Soft-Baked Gingerbread Men with Brown Sugar Buttercream
Prefer to watch step-by-step? Follow along with my full video walkthrough below to see how I shape, dip, and decorate these spooky fall treats!
Prep Time: 15 mins | Chill Time: 3 hrs | Bake Time: 8-10 mins | Yield: 18–24 individual gingerbread man cookies (or about 15 assembled sandwich cookies) / up to 30 single drop cookies.
Quick Baking Tips & Fun Fact
Fun Fact
Did you know that gingerbread men date all the way back to the 16th century? Queen Elizabeth I of England is credited with creating the very first gingerbread men, having her royal bakers craft spiced cookies shaped to resemble visiting foreign dignitaries and favored guests!
Key Baking Tips
Chill is Non-Negotiable: Don't skip the minimum 3-hour chill time (or up to 2 days). Cold dough keeps its shape in the oven so your gingerbread men don't spread into unidentifiable blobs.
Scoop or Roll Flexibility: For classic cut-outs, roll the chilled dough out to a uniform ¼ -inch thickness. If you're short on time, simply scoop the dough into rounds and bake like normal drop cookies!
Don't Overbake: Pull the cookies when the edges are set but the centers still look soft. They will continue to firm up on the baking sheet as they cool, ensuring a soft-baked, chewy bite.
Ingredients
Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies
All-Purpose Flour: 3 cups (+ 35g / extra for dusting)
Baking Soda: 2 tsp (12g)
Salt: ½ tsp (4g)
Ground Ginger: 1 ½ tsp (5g)
Ground Cinnamon: 1 tsp (3g)
Ground Cloves: ¼ tsp
Unsalted Butter (Softened): 1 cup (226g)
Light Brown Sugar: 1 cup (260g)
Egg: 1 large
Molasses: ½ cup / 4 oz (113g)
Vanilla Extract: 1 tsp (6g)
Filling: 1 batch Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Equipment & Supplies Used
Step-by-Step Instructions
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.
Cream Butter & Sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and light brown sugar on medium speed for 3–4 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix in the vanilla extract and molasses until smooth.
Combine: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined—be careful not to overmix!
Chill: Divide the dough in half, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours (or up to 2 days).
Roll, Cut & Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to ¼ -inch thickness. Cut into gingerbread men (or your favorite shapes) and place on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake: Bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Assemble: Once completely cool, pipe a generous swirl of Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream onto the bottom side of one cookie and sandwich another cookie on top.
If you make these, don't forget to snap a photo and tag @SnazySweets so I can see your beautiful baking creations.
Happy baking!
Want a video tutorial? Check it out here!
