These thick and chewy gingerbread man cookies will be the best Christmas cookie you eat this year and I’m not even scared to 100% guarantee that!
A few years ago we received a delivery of little gingerbread men from one of my more-like-family friend, Kerri. She’s an incredible baker/chef and she and her husband were bringing us a holiday family tradition from James’ mom. Oh my goodness, you know how I love a good recipe passed down through family members and this one will absolutely forever be a part of my Christmas tradition. But they aren’t what you think. They are 1 million times better. And best of all, they can be made months in advance and don’t change a bit!
Best Christmas Cookies
When I pulled the plastic off of the plate to reveal the famous little men I’d been hearing about, I fully expected a crunchy gingerbread cookie. Nothing fancy, just like you’d get at a gingerbread house event.
These gingerbread men couldn’t be any more different!!!
They are sink-your-teeth-into-them-soft-and-chewy and my gosh, the flavor is unreal!! The perfect blend of spices and that glaze is the finishing touch you never even knew was so important. You guys!!! I cannot beg you enough to trust Kerri in literally everything in life, but especially on these cookies!
And FYI to you, I love them even more straight up out of the freezer, and no, they will not be hard even frozen. It’s a little secret treat, no one even has to know you’re picking in them.
I’ll let Kerri take it from here…
Infamous Gingerbread Boys
Hey friends! I’m back! We met a few months ago when Carrian shared the caramel Bugles recipe which would be another great holiday neighbor treat. Good gracious, they are dreamy! But that’s a story for a different day. Today it’s ALLLL about gingerbread boys (that’s what we like to call them).
This is a recipe I married into, and it might just be the best thing about marrying my husband! Ok, just kidding…there are a million and one reasons he’s the best, but these cookies are right up at the top of the list.
Our first Christmas together, we made these cookies with my mother-in-law, Sondra, the gingerbread boy master. So I learned all the tips and tricks from the best of the best. These cookies are legendary…literally known around the world! My sweet mother-in-law makes hundreds of these every Christmas. Some get shipped to Japan, others to Phoenix, and more to Portland, OR. It’s not Christmas for these friends and family without Sondra’s gingerbread boys.
Now James and I have carried on the tradition, and several of our friends can’t wait for our plate of Christmas goodies to show up at their door! We want to spread the love to you all!
What Ingredients Do You Need for Gingerbread Man Cookies?
Let’s jump into the list of ingredients. There isn’t anything too surprising here, pretty much exactly what you would expect in a gingerbread cookie recipe. It’s when we start to combine all these ingredients that the magic starts to happen so be sure to read the next section that describes how to make them carefully.
Cookies
- Molasses: we always use Grandma’s brand, don’t skip the molasses!
- Shortening: we like to use butter flavored Crisco to add more richness and flavor
- Sugar: just regular white granulated sugar
- Egg: helps with leavening and gives the cookies structure
- Vanilla: flavor
- Baking Soda: helps make the cookies nice and chewy
- Water: you want the water to be really hot. I just let my faucet run until it’s as hot as it will go and use that. No need to boil it.
- Ground Cloves: one of the layers of flavor that go into these cookies
- Cinnamon: adds warmth and flavor and is so Christmas!
- Salt: cuts through the sweetness and actually enhances the flavor
- Ginger: a must in gingerbread recipes of course
- Flour: all purpose flour
Glaze
- Powdered Sugar: all the sweetness and structure for the glaze
- Milk: whole milk preferably but any milk will work. Add a little less milk if you want a thicker glaze on the cookies.
- Vanilla: adds great flavor to the glaze
The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
How to Make Gingerbread Man Cookies
I’m not going to sugar coat this for you (pun intended)…these cookies take some work and TLC. My husband and I usually tag team this, and we’ve got it down to a perfect dance in the kitchen. Once you get started, things move fast, so you want to make sure to start by prepping your work space and all your ingredients.
Prepare Your Space
- Prep your cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
- Get your cooling racks out and set them over parchment to lessen the mess.
- Have a glass bowl ready to reheat the dough.
