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A Chewy & Crunchy Christmassy Biscuit that everyone will love to Bake & Decorate!
I have been asking on my Facebook page recently what sort of Christmas themed recipes everyone wanted and this was 100% one of them – like so many people asked for it, I couldn’t not bake it! The only other Christmassy biscuits I have on my blog already are my White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies and my Chocolate Orange Cookies and others – and don’t get me wrong, both of these are delicious – however, they aren’t gingerbread men.
I have had my troubles with gingerbread over the years strangely enough, even if it seems like one of the most common Christmas bakes. I have tried other recipes and they have all gone so wrong – spreading so much they form a giant cookie, or being so crunchy I feel like my teeth will break – this recipe though, its the perfect mix of crunchy & chewy, and they don’t spread! The men actually still look like men when they come out of the oven!
But anyway, this recipe honestly is my go-to gingerbread biscuit recipe, I have never failed with it since I developed the recipe and it has been a massive hit with all of my taste testers over time. I find it’s the perfect mix of all things spicy, and the biscuit is both crunchy and chewy at the same time which is what I am after in a Gingerbread biscuit.
Yes, I realise you are supposed to call these Gingerbread Biscuits, or Gingerbread People these days, but I stuck with the classic name. Also, the cookie cutters I have used for years are some my granny had, and the ‘female’ one was lost a long time ago… Needless to say, I could have just bought more, but I wanted to stick to traditions in my festive baking ways.
I updated the photos for this post when I created my Christmas Ebook, but the recipe has stayed the same. It’s not something I personally want to mess with any time soon! This sorta recipe is the perfect bake to top and decorate the Gingerbread Drip Cake recipe I have, and my Christmas Gingerbread Cake recipe!
I get several messages every year about what my favourite Gingerbread Biscuit recipe is and have I got anything to save the bakers from every other recipe they have tried, and this one is the solution. That is not meant to sound bigheaded in any way, but I honestly have never had any issues with this recipe in the entire time I have baked it.
As I write this, its the day before the 30th of November, so all I can think about is how its ‘officially’ the festive season starting tomorrow, and how I can start munching on my Advent Calendars tomorrow. Every year, I bake Gingerbread Men to munch on, and they last a good while as well. One of the best tricks? Making a Gingerbread Hot Chocolate and dunking *several* biscuits into the drink whilst decorating the house.
Gingerbread is one of the simplest, but best festive bakes around. There is the occasional person out there that doesn’t like Gingerbread, which is fair enough, but you can easily play around with the levels of spices to suit your personal tastes. I like my biscuits to be really ‘Gingery’ but my roommate prefers them to have a bit more spice from Cinnamon in.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Enjoy! X
Gingerbread Men!
Ingredients
- 375 g Plain Flour
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- 3 tsps Ground Ginger
- 120 g Unsalted Butter (cold & cubed)
- 175 g Light Brown Sugar
- 5 tbsps Golden Syrup
- 1 Large Egg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190C/180C Fan and line 3-4 Baking trays with Parchment paper (or do it in two batches if you only have two trays!)
- Add the flour, Bicarbonate of Soda, and Ginger to a large bowl and add the Cold, Cubed Butter to the bowl –
- Rub together with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs! (Or mix the four ingredients in a food processor till its breadcrumbs!)
- Mix the sugar into the mix and combine, and then add the Golden Syrup and Egg - beat with a spatula/your hands until it is a smooth dough.
- Knead the biscuit dough, and then Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Roll it out to 1/2cm thickness and cut out your desired shapes! I did Gingerbread men, snowmen, and Christmas trees!
- Place them on the lined baking trays and bake in the oven for 10-11 minutes, cool on a wire rack fully, and then decorate how you please!
Notes
- I like my biscuits very Gingery otherwise it just doesn’t float my boat, but feel free to use less! (Or even a different spice – like cinnamon!)
- These biscuits will last for about a week in an airtight container, if they last that long!
- It's best to decorate with things such as sweets, chocolate, or royal icing!
- I don't chill my dough before baking.
- You can add in 1/2tsp of Cinnamon, Nutmeg and All Spice if you prefer it spicier!
ENJOY!
Find my other Cookie/Christmas recipes on my Recipes Page!
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J x
© Jane’s Patisserie. All images & content are copyright protected. Do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and credit me, or link back to this post for the recipe.
