HOW TO MAKE MINI GINGERBREAD HOUSE MUG TOPPERS FOR CHRISTMAS
Mini gingerbread house mug toppers are the cutest addition to your holiday hot cocoa bar. These mug toppers are easy to whip up, taste amazing, and double as a fun Christmas DIY project for the kiddos. I promise these will be your new favorite tradition!
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through the links in this post, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This small commission allows me to review products and create new content to share on the Caitlin De Lay Blog.
The Cutest Mini Gingerbread Mug Toppers
If you’re looking for an easy (and adorable) baking project to get you in the Christmas spirit, this is it! (By the way, if you haven’t seen the Christmas Home Tour 2022, check it out!)
Last Christmas, these mini gingerbread houses were a big hit with my little nephew and nieces. It turned out to be the perfect DIY for tiny hands, and the kiddos enjoyed building their gingerbread house and embellishing it with frosting snow and sprinkles. The adults seemed to love the DIY as well!
These mini gingerbread houses are perfect for dunking in a big cup of cocoa or coffee or accessorizing a dessert table spread. Some other ideas are using them as ornaments, wrapping them in cellophane bags with a pretty ribbon for a gift, or simply displaying them as a holiday accent.
What I love about this Christmas cookie is that they don’t need to be perfect; they look cute no matter your skill level! Okay, let’s get into this mini gingerbread house tutorial!
Tips & Tricks for the Best Mini Gingerbread House
The Gingerbread
This gingerbread recipe is easy to make and tastes fantastic! I noticed the gingerbread dough is easier to work with chilled.
After chilling, simply roll out the dough and make all the mini gingerbread house shapes using this little kit from Amazon. Roll dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Otherwise, they get too big during baking.
The recipe calls for a bake time of 8-12 minutes. Since these pieces are way smaller than a regular cookie, I baked them for 8 minutes. They came out just right for gingerbread houses, slightly crisp outside. If they are too soft, they are challenging to use for building.
Bake the gingerbread pieces ahead of time and store them in the freezer. Then, you can take them out and put them together whenever it’s convenient.
Cutting out and baking all the tiny pieces takes a little work, but the rest is a breeze!
The Royal Icing
If you have experience with gingerbread houses, you know the perfect glue icing is a must. The royal icing will hold the pieces together and also taste amazing.
Traditional royal icing includes eggs, but since I like making these with the little kiddos and everything gets eaten, I made this egg-free recipe, which works like a charm!
You will need a lot of frosting for building and decorating the mini gingerbread houses. I used a frosting bag and these little squeeze bottles to decorate. If you are working with kids, these squeeze bottles are a mess-free option. In a pinch, I’ve also used sandwich ziplock baggies. Just add frosting and snip one of the corners.
For best results, allow the gingerbread house to completely dry between each step.
Leave the gingerbread in its rustic state, or decorate it with frosting, powdered sugar, and sprinkles! For sprinkles, I love these, these, and these. I found it easier to start by decorating the front of the gingerbread house. Next, decorate the sides, and then the roof last.
How to Make Mini Gingerbread Houses
Mini Gingerbread House Mug Toppers
Equipment
Instructions
Gingerbread + Royal Icing
- Make gingerbread dough following the recipe above. Chill it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- While the dough is chilling, make the royal icing (recipe above.)
- Flour the countertop and roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out mini house pieces using the gingerbread house kit. NOTE: You will need two of each shape for every house.
- Bake at 350 °F for 8 minutes. Watch the pieces closely because they can overbake quickly, and every oven is different.
- Allow gingerbread pieces to cool completely.
Gingerbread House Construction
- Start with one house piece. Frost the outside edges of the house piece and add the side pieces (smaller rectangles) one at a time. Allow it to dry completely.
- Next, frost the outside edges of the second house piece and add to the side pieces. Allow it to dry completely.
- Finally, frost the peaks of both house pieces and add the roof pieces (larger rectangles) one at a time. Again, allow it to completely before decorating.
- Using royal icing, decorate the house as desired. Add sprinkles or powdered sugar to top it off. Enjoy it with your favorite hot beverage for a Christmassy drink!
Video
These mini gingerbread house mug toppers have become our favorite Christmas cookie tradition! We look forward to decorating them as a family and using them to decorate the Christmas dessert table.
They are a perfect Christmas cookie idea and easy Christmas crafts for all ages! Let me know in the comments below if you have tried these and what your favorite Christmas cookie to make!