- Preheat the oven.
Make the Glaze
- Mix all the ingredients until smooth and set aside.
Make the Cookies
- Add the shortening and molasses to a pot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk vigorously in the beginning to help emulsify the two together. Let it simmer for 2-5 minutes.
- PRO TIP: Make sure it doesn’t scorch! It will look like nothing is happening as it simmers, but suddenly the mixture will coat a spoon and run off in a cohesive, sticky sauce.
- Cream the sugar, egg and vanilla in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Measure out the hot water in a glass measuring cup and dissolve the baking soda in the water. Then add it to the sugar and egg mixture and stir on low to combine.
- Add all the spices and salt to the mixture and beat until combined.
- Add the hot molasses mixture to the bowl and mix to combine.
- Slowly add the flour. The wet ingredients will soak up the flour quickly and the dough will seem very sticky.
- Spray your counter where you will be working with cooking spray and remove the dough from the bowl to your work surface.
- PRO TIP: The dough is going to seem way too sticky to roll out, but trust me on this one! Don’t add extra flour! Use cooking spray on your rolling pin and I promise it will roll out.
Cut the Cookies
- Roll out about 1/3 of the dough, placing the rest of the dough in your glass reheating bowl, until it’s about 1/2″ thick. Then cut out your cookies with your desired cookie cutter while the dough is still hot. Use a really thin metal spatula to carefully lift the cookies from the counter without distorting the shape and place on your prepared cookie sheet.
- PRO TIP: The dough needs to stay hot while you are rolling it and using the cookie cutters. When you gather up the scraps from your first round, form them into a ball and add it to your remaining dough and warm it up in a glass bowl for 5-10 seconds. Then roll it out and cut the cookies again. Repeat these steps until the dough is gone.
- PRO TIP: Don’t tell anyone I said this, but the dough is sooooooo tasty! I can’t keep my hands out of it when I’m making these! Shhhhhh!
- Bake the cookies. The larger your cookie, the longer you will need to bake it. Smaller gingerbread boys will only take about 5 minutes to bake. A larger 3-4″ cookie will take 7-8 minutes. A full size 5-6″ gingerbread man cookie will take 10 minutes.
Glaze
- When the cookies are done, quickly remove the pan from the oven and set it right by your glaze bowl.
- As soon as it’s humanly possible to handle the cookies, completely dunk the cookies and place them on a cooling rack to drip and dry. Some fingertips have been sacrificed for the perfect glaze…ha! Dunking them while they’re hot sort of seals the cookie and locks in the chewiness.
- PRO TIP: Rotate the cookies after they set for a few minutes so they don’t get stuck to the cooling rack.
Gluten Free Gingerbread Man Cookies
I have a friend who made a gluten free version of this cookie last year and she says they were delicious. She substituted the flour with Gfjules flour (1:1). Then for the glaze, you can’t dunk the hot cookies in the glaze because the GF flour soaks it up and makes the cookie sticky. My friend recommends dunking right before serving or not at all. You could also treat the glaze like a dip and just dunk and eat. I would make the glaze a little thicker if you go this route.
How Long Will Gingerbread Cookies Keep?
Gingerbread cookies should be stored in an airtight container or freezer bag, and will keep for up to 1 month at room temperature. They will keep for several months in the freezer. Let them cool and dry completely and layer them in an airtight container with wax paper or parchment paper between each layer.
I have had them even a year later, and they were still tasty! Carrian mentioned this at the beginning, but they really are divine straight from the freezer. I have a friend that takes our Christmas goody plate and stealthily removes the gingerbread boys from the plate to a ziploc bag and sticks them in the back of her freezer and eats them all herself! She says that secret stash helps her survive winter break. Haha! That makes me so happy!
PRO TIP: Add a couple frozen gingerbread boys to the blender with several scoops of vanilla ice cream and little milk to make the most amazing holiday milkshake that you have ever tasted. Crumble one cookie over the top, and YOU. ARE. WELCOME.