97 Comments
Alison Flanagan
April 22, 2021 at 12:23 pmTried this gingerbread recipe this morning and OMG !!!! They are so delicious and very more ish …….. love love love them thank u soo much Jane for the recipe would definitely recommend this recipe to others but I’ll be keeping this recipe to myself xx they are lovely and crispy and sweet with plenty of ginger in them xx my grand kids will enjoy making them in different shapes anytime of the year but we will be making Xmas presents of them will have to start ordering a few pastry cutters to try out xx
Janet
March 28, 2021 at 9:54 pmIf halving the ingredients for this recipe, would I use a small egg please?
Jane's Patisserie
March 29, 2021 at 2:23 pmHello, Yes!x
Nicole
February 23, 2021 at 3:41 pmFirst time I used this recipe today, I added a little bit more syrup when forming into a dough and they spread a little in the oven, but other that they were crunchy and soft, I would use this recipe again 🙂
Leah
February 11, 2021 at 6:47 pmHi, mine have turned into blobs 🙁
Would the use of GF plain flour upset the mix? I used proper butter which was chilled. Should I have chilled the mix when it was made?
Thanks
Jane's Patisserie
February 12, 2021 at 8:23 amIt definitely could do – sometimes gluten free flour needs less or more depending on the mixture, and I haven’t tested this gluten free before.
mya
February 8, 2021 at 4:57 pmthese are the best gingerbread people i have ever tasted! they dont turn into blobs which i find most recipes do!
Amina
February 7, 2021 at 8:02 pmJane!! I made these today and they were stunning!! The flavour was amazing and the texture was to die for.
I altered the ingredients (purely because I didn’t have them) and replaced light brown sugar with dark, used fresh ginger and added some cinnamon. Honestly so beautiful. Thank you so much, I can always count on you! ☺️💓
Dark
February 14, 2021 at 4:47 pmEasy to make and delicious to eat. This recipe made us 24 biscuits that are slightly chewy but also a bit crunchy. Perfect! Will definitely use this recipe again, thanks!
Ashlynne
January 2, 2021 at 12:22 amFirst time making gingerbread and oh how delicious and so easy thank you
Jessica Dunn
December 30, 2020 at 6:12 pmFab recipe, quick and easy and the biscuits keep their shape even without chilling so they actually look like gingerbread men, not gingerbread splodges! Thanks!
Berty
December 24, 2020 at 1:31 amChristmas baking with my 11 year old daughter worked perfectly
Leah
December 23, 2020 at 6:15 pmMaking these right now – done the recommended oven temp and obviously pre-heated.. and 10-11 minutes wasn’t enough.. I’ve had to put them in for 4-5 mins longer.
Jane's Patisserie
December 23, 2020 at 10:15 pmLikely is that they are differently sized, and also ovens can vary so extra time isn’t a problem as long as they’re yummy in the end! x
Julie Swan
December 23, 2020 at 2:23 pmHi, can I use black treacle instead of golden syrup as I need to use this up?
Jane's Patisserie
December 23, 2020 at 4:31 pmYes! Just makes it a deeper flavour!
Maha
December 22, 2020 at 4:58 pmAmazing recipe!
I ALWAYS default to finding recipes on your site – thank you for sharing.
I made these for friends… Stuck the gingerbread-men together and iced their names on. They loved them.
Katie Geraghty
December 22, 2020 at 12:44 pmHi Jane. Do you think these would still be as good using dark brown sugar instead. I accidentally bought dark instead of light🙈
Thankyou!
Jane's Patisserie
December 22, 2020 at 5:08 pmYeah I think it would be fine! Just a deeper flavour x
Jennie
December 21, 2020 at 2:05 pmMade these today, I have tried others, but this recipe is by far the best, they taste absolutely amazing. Am going to be making more 😊
Nabiha
December 20, 2020 at 11:17 pmJust tried these today! Came out great and so easy to make! My mum doesn’t normally like gingerbread men and said these were better than the shop! Up on my Insta page @chaiiwithmee Please check it out there 😊
Heather
December 20, 2020 at 9:58 pmSuch a yummy gingerbread recipe! Probably the best one I’ve used! I did add a bit more ginger into the recipe but that’s just because my family love it quite strong!
Denise Williams
December 19, 2020 at 11:30 pmEasy recipe and taste delicious!
beth
December 19, 2020 at 3:54 pmmade a batch of 25 this morning! they tasted great and will definitely be making again.
