This recipe makes the cutest mini gingerbread men! The cookies are soft, chewy, and adorable, with just the right amount of cozy spices and rich molasses flavor. The dough is easy to prepare, and the mini gingerbread cookies are so much fun to decorate with!
Mini Gingerbread Men Cookies
Gingerbread men are such iconic holiday cookies, and I’ve always loved gingerbread cookies and bake at least one batch of iced gingerbread cookies every year.
This version shows how to make a mini version of the Christmas classic. These miniature gingerbread men have a soft texture and just the right amount of spices and molasses.
You’ll also love that the dough is easy to work with and doesn’t need a long chill time. The cookies hold their shape perfectly and don’t puff up.
And who doesn’t love the scent of warm gingerbread wafting through the house? It’s heavenly!
These mini gingerbread men cookies are great for all kinds of projects. Use them to adorn cakes, cupcakes, pies, or cheesecakes. Or enjoy them as is and decorate them with icing and sprinkles!
Ingredients
Just a few simple ingredients come together to make these mini gingerbread men cookies. And you’ll have most of these conveniently in your pantry. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for exact measurements.
- All-purpose flour is the base of our tiny gingerbread men. I don’t recommend any substitutes like bread flour or cake flour.
- Spices: A blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves lends the cookies their richly spiced aroma.
- Molasses is the key to real gingerbread cookies. It keeps the cookies soft and adds rich, deep flavor.
- Dark brown sugar contributes to the taste and chewy texture. Light brown is okay too.
- Salted butter holds the dough together. If you only have unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp salt.
- Egg yolk: You only need 1 egg yolk, but you may also need 1 to 2 tablespoons of egg white for a smooth dough. So keep the white around.
- Vanilla extract adds a little background aroma.
What molasses is best for gingerbread cookies?
I recommend medium unsulphured molasses. It gives the cookies a lovely, balanced flavor that isn’t too strong and kid-friendly.
You could also use dark or cooking molasses. Just be prepared for very dark cookies with a slightly bitter taste. I would avoid blackstrap molasses unless you really, really love molasses.
Why no baking powder?
I didn’t include any baking powder or baking soda in my mini gingerbread men recipe to eliminate any chance that the cookies spread or puff up in the oven.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl to combine the ingredients.
- Mixer: A hand-held mixer is best since the ingredient amounts are rather small.
- Rolling pin to roll out the gingerbread dough.
- Parchment paper (baking paper) to ensure the cookies don’t stick.
- Mini gingerbread man cutter: I used this small gingerbread man cutter to create the teeny tiny ginnies, and this cutter to cut out the larger ones.
- Cookie sheet to bake the cookies.
- Wire rack for cooling.
How to make mini gingerbread men
Mini gingerbread cookies are one of the easiest Christmas cookies. Now you have a holly jolly treat to share with your family and friends that everyone will love!
#1: Mix dough
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Blend in wet ingredients. Add the molasses, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Add flour and spices. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the flour and spices until the dough comes together.
- Adjust consistency. If the dough seems dry and crumbly, knead 1 to 2 tablespoons egg white into the dough.
#2: Roll, freeze, and cut dough
- Roll dough. Pat the dough into a flat oval, then place it between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll out evenly until 1/6 inch / 4 mm thick.
- Freeze dough. Place the parchment paper with the dough onto a cookie sheet and freeze for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Cut out cookies. Using a mini gingerbread man cutter, cut out cookies and transfer them onto a lined baking sheet.
#3: Bake & cool cookies
- Bake. Bake the small gingerbread men in a 350°F oven for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Cool. Once baked, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
How many cookies does this recipe make?
The exact number of cookies depends on the size of your cutter. I got over 100-120 mini gingerbread man cookies with the smallest cutter. A larger cutter will produce fewer cookies.
Baking tips
This recipe is so easy! Follow my tips and tricks to get the cutest small gingerbread cookies!
- Don’t use fully softened butter: You want your butter slightly softened but still cold. Put it on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes while you assemble the other ingredients. If the butter is oily or melty, it is too soft.
- Don’t skimp on the spices: The amounts listed in the recipe give the tiny gingerbread men their signature flavor. Feel free to increase the spices for an even stronger aroma.