Can I Make Gingerbread Cookies Ahead of Time?
Here is quite possibly the best part about these cookies! You can make them way ahead of time and the quality won’t suffer at all! Store them as stated above and pull them out when you’re ready to assemble your cookie plates.
December gets INSANE for me with all the parties and family gatherings and school performances and Christmas cards and gift buying and gift wrapping and holiday baking and family traditions and now I’m already exhausted just thinking about it.
I start baking these right after Thanksgiving to check one thing off my list early!
Using Gingerbread Cookie Dough for Gingerbread Houses
We use this same dough to make all the pieces of our annual gingerbread house as well. It works so well! We triple the spices so that it is super fragrant and festive. Roll the dough out quite a bit thinner, maybe 1/4″ thick and increase the baking time so they get really crispy and sturdy.
I have scoured the interwebs for gingerbread man cookies like these, and there are none…nothing that look anything like these perfectly chewy and thick gingerbread boys with a sweet thin glaze! Oh Sweet Basil is setting out to flip the Christmas cookie world on its head! These cookies are going to be your new favorite Christmas cookie recipe!! I’m dying for you to make them!
More Christmas Baked Goods You’ll Love:
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Peppermint Bark Cookies
- Gingerbread Bars
- Dulce de Leche Christmas Tree
- Peppermint Chocolate Snack Cake
- Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies
- Orange Cranberry Poppy Seed Bread
- White Chocolate Molasses Cookies
- All our Christmas recipes!!
Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheet, (these light ones are great for cookies)
- Stand Mixer, (I love my KitchenAid)
- Rolling Pin, (this one is great for even rolling)
- Gingerbread Cookie Cutter, (I like these mini ones)
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 Cup Molasses, Grandma's brand
- 1 Cup Butter Flavored Shortening
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1/2 Cup Water, hot
- 3/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 3 teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Ginger, ground
- 6 Cups Flour
Glaze
- 6 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 2/3 Cups Milk
- 4 teaspoons Vanilla
Instructions
Prepare Your Space.
- Prepare your work space as you will need to move quickly when baking. Set out multiple cookie sheets with parchment or a silpat. Arrange cooling racks (I prefer to use 4) over parchment or any paper to catch icing drips. Finally, set aside a glass bowl for reheating the dough in the microwave.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Glaze
- Mix all ingredients until smooth in a glass bowl and set aside.6 Cups Powdered Sugar, 2/3 Cups Milk, 4 teaspoons Vanilla
Cookies
- On a medium heat, add the molasses and shortening to a pot. Simmer molasses and shortening for 2-5 minutes (do not scorch). Whisk vigorously in the beginning to help emulsify the two together. It will look like nothing is happening, but suddenly the mixture will coat a spoon and run off in a cohesive, sticky sauce.1 Cup Molasses, 1 Cup Butter Flavored Shortening
- Meanwhile, in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.1 Cup Sugar, 1 Large Egg, 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
- In a glass measuring cup, dissolve baking soda in hot water and add to creamed mixture. Stir on low to combine.2 teaspoons Baking Soda, 1/2 Cup Water
- Blend cloves, cinnamon, salt and ginger into creamed mixture.3/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves, 3 teaspoons Cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons Ginger, 1 teaspoon Salt
- Add hot molasses mixture and beat again until incorporated.
- Beat in flour, slowly at first and then notice how the extremely full and wet bowl soaks up all the flour and becomes a very sticky dough. Remove to the table where you'll be cutting.6 Cups Flour
- Spray the counter with nonstick spray and remove 1/3 of the dough. Usingn a rolling pin, roll the dough about 1/2" thick and using a very small cookie cutter (you can use bigger, but small is our favorite way) cut out little gingerbread men while the dough is still hot. See NOTES!
- Bake at 375 degrees for 5-10 minutes, depending on cookie size. Very small men need 5 minutes while a 3-4" needs 7-8 and a regular sized cookie needs 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan quickly to the counter by the glaze and immediately dunk each hot cookie completely in the glaze coating the cookie on all sides.
