Gingerbread Cookie Bites are the simplest gingerbread recipe ever! Chewy, bite-sized gingerbread cookies that take a fraction of the time to make & perfect for holiday parties!
Our family adores making gingerbread during Christmas time but I have to admit, as a mom, I often dread the task. I had the inspiration to make these Gingerbread Bites instead and oh my word, they’re amazing! I’ve made 3 batches so far this year and we still have almost 2 weeks before Christmas. Just a warning though: they tend to disappear fast!
Easy Gingerbread Cookie Bites recipe
The simplest gingerbread cookie recipe ever! Chewy, bite-sized gingerbread cookies that take a fraction of the time to make! They’re perfect for holiday parties and get-togethers! You’re going to love this cookie recipe because every batch makes upwards of 100 cookies so they’re perfect for sharing with friends and family
Holiday Gingerbread Cookies Ingredients
-Flour: You will need 3 cups of all-purpose flour for the base of the cookie dough.
-Leavenging agents: Use 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda for cookies that puff up a bit as they bake.
-Salt: Adding in ¼ teaspoon of salt will help enhance the flavors in the cookies.
-Spices: Use 1 tablespoon of ground ginger, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and 1.2 teaspoon of ground cloves for well spiced gingerbread cookies.
-Shortening: You will need 4 tablespoons of shortening to help give the cookies more fat for richer texture.
-Butter: Use ½ cup (one stick) of unsalted butter to make these cookies richer in taste.
-Dark brown sugar: Using 1 cup of dark brown sugar will make the cookies swet and chewy while giving a nice depth of flavor.
-Egg: Use 1 large egg to help bind the dough together well.
-Molasses: You will need ½ cup of molasses to help flavor the dough and make it taste like traditional gingerbread.
-Vanilla: Adding in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extrat will make the dough taste even better.
-Sprinkles: Use ¼ cup of holiday colored nonpareil sprinkles for a festive touch to every cookie bite.
How to Make Bite-Sized Gingerbread Cookies
Prepare the dough
In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until blended.
In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the butter, shortening, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well incorporated.
Add the molasses and the vanilla extract and continue mixing until combined.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the molasses mixture. Blend until smooth.
Chill the dough
Press the dough out into an 8×8 inch pan lined with parchment paper. The dough should look flat and even.
Sprinkle the dough with your festive nonpariel sprinkles and then use your hand to lightly press them into the dough. Make sure that the entire surface area is well covered.
Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours.
Bake and cool
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Remove the parchment lined cookie dough from the pan and then set it on a cutting board.
Cut the dough into 1/2 inch cubes using a ruler as a guide. You should be able to get 10-11 rows on each side. This is about 100 small cubes of dough in total.
Transfer the dough cubes to your prepared baking sheet. Leave a space of one inch between each cube. I was able to get about 30-35 per baking sheet.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 7 minutes. Allow the cookies to rest on the hot pan for another 2 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Kitchen Tools for making best Christmas Cookies
Three kitchen items really help you make the best Christmas cookies ever! I actually use these items in nearly every cookie recipe I make, as well as several other types of recipes, so they’re quite versatile. First, I line my cookie sheets with a piece of parchment paper. They’re sold in sizes that fit a 12×16 cookie sheet perfectly and enable to cookies to bake well without sticking- and no mess from spraying oil on the cookie sheets!
The second item is a KitchenAid mixer. I love mine! I have a Bosch as well but I find I use my KitchenAid for cookies. There is a cookie paddle that comes with every mixer that you attach to the top of the mixer. They’re easy to use and help you mix the ingredients uniformly. I also use the metal whisk attachment in this recipe to make the frosting. It whips it up super fast! Add this to your wish list because it’s one of my all-time used small appliances ever!
Enjoy!
Easy Gingerbread Cookie Bites
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 TBSP shortening
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup holiday nonpareils sprinkles
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a small bowl until blended.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter, shortening, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended.
- Add in the molasses and vanilla and continue to mix again until combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients into the molasses mixture and blend until smooth.
