Mini Gingerbread Men Cookies

Quick Summary: Mini gingerbread men cookies are bite-sized, warmly spiced gingerbread cutouts made from one easy dough. Roll it thin, cut with a mini gingerbread man cutter, and bake for 5 to 7 minutes for crisp, one-bite cookies you can leave plain or decorate.

What are mini gingerbread men cookies?

Mini gingerbread men cookies are small-scale versions of the classic gingerbread man, cut with a miniature cookie cutter so each one is about one bite.

They are made from a spiced dough of flour, honey or molasses, butter, and warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, then baked until just set. Their small size makes them quick to bake and easy to add to a cookie box or hang on a tree.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Easy and fun. This gingerbread cookie recipe is simple and enjoyable to bake, even with kids.
• One dough, many cookies. The basic dough works for other Christmas cookies too, like a small gingerbread house, gingerbread sandwich cookies, and gingerbread house mug toppers.
• Make-ahead friendly. The dough keeps in the fridge for up to five days. When ready, roll, cut, and bake.
• No decorating required. The dough is flavorful enough to skip the icing, though you can decorate if you like.
• Perfect one-bite size. Each cookie is a poppable, one-bite treat.
• Loved by all ages. Kids and adults alike enjoy these small gingerbread man cookies.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour to make the cookies. You can replace it with pastry flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour with perfect results.

• Baking soda (aka sodium bicarbonate) is a leavening agent that helps cookies rise. Please don't confuse it with baking powder.

• Spices: Warm spices such as ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg add festive flavor to cookies.

• Butter: The recipe calls for unsalted butter. Make sure that the butter is softened at room temperature.

• Sugar: Use granulated sugar or caster sugar. Replace it with brown sugar if desired.

• Large egg: Make sure it is at room temperature for the best baking results. 

• Honey: Use any liquid honey. Strong-flavored buckwheat honey is best for making gingerbread cookies.

Equipment

You need only a few basic tools to make these mini gingerbread men:

• Mixing bowls
• Electric mixer or whisk
• Rolling pin
• Mini gingerbread man cookie cutter
• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet
• Wire cooling rack

How to make mini gingerbread men

Step 1. To make the cookie dough, mix flour, baking soda, and all the spices in a mixing bowl.

Step 2. In a separate large bowl, beat butter with sugar with an electric mixer for about 2 to 3 minutes (photo 1).

Step 3. Add the egg and warm liquid honey (warm it in the microwave for a few seconds) and whisk with a mixer (photo 2).

Step 4. Pour the flour mixture into the principal preparation and mix with a rubber spatula (photo 3).

Step 5. Transfer the dough to a work surface lined with plastic wrap, cover it well with plastic, and refrigerate for 2 hours. 

Step 6. Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Line a baking or cookie sheet with parchment.

Step 7. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to almost ⅕ inch thickness (4 mm).

Step 8. Dip a mini gingerbread man cookie cutter (from mini cookie cutter set) into flour, and cut out shapes (photo 4).

Step 9. Peel off excess cookie dough from around the miniature gingerbread men. Use a cookie spatula or a palette knife to carefully lift the cookies without ruining their shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheet (photo 5).

Pro tip: Collect the remaining dough and dough scraps, re-roll them, and cut more cookies until you have used up all the dough.

Step 10. Place the cut-out cookie shapes in the freezer for a few minutes to make them easier to transfer to the baking sheet.

Step 11. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Watch the mini cookies during baking: they can burn quickly (photo 6).

Step 12. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Expert tips

1. If the cookie dough becomes soft and sticky during the roll/cutting process, stop and refrigerate it for a few minutes to make it easier to work with. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or parchment paper.
2. For softer cookies, roll the dough out as mentioned. For crispy cookies, roll the cookie dough thinner, but adjust the baking time. It may be less than 5-7 minutes.
3. Add a few seconds to the baking time for a deeper golden color, but don't burn the cookies.
4. Bake one tray at a time for the best baking results. While you bake one tray, you fill another baking sheet with cookies.
5. Make-ahead option: Make the cookie dough and chill it overnight, then bake the cookies the next day. You can refrigerate the dough well wrapped for up to 5 days.

Recipe variations

True gingerbread cookies should be packed with festive flavors due to warm spices. While you can play with adding spices according to your taste, it is not recommended to use more than 3 to 4 kinds of spices.

• Change the amounts of the standard spices listed in the mini gingerbread cookies recipe. Add ½ teaspoon of ground cloves. Cloves give a nice touch of spice and warmth to the dough.

• Use any miniature cookie cutter (Santa, Christmas tree, candy canes, snowflakes, etc.) to make variable mini gingerbread cookies. Then follow the guide on making a cookie box from one dough and enjoy.

• Leave small gingerbread men cookies undecorated or dip them in melted chocolate.

• Decorate mini gingerbread man cookies. Use white cookie icing or homemade royal icing with a piping bag fitted with Ateco pastry tip 00 or 1, or design your cookies.

Pipe a smiley face, dress him up with decorative shorts, and simply put buttons or a zig-zag across the arms and legs. Let the finished cookies stay at room temperature for at least 2 hours; overnight is better for the icing to set.

• Another simple way to add a finishing touch is to top the cookies with icing sugar (confectioners' sugar).

What to do with mini gingerbread men

Besides serving them with a cup of tea, coffee, or French hot chocolate, here are a few other ideas:

• Decorate the baked goods: Place a couple of cute mini gingerbread men on top of Gingerbread Pavlova.

• Make verrine desserts: Crush the cookies into cookie crumbles and make 15-minute Banoffee pie cups.

Storing & freezing

Store your miniature gingerbread man cookies between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container in a dry place for up to 1 week.

You can freeze undecorated cookies in a Ziploc freezer bag for up to 3 months. To thaw, let them stay at room temperature.

Recipe FAQ

Do you have to chill gingerbread dough?
Yes. The dough is soft and sticky right after mixing but firms up in the fridge, which makes it easy to roll out and cut cleanly. Chilling also helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents spreading.

How do you know when mini gingerbread cookies are done?
They are done when the tops look slightly darker, and the edges are set. Because they are small, watch them closely and pull them at 5 to 7 minutes; they crisp up more as they cool.

How do you keep mini gingerbread men from spreading?
Roll the dough evenly, chill the cut shapes briefly before baking, and avoid overworking or over-flouring the dough. A cooler dough holds crisp edges.

Can you decorate mini gingerbread men?
Yes. They are flavorful enough to enjoy plain, but you can pipe on royal icing faces and buttons or add small candies if you like.

How long do mini gingerbread cookies last?
They keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature. You can freeze undecorated cookies for up to 3 months.

How many calories are in a mini gingerbread man cookie?
One mini gingerbread man cookie has about 40 calories.

Love gingerbread recipes? Try these next!

• French gingerbread loaf
• Gingerbread madeleines
• Christmas cookie ornaments
• Or browse all the Christmas recipes

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The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.