- Drain cookies on cooling rack until dry.
- Store in an airtight container or freezer bag. To freeze, press out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Cookies are good for up to 2 months in the freezer when properly stored. .
Notes
- The dough will seem too sticky to roll but don’t add flour. It will roll out fine.
- Use cooking spray on the counter and rolling pin and not flour to roll it out.
- Keep the dough warm at all times. If it cools down, warm it up in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.
- Dunk them in the glaze right when the come out of the oven even though they are hot. If they’ve baked enough you can remove them, if they are still too soft you won’t be able to pick them up as they will need to bake a little longer to avoid squishing them.
- Rotate the glazed cookies after a few minutes so they don’t stick to the cooling rack.
Nutrition
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Cauleen
Oh, Holy Night! These are absolutely amazing. After the first 2 cookies broke in the glaze, I decided just to dip one side and it was plenty sweet enough. These will be devoured long before they have a chance to dry out. Absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing this treasure of a recipe!
Sweet Basil
Yay! Thank you so much Cauleen!! It’s not Christmas around here without the gingies!!
Marge
Never make this recipe!! People won’t leave you alone at Christmas parties asking you for the recipe. My husband brought to work at the hospital and all the nurses at stalking me until I hand over the recipe. In all seriousness, these are a labor of love but SO SO good. I dream of them all year until December.
Sweet Basil
I feel this exact same way Marge! I’ve never come across someone who doesn’t love them! Thank you so much for taking time to leave us a comment! Happy holidays!
Margot
Hi Carrian! The serving default is set to 60. I’ve never seen a recipe for 60 cookies before, so want to confirm this is the case before I decrease the servings (and thus, measurements). Thanks so much!
Sweet Basil
Hi Margot! The number of cookies you get from this recipe is going to depend on what size cookie cutter you use. When I use my little gingerbread man cutter (about 2 inches tall), I get 100 cookies. So an average size cookie cutter (like 3-4 inches) will probably get you around 50-60 cookies. I hope this helps!
Kelly
I’ve never used cloves in a recipe before. Do you throw them in whole or do they need to be ground?
Sweet Basil
Hi Kelly! You want to use ground cloves. I’ll clarify that in the recipe. Thanks for bringing that to my attention! You’re going to LOVE these cookies!
Holly
I used and egg replacer (chia seed and chickpea) and oatmilk in the glaze, still SO good, huge hit with the family over the holidays – will be making again.
Sweet Basil
Love to hear this, Holly! Thank you so much for the feedback! They really are the best cookies ever!
Claudia
These are so good 🙂 One trick I picked up from Nancy Birtwhistle on IG is to use the bags that cereal comes in to roll out dough. Cut the top and bottom off the cereal bags when you’re done with them and carefully pull open the seam down the centre. It gives you waxy sheets that won’t stick to dough and you don’t have to add extra flour. It worked well for this cookie dough and I didn’t need to rewarm it or use any oil.
Sweet Basil
This is a great tip! Thank you Claudia!!
Maureen Iu
Carrian, I’ve ran into an issue. This is my second year of making these wee treats. The day after I’ve made them I’ve noticed the icing goes rather frosty looking. Similar to the glass window going like snow flakes. If you know what I mean. Any suggestions?
Itzel
Hi! I have some questions
-Do the cookies freeze once there baked and glazed? Or can I freeze the dough?
Thank you in advance.
Sweet Basil
Hi Itzel! I recommend freezing the baked and glazed cookies. It is super important that the dough stays warm while you roll, cut and bake the cookies so it would ruin the texture to bake them after freezing the dough. The baked cookies are actually delicious when they are frozen.
Megan
These came out perfectly and are truly delicious! Sooo soft with lots of ginger flavor. Yes, they’re a labor of love but worth it in my opinion!
Sweet Basil
Thank you Megan! Perfectly said! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Jen
Yum! Since Crisco is so unhealthy do you think butter would work in the recipe instead?
