Ellen's Spicy Gingerbread Men

Get ready to spice up your holiday baking with Ellen's Spicy Gingerbread Men! This festive recipe takes the classic gingerbread cookie to the next level with a bold kick of cayenne pepper, perfectly balanced by warm notes of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Crafted with rich molasses and brown sugar, these cookies are irresistibly soft with just the right amount of chew. The dough is easy to work with, ideal for creating charming gingerbread men—or any shape you desire. Once baked to perfection, decorate these crowd-pleasers with icing and festive candy decorations for a personal touch. Perfect for Christmas gatherings or cozy afternoons, this recipe yields 24 perfectly spiced, picture-perfect cookies. Bring a little spice to your holiday season with Ellen’s unforgettable twist on a timeless treat!

Nutriscore Rating: 39/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Servings: 24

Ingredients

• 170 grams Unsalted butter
• 150 grams Brown sugar, packed
• 120 ml Molasses
• 1 large Egg
• 375 grams All-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking soda
• 2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
• 1.5 teaspoons Ground ginger
• 0.5 teaspoons Ground cloves
• 0.5 teaspoons Salt
• 0.25 teaspoons Cayenne pepper
• 0 as needed Decorative icing
• 0 as needed Candy decorations (optional)

Directions

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 2

Add the molasses and egg to the bowl, and beat until fully combined.

Step 3

In a separate medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Step 4

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms.

Step 5

Divide the dough in half, wrap each portion in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or until firm.

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 7

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use gingerbread man cookie cutters to cut out shapes, and carefully transfer them to the prepared baking sheets.

Step 8

Repeat with the remaining dough, gathering and re-rolling scraps as needed.

Step 9

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set and the cookies are slightly puffed.

Step 10

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 11

Once the cookies are fully cooled, decorate with icing and candy decorations as desired.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(965.4g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	3908.5

Total Fat 157.9g	0%
Saturated Fat 87.7g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.0g
Cholesterol 595.9mg	0%
Sodium 2687.2mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 595.4g	0%
Dietary Fiber 13.7g	0%
Total Sugars 299.5g
Protein 47.3g	0%

Vitamin D 53.8IU	0%
Calcium 633.3mg	0%
Iron 27.8mg	0%
Potassium 3135.6mg	0%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 35.6%

Protein: 4.7%

Carbs: 59.7%