12 Creative Ways To Personalize Your Gingerbread Men

Your festive baking checklist simply isn't complete if you haven't whipped up a batch of sweet and chewy gingerbread men. These cookies are a true holiday classic, with their whimsical charm and amazing versatility when it comes to decoration. A typical recipe involves mixing a soft dough, sweetened with brown sugar and molasses for a deep, caramelized taste, and flavored with spices like ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg for a spicy warmth. And when it comes to decorating, an icing glaze is the go-to, with piped-on eyes, smiles, buttons, and squiggles being the traditional design.

But, you don't necessarily have to stick to the usual methods when making these delicious festive treats. There are endless ways to personalize them, whether that's using creative decorating techniques or introducing new flavors and textures. With the power of a piping bag, you can dress your gingerbread men up in ugly sweaters or even transform them into snowmen or reindeer. You can elevate your icing with some flavorful extracts, or ditch it altogether and opt for melted chocolate. These cookies truly provide the perfect blank canvas for experimenting with vibrant colors and playful themes, so let your imagination run wild and get experimenting with some brand new gingerbread methods.

Who says you need a traditional snowman-shaped cutter to make a batch of frosty iced snowmen? You can absolutely transform your classic gingerbread men cookies into these wintry characters, with the help of some well-placed icing.

First, mix up a royal icing by combining powdered sugar, meringue powder or egg whites, and water. Using a thin nozzle and a piping bag, pipe a white border around the cookie's edge. Once this has hardened up a little, which should take about 30 minutes to an hour, pipe or spoon more of the plain icing over the entire cookie, flooding the surface within the border for a smooth finish. Then, once this initial layer has set, it's time to bring your snowmen to life.

For the face, you can use more royal icing with some black food coloring mixed through it, or an edible marker pen. Pipe or draw on two eyes and that classic coal mouth. Then, add an orange candy or pipe a tiny triangle of orange icing for the carrot nose. For buttons, mini chocolate chips, round candies, or even tiny dollops of colored icing make great choices. And of course, you can add any other patterns, colors, or sprinkles that take your fancy. If you're planning to stack or transport the cookies, it's best to leave the icing to set at room temperature for at least 12 hours beforehand, to prevent any smudging or cracking.

Nothing says holiday fun quite like a good ugly sweater, and your gingerbread men can get involved in this tradition too! This design is very much open to interpretation, giving you free rein to customize the patterns and colors.

Mix up some royal icing in a few different colors, or simply go for store-bought squeezy icing tubes to save on time and clean up. Start by piping the outline of the sweater, marking out the neckline, sleeves, and hem. Once the outline sets, flood the area with a bright icing color — think red, green, or blue for that holiday look. Let the base dry before moving on to the more detailed decoration.

Next, use some contrasting icing colors to create bold patterns like zigzags, polka dots, stars, stripes, or snowflakes. You can keep things simple, or go all out with garish designs and color combinations. Try using a toothpick to swirl different icing colors together, for a knitted or marbled look. Edible marker pens can also come in handy for adding finer details or writing festive phrases onto the sweaters, whilst candies like mini M&M's or sugar pearls make wonderful accents too. For more texture, you can sprinkle sanding sugar or edible glitter over the wet icing too. And don't forget to add a smiling face.

Of course, your gingerbread cookies don't always have to resemble men, and they don't necessarily even need to look like people. With a few simple tweaks, you can turn these spicy bakes into adorable gingerbread teddy bears, perfect for decorating with animal-loving kids (or big kids).

First, bake your gingerbread men using your favorite recipe. Whilst you can absolutely use a bear-shaped cutter with ears, the classic "man" shape can work just as well. Once the cookies have cooled, you can create some bear-like features with icing. Pipe on a round muzzle, nose, and eyes. This can all be done with a simple white royal icing, or with multiple colors such as a light tan or brown for the muzzle, and black for the eyes and nose. Add any other details as desired, such as paw pads on the hands and feet, and perhaps some wintry attire for your furry friend, such as a festive bow tie or colorful scarf.

For the ears, you can improvise by attaching round candies such as M&M's or chocolate buttons, secured in place with more royal icing. Or, shape them out of fondant icing. If you'd like to turn your teddies into polar bears, flood the cookies with white frosting before adding the details. Any leftover icing can be stored in an airtight container for about two weeks at room temperature, or, you can freeze it for later.

