divide it in half, flatten each portion into a disc, and wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until firm enough to roll without smearing.
4. Roll and cut: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment. Keep one disc refrigerated while rolling the other on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut with a 3- to 4-inch gingerbread-person cutter and place the shapes about 1 inch apart, grouping similar sizes on each sheet. Gently reroll the scraps. If the dough sticks or tears, chill it briefly rather than working more flour into it.
5. Firm the shapes if needed: If the cut-outs feel soft or their outlines have distorted, refrigerate the baking sheet for about 10–15 minutes before baking.
6. Bake and cool: Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for about 8–10 minutes, starting to check at 8 minutes. The edges should look set and hold their outlines, while the centers may still feel slightly soft. Avoid very dark edges or tips. Smaller shapes may finish sooner. Let the cookies rest on the sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
7. Decorate: Stir the powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons water. Add more water a few drops at a time, only if needed, until the icing flows through a small piping opening but holds a narrow line. Pipe white eyes, curved smiles, and short wavy lines across the arms, waists, or legs. Press red and green sprinkles into the wet icing as buttons or small accents. If the lines run together, stir in a little more powdered sugar.
8. Dry the icing: Leave the cookies in a single layer for at least 1 hour, or longer if needed. Stack or package them only when the icing feels firm and does not transfer when lightly touched.

How to Keep the People Shaped

Flattening the dough before chilling makes it easier to roll once firm. Lightly flour the rolling surface, rolling pin, and cutter as needed, but avoid kneading extra flour into the dough. If the arms or legs soften during transfer, chill the cut-outs on their baking sheet before baking.

Thickness, Bake Time, and Texture

At about 1/4 inch thick, these cookies are intended to have tender centers. Start checking 3- to 4-inch shapes at 8 minutes and take them out when the edges are set; larger or thicker shapes may need longer. Baking until the tips turn very dark can leave the cookies hard.

For deliberately crisper gingerbread people, roll the dough closer to 1/8 inch and bake until the cookies feel firmer and drier, watching closely for browning. The main recipe’s bake time may not apply to thinner shapes.

Serving and Storage

Arrange the fully dry cookies close together on a tray, or serve them with hot chocolate or coffee. They can also be added alongside a dessert charcuterie board.

Store cookies with fully dry icing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Separate layers if needed to protect the piping. Well-wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before rolling. Fully cooled, undecorated cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months and thawed at room temperature before decorating.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per cookie, based on a yield of 27: 165 calories, 2g protein, 5g fat, and 28g carbohydrates. Approximate values per 100g of finished cookies: 440 calories, 4g protein, 14g fat, and 72g carbohydrates. Cookie size, yield, and the amount of icing used will affect these estimates.