Puddin Head Gingerbread Men
Meet your new holiday favorite: Puddin Head Gingerbread Men! These irresistibly soft and tender cookies stand out from traditional gingerbread with the addition of vanilla instant pudding mix, which creates a uniquely rich and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Flavored with warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and sweetened with a generous touch of molasses, these festive cookies strike the perfect balance between cozy and delicious. Shaped into adorable gingerbread men and customizable with decorative icing, candies, and sprinkles, they’re as fun to make as they are to eat. Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or enjoying some festive baking with loved ones, these cookies are sure to bring joy to your table. Perfect for Christmas dessert spreads, cookie exchanges, or as a charming edible gift!
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 0.75 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 0.5 cup granulated sugar
- 0.5 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 package vanilla instant pudding mix (3.4 oz package)
- 2 pieces large eggs
- 0.5 cup molasses
- 3.25 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 0.25 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.25 teaspoons salt
- 1 set decorative icing, candies, and sprinkles
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Mix in the vanilla pudding mix until well combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, mix in the molasses until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
Divide the dough into two portions, flatten into disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use gingerbread man cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set and just barely beginning to brown. Avoid overbaking to keep the cookies soft.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
Decorate the cooled gingerbread men with icing, candies, and sprinkles as desired.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
193 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 6.7 g | 9% | |
| Saturated Fat | 3.9 g | 20% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 31 mg | 10% | |
| Sodium | 120 mg | 5% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 31.2 g | 11% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.6 g | 2% | |
| Total Sugars | 17.0 g | ||
| Protein | 2.3 g | 5% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.2 mcg | 1% | |
| Calcium | 26 mg | 2% | |
| Iron | 1.1 mg | 6% | |
| Potassium | 132 mg | 3% | |
*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.
