Gingerbread Man Cookies Icing

My kitchen fills with the smell of molasses and cinnamon every December, and it always takes me back to standing on a step stool, watching my grandmother press a cookie cutter into soft dough with the kind of focus usually reserved for important things. She never followed a recipe—just knew when the butter was light enough, when the spices were right. I've tried to chase that exact moment ever since, and somewhere along the way, these gingerbread men became my version of it.

A few years ago, I made a triple batch of these for a neighborhood cookie exchange, and a friend came back the next week just to tell me they'd eaten half of them standing in her kitchen before remembering she was supposed to bring them somewhere. That's when I knew the recipe was doing something right—when people forget they're supposed to ration them.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour (3 cups): This is your structure—it needs to be measured by weight if you have a scale, or spoon-and-level if you don't, because too much flour makes them dry and brittle.
• Brown sugar (3/4 cup, packed): Pack it down into the measuring cup so you get the real amount; loose brown sugar throws off the whole balance.
• Unsalted butter (3/4 cup, softened): Leave it on the counter for an hour before you start—cold butter won't cream properly, no matter how long you beat it.
• Molasses (2/3 cup): Use the darker kind if you can find it; it has more personality and won't let the cookies taste one-note.
• Egg (1 large): Room temperature helps it blend in smoothly, binding everything without overmixing.
• Baking soda (1 tsp): This is what gives them slight lift and that tender crumb—don't skip it or substitute baking powder.
• Salt (1/2 tsp): Even in sweet things, salt wakes up flavor and stops them from tasting flat.
• Ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg: Buy these whole and grind them yourself if you're feeling ambitious, but don't stress if you use pre-ground—just make sure they're not sitting in your cabinet for five years.
• Powdered sugar (1 cup): For the icing, sift it if you want it smooth and pipeable, or leave it lumpy if you like texture.
• Milk (1–2 tbsp): Start with one tablespoon and add more until the icing reaches the consistency you want—thin enough to pipe, thick enough to hold shape.
• Vanilla extract (1/2 tsp): A small amount that rounds out the icing without making it taste like vanilla cake.

Instructions

Cream the butter and brown sugar:

This takes about three minutes with an electric mixer, or five if you're doing it by hand. You want it so light and fluffy that it looks almost like frosting—that's when you know the air is incorporated and your cookies will have the right texture.

Add molasses and egg:

Beat until everything disappears into the mixture and you can't see any streaks of molasses or egg white. This step matters more than it sounds; uneven mixing means some cookies will be denser than others.

Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl:

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and all the spices together so the leavening and spices are distributed evenly throughout. No lumps of cinnamon hiding in one corner.

Combine wet and dry:

Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture gradually, stirring gently until the dough just comes together. Overmixing at this stage makes them tough and dense, so stop as soon as there are no dry streaks.

Chill the dough:

Divide it in half, shape each half into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour. Cold dough is easier to roll out and holds its shape better when baked.

Preheat and prepare:

Set the oven to 350°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. This prevents sticking and ensures even browning on the bottoms.

Roll and cut:

Work with one disk of dough at a time, keeping the other chilled. Roll it out to about 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface, then cut out your gingerbread men and place them on the prepared sheets about an inch apart.

Bake:

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes—they'll look barely done when you pull them out, but they continue cooking on the hot sheet. The edges should be firm to the touch; the centers can still be slightly soft.

Cool properly:

Let them sit on the baking sheet for five minutes to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents them from breaking when you decorate them.

Make the icing:

Whisk powdered sugar with milk and vanilla until smooth and pipeable—thinner than frosting, thicker than glaze. Add food coloring if you want, or leave it white for a classic look.

Decorate and set:

Pipe or spread icing onto the cooled cookies, then let it dry for at least thirty minutes before stacking or storing them. This keeps the icing from smudging onto everything.

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I once made these with a friend's daughter who was seven and insisted on giving each cookie a different personality with the icing. Some got squiggle eyebrows, some got full beards, one got what she called a 'mustache of confidence.' That batch never made it to any gift box, but it didn't matter—we'd made something together, something that made us both laugh.

Texture Matters

The thing about gingerbread is that it walks a fine line between crispy and chewy, and that balance is what makes them special. If you like them snappier, bake an extra minute—they'll harden as they cool. If you prefer them softer and almost cake-like, pull them out at the eight-minute mark and let them stay on the cooling sheet a little longer before moving them to the rack. There's no wrong choice, just different moments in time.

Decorating and Storage

The icing is your canvas, not the point—don't feel like you need to make them Instagram-perfect. Simple white piped outlines look elegant, food coloring turns them festive, and a handful of currants or sprinkles stuck into wet icing before it sets adds dimension without fuss. Once they're decorated and the icing has dried, store them in an airtight container between parchment sheets so they don't stick together.

Make-Ahead Magic

The smartest thing about this recipe is that you can bake the cookies weeks in advance and freeze them undecorated, then frost them the day before you need them. This takes the pressure off the actual baking day and lets you focus on the fun part—making them look good.

• Freeze undecorated cookies in airtight containers for up to two months.
• Thaw them on the counter for thirty minutes before frosting so the icing adheres smoothly.
• Decorated cookies keep for a week in an airtight container, though they rarely last that long.

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These cookies are small enough to gift, warm enough in flavor to feel like home, and sturdy enough to travel well—which means they work as well on a holiday plate as they do wrapped up for someone who needs a bit of sweetness. That's when you know a recipe is worth keeping.

Recipe Q&A

→ How do I ensure the gingerbread men hold their shape?

Chilling the dough for at least one hour helps the cookies keep their form during baking. Rolling to an even thickness also improves consistency.

→ Can I make the icing more colorful?

Yes, add a few drops of food coloring to the icing mixture for vibrant decorations without altering the flavor.

→ What is the ideal baking time for crisp cookies?

Bake for 9-10 minutes to achieve a crisper texture; reduce baking time if softer cookies are preferred.

→ How should I store leftover cookies?

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week to maintain freshness.

→ Are these suitable for freezing?

Yes, undecorated cookies freeze well for up to two months. Decorate after thawing for best results.