Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (2024)

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Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe - a must have cookie recipe for holiday cookie platter. This can be your edible tree ornament.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (1)

In this holiday season, I have planned to share many baking recipes. I am starting with this cute looking gingerbread people. I have made both gingerbread man and girl. The cookies came out perfect, the best. Icing tastes good too but I have not done a good job while decorating. I know I am not good at it. But who cares, It tastes good in my mouth.

These gingerbread men cookies are loaded with warm winter spices with sweet taste. All the spices have distinct wonderful aroma and it gets so fragrant as it bakes.

Making the cookies require some time. I mean it calls for chilling the dough, then rolling. Again chilling the rolled dough and cutting the cookies using cutter. And again it needs to be chilled before baking so the cookies will hold its perfect shape and do not spread out while baking. Basically it is easy to make but chilling time is required.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (2)

The texture of the gingerbread man cookies are soft, slightly crunchy and chewy. If you like crispy cookies then bake little longer. I prefer the soft texture. because the crispy one gets more chewy which I don’t like at all. How do you prefer your gingerbread men, crispy or soft?

For the decorating the cookies, I have kept the icing white. Because I don’t feel like adding color. It is not that I am against. But I don’t enjoy the decorating part, so I kept it simple. Red and green colored icing make the cookies more beautiful and attractive, also more festive looking.

Check out other similar eggless recipes
Eggless ginger cookies // Eggless gingersnaps // Eggless gingerbread cake

Step By Step Photo Instructions:

1) First mix the dry ingredients. Take all purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, grated nutmeg, salt and baking powder in a bowl.

2) Whisk it well so everything is incorporated well. Keep it aside.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (3)

3) In another large bowl, take softened butter, oil and light brown sugar.

4) Beat it well using wire whisk by hand till it is light and fluffy. (or use stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer).

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (4)

5) Now add molasses.

6) Again beat it till it is mixed.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (5)

7) Now add the flour mixture.

8) Start beating again till it is well combined. Half way through I switched to spatula. The dough is very crumbly.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (6)

9) Now line a surface with plastic wrap. Dump all the dough on the wrap.

10) This dough is slightly sticky, so I have not used my bare hands. with the help of plastic wrap, bring the dough together.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (7)

11) Make flat square or round. Wrap it well. Chill in the fridge until firm (keep in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. Or freeze it for 20-30 minutes for quick chilling).

12) Now the dough is hard and chilled well. Remove it and let it stand for 5 minutes, so it softens slightly. If you roll the hard dough, you will get many cracks. While the dough is softening line a baking sheet using parchment paper and keep it aside.

13) Now take two pieces of parchment paper. Line one on the work surface, put the dough on it and cover with second paper.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (8)

14) Once dough softens slightly, start rolling it. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about ¼ inch.

15) As you roll, dough starts to soften more and starts to get sticky. So once it is rolled out, take it carefully and put on the cookie sheet and chill it again till it is firm. (I have kept in freezer for 15 minutes.)

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (9)

16) Once chilled, now peel the top parchment paper.

17) Cut out the cookies using the gingerbread man cookie cutter. Here I have used gingerbread man and girl both.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (10)

18) Use the flat spatula to lift the cookies and arrange them on prepared cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.

19) Now you will have scrapes.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (11)

20) Gather everything and make the smooth ball.

21) Again same as above use the parchment paper.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (12)

22) and roll out the dough to a thickness of ¼ inch.

23) Cut out using the cookie cutter.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (13)

24) My gingerbread girl is bigger in size compared to the boy. So I am going to bake both separately. So in the one sheet I have 6 girls. In another cookie sheet I have 9 boys.

25) One arranged them on the sheet, again chill in the fridge or freezer. This chilling will help to maintain its shape while baking. If not chilled then it will spread as it bakes and you won’t get the perfect men shape.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (14)

26) Now turn the oven on and preheat at 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C for at least 10 minutes.

27) Now the cutout cookies are chilled. Bake into preheated oven for about 7-10 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies. my cookie cutter size is 2 ½ - 3 inches). For me, girl took 10 minutes.

28) While boy took 8 minutes baking time. Let them cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (15)

29) Then transfer them on wire rack to cool completely.

30) While cookies are cooling, make the icing. Take powdered sugar, corn flour in a bowl.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (16)

31) Add vanilla and start with little milk at a time.

32) Mix it till you get thick icing. The consistency should be thick not runny at all.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (17)

33) Prepare the icing bag. you can use ziplock bag and cut the small tip. Once cookies are cooled completely, start decorating.

34) I am not good at it and I don’t have patience for that. I am sure you will do much better job than me.
Happy Holidays !!!

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (18)

Serving suggestion: Enjoy these gingerbread men cookiesanytime of the day. Make the edible ornaments for your Christmas tree using this cookies.

