These chubby gingerbread man cookies are a fun, festive alternative when you don’t want to use a cookie cutter. The dough is an easy, eggless gingerbread that you shape into small dough portions to assemble each little gingerbread man. They bake up soft, bubbly, and absolutely adorable — a playful twist on classic gingerbread.
Chubby Gingerbread Men
I developed these cookies to capture a cute, festive look without relying on cookie cutters. I didn’t own holiday cutters for years, so I learned to get creative with shapes. These chubby gingerbread men are made from small portions of dough rolled into balls, then arranged to form a gingerbread figure. The pieces fuse together during baking but keep a rounded, bubbly appearance.
You can finish them with icing to hide seams and add personality, or leave them plain for a charming, puffy look. The method is similar to shaping flower-shaped cookies from small dough portions.
How to make eggless gingerbread cookie dough
This eggless dough is simple to make and yields soft, chewy cookies with warm spice and molasses flavor. It also works for rolling and cutting if you prefer traditional shapes. The basic steps are:
- Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Whisk molasses and vanilla into the butter mixture.
- Fold in the dry ingredients until the dough is uniform.
The dough should be slightly soft but easy to handle. If it feels sticky, chill it in the fridge for 15–20 minutes until firm enough to shape comfortably. You can make the gingerbread men any size, but keep in mind smaller cookies bake faster and larger ones will need more time in the oven.
How to shape the chubby gingerbread men
I recommend using measuring spoons to portion the dough: a 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, and ½ teaspoon work well. For each cookie use:
- 1 tablespoon portion for the body
- 1 teaspoon portion for the head
- 4 portions of ½ teaspoon each for the arms and legs
Roll each portion into a smooth ball, then arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet to form a gingerbread man. Press the pieces gently together so they touch — they will puff and adhere as they bake. Leave about 2 inches between each cookie.
I like to chill the assembled cookies in the freezer for 10–15 minutes to help them hold their shape and prevent overspreading. After chilling, bake as directed.
Tips
- Measure flour accurately: Too much flour makes cookies dry and crumbly. Weigh flour when possible. If using cups, spoon flour into the cup and level it — don’t scoop directly from the container.
- Use room temperature butter: Soft butter creams more smoothly and helps achieve the right texture and spread.
- Mind the size: Slightly adjust cookie size if you like, but avoid making them too large or they may not bake through.
- Cool before moving: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes so they firm up before transferring to a rack. Warm cookies are fragile — use a flexible turner or wide spatula to lift them.
- Decorate when fully cool: Wait until cookies are completely cool before applying icing to avoid melting or runny decoration.
Storage
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag to keep them soft. Arrange them in a single flat layer so small pieces don’t break off. Properly stored, they keep for about one week at room temperature.
Check out these other recipes!
• Gingerbread Cake
• Gingerbread Cookie Bars
• Chewy Gingerbread Sprinkle Cookies
• Caramel Gingerbread Cake with Whipped Caramel Icing
If you make these cookies or try any of my recipes, please leave a comment and review — I love hearing your feedback! Tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see your creations.
Chubby Gingerbread Man Cookies
5 from 1 review
- Author: Mimi
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies
Description
These soft, eggless gingerbread cookies are shaped from small dough portions to create chubby, bubbly gingerbread men — a quick and delightful holiday treat without a cutter.
Ingredients
For the gingerbread man cookies:
- 1 ½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) dark brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (60mL) unsulphured molasses
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For decorating:
- ½ cup (65g) powdered sugar
- ½ tablespoon heavy cream or milk*
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Whisk in molasses and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold until the dough is streak-free. If too sticky, chill 15–20 minutes.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Portion the dough: per cookie use one 1-tablespoon portion for the body, one 1-teaspoon portion for the head, and four ½-teaspoon portions for arms and legs. Roll each into smooth balls.
- Arrange the balls into a gingerbread man shape on the baking sheet and lightly press pieces so they touch. Leave 2 inches between cookies.
- Freeze assembled cookies 10–15 minutes until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake in the center of the oven for 13–17 minutes, until puffed, not shiny, and slightly browned on the bottoms.
- Cool on the sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer carefully to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Whisk powdered sugar and heavy cream in a bowl to make thick icing. Adjust consistency with more cream or sugar as needed.
- Decorate cooled cookies as desired, then serve.
Notes
* Heavy cream makes a thicker, whiter icing for a more opaque finish. Milk or water can be used but will yield a less bright white icing.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Bake Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Cookies
Enjoy!