Print

Soft Gingerbread Man Cookies Recipe

4.4 from 70 reviews

Soft Gingerbread Man Cookies are a delightful holiday treat featuring warm spices and rich molasses. These cookies are tender and chewy, perfect for decorating or enjoying plain with a cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt until well combined. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until creamy and fluffy. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms.
  2. Chill the Dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to make it easier to roll out and cut shapes.
  3. Roll and Cut Shapes: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out shapes and transfer them to baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
  4. Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers remain soft. Avoid overbaking to maintain their tender texture.
  5. Cool and Decorate: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired with icing or enjoy plain.

Notes

  • For softer cookies, slightly underbake and allow them to cool on the baking sheet.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh and soft.
  • Molasses can be substituted with dark corn syrup for a milder flavor, but molasses provides the classic gingerbread taste.
  • Experiment with decorating using royal icing or colored sugar for festive appearance.
  • If dough is too sticky to handle, chill longer before rolling out.

Keywords: gingerbread cookies, soft cookies, holiday cookies, gingerbread man, molasses cookies, spiced cookies