Description
Classic homemade gingerbread men cookies with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, perfectly sweetened with brown sugar and molasses. These soft and slightly sticky dough cookies are chilled before rolling out and baked to a light or dark golden finish, ideal for decorating with royal icing for festive occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Wet Ingredients
- 85g (5 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark brown)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup light molasses (not blackstrap)
Instructions
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, mixed spice, and ground cloves until thoroughly combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate bowl, use a stand mixer or electric beater on speed 7 to cream the softened butter and brown sugar together for about 2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix on speed 5 for approximately 30 seconds until fully combined.
- Incorporate Molasses: Pour in the light molasses and mix on speed 2 for 1 minute to blend evenly into the mixture.
- Gradually Add Dry Ingredients: Add one-quarter of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on speed 1 until the flour disappears. Repeat this step until all the dry ingredients are incorporated, then mix an additional 15 seconds. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
- Refrigerate Dough: Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it tightly in cling wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm. Dough can also be refrigerated up to 5 days or frozen for 3 months.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Trays: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C), or 170°C fan. Line three baking trays with parchment paper and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Divide Dough: Remove the dough from the refrigerator, cut it in half, wrap one half, and return it to the fridge while working with the other half.
- Roll Out Dough: Lightly flour a sheet of baking paper and place the dough on top. Sprinkle flour over the dough lightly and cover with another sheet of baking paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about 4mm (1/6 inch) thick. Flip and smooth the paper as needed to avoid wrinkles.
- Cut Gingerbread Men: Use a gingerbread men cookie cutter to cut shapes, pressing firmly all the way through. Dip the cutter in flour if dough sticks to it.
- Transfer to Baking Tray: Using a palette knife or large knife, carefully lift the cut shapes onto the lined baking trays, placing about 6 cookies per tray. Neaten the edges with a butter knife if needed.
- Bake First Tray: Bake the cookies for 12 minutes for a classic light golden color or 14 minutes for a darker, crisper finish. Remove and allow to cool completely on the baking tray.
- Roll and Cut Remaining Dough: Gather scraps of dough, press together, and roll out again to cut more cookies. If dough becomes sticky, chill again or start working with the other half of the dough. You should yield 18 to 20 gingerbread men depending on cutter size.
- Bake Remaining Trays: Fill the second and third trays with 6 to 8 cookies each. Bake one tray at a time, following the same baking times, while preparing the next batch of cookies.
- Decorate: After cookies are fully cooled on trays, decorate with royal icing. Use a half batch of royal icing to pipe details and attach decorations. The icing sets hard and does not soak into cookies. Freeze any leftover icing in a sealed piping bag for future use.
Notes
- Note 1: Mixed spice is a blend of spices commonly including cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Note 2: Ground cloves add a warm, aromatic flavor; use sparingly as it is potent.
- Note 3: Softened unsalted butter ensures proper creaming and texture.
- Note 4: Light or dark brown sugar can be used—dark brown will yield a deeper molasses flavor.
- Note 5: Using an egg at room temperature helps the ingredients combine more smoothly.
- Note 6: Use light molasses for sweetness and flavor; blackstrap molasses is too strong and bitter.
- Note 7: Light flour dusting on baking paper and dough will prevent sticking during rolling.
- Note 8: Flour the cookie cutter if dough sticks to ensure clean cuts.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 36 minutes (3 trays x 12 minutes each for light golden option)
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American / British Traditional
Keywords: gingerbread men, gingerbread cookies, Christmas cookies, holiday baking, molasses cookies, spiced cookies, festive treats
