Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (2024)

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (1)

Fact: Gingerbread is to Christmas what pumpkin pie is to Thanksgiving. You could celebrate without it, but it really wouldn't be the same. And why would you want to? Gingerbread is fantastic! Aside from its namesake ginger, the quintessential Christmas flavor typically features cinnamon, nutmeg, molasses, and other spices, making it rich, warming and spicy. Whether you're a superfan or just a regular fan, odds are that the family will expect at least one or two gingerbread treats on to your Christmas menu. Now, you could just bake (or buy) a few gingerbread cookies, and maybe toss up a gingerbread house and call it a season. But there's so much more you can do with this flavor that we wanted to inspire you to think outside the cookie cutter. So we've rounded up all kinds of easy gingerbread dessert recipes that put a playful spin on the traditional sweet.

Try your hand at our gingerbread cheesecake with pecan-graham crust, opt for something a little more elegant with a gingerbread pear loaf, or introduce children to the flavor with gingerbread-chocolate chunk no-churn ice cream. The wonderful thing about gingerbread is that you can make it the dominant taste of a Christmas dessert recipe, or simply incorporate it as more of a supporting player if your Christmas dinner guests have a more sensitive palate. Whichever route you choose, make sure at least one gingerbread recipe is on your table. It just wouldn't be the holidays without it.

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1

Ginger Pumpkin Pie

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (3)

With a gingersnap crust and three different kinds of ginger in the pie itself, this spicy take on pumpkin pie is a surefire gingerbread lover's dream.

Get the recipe.

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2

Gingerbread Cheesecake With Pecan-Graham Crust

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (5)

A gingerbread cheesecake has our names written all over it.

Get the recipe.

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3

Gingerbread Pear Loaf

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (7)

You can dress up a loaf pan with a strip of parchment paper, tinsel, and vintage ornaments to turn it into a lovely Christmas food gift.

Get the recipe.

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4

Gingerbread Eggnog

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (9)

Eggnog fans and gingerbread lovers can agree this Christmas cocktail is downright delicious.

Get the recipe.

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5

Gingerbread-Chocolate Chunk No-Churn Ice Cream

Celebrating Christmas somewhere warm? Cool off after dinner with this gingerbread no-churn ice cream.

Get the recipe.

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6

Gingerbread Rolls

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (13)

You could make these gingerbread rolls for your neighbors...or you could just eat them yourself. (No judgement.)

Get the recipe.

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7

Mini Gingerbread Bundt Cakes

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (15)

These sweet, bite-sized treats are cute as can be, and perfect for dessert or a snack!

Get the recipe at Brown Sugar.

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8

Gingerbread Souffle with Maple Creme Anglaise

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (17)

Possibly the only thing tastier than gingerbread is maple, and this rich, impressive, and sneakily easy-to-make dessert has both, plus a whole bunch of cream! What's not to love?

Get the recipe at Brown Sugar.

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9

Butterscotch Gingerbread Trifle

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (19)

The only thing better than gingerbread trifle is gingerbread trifle with butterscotch in it.

Get the recipe at The Gold Lining Girl.

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10

Chocolate Chunk Gingerbread Cookies

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (21)

Santa will go nuts for these gingerbread cookies.

Get the recipe at The Food Charlatan.

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11

No Bake Gingerbread Cream Pie

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (23)

Save your precious oven space for cookies, casseroles, and other festive foods this holiday season by whipping up a pan of this rich no-bake pie.

Get the recipe at Homemade in the Kitchen.

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12

Gingerbread Boy Granola

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (25)

Snap out of your snack time rut with this crunchy and sweet granola.

Get the recipe at Half Baked Harvest.

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13

Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnog Icing

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (27)

You better double—or even triple!—this recipe because these eggnog-flavored treats are going to fly off the plate.

Get the recipe at Life, Love, and Sugar.

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14

Gingerbread Swirl Fudge

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (29)

This flavorful fudge will melt in your mouth just like your favorite molasses cookies.

Get the recipe at Sally's Baking Addiction.

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15

Gingerbread Brownies with Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (31)

Enjoy the flavors of three delicious treats—gingerbread cookies, brownies, and eggnog—in one Christmas dessert with this easy recipe.

Get the recipe at Carlsbad Cravings.

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16

Gingerbread Cheesecake

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (33)

A molasses mousse topping perfectly complements this Christmas cheesecake's gingerbread filling and cookie accents.

Get the recipe at Life, Love, and Sugar.

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17

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Caramele Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (35)

You can choose to make this caramel and gingerbread combo in either cupcake or cake form–or both if you've got a large crowd to feed this Christmas!

Get the recipe at Half Baked Harvest.

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18

Gingerbread Poke Cake

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (37)

This buttermilk and gingerbread Christmas cake gets extra flavor from sweetened condensed milk, plus cinnamon, caramel sauce, and gingerbread PEEPS, all of which are layered on top.

Get the recipe at Something Swanky.

