You have to try these soft gingerbread cut out cookies with icing! They are nothing like the crispy, stale gingerbread cookies from a bag from the store. They're so addictive you'll make them every Christmas!
Table of contents
Why choose this recipe...
- Just as easy to make as any other roll out cookies.
- Full of flavor, soft, and irresistible.
- Not anything like the crunchy stale cookies at the store.
Ingredient Notes...
- Shortening - DO NOT substitute butter for the shortening. The shortening is what stops these cookies from spreading.
- Molasses - I like Grandma's Brand best.
- No Ginger? - No, this recipe does not call for ginger. You really don't need it.
Step by Step Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening and the sugar.
- Add the molasses, vanilla and vinegar. Mix well
- Add the baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and 3 cups of the flour.
- Add the water. Mix well.
- Add the rest of the flour.
- After mixing up the gingerbread dough roll it out to a ¼ inch thickness and cut out your gingerbread men with a gingerbread man cookie cutter. (affiliate link) I usually get about 4 dozen gingerbread men out of one batch.
- Bake your gingerbread men on greased or parchment paper (affiliate link) lined baking sheets (affiliate link) at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes.
- Make the icing while the cookies are baking. I prefer to ice these while they are just slightly still warm. I ice them using the back of a spoon. After they are iced I let the cookies sit on my counter top for an hour or two to let the icing set up.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips:
Yes, and no. For a gingerbread house please, click on over to my DIY Gingerbread Houses . I've modified this recipe and include the measurements for them. They're so fun to make and my kids look forward to making them every year. You'll also need my No Fail Royal Icing recipe for your gingerbread houses
If you're cookies got a little overcooked and are a little crisp go ahead and ice them. Once the icing is set, pack them up in an airtight container and leave them overnight. The icing will soften them considerably overnight.
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The Recipe...
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Iced Gingerbread Men Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus a couple hours for the icing to set)
- Cook Time: 12 minutes (per batch)
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 4 Dozen Cookies 1x
- Category: Cookie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
You have to try these soft gingerbread cut out cookies with icing! They are nothing like the crispy, stale gingerbread cookies from a bag from the store. They're so addictive you'll make them every Christmas!
Ingredients
Gingerbread Dough
- 1 Cup Shortening (don't sub butter)
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Cup Molasses
- 2 Tbs. Vinegar
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Cloves
- 5 Cups Flour
- ⅓ Cup Warm Water
Icing
- 1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Clear vanilla (regular vanilla is fine but your icing won't be as white)
- Milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or lightly spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening and sugar. Add the molasses, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix well.
- Add the baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Mix well.
- Stir in 3 cups of the flour. Add the water; mix well. Add the 2 remaining cups of flour.
- Turn the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to ¼ inch thick. You can sprinkle the dough with a little flour if it is sticking to your rolling pin.
- Cut out the gingerbread men and place them on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
- Make icing by whisking the vanilla and milk a little at a time into the powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. It should have a consistency a little thicker than syrup.
- Ice the gingerbread men a while they are still just slightly warm. Leave them on your countertop until the icing is set. This will take an hour to two hours. Test by lightly touching the icing top. It should not be soft or squishy.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container with wax paper in between the layers.
Notes
- Never substitute butter for the shortening.
- Don't overcook or these cookies won't be soft.
- If you do happen to overcook them go ahead and ice them like normal. Store them overnight in an airtight container. The icing will soften them up.
- Ice cookies when they are still a little warm. It makes the icing spread easier.
Keywords: gingerbread men, soft gingerbread cookies, classic gingerbread cookies, soft gingerbread cut out cookies
Kristen
The cookies are great! The times are a little misleading; it took my husband and I 2 hours total to get to the point where we were waiting for the icing to cool off before we could store them and go to bed. We needed to do 3 batches, and I iced the completed ones while my husband finished off cutting the cookies and baking them. The cookies taste good though, I even added some red gel dye to the icing to be extra festive. Will probably make these again next year, just make them in the afternoon and not after dinner.
★★★★
mindeescookingobsession
I apologize for the misleading times. It appears that the last time I updated my recipe card software it filled in those time slots itself!?!?!?!? It does take a good hour or more for the icing to set up enough to package. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I will fix that today.
Gracie Haines
I see there's no ginger in these gingerbread cookies. Should there be snd can I add it?
Mindee
Nope, there's not ginger in them. If you want to add it you could.