Old fashioned iced gingerbread man cookies are a sweet twist on the darling cookies from the Scovil Bakery in Nauvoo, Illinois. Makes 150+ mini gingerbread men! This post contains affiliate links.
You might also like our iced OATMEAL gingerbread cookies, our crispy mini gingersnaps or our soft and chewy molasses cookies. Looking for a no chill gingerbread cookie recipe? Try this one.
Watch our step by step video!
Iced Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread is a classic holiday treat and my favorite way to enjoy it is in cookie form---mini cookies to be exact. My recipe makes about 180 mini gingerbread men, but you can easily make a half batch if you prefer. Inspired by the itty bitty cookies from an historic bakery in Illinois, this recipe is a keeper. Chalked full of warm spices and molasses then dipped in sweet icing which hardens, making these easy to package up!
Scovil Bakery Gingerbread Cookie Recipe (Nauvoo, Illinois)
Nauvoo Illinois is a very niche town, best known for its rich Mormon pioneer heritage. If you are from the East Coast and know anything about Colonial Williamsburg, Nauvoo is its Mormon equivalent. Originally opening its doors in the 1840's, the Scovil Bakery sold baked goods made by the women in town, but nowadays it is a Nauvoo historical site that visitors can tour. Some say that this recipe for gingerbread cookies dates back to the original bakery, but it could also simply be one they've shared with tours for the past several decades. Either way, it's yummy and makes the best gingerbread cookies.
The Nauvoo Mercantile graciously shared the original recipe. I adapted the recipe to make these cute iced gingerbread men and hope you enjoy them as much as we do! The original recipe calls for lard. I make mine with butter, use more ground ginger, and add ground cloves. I also ice my cookies in a 2-ingredient icing that hardens onto each cookie. I got the idea to dip them in icing from Jill's Cookie Magic on Instagram. It really takes them up a notch!
GIFT IDEA! I keep these cute bakery boxes on hand at all times. You can fit at least 50 itty bitty gingerbread men in a box and tie it with a red ribbon (here is a smaller version that would be perfect for gift giving too!). A classic holiday treat to share with friends.
Iced Gingerbread Man Cookie 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 prefer butter, but you can use whatever you'd like.
Water: you'll need hot water for this recipe. Hot tap water works fine, no need to use boiling water.
Eggs: 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. The original recipe doesn't call for cloves and only calls for a teaspoon of ginger.
Flour: I use 6 ½ cups all purpose flour, but the original recipe calls for 4 cups of all purpose flour and 2 cups of whole wheat flour.
Powdered Sugar and Milk: these are mixed together to make the icing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use shortening for gingerbread cookies? Most gingerbread cookie recipes call for shortening or lard. You can absolutely use shortening if you'd like. I prefer using butter or a combination of butter and shortening in my cookie recipes, but my no chill gingerbread cookies call for shortening and are delicious. You can use whatever you'd like.
What kind of baking sheets are best for baking cookies? I bake on aluminum baking sheets. The light colored sheet (vs. dark metal sheets) bake more evenly. I like these ones (with almost 40K reviews) as well as the ones sold at Sam's Club. The darker the cookie sheet, the faster the cookies will brown on the bottoms. It's all personal preference, but light colored baking sheets have always given me great results.
What kind of molasses should I use for gingerbread? I use regular molasses which is a great all around choice for baking. The brand I usually grab at the store is Grandma's. You don't want blackstrap molasses which has a bitter flavor to it.
How To Make Iced Gingerbread Man Cookies
Combine sugar, molasses, and softened butter. Mix until smooth. Add hot water and mix.
Mix in eggs. Add dry ingredients and mix until dough forms.
Divide the dough into two sections. Wrap each section in plastic and refrigerate for 60-90 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Roll each section of dough ¼" thick and cut with cookie cutters. I used a 1 ½-2" cookie cutter.
Place cookies onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes for soft cookies and 9-10 minutes for crunchier cookies. Let cookies cool completely on baking sheets.
Mix powdered sugar and water together to make the icing.
Dip each cookie into icing then smooth the tops of the cookies with a small spatula or butter knife (watch my video to see how I do this). It's ok if the icing drops off the sides a little. These are meant to imperfect. The icing will harden onto each cookie in a thin layer.
Place the cookies back onto the baking sheet to dry.
How To Store Gingerbread Man Cookies
Gingerbread cookies stay fresh longer than your basic chocolate chip cookie. You can store them in an airtight container for a week and in the freezer up to six months!
Iced Gingerbread Man Cookies Recipe
Iced Gingerbread Man Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup molasses
- ¾ cup butter softened
- ½ cup hot water
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 6 ½ cups all purpose flour
Icing
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 Tbsp. milk
Instructions
- Mix sugar, molasses and butter together until smooth. Add hot water.Mix in eggs.Mix in dry ingredients.
- Divide dough into two portions. Flatten each portion into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap.Chill the dough for 60-90 minutes.
- Roll the dough ¼" thick and cut with cookie cutters and place onto ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely.
- Mix powdered sugar and milk together to make icing.Dip each cookie into icing then smooth the tops of the cookies with a small spatula or butter knife. It's ok if the icing drops off the sides a little.Return the cookies to the baking sheet to dry.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep fresh.
Brandy says
Hi everyone! Brandy here, these cookies are so cute and delicious. One batch makes a lot of cookies, and they store great. I hope you love them!