Add a cozy winter vibe to your gingerbread men by dressing each one up with a cute hat and scarf. It's a look that's pretty easy to execute, with the option to choose your own specific designs. Go for a brightly colored icing (or two, or three) to pipe the scarf around the neck of your gingerbread man. There are so many ways to customize this woolly accessory, and you can create different looks for individual cookies if you'd like. Make the scarf thick or thin, long or short, striped, polka-dotted, or twisted. Add fringe details by drawing small, thin lines extending from the ends of the scarf.

Next, it's time to add a nice warm hat. Pipe an arched line just above the forehead to form the bottom edge of the hat, then fill in the area above with icing. Once the base is dry, use a contrasting color to pipe a fluffy brim along the bottom edge and a pompom at the top. To create a knitted texture, add tiny lines or stitches to the hat with a fine piping tip. If you'd like to add a hat that extends above the gingerbread man's head, like a classic red and white Santa hat, you'll probably find it easier to use fondant icing, which can be shaped with your hands, or rolled and cut into a hat shape.

Prepare to have you mind blown, because all it takes to turn your gingerbread men into the perfect reindeer canvas is a simple 180 degree rotation. By flipping the cookies upside down, the legs will become the reindeer's antlers, and the arms will become the ears. You can use a brown icing to outline and flood the entire head shape, letting this set before adding the details.

For the eyes, pipe two white ovals near the center of the head and add a smaller black dot for pupils. A bright red candy or a dollop of red icing makes the perfect Rudolph-esque nose at the lower end of the cookie (formerly the gingerbread man's head).

To define the antlers, pipe additional lines or swirls extending up the "legs," or use halved pretzels, secured in place with a few small blobs of icing, for a sturdier look. For an even more intricate design, draw some small, brightly colored circles in amongst the antler branches, to resemble Christmas lights, or add green and red holly sprigs on the reindeer's forehead.

For the ultimate festive makeover, turn your gingerbread men into Santa's charming little helpers — the elves of course! This creative design is sure to spread some holiday cheer, and it's super fun to create too.

The signature colors for elf attire tend to be red and green, so make sure you have these two shades of royal icing on hand. The first step is to outline and flood the body of the gingerbread man in one of these colors, creating the elf's outfit. If desired, add a zigzag hem at the bottom of the shirt to create the jagged edges of an elf's tunic. After the base has dried, add details, like a belt around the waist, furry cuffs on the sleeves, or a zigzag collar at the top.

Now you can add trousers, in one solid color, or perhaps alternating stripes for an eye-catching multicolored look. For the hat, try adding a zigzag brim to match the rest of the elf's clothing, and a round pompom to complete the look. Finally, draw the face, using black icing or edible marker to create smiling eyes and a cheerful grin. A pink icing or marker can be dabbed on the cheeks for a rosy glow, too.

Ok, so grass skirts and coconut bikinis might not be what first comes to mind when picturing a festive outfit, but this decoration idea is too cute to resist. There's no shame in dreaming of warmer climes during the winter season, or even baking a batch of gingerbread during the height of summer, so transport yourself to a tropical getaway as you give your cookies this hula girl revamp.

The key to this look is creating the grass skirt. Use green icing to pipe a waistband, with long vertical lines extending down over the legs, just like swaying grass. For more texture and extra shine, try sprinkling the wet icing with green sanding sugar.

For the top half of the cookie, pipe a coconut shell bikini using icing colors of your choice. You can also use round candies as the coconuts instead. Once you've drawn the eyes and smile, extra details like tiny flower-shaped sprinkles can also make a great addition. You could even create a flower necklace or crown, and edible glitter is always a great idea too.

One simple technique that can give your gingerbread men a unique twist, without the need for extra icing decoration, is folding the arms inwards before baking. It's an easy move that can create a whole new personality for your cookies, making them look like they're hugging themselves, or perhaps holding something special.

Once you've cut out the cookies and placed them on a lined baking sheet, gently reposition the dough. Fold each arm inward, pressing them lightly against the chest or crossing them over each other. This pose sets the stage for creative decoration, which can be added before or after baking.

