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–+ servings
Mini gingerbread cookies on a wire rack with parchment paper and a piping bag and red baker's twine in the background.
Prep: 1 hour 25 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour 35 minutes

Mini Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

Tiny in size, big on taste! These cute mini gingerbread men & women are great for holiday cookie platters, decorating cakes, & serving with tea or coffee.
Yield: 36 cookies

Ingredients

Cookies:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature* 2 sticks
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup molasses not blackstrap
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

Icing:

  • 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • In a stand mixer or a large bowl (with a hand mixer), beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about three minutes.
  • Add the egg and molasses and beat until blended, scraping down sides as necessary.
  • To a separate medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Mix together.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined.
  • Press the dough together and form into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour, or up to three days.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Remove disc from fridge and cut into fourths.
  • Roll each piece about 1/4 inch thick. You may need to let the dough warm up just a bit, and, depending on your surface, you may need some additional flour to prevent sticking.
  • Use small gingerbread cookie cutters to cut out the cookies. Roll out the scraps and cut a few more out. Repeat with the remaining dough.
  • Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 7-8 minutes, until they're firm and just starting to get golden at edges. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Make the icing. Add the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, and vanilla to a small bowl. Use a wire whisk to mix it well. If it's too thick, add more milk a teaspoon at a time. You want the icing to be thin enough to be pipeable but thick enough to hold a line. Scoop the icing into a piping bag with piping tip or a Ziploc bag with the end snipped off, and pipe the icing onto the cookies.
  • Let sit until icing hardens before storing or assembling on cookie plates. Cookies keep up to one week in an airtight container.

Notes

Icing recipe adapted from Sugar Spun Run

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 141kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 494mg, Potassium: 49mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 166IU, Vitamin C: 0.001mg, Calcium: 10mg, Iron: 1mg