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Easy Gingerbread Man Cookies

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Updated Nov 12, 2024
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Feeling merry and bright? We’ve got a classic cookie that’ll keep your holiday spirit alive. For centuries, warming spices have filled homes with coziness, and we hope this tradition never ends. After all, cinnamon, cloves and ginger are the defining spices of gingerbread—the holliest, jolliest cookie of them all! But during the bustling holiday season, there’s not always time to make this traditional cookie from scratch, but don’t fret. Betty’s gingerbread cookie mix will help you bake up these tried-and-true Christmas cutouts without all the fuss. This low-ingredient recipe lets you focus on the decorating, making it a perfect weekend project to enjoy with the littlest bakers in your life.

What are Basic Gingerbread Man Cookies?

Dense, ginger-spiced basic gingerbread man cookies are one of the most iconic Christmas cookies, ever. The classic recipe has an amazingly long list of ingredients…which takes some time to mix. Our easy version starts with a cookie mix and just a few ingredients, so you can get to the fun of decorating and eating them sooner.

How Do I Make Easy Gingerbread Cookies?

With just a few ingredients, the dough for simple gingerbread cookies comes together in a jiffy. It’s rolled out and cut with cookie cutters, to form the cutest cookies ever. After they are baked, they are decorated with frosting and cinnamon candies.

How Do I Frost Simple Gingerbread Cookies?

Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy frosting is the perfect choice when you want easy gingerbread cookies and you plan to eat the cookies right away. If you’re looking to store your cookies, see the FAQ below, for other options.

More About This Recipe

  • Intricately shaped and decorated gingerbread goes back to the Middle Ages, when adoring ladies would present brave knights with it before going into tournament battles. Today, gingerbread is usually either in the form of cookies or molasses cake that has ginger and other spices. Today’s gingerbread men (or women, or kids!) are typically crisper cookies, so they hold their shape when cut with cookie cutters and keep for a long time (perfect for a month of holiday festivities!). If softer cookies are more your thing, try ginger crinkles or our ginger pumpkin cookies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are more ways I can decorate simple gingerbread cookies?

If you are looking for frosting for your easy gingerbread cookies that will set up so that you can store the cookies or mail them, try our white decorating cookie icing or royal icing. They both are great choices.

Can I Cut My Easy Gingerbread Cookies with Other Cookie Cutters?

Yes! You can use any cookie cutters you wish! Stars or trees are a few of our favorites. Just know that if the shape of the cookie cutter has small, tight areas (like Santa’s boot on a Santa cutter), some of the dough might get stuck in the cookie cutters and the intricate shape might be lost as the cookies puff up during baking. Also note that different-sized cutters will change your cookie yield and may need adjustment to the bake time.

Easy Gingerbread Man Cookies

  • Prep Time 1 hr 15 min
  • Total 1 hr 15 min
  • Servings 24
  • Ingredients 6
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, water and egg until soft dough forms.
  • Step 
    2
    On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 2 1/2-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts 2 inches apart.
  • Step 
    3
    Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
  • Step 
    4
    Spoon frosting into decorating bag fitted with round tip. Pipe frosting on cookies. Decorate with cinnamon decors.

Nutrition

160 Calories
7g Total Fat
1g Protein
22g Total Carbohydrate
14g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Cookie
Calories
160
Calories from Fat
60
Total Fat
7g
11%
Saturated Fat
3g
16%
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
20mg
6%
Sodium
150mg
6%
Potassium
10mg
0%
Total Carbohydrate
22g
7%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
14g
Protein
1g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
2%
2%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
0%
0%
Iron
0%
0%
Exchanges:
0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 1/2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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