A fun idea is to give the gingerbread men a "Christmas tree branch" to hold. Just pop a sprig of rosemary between each pair of folded arms, then bake the cookies until golden. This will infuse them with a subtle herby flavor too. A dusting of powdered sugar is also great for giving the sprig a snow-covered look. Alternatively, you could add a small candy cane, a chocolate kiss, or a sugar heart to the cookies after baking, or using icing to pipe a wrapped present shape between the arms. The possibilities are endless, so go for whichever additions you feel work best.

A well-used icing technique, flooding allows you to add a smooth, even layer solid color to your cookies. Whilst many of the more elaborate designs we've covered feature this method, you can also use it in a more simplified way, for a classic gingerbread man design.

Before flooding your cookie with an icing color of choice, you'll first need to draw an outline around the area you want to decorate. This is essential for creating a neat, defined edge and ensuring the icing doesn't run off the sides. Using a slightly thicker royal icing and a thin piping nozzle for this step is preferable. Then, fill the space with a slightly thinner royal icing mix. You can use a toothpick to spread the icing evenly and pop any air bubbles. If you'd like to create multiple, different colored sections across the cookie, just outline and fill each one separately.

Once the base is dry, add the final touches, whether that's clothing, accessories, or facial features. It's up to you whether you keep things simple, or unleash your intricate icing skills. However you decide to decorate them, that initial layer of flooded icing will give your gingerbread men a polished, glossy look whilst enhancing their sweetness too.

Icing isn't the only tool that can bring your gingerbread men to life. You can brighten them up with an assortment of candies and sprinkles too. Using these colorful additions makes decoration even more simple, serving as a quick way to personalize each cookie, whilst also making them irresistibly sweet and eye-catching.

The best time to decorate with candies and sprinkles is after you've added any chosen features with royal icing. It's best to do this whilst the icing has started to set a little, but is still tacky, which will help these add-ons to stick in place. Select a variety of your favorite candies like mini M&M's, gum drops, jelly beans, licorice laces, or festive-themed sprinkles like snowflakes and holly sprigs. Fondant shapes like flowers, hearts, and stars can also work brilliantly. The assortment of treats can be used to create eyes, buttons, patterns, or even as accents on accessories like scarves and hats.

Sanding sugar is another great tool for adding texture and color to your cookies, whilst edible glitter will give them the ultimate sparkle. These decorations are best sprinkled over whilst the icing is still in the wetter side, to help them stick firmly in place.

To give your gingerbread men a rich and indulgent upgrade, try dipping them in chocolate. This method requires a little less finesse than piping, and adds a delicious sweet and creamy flavor that pairs amazingly with the warm, spiced cookie. Just melt your favorite chocolate (whether that's milk, dark, or white) over a double boiler or in the microwave. Make sure to stir the chocolate occasionally to prevent it from burning and get that lovely smooth consistency. Once it's melted, you're ready to start dipping.

Grab a baked and cooled gingerbread man and dip a portion of it into the chocolate, ensuring it's coated evenly. This could be the entire bottom or top half, or just one side for a two-toned effect. Let the excess chocolate drip off, then place the cookies on a parchment-lined tray or wire rack to set. Or, while the chocolate is still soft, add some extra decorations in the form of crushed candies, mini marshmallows, chopped nuts, or colorful sprinkles. Once the chocolate has hardened, your gingerbread men will have a wonderfully smooth and shiny finish.

Whilst beautiful decoration is crucial if you want to create an impressive batch of gingerbread men, the taste is just as important, and one way to make your cookies extra special is by infusing your icing with extra flavor. Mixing extracts into your icing can enhance the taste of your cookies through the introduction of new and unexpected flavors.

There are a range of different extracts to choose from here, and it's as simple as stirring a few drops into your prepared royal icing. Vanilla extract is an excellent choice, enhancing the sweetness of the icing whilst blending seamlessly with the ginger and cinnamon. If you want something more unique, try almond extract for a warm, nutty note, or peppermint extract for a cool, refreshing taste that fits perfectly with the holiday theme. For a citrusy kick, a few drops of orange or lemon extract can give your icing a zesty contrast to the spicy gingerbread.

Keep in mind that these extracts tend to be quite potent, so start with just a few drops, mix, and do a taste test. You can always add more if needed, but you can't take it out if you've gone overboard. Once you've got your flavors perfected, go ahead and decorate your gingerbread men as you normally would.