Gingerbread Man Classic Spiced (Print View)
Warm spiced gingerbread men featuring cinnamon and molasses, ideal for holiday decorating and snacking.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour (375 g)
02 - 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1 tablespoon ground ginger
05 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
09 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (170 g)
10 - 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (150 g)
11 - 1 large egg
12 - 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses (120 ml)
13 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
→ For Decorating
14 - Royal icing or colored icing
15 - Mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, or candies (optional)
# Step-by-Step Directions:
01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt until evenly mixed.
02 - In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
03 - Beat in the egg, then stir in molasses and vanilla extract until the mixture is homogeneous.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined to form the dough.
05 - Divide the dough in half, shape each portion into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disk to a uniform thickness of 1/4 inch (6 mm).
08 - Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut shapes from the rolled dough, spacing cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
09 - Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are firm and centers are set. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Once cooled, decorate with royal or colored icing and add mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, or candies as desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- These cookies have the perfect snap that balances spice and sweetness, like a little festive secret to share with friends
- The recipe is forgiving and fun, turning decorating time into a happy, creative mess
02 -
- Chilling the dough is essential; skipping it causes spreading and losing those perfect shapes
- Adding a pinch of black pepper to the spices surprised me by lifting the flavor intensity in a beautiful way
03 -
- Use room temperature butter for creaming; cold butter will result in dense cookies
- Rolling dough between parchment sheets avoids excess flour, which can toughen cookies