Gluten Free Skeleton Gingerbread Men

Name: Gluten Free Skeleton Gingerbread Men
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1¼ cups (283g) butter, at cool room temperature ((dairy-free butter may be substituted)); 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar; 2 large eggs, at cool room temperature; 1½ tsp vanilla extract; ⅔ cup (210g) molasses; 5¾ cups (805g) Kim's gluten free all purpose flour blend; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp salt; 1½ tbsp ground ginger; 4 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp ground allspice; zest of one orange; 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar; 3 tbsp meringue powder; 5-10 tbsp (75-150g) water, room temperature ((amount varies depending on the consistency you desire))

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How cute are these Gluten Free Skeleton Gingerbread Men? They’re just as tasty as any gingerbread cookie, but decorated for Halloween!

gf gingerbread skeleton men on parchment paper.

Gluten Free Skeleton Gingerbread Men were originally posted on October 26, 2021 and have been updated with new pictures, plenty of new tips and tricks, and a video.

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I'm not a huge Halloween fan. I guess since my kids grew up, it kind of became something just ho-hum for me. We live in a court kind of off the beaten path so the only trick-or-treaters we get are the kids that live in our court. Because of our dogs through the past several years, we've gone the lazy way and put a bowl of candy out at the curb, asking those kids to take just a few. It's just not the same when you don't have little kids.

But that doesn't mean we can't have fun with the treats, right? I saw these skeleton cookies years ago and just adored them. I decided to give the post a refresh and make a video to show you just how easy it is to make these little cuties. Based on my recipe for Perfect Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies, they're perfect for kids' parties at school OR just to munch on at home.

What You’ll Need to Make These Cookies

ingredients needed for gingerbread cookies measured out and labeled.

Kim’s Gluten Free Flour Blend - a store bought blend may be substituted, but hasn’t been tested
Butter - dairy-free butter may be substituted.
Molasses - a normal staple in gingerbread cookies.
Baking soda - gives the cookies their puffy texture.
Spices - the usual suspects for perfect gingerbread cookies (ginger, cinnamon, and allspice).
Orange zest - the orange zest really brightens up the cookies and gives them a fresh taste.

Making Gingerbread Skeletons

This dough is an absolute breeze to work with! There’s no need to chill it so you can roll it out right after you mix it up. It’s soft, not too sticky, and rolls out beautifully.

whisking dry ingredients in plastic pitcher.

Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.

creaming butter and brown sugar together in stand mixer bowl.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.

adding the vanilla extract into the dough.

Add the eggs, orange zest, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.

Slowly pour in the molasses until fully combined.

adding dry ingredients into cookie dough in glass bowl.

Add the dry ingredients in increments, pulsing so you don't end up with a cloud of flour and spices.

Divide the dough in half. Wrap one in plastic wrap and let sit on the counter while rolling out the other half.

Roll out the dough to about ⅜-inch thick. Keeping the cookies thick means when they bake, they'll stay soft. If you want a crisper cookie, roll the dough thinner.

cut out gingerbread men in dough on counter.

Cut out the cookies with cookie cutters (I made mine all gingerbread men using this cutter) and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes and remove from the oven to cool on a wire rack.

Piping Skeletons

While the cookies are cooling, prepare the royal icing per recipe instructions. Then simply fit a pastry bag with a writing tip. You can use whatever size tip you want, but the tip number I used was a Wilton tip 2. I got the idea for doing these skeleton gingerbread men from Betty Crocker’s website here. I thought they were absolutely adorable and definitely wanted to try to make them. But my piping skills aren't what they used to be, so I found an easier version here that worked better for me. If you're a master piper, go for the more intricate ones. If you're like me and can't seem to pipe a straight line anymore (lol!), the simpler piping option might be your choice.

Rather Watch?

Gingerbread Skeleton FAQs

Can I use buttercream instead of royal icing?

Yes, you can use buttercream or a simple powdered sugar icing. However, neither of those will dry hard like royal icing does so don't stack them on top of each other or your designs will smudge.

Can these cookies be frozen?

Yes, they can frozen before decorating or after. Wrap and freeze in ziptop bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.

How can I make gingerbread cookies more crisp than soft?

Roll them out thinner when cutting, and bake them at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. If the recipe calls for them to be baked at 350 F, bake them at 325 for 5-10 minutes longer.

stack of undecorated and decorated gingerbread skeletons on orange cloth napkin

more gluten free cookies

one gingerbread skeleton on parchment with bite taken out of it.

Who says gingerbread cookies are just for Christmas? We can make a Halloween version of the traditional cookies with these Gluten Free Gingerbread Skeleton Men, and everyone will love them just the same (maybe more).