Soft Gingerbread Man Recipe

This soft gingerbread man recipe is all you need for holiday fun! The cookies are soft but sturdy, never taste like cardboard, and are perfect for decorating.

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Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy soft gingerbread cookies, soft gingerbread man recipe

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 8

Additional Time: 3

Total Time: 3 23

Servings: medium-sized gingerbread men

Calories: 130kcal

Author: Louisa

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup molasses
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Icing for decorating

Instructions

Gather the ingredients for your gingerbread cookies.
Beat the brown sugar and butter on medium-high speed.
Add the egg, vinegar, molasses, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium-low until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add them to the wet mixture and mix on low until a dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Flatten them into discs and chill for 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly dust your work surface with flour.
Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll out each dough disc to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into gingerbread men. You can re-roll the scraps so nothing goes to waste.
Arrange the cookies about an inch apart on the lined cookie sheets.
Bake for 6 to 14 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie. Medium-sized gingerbread men usually bake in about 8 to 10 minutes.
To check if they’re done, gently touch the center of a cookie. If it springs back, they’re ready.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Decorate with icing. Have fun and get creative!

Notes

Don’t skip chilling the dough. It makes rolling easier, keeps the cookies from spreading too much, and helps the flavors of our easy soft gingerbread cookies develop beautifully!
Why stop at royal icing? This soft gingerbread man recipe is the perfect holiday baking project to get creative with. Try buttercream frosting for a richer flavor and fun 3D details, or use melted white chocolate for something simple but delicious.
The number of cookies you get from this homemade gingerbread recipe depends on your cookie cutters. Small gingerbread men are adorable for gifts, while big ones give you plenty of space to get creative with!

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