- Freeze the dough: Chill the gingerbread dough in the freezer. Freezing makes the dough so much easier to work with. Cold dough also ensures that cookies don’t spread much in the oven.
- Cut the cookies close together: Cut the cookies close together, almost touching. You want to avoid folding and re-rolling the dough as the dough warms up with each round.
- Try other shapes: While gingerbread people are the traditional way to prepare these cookies, you can cut the dough in any shape you like. Candy canes, snowflakes, and other holiday cutters would look adorable.
Decorating ideas
Small gingerbread cookies are so cute that they don’t really need any decorations. Since the cookies are so tiny, there isn’t much room to work with anyway.
Still, if you want to dress them up, whip up some royal icing and pipe on tiny faces. Or wiggle the icing all over the cookies and cover them in holiday sprinkles.
You don’t need much icing for these cookies, so prepare only a small amount.
What to do with mini gingerbread men
Now that you have an army of small gingerbread men at your disposal, what do you do with them? Aside from noshing them all in one sitting with a big mug of hot chocolate, you can:
- Decorate baked goods: Arrange your tiny gingerbread on cakes, cupcakes, cheesecake, pie, and glazed sweet bread.
- Sprinkle on dessert: Gingerbread minis add instant holiday cheer to your favorite desserts and treats. Sprinkle them over French toast, pancakes, bread pudding, waffles, creme brulee, banana pudding, and fruit salad.
- Enjoy for breakfast: Add a few mini ginnies to your morning cereal and give your breakfast a festive touch. This is perfect for Christmas morning!
- Garnish drinks: Mini gingerbread cookies look super cute floating on top of coffee, gingerbread latte, or gingerbread hot chocolate.
Storage instructions
How to store small gingerbread men
Store your mini gingerbread men in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. The cookies taste better and are even softer the next day.
Freeze mini gingerbread cookies
Let the cookies fully cool. Then transfer them into a zip-lock bag or a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 2 months. They thaw on the counter in 20 to 30 minutes.
Mini Gingerbread Men Recipe
This recipe makes the cutest mini gingerbread men! The cookies are soft, chewy, and adorable, with just the right amount of cozy spices and rich molasses flavor. The dough is easy to prepare, and the mini gingerbread cookies are so much fun to decorate with!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups / 215 g / 7.6 oz all-purpose flour
- 1/2 Tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 7 tbsp / 80 g / 2.8 oz packed dark brown sugar
- 5 Tbsp / 70 g / 2.5 oz salted butter, softened about halfway (see note)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup / 85 g / 3 oz molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1 – 2 tbsp egg white (as needed)
Instructions
- Prepare for baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick silicone baking mat.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Blend in wet ingredients. Add the molasses, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Add flour and spices. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the flour and spices until the dough comes together.
- Adjust consistency. If the dough seems dry and crumbly, knead 1 to 2 tablespoons egg white into the dough.
- Roll dough. Pat the dough into a flat oval, then place it between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll out evenly until 1/6 inch / 4 mm thick.
- Freeze dough. Place the parchment paper with the dough onto a cookie sheet and freeze for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Cut out cookies. Using a mini gingerbread man cutter, cut out cookies and transfer them onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake the small gingerbread men in the preheated oven for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Cool. Once baked, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Butter Consistency
The butter should still be cool and hold its shape pretty well. Cool butter makes the dough easier to work with and reduces spreading. Softening the butter for 10 to 15 minutes works best.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 100 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 20Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 6mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 0g
Reasons to love small gingerbread cookies
- The cutest holiday cookie: Who could resist an adorable miniature gingerbread man? They are absolutely charming and delicious!
- Sweet + spicy: There are many good flavors in these tiny gingerbread men! Molasses, ginger, and cinnamon lead the pack and give the cookies a sweet, balanced taste.
- Easy to make: The recipe is quick and straightforward and will fit into your busy holiday schedule.
More holiday cookie recipes
I love baking holiday cookies! It’s a great activity to get the family involved, and they make perfect homemade gifts! So here are a few of my other favorite Christmas cookie recipes:
