Is there a more iconic Christmas cookie than a Gingerbread man? Perfectly spiced and so sweet, Gingerbread cookies might just be my all-time favorite. I love decorating them with a little icing and keeping them simple. Not all gingerbread cookies are created equal however, they should hold their shape while baking but still be soft. These Easy Soft Gingerbread Men Cookies are all of that and the very best part is they start with a cake mix.
Do you love Christmas cookies? Try these Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies!
Should Gingerbread Men Cookies be Hard or Soft?
In my opinion, Gingerbread men cookies should be hard enough on the outside edges that they hold their classic shape but soft on the inside.
When you are making gingerbread for a house you want it to be super strong. Strength means that the end product needs to be hard but not with a precious Gingerbread Man.
Ingredients needed to make Easy Gingerbread Cookies
- Spice Cake Mix-it is the perfect base for these cookies because it has all of the spices in the mix already.
- All Purpose Flour-added for additional structure to the cookie dough.
- Eggs-are added for even more structure and a little leavening.
- Butter-melted to bind the dough together and add the softness that everyone loves.
- Molasses-is an ingredient you want to have in a good gingerbread recipe. It also helps give the cookie softness but it is the deep color and flavor that is so important.
- Ground Ginger-while there are already spices in the spice cake mix, adding extra ginger to a Gingerbread Cookie is totally necessary.
How to make Soft Gingerbread Men with a Cake Mix
- Combine the spice cake mix, flour and ground ginger in a medium bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until everything is mixed well.
- In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, melted butter and molasses. Whisk the ingredients together until everything is evenly distributed.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Mix the ingredients together using a handheld mixer {or by hand} until you have a thick dough.
- Place the dough on plastic wrap. Wrap the dough into a disc and refrigerate for at least two hours.
- After the dough has been chilled, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out cookies.
- Place the cookie cutouts onto a silicone mat {or parchment} lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are just set up.
How to Decorate Gingerbread Men Cookies Easily
For these cookies I used store bought vanilla frosting but this Glace’ Icing recipe is awesome too!
Using store bought frosting made the process so simple! I added the white frosting to a piping bag {but a zipper bag works too}, cut a hole in the bottom and piped all of the white areas.
Then I colored a small portion of the frosting red and added it to a piping bag to add the bow tie or bow for the head. Easy…Easy…Easy…and best of all so darn cute and sweet!
3 Top Tips for the BEST Soft Gingerbread Men Cookies
- Don’t skip the step of refrigerating the cookie dough. If you try to work with dough too soon then it won’t roll out well. The cookies could also spread.
- Only use as much flour as you need to roll out the cookie dough. Using too much flour can make the dough very dry which results in a dry cookie. It can also make the cookie very tough.
- Don’t over bake the cookies. To get the soft cookies that we all love it is important to not over bake them. It can be a bit hard to tell when they are done because you can see if they have browned. So bake until the edges have set well and then allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before moving to the cooling rack.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Are Gingerbread Cookies the same as Gingersnap Cookies?
No, they are not the same. While the flavors might be a bit similar the cookie dough is different because you want to be able to cut out shapes with gingerbread.
The texture of the finished product is also much different because while these Gingerbread Men are soft, Gingersnaps are super crispy.
Why is molasses used in Gingerbread?
Molasses is used in Gingerbread Cookies for a number of reasons. It gives the cookies added moisture which helps add to the softness.
It also gives you the flavor and color you expect from a Gingerbread cookie and couldn’t get from any other ingredient.
How do I store Gingerbread Cookies?
They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months if they are covered well.
Another great option is to make the gingerbread dough ahead of time. The dough will keep in your fridge for a couple of days and freeze for a couple of months too.
Do you love making Christmas Cookies? Try these recipes…
- Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies
- Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossom Christmas Trees
- Stained Glass Sugar Cookies
- Texas Sheet Cake Cookies
- Honey Nut Rugelach
Easy Soft Gingerbread Men Cookies with a Cake Mix
Ingredients
- 1-15.25 ounce box spice cake mix
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup butter {melted}
- ⅓ cup molasses
Instructions
- Combine cake mix, all purpose flour and ground ginger in a medium bowl. Whisk together to combine.
- In a separate bowl combine eggs, melted butter and molasses. Whisk the ingredients together and add to the dry ingredients. Stir to combine until you have a thick dough. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours. I like to wrap the dough in plastic wrap.
- After 2 hours, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Use a gingerbread cookie cutter to cut out cookies and place them on a silicone mat {or parchment} lined baking sheet. Bake in a 375° oven for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are set up but not over baked. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