M
December 18, 2020 at 2:22 pmHey! Would this recipe make enough gingerbread for a gingerbread house? Or would I need to increase the ingredient quantities? x
Jane's Patisserie
December 18, 2020 at 9:53 pmIt depends on the size of the gingerbread house you want to make.. this makes quite a few biscuits, but it depends how large the pieces will be!
suzane
December 15, 2020 at 8:53 pmthanks for sharing recipe! these turned out really well, even though i was using a dairy free spread instead of butter (i put them in the fridge for over 30mins before baking). As people have stated, the are a perfect balance between snap and softness. I’m less keen on ginger so used 2.5 teaspoons and the put in 0.5teaspoon of cinnamon instead. Thanks again!
Emma
December 14, 2020 at 4:39 pmFirst time making gingerbread and these turned out great! Not very gingery though I’m wondering if it should have been 3 table spoons of ginger not tea spoons? Either way will make these again closer to Christmas to give out to family
Jane's Patisserie
December 14, 2020 at 8:58 pmNo the measurements are correct, but spice is definitely personal taste – if you want them more gingery then you can add more!! x
EJ Lockhart
December 12, 2020 at 5:43 pmJust made these – they are the best gingerbread biscuits I have ever made! And I have tried scores of recipes over the years!! Super quick and easy to make and bake, crunchy on the outside with a hint of chewiness right in the centre – not too “bready” like past efforts. 10/10. Perfect 😁🎄😁
Iamwallis
December 8, 2020 at 2:09 pmMakes the best Gingerbread!! Thank you Jane
Maya
December 8, 2020 at 11:21 amHi! I was wondering whether the golden syrup could be replaced with honey.
Jane's Patisserie
December 8, 2020 at 11:30 amI haven’t tried this I am afraid!
alannahshan
December 21, 2020 at 6:51 pmI have just made a batch and replaced the golden syrup with honey as we didn’t have syrup, and they are just as good!!
Claire Egan
December 8, 2020 at 6:51 amMade this with my 3 year old she loved it. Such a easy recipe to follow. I used 2 teaspoons of ginger as children were eating it, and there was a lovely flavour. My little girls thinks Father Christmas would love these so we are making a batch on Christmas Eve for him
Melissa
December 7, 2020 at 10:22 pmI made these last week and they were such a success, I’m so delighted to have found your blog….my waist maybe not so much😆😆
KR
December 7, 2020 at 8:23 pmCurrently my favourite thing to bake! So quick and easy and taste amazing!!
Izzy H
December 7, 2020 at 8:19 pmMade these via zoom with my university baking society and the Tennis Club, was a great recipe to get the guys from Tennis Club involved as they’re really straightforward with no particularly fancy equipment needed. Really pleased with how they turned out- everyone managed to make them with no problem.
Laura Thomson
December 7, 2020 at 8:16 pmSo good and make incredible fluffy light but a lite chewy men and great for being decorated and like how you can alter the recipe to the amount you want to make which helps if you use a big cutter. Very good and festive at this time and so easy!
Sonia
December 6, 2020 at 3:11 pmI swapped butter for coconut oil, added a tablespoon of cocoa powder and added many more spices. The dough is quite crumbly and quite fatty (barely needed any flour for powdering!). I was worried about them keeping shape, so I refrigerated the cut out biscuits before baking for just a couple of minutes. Result – fabulous!
Carys Pickerill
November 29, 2020 at 4:46 pmTasty and the right combo of soft and crunchy. Now to try them with some cinnamon 🙂
Louise
November 28, 2020 at 2:06 pmHi, I made these last week and I’m wondering what I did wrong? I made two batches. One I chilled and one I didnt but both batches spread in the oven so they lost their shape a bit. Is there anything I can do to avoid this, or even lessen it? They did however taste amazing. Thanks
Jane's Patisserie
December 7, 2020 at 8:18 pmWhat butter did you use? And how did you measure the syrup? Sometimes I find these two factors can cause a problem if they are incorrect! I don’t chill my dough really but it also maybe that your oven isn’t hot enough!
Sarah Potts
November 28, 2020 at 12:44 pmHi Jane I’m a huge fan of your blog and recipes always work out. Which means I’ve done something wrong he very strange never had an issue before. My gingerbread are huge and expanding and merged into each other would that be do much bi card do you think? I used a teaspoon measuring spoon so confused but can’t think what else it was I definitely used plain flour too.
