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Chocolate Gingerbread Men Cookies

Everybody has heard about gingerbread men, but this holiday season, switch things up a bit and make yours chocolate! These adorable Chocolate Gingerbread Men cookies are almost too cute to eat, but they’re too delicious not to! Use candy canes to make these tasty and oh-so-cute Christmas cookies even more special!

5 chocolate gingerbread men with candy canes with a small christmas tree in the background

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Full of warm, gingerbread spices and a tasty twist from the addition of a bit of chocolate, these holiday cookies are delightfully different! The chocolate really comes through and pairs so nicely with the flavor – it’ll be hard to eat just one!

Grab your stand mixer, cookie cutters, and baking sheet and make your friends and family these adorable Chocolate Gingerbread Men. This is an easy recipe and the kids can help, too!

What you’ll love about this recipe


  • These cookies are so cute!
  • Chocolate gives them even extra flavor!
  • They’re fun and easy to make!

Ingredients To Make Chocolate Gingerbread Men Cookies

  • All purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Cocoa powder
  • Cinnamon powder – Make sure your spices are nice and fresh for this recipe
  • Ginger powder – Nice, fresh spices make all the difference!
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter – If you use salted butter omit the pinch of salt
  • White sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Molasses
  • Egg
  • Vanilla extract
  • Chocolate chips

How To Make This Chocolate Gingerbread Man Cookie Recipe

For a full list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of this page.

  1. Mix the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and blend well with a whisk to ensure they’re all combined.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar.
  3. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture.
  4. Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips. When melted, let them cool slightly and add them to the butter sugar mixture.
  5. Working in two batches, add the flour mixture to the butter and chocolate. Keep the stand mixer on low as it’ll start to work hard.
  6. Form the dough into a disc and refrigerate it for 2-3 hours or until quite cold.
  7. Roll out the dough and cut your gingerbread men cookies. Place the cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and fold up the arms slightly. Bake at 350-F for about 10 minutes.
  8. Let the cookies cool before moving.
  9. Decorate with royal icing and nestle an unwrapped candy cane into their arms.
Several chocolate gingerbread cookies holding candy canes on a white table.

Chef Jenn’s Tips

  • When making this holiday cookie recipe, make sure the dough is fully chilled before rolling. It’ll be harder to roll out but the dough really does need to be cold to hold up to the moving.
  • Roll the dough out on a well floured surface, or roll them out on parchment paper and transfer them to the baking sheet on the paper.
  • Leftover royal icing will keep if covered with plastic wrap so use it for your next project.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are gingerbread men cookies easy to make?

They’re not hard to make, but they do take some time just because the dough has to chill and then they have to bake and cool on the cookie sheet before moving them. Just allow plenty of time and enjoy the process!

Are these gluten-free gingerbread men cookies?

No, but you can swap your favorite gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour. I, however, have not tried the recipes with alternate flours so can’t comment on how well they turn out.

How do I store chocolate gingerbread men cookies?

You can freeze these cookies (minus the candy canes) for a few months if they’re tightly wrapped, or keep them in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days. Be careful their delicate arms don’t break off!

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Step By Step Process

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Several chocolate gingerbread cookies holding candy canes on a white table.
Print Pin
4.75 from 16 votes

Chocolate Gingerbread Men Cookies

Cute, delicious and fun to make, these Chocolate Gingerbread Men cookies will help you get into the holiday spirit!
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Keyword chocolate, christmas cookies, cookies, gingerbread, gingerbread men cookies, holiday cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 119kcal
Author Chef Jenn

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon powder
  • 1 tablespoon ginger powder
  • 1 pinch salt if using unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Mix the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and blend well with a whisk to ensure they're all combined.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar.
  • Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture.
  • Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips. When melted, let them cool slightly and add them to the butter sugar mixture.
  • Working in two batches, add the flour mixture to the butter and chocolate. Keep the stand mixer on low as it'll start to work hard.
  • Form the dough into a disc and refrigerate it for 2-3 hours or until quite cold.
  • Roll out the dough and cut your gingerbread men cookies. Place the cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and fold up the arms slightly. Bake at 350-F for about 10-12 minutes.
  • Let the cookies cool before moving.
  • Decorate with royal icing and nestle an unwrapped candy cane into their arms.

Notes

Chef Jenn’s Tips

  • Make sure the dough is fully chilled before rolling. It’ll be harder to roll out but the dough really does need to be cold to hold up to the moving.
  • Roll the dough out on a well-floured surface, or roll them out on parchment paper and transfer them to the baking sheet on the paper.
  • Leftover royal icing will keep if covered with plastic wrap so use it for your next project.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 94mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg

A Note on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.

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