Gingerbread Men (People) Cookies

Gingerbread men cookies, or what we should really call Gingerbread people cookies, are a fantastic cookie to make with your little ones.

This is a really simple gingerbread men recipe. But with a good amount of spice flavour too. So really easy to make with kids.

You could have them help you make the whole cookie from start to finish or you could simple have them help with the icing and decorating. They’ll definitely help by eating some of the raw dough, and scoffing the finished product!

Kids really do love gingerbread cookies though. They love anything that’s a smaller depiction of real life really. Think dolls, softies and figurines. And this is where the gingerbread cookie really shines. They tiny little people, that fit in the size of your hands, and smell oh-so-sweet.

You’ll need gingerbread people-shaped cookie cutters if you want the real people end result. But don’t wait until you have the right cookie cutter. You can easily make gingerbread stars and moons. Or even just free-form it, and cut out shapes using a knife from the dough.

This recipe uses golden syrup. I’ve seen other recipes with different types of sweetener. But for me, golden syrup gives the most authentic gingerbread flavour of all.

Also, this recipe uses a good amount of spices, but still keeps it very kid-friendly. Our recipe uses a mix of cinnamon, mixed spice and ground ginger. So it’s more than just a hint. But definitely not like those bland, tasteless gingerbread cookies you get from the supermarket.

Don’t forget to ice them too. This is where the gingerbread men (people!) cookie really comes to life. At the bare minimum you need at least eyes and buttons! But have a go at piping on some hair and clothes and features, and definitely consider using M&Ms for buttons.

That said, if you’re short on time, these are just as scrummy and charming without the icing. But definitely consider a glass of milk!

Easy Gingerbread Men Cookie Recipe

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Easy Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 Tablespoons golden syrup
• 2/3 cup of caster sugar
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice
• 3 teaspoons ground ginger
• 150 grams butter
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups flour

Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• food colouring or other decors

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Gently boil golden syrup, water, sugar and spices in a large saucepan.
3. Bring to the boil, stirring well.
4. Remove from heat and stir in butter and baking soda.
5. Add enough sifted flour to make firm dough.
6. Sit aside and leave to cool.
7. Roll out when cool onto a flour dusted bench and cut into shapes with cookie cutters dipped in flour. Bake for approximately 12 minutes or until golden and crisp.
8. Leave to cool on a rack, ready for icing.
9. Mix all the icing ingredients together until smooth.
10. Place in a piping bag, or cut a hole in the corner of a plastic bag, and pipe on eyes, mouth, buttons etc. You can use the icing to stick mimi M&M's or raisins on for eyes and buttons.

Recipe Notes

Enjoy you yummy cookies with a hot cuppa or a glass of milk.