Sweet Basil
Hey Jen! We’ve had some people use just butter and they turn out more dry and little crispier because the water in the butter evaporates so you lose some moisture. The flavor is still great!
Rachel
Do you think refined coconut oil would be a better swap to retain the moisture without having to use shortening? I’m so excited to try this after reading all the rave reviews!!
Sweet Basil
Hi Rachel! It’s hard to say since I’ve never tried it. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out!!
Maranda
Absolutely incredible! A new go-to Christmas recipe in my home ❤️
Sweet Basil
Aren’t they dreamy?! Thanks for taking time to leave a comment Maranda!
Dinis
Best cookie ever
Sweet Basil
Thank you!!
Kendra
MAKE THESE! These have become part of my yearly holiday cookie boxes. I get so many compliments on these and there might be an uprising if I ever stop making them haha! I highly highly recommend making these, they are worth the effort!
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much Kendra! We are in the same boat over here! Neighbors say it’s not Christmas for them until our little gingie boys come! I’m so glad you enjoy them as much as we do and thank you for taking time to leave a comment!
Amanda Harrison
Carriann these are divine!!! I can’t say enough about them! My family loved them and I have never made gingerbread anything before because it seems like a lot of work but these were so fun to make! This will definitely be our forever recipe for gingerbread cookies. Can’t wait til next year to make them 🙂
Sweet Basil
You’ve made my day Amanda!! They really are quite fun to make if you do it as a family. It has become a tradition in our house and person has their job to do! Thank you so much for taking time to leave a comment!
Maureen
I made these wee beauties and it’s amazing when you taste them you’re blown away by the texture. I will agree they’re a bit of a job to do but bloody worth it. There is no comparison to any soft Gingerbread I’ve previously tasted.I have to thank you and my neighbors thank you too. Amazingly good.
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much Maureen! They are heavenly, aren’t they?!
Kristen
Made these this morning and I found the dough easy to work with. They are very soft but the texture is almost.. powdery? It’s weird they definitely are not dry.. did I maybe overtake them? Measured the flour precisely! They are still yummy just not necessarily chewy… more just soft? Haha it’s so hard to explain.
Sweet Basil
Hi Kristen! Hmmm, they should be very soft and chewy.
Alexandra
Hiya, I’m from Australia and unfortunately, I don’t have access to Crisco shortening or any shortening similar to its ingredient list. The closest alternative we have is ‘Copha’, which is made with coconut oil however, I’m a little hesitant to use it even if I were to mix it with ghee/butter. Do you have any recommendations for alternative shortening substitutes? And if not, would you recommend me using ghee, butter or going ahead with the coconut oil and butter? I’m super eager to try these and I really want to get the texture right as they look so delicious!
Sweet Basil
Hi Alexandra! I haven’t ever experimented with ghee or coconut oil in this recipe unfortunately, but we have had some readers use butter and they have turned out great. The texture is a little less chewy but still fabulous!
Jen
LOVE these! Such good flavor and sooo soft!!! But where did you find the small cutter? Mine is just normal sized and I rolled the dough out to 3/8 and only got 29 cookies. How many inches long is your small one?
Thank you for sharing this tasty recipe!
Sweet Basil
Hi Jen! My little gingerbread cutter is about 2 inches tall. Here is a link to the set we use: https://amzn.to/3Uy3KrY. I get about 120-130 little guys from one batch.
Danielle
Hello! Can you explain why the dough cannot come to room temperature or be chilled before baking? Thank you!
Sweet Basil
Hi Danielle! I can’t explain the science behind it but it’s all about getting the soft chewy texture just right. It won’t be the end of the world if the dough comes to room temperature or is chilled but the cookies will be harder.
Granny Janny
Pretty bland for all the spices and molasses. Lots of ingredients and time for just ok cookies.
Sweet Basil
Hello! I’m so bummed to hear this because these are one of our absolute favorite Christmas cookies. If you like more spice, you can always double the spices. So sorry for the disappointment!
