Gingerbread Animal Crackers are really the best of both words. They have that classic animal cracker look and texture, but with the sweetness and spice of a gingerbread cookie! I think my kids would want me to make these for them everyday, if they could. Luckily, this recipe is super easy to make, I really don’t mind whipping them up at the drop of a dime. 

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One food I’ve really got on the brain in December is cookies. My kids have already been listing off for me all the different kinds of holiday cookies they want to bake, including some of our favorite roll-out cookies like gingerbread and animal crackers. Our family loves the flavor and texture of both of those kinds, so this year I decided to marry the two! Watch this Gingerbread Animal Crackers Video and see just how easy they are to make.

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This is a great recipe to make with your kids, especially since it turns out tons of bite-sized cookies. I let my little ones grab all of their favorite holiday cookie cutters to stamp out cute little animal and holiday shapes. These cookies come out if the oven really soft inside with a crispy, golden outside — perfect for decorating or drizzling with icing!

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I originally created this recipe for my Snack Mom column in the December issue of Parents magazine. I’ve already gotten so many comments about them that I wanted to share them here on Weelicious as well. 

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These little guys are perfect for an afternoon snack or to put in your little one’s lunches. And what a fun surprise for them to open up their lunch boxes to at school!

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If you make a batch, take a photo and tag @weelicious on your favorite social media outlet so I can see your’s before they get devoured by the kids!

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Gingerbread Animal Crackers

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Author: Catherine McCord
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients  

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg

Instructions 

  • Place the first 8 ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine.
  • Add the butter and pulse to combine.
  • Add the molasses, vanilla and egg and pulse until the dough forms into a ball.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350 F.
  • Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut out animal shapes.
  • Place cut outs on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are set and starting to turn golden brown on the edges.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

Comments

  1. I haven’t tested that with this recipe. It should work, but whole wheat flour usually needs some extra liquid!

  2. I am very amazed at what you have informed with this article. You have discussed a very precious article. It is nice and outstanding.

  3. These look like a great treat for all winter long! I am planning on using gluten free flour and earth balance in place of the butter. Do you have a suggestion on what i can use to replace the egg- would chia seed work? Thanks so much and happy new year!

  4. Hmm it is possible that you over mixed it. You could try adding a little flour to it to reduce the moisture. When it is soft/not sticky enough to knead, then shape it into a disk and place it in the fridge for about 20 minutes. That could help! 🙂

  5. Followed the recipe almost exactly except at the end I was forced to use a hand mixer to bring it all together, as my food processor proved to be too small. Now I’ve got dough that’s so sticky I can barely roll it out and can’t cut it 🙁 Did using the hand mixer really ruin this whole recipe?

  6. I’m tasked with making a gingerbread house for my daughter’s school. I will use your recipe to make the house but I’m wondering if you have any ideas/recipes that could be used for a healthier version of the house decor?

    The school is not nut-free, so am thinking to use a nut butter instead of icing but not 100% sure this will work well. Possibly also agave nectar for the house ‘glue’ but again not sure how this will dry. Any creative ideas are welcome!

    Thanks!

  7. The dough will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. You could also make the cookies and freeze them unbaked or baked for the same amount of time! 🙂

  8. I just made these tonight, subbing in Cup4Cup gluten-free flour and using Chex Gluten Free oats. We cut ours into tiny holiday shapes 🙂 You can definitely add more spices as these weren’t too spicy at all! Delicious!

  9. These look delicious. However, my daughter is allergic to oats. How could I modify this recipe so she and my other 3 kiddos could enjoy?

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