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19

Nutella-Stuffed Gingerbread Deep Dish Cookie

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (39)

In every bite of this deep dish cookie you'll taste rich Nutella, spicy gingerbread, and sweet molasses.

Get the recipe Cafe Delites.

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20

Homemade Gingerbread Loaf

Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (41)

Drizzle this Christmas dessert loaf with a simple vanilla glaze and sprinkle some cranberries on top before serving with coffee or tea.

Get the recipe at She Wears Many Hats.

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Forget Gingerbread Men — This Year Make One of These Astounding Gingerbread Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What does the gingerbread man symbolize? ›

One theory holds that since the "men" are really more toddler-shaped than adult, they came to represent the baby Jesus at Christmas. And the spices involved are sometimes thought to represent the exotic gifts of the Magi.

What country did gingerbread originate from? ›

Gingerbread, as we know it today, descends from Medieval European culinary traditions. Gingerbread was also shaped into different forms by monks in Franconia, Germany in the 13th century. Lebkuchen bakers are recorded as early as 1296 in Ulm and 1395 in Nuremberg.

Is gingerbread religious? ›

Gingerbread takes shape

After creating a paste of breadcrumbs, honey, and ginger, and rolling the mixture out, the monks often carved biblical scenes or images of saints before baking it. They then used these gingerbread treats as a way to feed the hungry and offer some religious teaching at the same time.

What disorder does The Gingerbread Man have? ›

The Gingerbread Man is another name for Runner's Trots or Runner's Diarrhea. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Runner's diarrhea is characterized by frequent, loose bowel movements during or immediately after a run.

What is the moral of the story of The Gingerbread Man? ›

Moral Of The Story

The gingerbread man was very confident that he could run fast and escape from everyone. However, he was proved wrong when the sly fox caught him. Secondly, “we should never trust anyone blindly”. The gingerbread man believed the fox offered him and was not at all tempted to eat him.

What is an interesting fact about gingerbread? ›

Originally gingerbread was made with honey and breadcrumbs

One of the earliest English recipes for gingerbread, written down in the fifteenth century, didn't actually contain any ginger! Instead bread crumbs or 'gratyd brede' were mixed with boiled honey and formed into a stiff paste with saffron and pepper.

Who brought gingerbread to America? ›

Gingerbread became widely available in the 18th century. Gingerbread came to the Americas with settlers from Europe.

Is gingerbread healthy? ›

Research has also shown that it may improve dental hygiene, reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure. Similarly, nutmeg – another common ingredient in gingerbread – is associated with reduced inflammation and may benefit heart health.

What is the best gingerbread in the world? ›

Victorian cook Sarah Nelson invented Grasmere Gingerbread® in 1854 in the English Lake District village from where it gets its name. A unique, spicy-sweet cross between a biscuit and cake, its reputation quickly spread and it is now enjoyed by food lovers all over the world.

Is gingerbread a German thing? ›

Soft, moist and nutty German gingerbread was invented by medieval monks in Franconia, Germany in the 13th century. Lebkuchen bakers were recorded as early as 1296 in the city of Ulm and in 1395 in Nürnberg (Nuremberg).

What makes gingerbread hard or soft? ›

Some gingerbread recipes require some time to soften after baking because they are initially firm. Gingerbread is made harder by molasses and honey, but it becomes softer when water is absorbed by the sugar.

What is the gingerbread capital of the world? ›

By the 1600s, Nuremberg, Germany was recognized as the “Gingerbread Capital of the World,” as the guild used master bakers and skilled workers to create elaborate works of art from gingerbread.

What ethnicity is gingerbread? ›

According to Rhonda Massingham Hart's Making Gingerbread Houses, the first known recipe for gingerbread came from Greece in 2400 BC. Chinese recipes were developed during the 10th century and by the late Middle Ages, Europeans had their own version of gingerbread.

Why do we eat gingerbread? ›

Medieval gingerbread was not just about showing off to your guests, it also had a practical purpose at feasts. Gingerbread was well known for helping with digestion – it was served at the end of a meal to help dinner 'go down' and to sweeten the breath.

What is the significance of gingerbread at Christmas? ›

Some people believe the fairytale Hansel and Gretel was based on this tradition while other historians believe creating gingerbread houses was influenced by the story. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are credited with popularizing the Christmas Tree and incorporating gingerbread into Christmas.

What are the benefits of The Gingerbread Man story? ›

The ginger presented to the children gave them a new powerful scent to experience. Communication and Language development is being supported by the use of the story's repeated rhyming refrain. As the children join in they are building their attention and listening skills.

What is the history of gingerbread at Christmas? ›

In the late 17th century, gingerbread became associated with Christmas. Russian bakers prepared gingerbread men and women, usually as replicas of those people attending parties. Gingerbread houses were introduced about 200 years later, when the Grimm brothers wrote Hansel and Gretel.

Is gingerbread man a trickster in the story? ›

You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!” No one can catch the trickster Gingerbread Man until he meets a fox who offers to take him across a river.

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