Megan
These cookies are the BEST gingerbread cookie I have ever tasted! They are THE recipe you are looking for. I will tell you it’s definitely a labor of love for these guys but it’s SO worth it. I did add some freshly squeezed orange juice to my glaze. I also dipped the bottoms of the cookies in a cinnamon sugar mixture before baking as it gave the bottoms a little crunch.
Sweet Basil
Thank you Megan!! Aren’t these guys AMAZING?! I love the idea of adding orange to the glaze and the cinnamon sugar dip! Yummmmm! It’s not Christmas at our house without these cookies.
Chris Souza
These were the best gingerbread cookies I’ve ever made! My daughter and I didn’t have any issues with the dough, once we got the hang of it. I added butter flavored extract to my plain shortening as suggested by another baker, and a slotted spatula made the dip in the glaze pool easier. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Sweet Basil
Yay!! Thank you so much Chris!
Kammy
We loved these cookies so much! All the tips and tricks were so helpful. My son thought they tasted like a doughnut, the texture was so good. I have one question, my glaze looked so beautiful and shiny as it dried, but the next morning it had dulled. It almost looked like little snowflake patterns all over. Has this happened to anyone else? About 3/4 of the cookies look like this the next morning. Most were in an airtight container, but about a dozen were left on a plate and both locations have the same look.
Sweet Basil
Hi Kammy! Yes, that happens to ours too. I kind of love it, but I also wish I could preserve the shine if I want to. I need to experiment on a few ideas I’ve had but until then, know that it is normal. And I actually think they taste better a day or two after making them. I’m so glad that you love them!
Amber
We made this recipe and it’s so delicious! Soft and chewy and they don’t lose their shape. Perfect with a cup of coffee! Definitely our go-to recipe for gingerbread from now on. Thank you for sharing a family recipe!
Amber
Also, my 17 y.o. daughter misread the recipe and accidentally just threw all the ingredients together and mixed it. (She mixed up the glaze instructions with the cookie instructions) and the cookies still turned out amazing. The dough was super easy to work with I didn’t even need flour to roll it and remove from my counter to transfer to the baking pan. She used a metal fish spatula to dip the cookie in the glaze and it worked perfectly to let the glaze drain through the slots.
Sweet Basil
Ooohhhhh…great tips! Thanks for sharing!
Sweet Basil
Yesssssssss, Amber!! Welcome to the inner circle of people who know! Haha! Thank you so much for taking time to leave a comment and happy holidays!
Abbie
I never comment on recipes but I had to with these! SO so good! I was a little scared to make them after reading comments of them being tricky. I had no issues at all with the dough and actually made it with half butter half shortening because that’s all I had. I will make these every Christmas and can’t wait to share them with others! Thank you for sharing!
Sweet Basil
You’ve made my day Abbie! Thank you so much! Merry Christmas!
Mary Howard
These are amazing! I can’t stop eating them. So soft and flavorful. I love the glaze instead of a traditional icing. Easy to make and cut, and baked so nice! Thanks for sharing!
Sweet Basil
Mary!! You have seriously made my day! Thank you so much for taking time to leave a comment and I’m so thrilled that you loved this recipe!
Tami
Soft, chewy gingerbread cookies are my favorite. These finished cookies are wonderful. That said, in my many years of baking, this ol’ grandma has never worked with a more difficult dough. There was absolutely no cutting them out. The dough was far too soft to hold a shape. I molded a gingerbread shape as best as I could. We had hysterical laughing at the odd shapes. My daughter sent pictures to her friends, so they could have a good laugh, too. My grand son says they are ‘delicious’. It’s unlikely they will last until Christmas. I’m undecided if I have the ambition to try making them again. I don’t typically weigh ingredients, but this is one recipe that I believe it may have been helpful to know the weight of the flour. I think a bit more flour would have helped, but the hints said NOT to add more.
Sweet Basil
Hi Tami! I’m so sorry that the dough was so difficult! In the recipe card, there is a little button below the ingredients where you can switch the recipe to metric and it will give you the weight of the ingredients needed. You can add a little more flour if needed. I’ve only ever made these in Utah so lower elevations might need a little more flour. Happy holidays!
