Gingerbread men cookies are that are simple to make and subtle in taste. Our kinda Christmas cookie.
This gingerbread men recipe makes the easiest, fastest, cheapest, unfussiest gingerbread men cookies we’ve ever encountered. They come together in minutes from a minimum of ingredients, all of which are pantry staples. They’re so simple, even your preschooler could practically make them.
They’re also the subtlest gingerbread men we’ve tasted in terms of spice, though they’re still quite, quite nice, so even the aforementioned preschooler is pretty guaranteed to like these mild and chewy cookies that almost taste more like a honey cookie than a traditional gingerbread cookie. So much so that you could get by with making these all year round, which is good, because after your first batch, we think you’ll be craving these cut-out cookies far more frequently than just at the holidays.–David Leite
☞ Contents
Why our testers loved this
Tester Carol Anne G. and her tasters enjoyed these cookies immensely. She loved that they were easy to make, didn’t require chilling, and are made with pantry staples.
Notes on ingredients
- Ground ginger–Using 1 1/2 teaspoons will lend these cookies a subtle spice. If you prefer a more ginger-forward cookie, use up to 3 teaspoons of ginger.
- Unsalted butter–Since this dough doesn’t need to be chilled, it’s important to start with cold butter.
- Honey–Use good-quality honey here, but avoid very strong ones, like buckwheat or chestnut as their flavor will be too intense.
How to make this recipe
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Dump the flour, baking powder, ginger, butter, sugar, and honey into a food processor and pulse to combine. Drizzle in the water and process until it forms a dough.
- Roll the dough to 1/4-inch (6-mm) thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out gingerbread men. Re-roll and cut scraps.
- Bake the gingerbread. Cook until set, then cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
FAQs
Where did gingerbread men come from?
Gingerbread men are believed to have originated in England, where Queen Elizabeth I had them made and served to visiting guests.
Can you freeze these cookies?
Yes. You can freeze the unbaked gingerbread dough for up to 3 months, and baked, undecorated gingerbread men can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking or decorating.
Can I use this dough to make a gingerbread house?
We don’t recommend it. If you’d like to make a gingerbread house, we recommend using our light or dark gingerbread recipe, as it is sturdier.
Helpful tips
- Dip your cookie cutter in flour before cutting out the gingerbread men. This will give you clean edges and will help the dough release from the cutter.
- If your dough seems too soft and sticky to roll, refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freeze them for longer storage.
More great Christmas cookie recipes
☞ If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Gingerbread Men Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for the work surface
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger or more to taste (up to 3 teaspoons is safe if you like a truly gingery gingerbread)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled and cubed
- 3 tablespoons granulated or light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon cold water
- Royal icing, melted chocolate, nuts, candied ginger, and dried fruit
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Place the flour, baking powder, ginger, butter, sugar, and honey in a food processor and pulse until you get crumbs. Add the water and mix until a ball of dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll it out with a rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick. Dip your cookie cutters in flour and then cut out gingerbread men and carefully transfer the dough shapes to the baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes if using large cookie cutters, less time if using small cutters. Let the gingerbread people cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet prior to transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To decorate the gingerbread men cookies, pipe icing or melted chocolate onto the gingerbread people as clothes, using a pastry bag or a resealable plastic bag with one corner snipped off. You can also accessorize the gingerbread people with chopped nuts, candied ginger, dried fruit, whatever you please.
Notes
- Storage–You can store the gingerbread cookies an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezing–Gingerbread dough or baked undecorated gingerbread men can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking or decorating.
- Chilling–If your dough is very soft, chill for 30 minutes before rolling.
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We’d love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Everyone really enjoyed these gingerbread men cookies, though the general consensus was “more ginger!” I would think twice before offering them up as gingerbread, as the honey flavor was equal to the ginger — though, of course, this will vary depending on the freshness and quality of ground ginger you use. At any rate, despite minor quibbles over naming, they were lovely.
I made them by hand rather than in a food processor, working the butter into the other ingredients with my fingertips to create breadcrumbs, then stirring in the water with a knife until the dough was thickened enough to bring together by squeezing it. It’s a little slower to do this way but still far from difficult, and with the ingredients all being cupboard staples, it’s a great recipe to have on hand.
HUNGRY FOR MORE?
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
So cute!!!
Glad you think so, too, Natalie!
Do you think I could sub equal amounts of corn (or other) syrup? Can’t eat honey, but I love a ginger cookie without the heavy spices, and so easy to make! Thanks!
Hi Ruthie, although I haven’t tried substituting in this particular recipe, you can usually exchange honey for corn syrup, molasses, golden syrup or even agave nectar. Let us know how they turned out!