Many thanks
Sarah
Jane's Patisserie
December 7, 2020 at 8:19 pmWhat butter did you use? And how did you measure the syrup? Sometimes I find these two factors can cause a problem if they are incorrect but it can also be over measured bicarb!
Tracey McGarry
November 17, 2020 at 3:31 pmHi Jane, I’m about to use your recipe for the first time this Christmas, I’m really excited about trying it 😄 if I put them in cellophane bags for the Christmas tree how long do they stay edible for? Have you ever tried this? Thanks, Tracey x
Jane's Patisserie
November 17, 2020 at 3:47 pmI usually say they are all good for at least two weeks – it depends on what you decorate them with, but easily a couple weeks! x
Mike
November 16, 2020 at 11:04 amBrilliant recipe. Turned out exactly as described with a perfect blend of crunch and chewiness. The batch only lasted about half an hour and they were all gone.
sarah
November 13, 2020 at 7:16 pmmade this today, sorry really didnt like this. Never put an egg in before followed recipe exactly and they puffed up but never hardened up. Will go back to school years recipe don’t know why I changed other than to try something different, sometimes old way is best way
Easy DIY Food Gifts for Christmas | MyAppliances Blog
November 13, 2020 at 10:51 am[…] Jane’s Patisserie’s Gingerbread Men […]
Hannah Annison
November 9, 2020 at 8:24 pmAmazing – super soft and addictive
Lewis
October 29, 2020 at 6:02 pmFollowed recipe but was soooo sloppy! Had to pretty much double the flour
Kathryn
December 20, 2020 at 11:47 pmThe same happened to me I added double the flower and it kept breaking and all and they came out horrible I followed the recipe tho so I don’t know what I did
Hannah
October 27, 2020 at 9:47 pmHi there! I’m looking to make these for Christmas treats, would I be able to make the dough cut the shapes then freeze and bake when needed? if yes how long would you bake for?
thanks so much!
Jane's Patisserie
October 28, 2020 at 9:42 amYes that should be alright – I would just add 1-2 minutes extra time! X
Kate Shelley
October 24, 2020 at 2:08 amHi, is this recipe suitable for gingerbread house?
Jane's Patisserie
October 24, 2020 at 9:50 amAs long as it’s baked for long enough to make the biscuit harder rather than a softer gingerbread it would be fine!
Beth
October 10, 2020 at 4:05 pmOmg amazing thanks Jane
Son and I were gonna decorate these as a practice run for Halloween but they aren’t going to last long enough to decorate 😂
Julie Marshall
October 26, 2020 at 8:08 pmHi Beth can I ask, was your dough quite sticky when you came to roll this ? I’m just making them as we speak and my dough is sticky
Louise Milner
October 3, 2020 at 1:07 pmWow wow wow, Fantastic recipe and they were enjoyed by all who ate them. Definitely a recipe to use again and again.
Carrie
September 17, 2020 at 9:10 pmHello, what size cutter did you use for these?
Danielle
July 14, 2020 at 6:49 pmCan these be cut then frozen? Thanks
Jane's Patisserie
July 14, 2020 at 7:44 pmYeah that should be fine!!
Clare
July 2, 2020 at 2:05 pmThis is the best gingerbread recipe I have found. If you get the timing right, It’s nice and crunchy on the outside and softer in the middle. I found that the mixture was really dry after I added the syrup and egg, so I added a little water, then it was too wet and sticky so I added a little more flour, I had to play around with it a bit until I got a really lovely soft dough. Lovely taste and made our house smell wonderful,
Raman
July 1, 2020 at 9:21 pmFirst time making gingerbread men, brilliant recipe! Thank you 😊
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June 29, 2020 at 2:26 pm[…] For a non-vegan simple gingerbread recipe, try this website https://www.janespatisserie.com/2015/11/27/gingerbread-men/ […]
Rachel S
June 22, 2020 at 10:54 amAbsolutely love making these! They are so simple and easy to do. You can bake them for 10mins if you like them really soft, or just leave them a minute or two longer for them to be a little crunchier.
Great recipe!
Sarah Cheung
June 3, 2020 at 3:32 pmExcellent recipe – best gingerbread one I have tried! I’m an absolute beginner and the gingerbread men turned out perfectly. Thank you!