Alene
We avoid shortening, too. I was thinking about using half butter and half coconut oil. Do you think that will work? I also like to use turbinado sugar on top of muffins, so I plan to sprinkle some of that on top of the gingerbread boys before the glaze sets. Thanks!
Sweet Basil
I love the idea of sprinkling the turbinado sugar on top of the glaze! That will be so pretty! I honestly don’t know how it will work with coconut oil. I haven’t ever tried that. We’ve had readers try half butter and half shortening and all butter. The feedback is that it makes the cookies a little crunchier. If you try coconut oil, let us know how it goes!!
Tina
This recipe looks amazing. However, I’m looking to make drop cookies. Do you think I use this recipe for drop cookies? Thanks, Tina
Sweet Basil
Ohhh I’d worry about that bake time if they were drop cookies plus the heat distribution of the warm dough would be different so that center could end up a dough mess. I wouldn’t recommend it. If you want a gingerbread drop cookie, try our gingerbread cookies (https://ohsweetbasil.com/reindeer-noses-candy-cane-gingerbread-cookies/) and omit the candy cane kisses if you want.
Sarah
These were outstanding!!! So good!
Sweet Basil
The best right?! I’m so glad you enjoyed them Sarah!
Sha
Can butter be used instead of shortening? I hate things made with shortening-always have.
Sweet Basil
Hi Sha! You definitely can make them with just butter, but it will drastically change the texture of the cookie. They will be firmer and more crunchy. Still totally fabulous!
Jamie
If mine aren’t chewy is it because I didn’t cook the molasses mixture long enough?
Sweet Basil
Hi Jamie! My first guess would be that they were either over mixed or over baked. A mismeasurement of the flour or shortening could do it. I hope this helps!
Brittany Richman
These were the best gingerbread cookies I have ever had!
Sweet Basil
Right?! I couldn’t agree more. They are a dream come true!
Deborah Bradley
I really wanted these to work, but I had so much trouble getting them from the counter to the baking sheet. I tried using a thin metal spatula and a knife, but neither worked. Then I had trouble with them falling apart in the glaze, which seemed a bit thick to me. The “parts” taste delicious, but I’m disappointed that they’re not the cute little gingerbread men.
Sweet Basil
Well dang it Deborah! I’m so sorry!! Did you use cooking spray on your counter before you rolled the dough out? If I have a good amount of cooking spray down, I usually can just pick the cut dough up with my hands from the counter and set them on the cookie sheet. And if they were falling apart in the glaze, it sounds like they might have been just slightly under-baked. The glaze thickness can be totally up to you. I like mine a little thicker. Feel free to thin it out if you want!
Liz
We loved these at our house….couldn’t stop eating them! I had some mimi trees and snowflakes I cut them into and they were so cute!! Will be making these again and every Christmas time!
Sweet Basil
LOVE to hear this Liz! They have become a family tradition for us too! I can’t keep my hands out of them!
Anna Smith
Please help!
I followed the recipe exactly, but the dough is so sticky I can’t roll it out. Even with cooking spray it is sticking to the counter rolling pin and my fingers and hands. Is there anyway to save it?
Sweet Basil
Add a little extra flour…maybe 1/4-1/2 cup.
Crystal
So I recently tried a big, soft, chewy gingerbread men at a bakery and loved them so much that I went out in search for a recipe. This seems like exactly what I’m looking for! I can’t wait to try it! I have a couple of questions though, have you ever tried it with out the glaze? Does it actually lose its moisture without it? I was hoping to make them plain so my kids can decorate them with royal icing for Santa on Christmas eve. Last question, how long do they need to defrost after froze? Thanks so much, I’m really looking forward to this!
Sweet Basil
Hi Crystal! You can definitely make these without the glaze. Just store them in an airtight container after they cool. They actually stay soft when they are frozen. If you pull them out maybe a half hour ahead of time, they should be back to room temperature and ready for decorating! Enjoy!!
