Gingerbread Men Spiced Cookies (Printable)

Traditional spiced gingerbread men shaped cookies, ideal for festive decorating and sharing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 tablespoon ground ginger
06 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
11 - 1 large egg
12 - 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
13 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ For Decorating

14 - Royal icing (store-bought or homemade)
15 - Assorted candies, sprinkles, or chocolate chips

# How to Make It:

01 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a large bowl; set aside.
02 - Beat softened butter and brown sugar in another large bowl until light and fluffy.
03 - Add egg, molasses, and vanilla extract to butter mixture; beat until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until a soft dough forms.
05 - Divide dough in half, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C), line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
08 - Cut out gingerbread men with cookie cutter; place 1 inch apart on prepared sheets.
09 - Bake 8–10 minutes until edges are firm and centers set; cool on sheet 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack.
10 - Once cooled, decorate with royal icing and candies; allow icing to set before serving or storing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They're sturdy enough to decorate with abandon, so even if your icing skills are rough around the edges, these little guys always look charming and homemade in the best way
  • The spice blend is perfectly balanced—warming without overpowering, so every bite tastes like someone who actually knows their way around a spice rack made them
  • They stay fresh for days in an airtight container, which means you can make a big batch and still have treats throughout the week
02 -
  • Room temperature butter isn't optional—cold butter won't cream properly, and you'll end up with dense cookies that taste more like shortbread than gingerbread
  • The dough really does need that full hour of chilling; I learned this the hard way when I tried to skip it and ended up with flat, spread-out cookies that looked nothing like little men
03 -
  • If you want crispier cookies, bake for a full 10 minutes or even 11; if you prefer them softer and chewier, pull them out at 8 minutes—this simple adjustment changes the entire texture experience
  • Always use parchment paper, not just a greased baking sheet; it prevents the bottoms from browning too quickly and ensures even baking across the entire batch

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