Gingerbread Meltaway Cookies
Listen, I am begging you to make these remarkably soft gingerbread cookies. With a thin sugary icing, a perfect spice and a texture that is everything nice (pillowy, melt in your mouth nice), these are Christmas cookie gold.
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The SOFTEST Gingerbread Cookies EVER
Finally, a Gingerbread Man Cookie recipe that is actually soft! These cookies boast the spice and flavor of a typical gingerbread cookie recipe, but it’s 10,000x better because the texture won’t break your tooth.
The cutesy little gingerbread men are pillowy soft and will absolutely melt in your mouth. Glazed with a thin classic icing, they look every bit the part of the classic gingerbread cookie, but tender beyond your happiest dreams. I really hope you love them as much as I do!
Ingredients You’ll Need for this Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
- Salted butter, softened – I use salted butter, always. Unsalted butter can work in a pinch if you add a little extra salt to the dough.
- Powdered sugar – This is the KEY to getting ultra, ultra soft cookies.
- Egg
- Molasses – The molasses will flavor and add some chew to the gingerbread man.
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Ground ginger & Ground cinnamon – The necessary spice combo to get the iconic flavor.
- Baking powder
- Salt
Gingerbread Man Icing
- Butter
- Vegetable shortening – This is optional, but it helps the icing to crust and get hard on the outside.
- Powdered sugar
- Milk – You’ll use this sparingly to control the thickness of the icing.
- Clear vanilla extract – Clear vanilla will give your frosting the bright white color we want!
How to make Gingerbread Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the salted butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
- Next, add in the egg, molasses, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- To the mixture, add in the flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking powder and salt until a soft dough forms.
- Flour the countertop and roll the dough out with a dusted rolling pin. Roll until about 1/2 inch thick.
- Use a floured small gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out the dough and arrange on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350° F for 6-7 minutes until the cookies no longer look wet and glossy.
- Once the cookies come out of the oven, make the icing by combining the butter, shortening, powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of milk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
- Microwave the icing for 15 seconds to heat and make it thinner.
- Dip each cooled gingerbread man cookie into the icing to coat the top of the cookie and then place back on the pan to set up.
- Enjoy!
How do I store soft gingerbread cookies?
Once the icing has hardened a bit and the cookies are cool, place in an airtight container (you can separate layers with parchment paper, if desired) and store at room temperature. Your cookies will stay soft for up to 4 days.
Can I freeze gingerbread men?
Yes, you can, which means you can get a head start on your holiday baking! I recommend freezing before frosting, but you can also freeze after frosting. I would frost the cookies and arrange them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place the entire sheet into the freezer for a few hours until the cookies are hard to the touch. Remove them from the pan and place in a ziptop bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Can I make these cookies bigger?
For sure! I like the mini gingerbread man cookies, but you can use a bigger cookie cutter if you’d like. You’ll just increase the baking time accordingly.
Festive recipes to check out!
- Christmas Sugar Cookies with Easy Frosting
- Hot Cocoa Bombs
- Peppermint Oreo Truffles
- Easy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Gingerbread Meltaway Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
Gingerbread Man Icing
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp vegetable shortening *Optional, but it helps the icing to crust and get hard on the outside.
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk, plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 tsp clear vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the salted butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
- Next, add in the egg, molasses, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- To the mixture, add in the flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, baking powder and salt until a soft dough forms.
- Flour the countertop and roll the dough out with a dusted rolling pin. Roll until about 1/2 inch thick.
- Use a floured small gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out the dough and arrange on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350° F for 6-7 minutes until the cookies no longer look wet and glossy.
- Once the cookies come out of the oven, make the icing by combining the butter, shortening, powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of milk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
- Microwave the icing for 15 seconds to heat and make it thinner.
- Dip each cooled gingerbread man cookie into the icing to coat the top of the cookie and then place back on the pan to set up.
- Enjoy!
Can these be frozen
Yes! They can. I recommend freezing them on a cookie sheet prior to placing them into a freezer ziptop bag. You can freeze for up to 3 months!
These are cutest, tastiest little gingerbread men! I am so happy I tried this-a definite keeper-love!
This recipe is so good! Everyone needs your cook book. Well written with easy to understand instructions. A must for a Christmas gift!
can i just make these into little drop cookies and fork crisscross them like peanut butter cookies? thanx
Yes, you can!
Will these work for regular icing so my daughter’s class can decorate gingerbread men?
These are probably a little too soft for decorating!
This recipe worked fantastic with King Arthur cup for cup gluten free flour! The dough was easy to manage and roll out, which is a big win with GF flour. Thank you so much!!
Hi! Is this a dough you can roll, cut, and reroll a couple times without the cookies being tough?
Yes!
Soft and delicious! I added a little more milk to the frosting because I was worried the frosting may crack off in pieces.
Just double checking, is it 1+ 1/2 tablespoons of vanilla extract in the cookie dough or 1+1/2 teaspoons? Thanks!
In the dough it will be 1.5Tbsp vanilla and in the frosting you will use 1.5tsp vanilla.
Would you freeze before or after frosting?
I recommend freezing after you have frosted, but either will work.