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!
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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!
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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 – Spoon and level to avoid adding too much and making the cookies dense.
- Baking powder – Make sure it’s fresh; expired baking powder won’t give proper lift.
- Cocoa powder – Use unsweetened cocoa powder for the right balance of flavor.
- Cinnamon powder – Use fresh cinnamon; stale spices will dull the flavor.
- Ginger powder – Fresh ginger powder makes a big difference in flavor intensity.
- Salt – I use kosher salt.
- Unsalted butter – If using salted butter, reduce or omit the added salt.
- White sugar – Small lumps are fine; they’ll dissolve during mixing.
- Brown sugar – I prefer dark brown sugar for deeper molasses flavor, but light works.
- Molasses – Use regular molasses, not blackstrap, which can be too bitter.
- Egg – Large or extra-large eggs work best.
- Vanilla extract – I bake almost exclusively with artificial vanilla extract; but use what you’re comfortable with.
- Chocolate chips – Use good-quality chocolate; it makes a noticeable difference in the final cookies.
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.
Mix the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk well to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until smooth.
Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Let them cool slightly, then add them to the butter sugar mixture.
Working in two batches, add the flour mixture to the butter and chocolate mixture, mixing on low speed until combined. I keep the mixer on low here because the dough gets thick.
Form the dough into a disc and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or until quite cold.
Roll out the dough and cut your gingerbread men cookies. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and gently fold up the arms slightly.
Bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes.
Let the cookies cool before moving them.
Decorate with royal icing and nestle an unwrapped candy cane into their arms.
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
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!
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.
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!
Chocolate Gingerbread Men Cookies
Equipment
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
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.
I made these yesterday with my boys and they turned out great. The tip for really chilling the dough makes a difference. It’s a bit hard to work with at first when it’s cold, but it does work out in the end.