Gingerbread Men

Quick answer

Total time: 37 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Gingerbread men are spiced cookies shaped like small figures, made from a dough enriched with molasses, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.

The molasses contributes a deep amber color and a bitter undertone that distinguishes these cookies from simpler butter cookies, while the spice blend delivers a warmth that builds gently across the palate. Chilling the dough for at least one hour before rolling ensures it holds its shape through cutting and baking, so the finished cookies emerge with crisp, defined edges rather than rounded, puffy outlines. Once fully cooled, royal icing piped into eyes, mouths, and buttons turns each cookie into a small edible character. The ideal texture balances a snappy bite at the rim with a slightly chewy center that keeps the cookie from crumbling apart. Stored in a sealed container, the cookies improve over a day or two as the spice flavors meld and deepen. The recipe is simple enough for children to help with shaping and decorating, making it a fixture of winter holiday baking in many households.

Ingredients (6 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
all-purpose flour	280	g
unsalted butter	100	g
brown sugar	90	g
molasses	70	ml
ground ginger	2	tsp
ground cinnamon	1	tsp
egg	1	ea

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Season

Let 100 g unsalted butter soften, then cream it with 90 g brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes.

Mix until the color lightens slightly and the sugar grains feel less coarse.
2

Prep

Add 1 egg and mix until evenly blended, then pour in 70 ml molasses gradually.

If the mixture looks split, scrape down the bowl and mix again until it turns smooth and glossy.
3

Heat

Add 280 g all-purpose flour, 2 tsp ground ginger, and 1 tsp ground cinnamon, then fold with a spatula.

Stop as soon as no dry flour remains so the cookies do not turn tough.
4

Step

Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it, and chill it for at least 1 hour.

It is ready to roll when it sticks less to your hands and slowly yields when pressed.
5

Heat

Lightly flour the work surface and roll the dough to an even thickness.

Cut out figure shapes and place them spaced apart on the baking tray so the edges stay clear as they bake.
6

Heat

Bake at 175C for 10-12 minutes, until the edges feel lightly firm.

Let the cookies rest on the tray briefly, then move them to cool completely before adding any icing decoration.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Spiced holiday cookies flavored with ginger and molasses for a firm, snap-like texture.
Finish cue: If the mixture looks split, scrape down the bowl and mix again until it turns smooth and glossy.
Avoid this: Stop as soon as no dry flour remains so the cookies do not turn tough.
Storage and reheating: Stored in a sealed container, the cookies improve over a day or two as the spice flavors meld and deepen.