Stephanie
These are truly SO good! My cookie cutters were way bigger than these so I have huge cookies, but no one is complaining! I used butter in place of shortening and my cookies are still soft and perfect!
Sweet Basil
Yay Stephanie! This makes me so happy! And thank you for the feedback on using all butter! We have had so many questions about that.
Louise
Delicious, made the recipe with my granddaughter yesterday and it is a keeper for many years to come. For those asking about butter vs shortening, we did the test yesterday. First batch with shortening only, very tender and soft but we where missing the butter taste, if you do big gingerbread man (5 to 7 inches) they brake easily.
Second batch: half butter/half shortening, perfect for our taste, still soft like the kids prefer and easy to handle the big ones and we did decorated them with colored royal icing.
Third batch, butter only, a little bit less tender and sturdy enough to dip in a glass of milk. We filled out bags to give away with one of each batch with funny instructions how to eat according to the batch. Merci pour la belle recette et joyeux temps des fêtes et de partage !
Sweet Basil
Louise, you are the best!! Thank you so much for the thorough feedback! When you did all shortening, did you use the butter flavored Crisco? So glad you enjoyed these cookies!
Louise
Hello Sweet Basil, no I had only regular shortening but I did use a few drops of a butter flavored extract. And the cookies are a hit with my grandchildren !
Sweet Basil
I’m so glad your grandchildren loved them! And thank you so much for responding so quickly. We are getting a lot of questions about using butter instead of shortening so your feedback helped so much!!
Lori
Can you use butter instead of the butter flavored shortening? I don’t use shortening. Please let me know. Keeping my fingers crossed that I can. 🤞
Sweet Basil
Hi Lori! You definitely can make them with just butter, but it will drastically change the texture of the cookie. They will be firmer and more crunchy. Still totally fabulous!
Megan McGrath
Has anyone tried using butter instead of shortening? Im allergic to shortening but these look divine. 😍
Sweet Basil
We’ve had a few people ask about this. I’m anxious to hear if anyone tries it. I’m afraid they would be dry. If you try it, let me know!!
Hilary
These are FABULOUS!!! They weren’t the easiest cookie to make, but boy these are a new favorite!! I had some problems with the shape distorting when I tried to move them to a cookie sheet, but I found if I let the dough cool off a little, it was easier to work with (it was still plenty warm though) thank you so much for a new family tradition!!!
Sweet Basil
Yay!! This makes me so happy Hilary! And thanks for the tip on transferring the cookies!
Hilary
I am back again to say that I think these gingerbread boys get better with age! I also love them best straight from the freezer..it is crazy to me that they stay so soft when I take them out..seems like they should be rock hard, but they are perfect! Thanks again for this recipe…it’s a winner!!
Sweet Basil
RIGHT?! Thank you Hilary! I couldn’t agree more…better with age and divine straight from the freezer!
Nicole
Hello! I’m planning to make these this weekend but I was hoping to make the dough the day before baking. You mentioned having a warm dough, so if I make the dough and refrigerate overnight would it work to reheat it in the microwave the next day?
Sweet Basil
Hi Nicole! I’ve honestly never tried it. I would wrap the dough in plastic wrap and then let it come to room temperature. Then warm it up in the microwave slowly kneading the dough in between zaps in the microwave. You’ll have to let me know if it works! I know it will taste great, I’m just not sure how it will change the texture.
Al Maqdisi
Is there a specific reason why shortening is used and not butter? I don’t use shortening therefore would like to know. Thanks
Sweet Basil
Shortening keeps the cookies moist and chewy.
Andrea
Interested to know why the dough needs to stay warm? We have been using a pretty good recipe for a few years, and I usually do the opposite: work with half the dough while chilling the other half in the fridge, or it gets too soft to work with.
Sweet Basil
We’ve found that the dough dries out if it chills too much. Then the baked cookies aren’t as chewy.
Trish
I just have regular shortening would that be ok or does it have to be butter flavored?
Sweet Basil
I prefer the butter flavored. It gives the cookies a more rich flavor, but regular shortening will work fine.