Expert Tips:

  • If you are going to hang it to your tree, pierce a hole in a top of each unbaked cookies using wood skewer or a straw. Then bake till it is crisp. Since we are hanging these, we need crispy cookies, so bake for a minute or two longer.
  • Always use the fresh ground spices. Otherwise the taste will be flat.
  • Molasses is sticky liquid. So grease the measuring cup or use the cooking oil spray. It will make your job much easier without sticking to the cup.
  • There are few substitutes for molasses if it is not available where you live, but you will miss the flavor for sure. You can use same amount of honey or maple syrup or dark corn syrup or golden syrup. Alternately, heat ½ cup+ 2 tablespoons of light or dark brown sugar + 2 tablespoons of water till it is melted and heated through. Let it cool down completely. Use this syrup in place of molasses.
  • Chilling the dough is very important throughout the whole process. So Don’t skip any of the chilling part in the recipe.
Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (19)

Did you try this eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.

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Step by Step Photos AboveWant to make it perfect first time? Don't forget to check out Step-by-Step photo instructions and helpful Tips & Tricks !!

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (20)

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Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe

4.80 from 43 votes

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These easy to make BEST eggless gingerbread men cookies are soft, crispy and slightly chewy.

Author: Kanan

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 211kcal

Servings 18 cookies

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml) See details

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons + 1 ½ cups All purpose flour (Maida)
  • ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Dry ginger powder (sonth or saunth)
  • teaspoon Ground cloves
  • teaspoon Freshly grated nutmeg
  • teaspoon Baking powder
  • teaspoon Salt
  • ½ stick or ¼ cup Unsalted butter softened at room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Oil
  • cup Light brown sugar packed
  • 2 tablespoons + ¼ cup Unsulphured Molasses

For Icing:

  • ½ cup Powdered sugar (Confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Corn flour (corn starch)
  • ½ teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
  • 2-3 teaspoons Milk

Instructions

  • Take all purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, grated nutmeg, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Whisk it well so everything is incorporated well. Keep it aside.

  • In another large bowl, take softened butter, oil and light brown sugar. Beat it well using wire whisk by hand till it is light and fluffy.

  • Now add molasses. Again beat it till it is mixed.

  • Now add the flour mixture. Start beating again till it is well combined. Half way through I switched to spatula. The dough is very crumbly.

  • Now line a surface with plastic wrap. Dump all the dough on the wrap.

  • This dough is slightly sticky, so I have not used my bare hands. with the help of plastic wrap, bring the dough together.

  • Make flat square or round. Wrap it well. Chill in the fridge until firm (keep in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. Or freeze it for 20-30 minutes for quick chilling).

  • Now the dough is hard and chilled well. Remove it and let it stand for 5 minutes, so it softens slightly.

  • While the dough is softening line a baking sheet using parchment paper and keep it aside.

  • Now take two pieces of parchment paper. Line one on the work surface, put the dough on it and cover with second paper.

  • Start rolling it to a thickness of about ¼ inch.

  • As you roll, dough starts to soften more and starts to get sticky. So once it is rolled out, take it carefully and put on the cookie sheet and chill it again till it is firm. (I have kept in freezer for 15 minutes.)

  • Once chilled, now peel the top parchment paper.

  • Cut out the cookies using the gingerbread man cookie cutter.

  • Use the flat spatula to lift the cookies and arrange them on prepared cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.

  • Now you will have scrapes. Gather everything and make the smooth ball. Again same as above use the parchment paper and roll out the dough to a thickness of ¼ inch. Cut out using the cookie cutter. again chill in the fridge or freezer.

  • Now turn the oven on and preheat at 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C for at least 10 minutes.

  • Now the cutout cookies are chilled. Bake into preheated oven for about 7-10 minutes(depending on the size of your cookies). For me, girl took 10 minutes. While boy took 8 minutes baking time.

  • Let them cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes.

  • Then transfer them on wire rack to cool completely.

Making Icing:

  • Take powdered sugar, corn flour in a bowl.

  • Add vanilla and start with little milk at a time.

  • Mix it till you get thick icing. The consistency should be thick not runny at all.

  • Prepare the icing bag. you can use ziplock bag and cut the small tip.

  • Once cookies are cooled completely, start decorating.

Notes

  • If you are going to hang it to your tree, pierce a hole in a top of each unbaked cookies using wood skewer or a straw. Then bake till it is crisp. Since we are hanging these, we need crispy cookies, so bake for a minute or two longer.
  • Always use the fresh ground spices. Otherwise the taste will be flat.
  • Molasses is sticky liquid. So grease the measuring cup or use the cooking oil spray. It will make your job much easier without sticking to the cup.
  • There are few substitutes for molasses if it is not available where you live, but you will miss the flavor for sure. You can use same amount of honey or maple syrup or dark corn syrup or golden syrup. Alternately, heat ½ cup+ 2 tablespoons of light or dark brown sugar + 2 tablespoons of water till it is melted and heated through. Let it cool down completely. Use this syrup in place of molasses.
  • Chilling the dough is very important throughout the whole process. So Don’t skip any of the chilling part in the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cookies | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.2g | Protein: 2.2g | Fat: 6.2g | Saturated Fat: 3.4g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 238mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 19.3g

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 serving

Did you make this recipe?Snap a pic, mention @spice.up.the.curry or tag #spiceupthecurry. I would love to see.

