Halloween Gingerbread Cookies Dressed as Trick-or-Treaters
Looking for a Halloween baking project that’ll have the kids talking for years? These Halloween gingerbread cookies are little gingerbread men dressed up as trick-or-treaters, each one decorated with orange and black royal icing and carrying a tiny fruit roll-up treat bag full of Smarties.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: My Extra Lovable Gingerbread Trick Or Treaters!
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: Homemade Gingerbread Recipe, (Adapted from the back of a jar of Grandma's Molasses - a brand name), margarine, sugar, Molasses, egg, all purpose flour, baking soda
- Why You'll Love It: These are time consuming, but really worth it to bring your little Gingerbread Trick or Treaters to life!
I first made these for my son’s whole kindergarten class, and years later he walked in, saw them on the counter and said they were the coolest cookies ever. They take some time, so save them for a slow weekend afternoon, but you can start with a boxed gingerbread mix or my homemade gingerbread dough in the recipe card below.
How the Trick-or-Treat Bags Stay On
The trick is a little roll of aluminum foil tucked into the bend of each gingerbread man’s arm before baking. The cookie bakes around it, and when you pull the foil out you’re left with a hole just right for threading the fruit roll-up handle through. I tried toothpicks first, but foil bends better and leaves a bigger opening.
Ingredients and Supplies
Gingerbread dough: Use two boxes of gingerbread mix or the homemade molasses dough in the recipe card.
Royal icing: Meringue powder, powdered sugar and warm water. You’ll find meringue powder on the cake decorating aisle at Walmart, Michaels or Hobby Lobby.
Paste food coloring: Black and orange paste colors give bright icing without thinning it.
Treat bags: Mini fruit roll-ups or fruit leather and Smarties or other small candy.
You’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.
Helpful Tips Before You Start
- Roll the dough a little thicker than ¼ inch so the cookies are sturdy enough to hold their treat bags.
- Spray each foil piece with cooking spray before tucking it into an arm so it slides right out after baking.
- Keep a damp paper towel in a small bowl and rest your icing tip in it between uses so it doesn’t dry out.
- Stop squeezing before you lift the icing tip so your lines end neatly.
How to Make Halloween Gingerbread Cookies
1Roll and Cut
Roll the chilled dough on a floured surface and cut out gingerbread men. Move them to greased baking sheets with a spatula.
2Make the Foil Props
Tear aluminum foil into strips and roll each one into a piece about the length of a toothpick and three times as thick. Curve the ends up and spray with cooking spray.
3Wrap the Arms
Lay a foil piece in the bend of one arm, roll the arm gently around it and press to seal.
4Bake
Bake large cookies at 375°F for about 10 minutes, or smaller ones at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Twist the foil out as soon as they come out of the oven.
5Pipe the Eyes
Beat the royal icing ingredients for 5 to 7 minutes until stiff peaks form. Pipe two white dots on each cookie for eyes.
6Add Faces and Costumes
Tint the rest of the icing black and orange. Draw glasses, smiles, buttons and squiggly costume details on each cookie.
7Make the Treat Bags
Trim fruit roll-ups into squares, set a few Smarties on one side, fold it over and pinch the sides closed, leaving the top open.
8Hang the Bags
Twist two trimmed fruit roll-up scraps together for a handle and push the ends through the arm hole with a toothpick. Attach the bag to the handle with a dot of icing.
Sharing Your Trick-or-Treaters
Tuck each cookie into a small cellophane party bag for classmates, teachers and neighbors. Two boxes of mix made just under two dozen of my big ones, and smaller cutters will give you more. Set them out at a Halloween party with big chewy Halloween candy cookies, ghost meringue cookies and frozen yogurt Halloween bark, or find more ideas in our list of easy Halloween treats and desserts.
Halloween Gingerbread Cookies FAQs
Can I make these ahead?
Yes. Bake the cookies a day or two ahead and store them airtight, then decorate when you have time. Let the royal icing dry completely before stacking or bagging.
Can I use egg whites instead of meringue powder?
You can, but meringue powder is easier to work with and you don’t have to worry about raw eggs.
Where do I find meringue powder?
Look on the cake decorating aisle at Walmart, Michaels or Hobby Lobby.
Halloween Gingerbread Cookies Dressed as Trick-or-Treaters
Ingredients
Homemade Gingerbread Recipe
(Adapted from the back of a jar of Grandma’s Molasses – a brand name)
- 1 stick margarine softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup Molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Royal Icing
- 3 Tablespoons meringue powder
- 4 cups 1 lb confectioner’s sugar
- 6-8 Tablespoons warm water I use a little more to make it easier on my hands
Instructions
- Beat butter with sugar and molasses. Mix in egg. Sift dry ingredients and add to wet mixture. Mix well.
- Chill in freezer 1 hour or in refrigerator 2 hours.
- Heat oven to 350ºF. Roll out half of the dough 1/4-in. thick on lightly floured surface (I use waxed paper on top of the counter top for easy cleanup).
- Cut with cookie cutter, place on greased baking sheets. If decorating with raisins, add them at this time. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool. Decorate with royal icing as desired.
*Larger men like mine need to be baked at 375 for 10 minutes.
To make icing
- Beat all icing ingredients together with electric mixer on high speed seven to ten minutes, or until stiff peaks form.
Thank-you for another great e mail and another great recipe! Sure makes my break time at work go by nicely! You are great!
That is so sweet of you to say Cindy, it just made my day!!
OH, I so hope these will ship well. I just have to bake them and send them to my granddaughters. They are so cute I know they will fall in love with them.
Thank you Christy, for yet another recipe/great idea.
We appreciate you.
(((Hugs)))
Christy, the cookies are so cute! I was searching for something different to make this year for my daycare class’ Halloween party. Lo and behold, I found it! I knew I could count on Southern Plate. Thank you!
Man! These are SO cute! I would like to give them a try with my favorite gingerbread recipe, but that recipe results in kind of soft cookies so maybe that would be a bad choice. I’m going to college so I can be a teacher and for one of my classes right now I have to spend time every week at an elementary school with a group of 3rd grade special education students. I think I’m going to find out the school’s policy on bringing in treats (and if the kids themselves can have them) then make some of these little guys to bring in!
So, so cute! I’d never considered using a gingerbread man cutter when I make my sugar cookies at Halloween but I will from now on. One quick tip: I had always shied away from making cut-out cookies because I had trouble moving them from the cutting surface to the baking sheet without damaging them. I worked part time for a caterer for a number of years and she taught me to roll my dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Make sure the paper is the same size as your baking sheet. When the dough is rolled to a consistent thickness remove the top sheet of paper and cut out your cookies, allowing enough space between them so they don’t touch as they bake. Take up all the scraps to re-roll. I use toothpicks for tight areas, a small narrow metal spatula for the larger parts. You can then slide the parchment paper onto your baking sheet without disturbing the cookies. I use several pieces the same size so that I can always have a new pan ready to go in as soon as one comes out. Enjoy your cookies. Trick or Treat!
OH MY GOSH! These are just adorable.
Your little gingerbread men are super cute! I like that you actually added a treat to their little bags!