8 Unconventional Ways to Decorate Gingerbread Men

We often marvel at intricate and clever houses and other structures made of gingerbread, but simpler gingerbread men are also recipes for holiday success. Almost anyone can make and decorate the classically shaped cookies and they're also quite versatile. Here are a few ways people have upgraded the treat.

1. STORMTROOPERS

Sugar Swings! blogger Michelle carved out a set of Star Wars gingerbread men in the likeness of the various troopers in the series. The creations feature intricate icing that mimics the appearances of clone troopers, snow troopers, flamethrower troopers, and stormtroopers of both the First Order and the New Order. Even Captain Phasma is represented!

2. CRUMBS OF ANARCHY

For Christmas of 2013, Massachusetts-based bakery and Food Network Sugar Dome winner Cakes by Erin unveiled Crumbs of Anarchy, a collection of gingerbread men modeled after the characters on the FX drama Sons of Anarchy. The sweet replicas of Jax, Mark, Tig, and more characters even impressed a member of the show’s cast!

3. DEEP FRIED

Oh, Bite it!

This set of cookies from Oh, Bite it! proves that looks really aren't everything. The recipe improves on the store-bought formula by deep frying the treats and sprinkling them with powdered sugar.

4. SUPERHEROES

Sugar Swings!

There's power in colorful icing. In 2011, Michelle at Sugar Swings! (who also made the stormtrooper-themed cookies) upgraded the standard shape into super hero gingerbread men and women with elaborate and vivid designs.

5. YOGA CLASS

Baked Ideas

You don’t always need detailed icing to make gingerbread men impressive. Patti Paige of Baked Ideas broke out of the mold with her gingerbread men in yoga poses. The creative cookie cutters (which you can buy here) bring Om in the form of 20 yoga poses, including tree, downward dog, wheel, and more.

6. UPSIDE DOWN

She Knows

Stuck with the standard cookie cutters? Change things up by turning them upside-down. A few well-placed lines of icing, a red M&M, and two chocolate chip eyes transform each upside-down man into Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Get the recipe and instructions at She Knows.

7. FALLEN MEN

National Geographic

It's hard to bake gingerbread men without a few casualties— like a broken cookie limb or two. Candy Caldwell of Reykjavik, Iceland, added icing to injury, illustrating the gingerbread and their faux suffering. Caldwell submitted this picture to National Geographic and made the Photo of the Day in early 2010.

8. DAY OF THE DEAD

Cupookie

Andrea at Cupookie got twice as festive with her gingerbread men, merging decorations that represent two cold-weather holidays: Christmas and the Day of the Dead. A couple of years later, she followed up with a Day of the Dead gingerbread woman.