Gingerbread Men are a symbol of the festive season and they're cheery faces are so cute and captivating. This easy recipe for gingerbread biscuits is packed with punchy ginger flavour, and lovely caramel notes from the brown sugar and golden syrup. You can make this gingerbread into any shape you like - stars, christmas trees etc. Either way, they are so fun to decorate and eat. Gingerbread is so quick and easy to make, and it can be made in advance too!
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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- For this recipe your butter should be cold. I also recommend using proper block butter rather than a baking spread.
- I recommend using both dark brown and light brown sugar for both their colour and lovely caramelised flavour, but if you can't get hold of them, caster sugar will work too. Your gingerbread will be lighter in colour if you use caster sugar instead.
- Mixed spice is a British spice blend containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento, and ground ginger. If you can't get hold of it where you're based, you can use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead or add a mix of other spices - I recommend cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Golden syrup is sold all over the world, so check the international section in your supermarket if you're not based in the UK. You can also buy it online from Amazon (see link below). If you can't get hold of it, light corn syrup or glucose syrup are the closest things to it, however I've not tested this recipe with them. Please note, you will not get the same results if you omit the golden syrup. I also don't recommend replacing it with black treacle (molasses).
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Gingerbread Men
Put the plain flour, light brown soft sugar, dark brown soft sugar, ground ginger, mixed spice, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a mixing bowl and stir together. Then add to your food processor (if using). Add the cold cubed butter and pulse the food processor a few times until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Or use a fork, pastry blender or your fingers, to rub the butter into the flour mixture until you get the same results.
Add the egg and golden syrup and mix until combined. Bring the mixture together into a dough using your hands. Wrap in cling film and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll out the dough onto a surface dusted with flour, then cut out your shapes. Keep re-rolling the dough until you've used it all up. Place the cut out shapes onto baking trays lined with baking paper. If you can't bake them all straight away, put them in the fridge and bake in batches.
Once baked, leave the gingerbread to cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool fully. If you want to make your own royal icing, place the egg white, icing sugar and cream of tartar into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix using the whisk attachment on a medium high speed for 7-10 minutes until thick. You can also use a handheld electric mixer to make it. Pipe the royal icing onto the biscuits and decorate with sweets of your choice.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Do you need a food processor to make this recipe?
While a food processor is helpful in making these biscuits and saves a lot of time and energy, you don't need one to make them. You can absolutely make the gingerbread by hand, or with a fork, or a pastry blender.
Do you have to chill the dough?
I highly recommend chilling the dough, this helps to reduce the amount the gingerbread spreads in the oven, makes the gingerbread more flavoursome and gives it better texture.
What is golden syrup?
Golden syrup is sold all over the world, so check the international section in your supermarket if you're not based in the UK. You can also buy it online from Amazon (see link below). If you can't get hold of it, light corn syrup, honey or glucose syrup are the closest things to it, however I've not tested this recipe with them. Please note, you will not get the same results if you omit the golden syrup. I also don't recommend replacing it with black treacle (molasses).
What is the best way to decorate the biscuits?
I prefer to use royal icing, which is made by mixing egg white, icing sugar and cream of tartar together. It also sets hard so any decorations stick to the biscuits really well. It is it less likely to be damaged when the biscuits are piled on top of each other too. You can make the royal icing from scratch, which is very easy to do, or you can buy ready made royal icing. Another option is a water icing, made by mixing icing sugar and water (or milk) together. You could even decorate the biscuits with melted chocolate too.
How should the biscuits be stored and can they be frozen?
The baked gingerbread men will last for up to a week in an airtight container in a cool place. You can freeze the unbaked gingerbread dough - either unrolled or cut into shapes. To freeze it unrolled, wrap the ball of dough in cling film well. To freeze the cut out gingerbread shapes, lay them out onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and freeze them flat. When they are frozen, store in a freezer bag or container with baking paper between each one. You can bake them straight from frozen. You can freeze the baked gingerbread biscuits too, wrap them well or store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Put a square of baking paper between each one to stop them from sticking together.
Do you have to make them people shaped?
You can use any biscuit cutter with this recipe. So you could make gingerbread christmas trees, gingerbread stars, gingerbread snowflakes or simple gingerbread circles. You can also double the recipe quantities and make a Gingerbread House!
Can this recipe be made gluten free?
For gluten free you can replace the plain flour with a gluten free plain flour blend. You may also like to add ½ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. Please check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.
Can this recipe be made dairy free?
For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread instead of butter, I recommend the block ones like Flora Plant. Please do check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.
