Teddy Bear Gingerbread Cookies

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• No cookie cutter needed. These gingerbread bears are shaped entirely from small balls of dough, so you don't need a rolling pin or special cookie cutter.
• Fun for kids. Rolling the dough into different-sized balls and assembling the bears is an easy job for little hands.
• Soft and flavorful. Molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves give these cookies plenty of classic gingerbread flavor while keeping them soft and chewy.
• Easy to decorate. A single red-hot candy makes the cutest little belly button. You can also use icing, sprinkles, or mini candies if you'd like to add more details.
• Perfect for Christmas. Their adorable shape makes them stand out on holiday cookie trays and makes them especially fun for Christmas baking with kids.

Tips and Tricks

• Chill the dough. This dough is slightly sticky, so chilling it for 25–30 minutes makes it easier to scoop and roll into balls. If necessary, lightly flour your hands while shaping the dough.
• Keep the second tray chilled. While one tray of teddy bears is baking, place the second tray in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. This helps the bears hold their shape, especially around the tiny nose.
• Don't press the candy too far into the dough. Gently press the red-hot candy into the center of the body just enough for it to stick. Pressing too deeply can cause the candy to disappear into the cookie as it bakes.
• Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet. These cookies are very soft when they first come out of the oven. Letting them cool on the baking sheet gives them time to set without breaking apart.
• Use a light-colored baking sheet. Light aluminum baking sheets tend to bake cookies more evenly. Dark baking sheets can cause the bottoms of cookies to brown more quickly.
• Don't overbake. The cookies should be set but still soft when they come out of the oven. They will firm up as they cool.

What Are Teddy Bear Gingerbread Cookies?

Teddy bear gingerbread cookies are a fun twist on traditional gingerbread men. Instead of rolling gingerbread dough flat and cutting it into shapes, you form each bear from several small balls of dough.

Each bear is made from:

• A larger ball for the body
• Half of a ball for the head
• Small balls for the ears and feet
• Tiny balls for the noses

The pieces are gently pressed together on the baking sheet before baking. The result is a chubby little gingerbread bear with a cute round shape.

They're especially fun to make with kids because the shaping is more like playing with dough than traditional cookie decorating.

Ingredients

• Sugar: I typically use a combination of brown sugar and white sugar in my cookies, but for gingerbread cookies it's white sugar all the way.
• Molasses: regular molassses, nothing fancy.
• Butter: I always bake with salted butter, but you can use unsalted if you prefer. The original recipe calls for lard or shortening. I like butter for these, but you can use whatever you'd like. If using shortening, you may not need to freeze the cookies on baking sheets before baking.
• Water: you'll need hot water for this recipe. Hot tap water works fine, no need to use boiling water.
• Egg: for richness and texture.
• Baking Soda and Salt: for leavening and flavor.
• Ground Ginger, Ground Cinnamon and Ground Cloves: my favorite blend of spices for gingerbread cookies.
• Flour
• Candy or sprinkles: I use cinnamon candies for the belly button. You can use a mini M&M, frosting, or sprinkles.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Gingerbread Teddy Bears

Step 1: Combine sugar, molasses, and softened butter. Mix until smooth. Add hot water and mix.

Step 2: Mix in the egg. Add dry ingredients and mix until dough forms. Cover the dough with plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Roll a tablespoon-sized scoop of dough into a ball. Use this for the teddy bear bodies.

Step 4: Roll a tablespoon-sized scoop of dough into a ball. Break in half and roll each piece into a ball. Use the smaller ball for the teddy bear heads.

Step 5: Roll a tablespoon-sized scoop of dough into a ball. Break into 8 small sections. Roll each section into balls. Use these small balls for the ears and feet.

Step 6: Roll a tablespoon-sized scoop of dough into a ball. Break into 16 tiny sections. Roll each section into balls. Use these tiny balls for the noses. Press down slightly on the nose so that it sticks in place.

Step 7: GENTLY press a red hot candy into the center of the teddy bear's body before baking. You don't need to press down far, just enough so that it sticks. You can also add the red hot after the cookie comes out of the oven with a dab of icing.

Step 8: Chill cookies on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. While one batch is baking, place the second batch in the refrigerator so it's ready to go.

Step 9: Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Decorating Ideas

I keep these teddy bear gingerbread cookies simple with a single red-hot candy for the belly button, but you can decorate them however you'd like.

• Classic teddy bears. Leave them with their simple cinnamon candy belly buttons for an easy, old-fashioned look.
• Iced teddy bears. Use royal icing or a simple cookie icing to add eyes, mouths, ears, and clothing.
• Christmas teddy bears. Add red and green sprinkles or tiny candies for a festive holiday look.
• Chocolate teddy bears. Use mini chocolate chips for eyes and buttons.
• Let the kids decorate. Set out small candies and icing and let everyone create their own little gingerbread bear.

Teddy Bear Gingerbread FAQs

More Holiday Cookies To Make

Love gingerbread? I've rounded up all of my favorite gingerbread recipes, from classic gingerbread cookies to cookie bars, muffins, and more. See my collection of Gingerbread Recipes for even more recipes to bake this holiday season.

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