Eggless gingerbread men cookies recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do gingerbread cookies contain eggs? ›

Gingerbread Cookie Ingredients:

Flour: I traditionally use all-purpose flour for this recipe, but white whole wheat flour will also work. Spices: Ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Baking soda, salt, egg and vanilla extract: Because… cookies.

Why are my gingerbread men so hard? ›

“There are some gingerbread recipes that are hard right after baking and need to sit for a few days to soften. Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.”

What makes gingerbread so strong? ›

A 1:4 ratio of butter to flour makes the gingerbread strong. Corn syrup keeps freshly baked gingerbread pliable and soft, so it's easy to cut while warm. Rolling the dough directly on parchment makes it easy to transfer to the pan.

Why do my gingerbread cookies fall apart? ›

From doubling up on molasses to using too much flour, there is a lot that can go wrong. Forgetting the molasses resulted in a crumbly cookie that was light in color. Combining all ingredients at once created lumps in the finished product.

What can you substitute for eggs in gingerbread? ›

Ground Flaxseed and Water

Ground flaxseed, or flax meal, is a popular egg substitute in vegan baking. "When substituting flaxseed for egg, the general rule is 1 tablespoon of flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water per egg," shares Weintraub.

What can I use for cookies if I don't have eggs? ›

You can whisk 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of water and 2 teaspoons of baking powder together to replace each egg in baked goods like cookies, brownies or quick breads. This substitution won't impact a recipes' flavor profile the way egg substitutions like mashed banana or flaxseed might.

Should gingerbread men be soft or crunchy? ›

Soft gingerbread biscuits are ideal. They ought to be flexible. However, they should still be somewhat elastic, and if you hold them too firmly because you're so excited to eat them, you might even be able to leave your fingerprints on the cookie!

What happens if you don't chill gingerbread dough? ›

Chilling the dough makes the butter, and the dough firm up. Also, a very cold, even frozen crust will shrink less during baking. If you think about a stick of butter it makes sense: the cold butter keeps it's shape, When it softens, it spreads and no longer keeps it's shape.

How do you know when gingerbread men are done? ›

Gingerbread Cookies are done when they are set and begin to brown slightly at the edges. They will harden further as they cool, so avoid overbaking so you don't end up with hard, crunchy gingerbread! Underbake slightly to achieve soft, slightly chewy gingerbread cookies.

What are the three types of gingerbread? ›

The three distinct types of gingerbread are brown gingerbread, wafer-based gingerbread and honey gingerbread.
  • BROWN GINGERBREAD.
  • WAFER GINGERBREAD.
  • HONEY GINGERBREAD.

Can dogs eat gingerbread? ›

The answer is no. While you may not immediately see negative affects in your pet's health, gingerbread is high in oil and fats that can slow your pet down. Also, Rover reports that gingerbread can cause pancreatitis in dogs, which sounds like a big ol' NO from us.

Why does gingerbread need molasses? ›

From light to blackstrap, sulfured to unsulfured, the large variety of molasses options can be confusing. And one type will make your treats "frankly inedible." Molasses is the essential ingredient in gingerbread cookies, providing the chewy texture and almost burnt sugar flavor that characterizes the treat.

What happens if you add too much butter to gingerbread cookies? ›

An excessive amount of butter makes it where the flour is unable to absorb the combined fat, which causes the cookie to spread too widely and the sugar to carbonize more easily because it's surrounded by too buttery a dough.

How long should you chill gingerbread dough? ›

Divide the dough into two thick disks and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. (The dough can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.) To roll out the cookies, work with one disk at a time, keeping the other disk refrigerated.

Why refrigerate gingerbread cookie dough? ›

Firmer Dough

Firm dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much, which is why chilling the dough is a crucial step for cut-out and rolled cookies. "The colder and more solid the fat is, the less the cookie will spread," says food stylist and recipe developer Caitlin Haught Brown.

What are gingerbread cookies made of? ›

Gingerbread is made with the following simple ingredients: brown sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, butter, milk, and molasses!

Do cookies contain eggs? ›

A cookie (American English) or biscuit (British English) is a baked snack or dessert that is typically small, flat, and sweet. It usually contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil, fat, or butter. It may include other ingredients such as raisins, oats, chocolate chips, or nuts.

Are eggs needed in cookies? ›

Egg yolks also help to keep all of the ingredients together, so, with cookies, they're needed to achieve the right consistency of the dough. And egg whites can help get the cookies to a fluffy end result. Using whole eggs will result in a cookie that has a cake-like texture with a rich flavor.

Do all cookies contain eggs? ›

Honey, pretty much any cookie recipe contains sugar, eggs and flour. The only major ingredient missing here is butter.

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