Jeanette cooke
May 5, 2020 at 10:03 pmMade these for the first time grandson loved them he has now made them with his mum lovely
Jeanette cooke
May 5, 2020 at 10:01 pmMade this for the first time for my grandchildren and thay loved them thay have gone on to make them amazing
Julia Harbinson
April 20, 2020 at 4:47 pmOur first attempt at Gingerbread, was fun to make (with my 5 year old) and happy with our slightly deformed results. Taste really good- we didn’t have ginger so made cinnamon ones instead and they are yummy- a lot eaten in quick succession by my 2 year old! (we made mini men)
Dawn
February 1, 2020 at 6:12 pmI made these with my 10 year old niece today and the were fabulous. We piped eyes and smiles on them and used smarties as buttons.
On half of them, we dipped their feet in dark chocolate and covered them in snowflakes so that it looked like they had walked through the snow. We were both super chuffed with the outcome. Thanks for another excellent recipe Jane
Lisa
December 22, 2019 at 6:41 amAbsolutely love your recipes Jane! Would you take the bicarb out of this to make it stronger for a gingerbread house? Thanks 🙂
janine smith
December 18, 2019 at 8:43 pmHi Jane, I’ve just made these for the first time ever & they taste great , I made them into bigger than normal trees & managed to make 16. I’ve tried several of your recipes & they have all turned out ok, I only started baking last year so still a novice. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Sharon Wall
October 15, 2019 at 9:06 pmI made this to the letter but they spread a bit more than I’d hoped. Is there anything you can think I might have done wrong? They taste delicious and the texture is perfect for me, soft and chewy, they just lost a little definition during baking. PS I turned some upside down and made them into reindeer! 😂 Xx
Jane's Patisserie
October 16, 2019 at 8:02 amIt probably is just that they got too hot/soft whilst you were shaping them!
tayna x
November 27, 2019 at 9:53 pmwas your cookie cutter the same size/shape as the biscuits? xx
Vanessa Vallé
December 21, 2018 at 4:26 pmHi Jane,
Can I recplace the golden syrup by somenthing else? It’s not a common product to find in Belgium.
Thank you for your help!
Jane's Patisserie
December 21, 2018 at 6:18 pmI’m not 100% sure I’m afraid, but after a google it says maybe Corn Syrup?!
Francine
December 2, 2018 at 3:38 pmIs there a step missing? Where and when do you add the sugar, golden syrup etc?
Jane's Patisserie
December 2, 2018 at 4:47 pmIt’s been updated x
Molly
November 27, 2018 at 8:09 amCan I leave the dough in the fridge overnight and bake them the next day?
Jane's Patisserie
November 27, 2018 at 10:08 amI personally wouldn’t – I don’t chill this dough at all x
Scott
November 13, 2019 at 9:48 pmMade these for the first time. Amazing!
Gemma
November 25, 2018 at 5:22 pmCould I add cocoa powder to make chocolate gingerbread?? How much cocoa powder would I need! Thanks 🙂
Jane's Patisserie
November 26, 2018 at 8:47 amI’ve never tried I’m afraid but I guess replace 25g of the flour with cocoa powder!
Nikki Huxley
May 2, 2018 at 12:27 pmLove these…but could they be made with gluten free flour?
Jane's Patisserie
May 4, 2018 at 11:42 amYes you can! But sometimes you might need a bit more flour as it can be sticky using it!
Nikki Huxley
May 9, 2018 at 10:47 amThank you, I will give it a go.
Linda
November 29, 2015 at 10:57 pmAdorable..I remember when my boys were young and we made and decorated gingerbread cookies….ah, the good ole days… 🙂
Jane's Patisserie
November 30, 2015 at 9:47 amSo fun and good to do with kids! 🙂
abbiosbiston
November 28, 2015 at 7:29 pmYuuuum! Definitely going to make these as part of my holiday baking.
Jane's Patisserie
November 28, 2015 at 7:47 pmYay! Thank you!
Molly Hills
November 27, 2015 at 5:02 pmCant wait to make these!!!
Jane's Patisserie
November 27, 2015 at 5:06 pmYay! Thank you Molly! Enjoy them! 🙂
OldCountryGirl
November 27, 2015 at 3:25 pmThey look very cute 🙂
Jane's Patisserie
November 27, 2015 at 3:43 pmThank you! 🙂