- Press the dough out into a 8×8 inch pan lined with parchment paper. the dough should be flat and even.
- Sprinkle the dough with your festive sprinkles and use your hand to lightly press them into the dough. Make sure that the entire surface area is well covered.
- Chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare the baking sheets by them lining with parchment paper.
- Remove the parchment lined cookie dough from the pan and then set it on a cutting board.
- Cut the dough into 1/2 inch cubes using a ruler as a guide. you should be able to get 10-11 rows on each side. This is about 100 small cubes of dough.
- Transfer the dough cubes to your prepared baking sheet and leave a space of one inch between each cube. I was able to get about 30-35 per baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 7 minutes and allow the cookies to rest on the hot pan for another 2 minutes as they cool. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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What temperature do you bake gingerbread cookies at?
I baked these Gingerbread Cookie Bites for 7 minutes at 350 degree F oven. The texture of the cookies is soft and chewy on the inside with slightly crispy edges.
What gives gingerbread that classic taste?
Here are the ingredients that give gingerbread cookies that traditional, distinct gingerbread taste. One of the most classic gingerbread ingredients is molasses, which is a thick, dark brown syrup that’s sweet with a spicy bite. You’ll also add a combination of spices like cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, allspice and of course, ground ginger. Each recipe is a little different, so I highly recommend trying many until you find one that suits your tastes.
Looking for more holiday recipes? Try these other Christmas cookies:
- RASPBERRY MELTAWAY COOKIES
- HOT CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS COOKIES
- RED VELVET CHRISTMAS COOKIES
- CHRISTMAS SPRINKLE SUGAR COOKIES
- GRANDMA’S ITALIAN COOKIES
- COOKIES AND CREAM COOKIES
- COPYCAT SWIG SUGAR COOKIES
- SOFT CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES
How do you soften butter?
I like to soften butter by using the defrost function on my microwave. If you need the full 1/2 cup cube of butter, you can leave it in the paper wrapper, otherwise, place the amount of butter you need in a glass or porcelain bowl. I use the lowest defrost setting on my microwave and just let it run for 20 seconds. Check the butter and see how soft it is by pressing it with a rubber scraper. If it is still not soft to the touch, meaning it doesn’t indent when you press into it, let it warm for another 5-10 seconds. Watch it closely! Butter softens very quickly.
Can gingerbread cookies be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze Gingerbread cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Let the cookies thaw on a countertop before enjoying. You can also freeze gingerbread cookie dough then defrost and bake the cookies later on, so you have that fresh from the oven cookie taste!
The simplest gingerbread cookie recipe ever! Chewy, bite-sized gingerbread cookies that take a fraction of the time to make! They’re perfect for holiday parties and get-togethers!
Lori S says
These turned out fabulous and were a huge hit with my family. I ran short on the Molasses ( I had less than the 1/2 cup), so I added a little more of the brown sugar to compensate. I also used all-spice instead of cloves. I also add a small piece of bread when storing these in a container, and it keeps the cookies nice and soft. Thanks for the great recipe!
Bambi Martin says
These are very yummy. But, mine did not bake “pretty.” I think using an 8×8 pan make the dough too thick. next time I’ll try a 9×9 pan. No other changes as these are fabulous.
Claudia says
Can u make them ahead? How do u store to serve later?
Nicole says
You can make the dough in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months or you can freeze baked cookies for up to 1 month. If you freeze the dough, I recommend having them already in cut square pieces, placing them on a baking sheet and freezing until solid for 1-2 hours, then transferring to a container and freezing for as long as needed. Then simply place them on the baking sheet and allow them to defrost as the oven preheats (they wont take too long to soften). Bake as directed and enjoy!
Ivonne Addison says
I have made these for the past few years my kids love them. I usually have to make 2 batches. They love sharing them with friends and I bring them to work for cookie exchanges. The only thing I change is the amount of ginger I put in a bit less. Love this recipe and will keep on making it every year.
Jessica says
So glad to hear Ivonne!