How to make mini Halloween gingerbread houses with kids, including a gingerbread house recipe (that works for cookies, too) and ideas for decoration.
Updated August 2022
Gingerbread houses aren’t just a December activity! We’ve made full size Halloween gingerbread houses many times before, decorated with candy corn and and Autumn colors. They are fun and festive and a yummy treat!
But for this baking activity, we’ve decided to keep our houses small, so everyone can have their own to decorate with full artistic freedom.
Here’s how we made our cute little Halloween gingerbread houses…
Halloween Gingerbread House
MATERIALS
- Gingerbread cookie dough (see the printable recipe below)
- White icing (you can mix powdered sugar with milk and it works great, but you can also make royal icing with egg whites, too)
- Halloween candy (think candy corn, Reese’s Pieces, anything in autumn colors, and mini chocolate chips work well, too)
- Halloween sprinkles
- A piece of cardboard to assemble your house on (wrap in foil first, if you like)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make gingerbread dough
Use the recipe below, or your favorite gingerbread recipe, to make a batch of cookie dough.
- Cut out house shapes
Use a knife to cut out the shapes you want to use. You can use this template for a house, or cookie cutters to make any shape you want!
- Bake your shapes
While your cookies bake, you can make a batch of icing.
- Make your houses!
Once your cookie shapes have cooled, use the icing to assemble your mini gingerbread house. Then use more icing to decorate with your candy and sprinkles!
You can also bake and decorate gingerbread people or animals to go with your houses! Or jack-o’-lanterns! Your home will smell delicious and you’ll have a fun little (temporary) Halloween decoration!
Here’s your recipe…
Print
Mini Halloween Gingerbread Houses
Description
A delicious and easy gingerbread cookie recipe that works for both gingerbread houses and cookie shapes. Adapted from Food.com.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 4 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 1 egg
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Heat sugar, molasses, and spices to boiling in a medium to large pan.
- Remove from heat and stir in baking soda, letting it foam up.
- Add butter and stir occasionally as it melts.
- Whisk in egg.
- Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon (not all the flour will mix in).
- Dump mixture onto counter and knead until the flour is incorporated.
- Use a rolling pin to roll dough to approximately 1/4 inch thick.
- If making gingerbread cookies, cut with cookie cutters.
- If making gingerbread houses, print or make a paper template. Arrange the template pieces on the rolled-out dough and use a knife to cut them out.
- Place gingerbread pieces on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
- Assemble and decorate with a simple icing (mix 4 cups powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon of vanilla and enough milk to give it a spreadable consistency).
How about you? Would you make Halloween gingerbread houses with your kids? Or Autumn gingerbread cookies?
More Autumn Baking for Kids
- The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- How to Make Monster Bread
- Apple Bundt Cake
- How to Make a Halloween Gingerbread House
Want even more Halloween fun?
Check out our Halloween Creativity Pack!
This 45-page printable eBook is full of seasonal coloring pages, drawing prompts, games, and art projects. It’s the simplest way to enjoy an October full of creativity!
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