More tips for making the Gingerbread Men:
- Let the gingerbread biscuits cool on the baking tray for at least 5 minutes (nearer to 10 minutes is ideal) before trying to move them onto a cooling rack. Otherwise they will be too soft and could break.
- If you don't want the gingerbread to spread at all, then you can leave out the bicarbonate of soda. I prefer the texture of the gingerbread with the bicarb added, but they're tasty without too.
- I like to decorate the gingerbread biscuits to make them look like men, women or people. But they are also yummy left plain.
Troubleshooting
My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Baking trays
- Cooling rack
- Kitchen scales
- Food processor
- Pastry blender
- Piping bags
- Mixed spice
- Gingerbread man cutter
- Silicone mat
- Rolling pin
- Ready made royal icing
- Golden syrup
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More gingerbread recipes...
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- Vegan Gingerbread Men
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- Gingerbread Bonfire Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce
- Gingerbread Loaf Cake
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Gingerbread Men
Ingredients
For the gingerbread biscuits
- 300 g Plain flour plus more for dusting
- ½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 3 tsp Ground ginger
- 2 tsp Mixed spice see notes
- 100 g Light brown soft sugar
- 50 g Dark brown soft sugar
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 100 g Butter cold, cut into cubes
- 1 Egg large
- 100 g Golden syrup
For the homemade royal icing (optional, or use shop bought)
- 1 Egg white
- 150 g Icing sugar sieved
- ⅛ tsp Cream of tartar
For decoration
- Sweets, chocolate candies etc.
Instructions
- Put the plain flour, light brown soft sugar, dark brown soft sugar, ground ginger, mixed spice, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a mixing bowl and stir together. Or you can put them straight into your food processor and pulse it a few times to combine the ingredients
- Put the flour mixture into a food processor and add the butter, pulse the mixture a few times until the butter is mixed in and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. If you are making the dough by hand, add the butter to the flour mixture and use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. You can also use a pastry blender or a fork
- Add the egg and golden syrup and mix until combined, you should be able to squeeze a handful of the mixture in your hand and it sticks together to form a dough. Use your hands to push all the mixture together into a big lump of dough. Wrap it in clingfilm and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes
- Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/350F/Gas Mark 4, and line a few baking trays with baking paper
- Roll out the dough onto a floured surface to a thickness of 3-5mm. Cut out the gingerbread man shapes (or any shapes you prefer). The cutter I used was 11.5cm tall and 9cm wide. Place the cut out shapes onto the lined baking trays. Keep re-rolling the dough until it is all used up
- Bake the gingerbread biscuits for 12-13 minutes. If you can't bake them all straight away, put the dough or the cut out shapes in the fridge and bake in batches. Leave to cool on the trays for 10 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool fully
- If you want to make your own royal icing, put the ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer and mix using the whisk attachment on a medium-high speed (I used speed 6) for 7-10 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Tip it into a piping bag and snip a little bit off the end. Pipe onto the biscuits to decorate, and add any sweets or sprinkles of your choice
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place, the gingerbread will last around 1 week
Video
Notes
- For this recipe your butter should be cold. I also recommend using proper block butter rather than a baking spread.
- I recommend using both dark brown and light brown sugar for both their colour and lovely caramelised flavour, but if you can't get hold of them, caster sugar will work too. Your gingerbread will be lighter in colour if you use caster sugar instead.
- Mixed spice is a British spice blend containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento, and ground ginger. If you can't get hold of it where you're based, you can use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead or add a mix of other spices - I recommend cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Golden syrup is sold all over the world, so check the international section in your supermarket if you're not based in the UK. You can also buy it online from Amazon (see link below). If you can't get hold of it, light corn syrup or glucose syrup are the closest things to it, however I've not tested this recipe with them. Please note, you will not get the same results if you omit the golden syrup. I also don't recommend replacing it with black treacle (molasses).
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
Cathy Williams
I came across this recipe in TikTok. Previous years I have managed to find pre made dough as found it daughnting making Gingerbread Men by scratch.
After seeing this recipie and simple steps I decided to give it a go. They turned out great!
In fact it is a Christmas tradition in our house to do Christmas baking every weekend on the lead up to Christmas! And so far we have made them 3 times they are a big hit with my 3 Daughters.
Thank you very much for the clear steps.
Carolyn
Used this recipe to make gifts for my sister (a teacher) to give to her kids in her class.. They LOVED them and said they hope they get them next year again! Recipe was so easy to follow and every biscuit was perfect!