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Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookies

Soft and chewy gingerbread men cookies are rolled between parchment, cut into festive shapes, and baked until the edges are set and the centers look slightly soft. A one-hour chill helps make the dough easier to roll and cut.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 150
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground cloves
  • 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp table salt
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 0.75 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 egg large, at room temperature
  • 0.5 cup molasses unsulphured, not blackstrap
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 electric mixer
  • 1 large baking sheet

Method
 

  1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together in a medium bowl.
  2. Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until creamy.
  3. Beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
  4. Mix in the flour mixture on low speed just until no dry streaks remain.
  5. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disk, and wrap the disks.
  6. Refrigerate the wrapped dough for at least 1 hour.
  7. Heat the oven to 350°F and line one large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  8. Roll one disk of dough between two sheets of parchment to 1/4-inch thickness, cut out gingerbread men, and transfer them to the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Keep the remaining dough refrigerated.
  9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers look slightly soft.
  10. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.
  11. Let the baking sheet cool completely before baking the remaining cookies, rerolling scraps as needed. Cool the baked cookies completely on the rack.

Notes

Roll the dough between parchment to keep it from sticking. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; freezer: yes, freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. For a dairy-free option, use plant-based butter sticks.