I have to be honest that I don’t love decorating gingerbread houses with my kids… the mess, the crazy sugar high from all those gumdrops, and the inevitable tears when it all collapses. That’s why I prefer gingerbread people! So much more simple, and now that I’ve found these outrageously fun pop-culture gingerbread cookie ideas, so much more fun too. From Princess Leia to unicorns, which are seriously having their moment lately, these holiday cookies are on fleek.

Wait, that’s last year. But who cares: We get extra points for bring the coolest gingerbread people to the party.

Top: Baby Groot Gingerbread Cookies | Disney Family

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Related: One sugar cookie dough recipe, ten easy Christmas cookies.

 

Pop-culture gingerbread cookies: Princess Leia by Jenn Fujikawa at StarWars.com

Here’s my idea: Make these stellar Princess Leia Gingerbread Cookies by Jenn Fujikawa at StarWars.com, then go see The Last Jedi with your kids. Sounds like an epic night to me.

 

Pop-culture gingerbread cookies: Zombies at Lights, Camera, Bake!

Zombies aren’t just for Halloween anymore. From White Walkers to the Walking Dead, they’re coming for us. I just hope that eating these Zombie Chocolate Shortbread Cookies at Lights, Camera, Bake won’t turn us. And, yes, Emma made hers with chocolate shortbread dough, but there’s no reason you can’t use your favorite gingerbread for a classic, festive flavor. Just be sure to hop over to Lights, Camera, Bake to get Emma’s tricks for that perfect “bloody” icing and amputating parts to look just right (so clever!).

 

Pop-culture gingerbread cookies: Rudolph at A Beautiful Mess

Okay, okay, so reindeer aren’t exactly a #trending topic on Twitter, but I love the clever way that Monica at A Beautiful Mess uses her gingerbread man cookie cutter to create these Reindeer Gingerbread Cookies. I’ll tell my kids that they’re Rudolph from the classic Burl Ives movie and it totally works as pop culture. From 1964. Ha!

Related: The best (and easiest!) holiday cookie recipe for people who don’t love to bake.

 

Pop-culture gingerbread cookies: Hello Kitty at Vegan Dollhouse

So many of our kids at Cool Mom HQ still can’t get enough of unicorns and everything Kawaii, so my guess is that these Unicorn and Hello Kitty Gingerbread Cookies at Vegan Dollhouse would be a huge hit. Note: They’re not easy to make. If you and/or your budding chef are serious bakers, though, this might be a super fun weekend project. And my gift to you? Unicorn and Hello Kitty cookie cutters so that you don’t have to go freehand like Robin, who’s obviously more talented than all of us put together.

 

Pop-culture gingerbread cookies: The doctors of Doctor Who at Charlie's Cookies

If you’re obsessed with The Doctor, but aren’t crafty in the kitchen, you might want to snag one of the few remaining dozen Doctor Who Gingerbread Cookies available at Charlie’s Cookies on Etsy. That said, if you are crafty, maybe you can recreate them yourself? You just might need a Tardis to help you travel back through time though, because whoa.

 

Pop-culture gingerbread cookies: Groot at Disney Family

Baby Groot! These cookies at Disney Family are perfection for Guardians of the Galaxy fans, and a perfectly simple and delicious gingerbread recipe to boot. The tutorial mentions searching for a template online, but I think that this Groot cookie cutter (while a slightly different shape) would work just fine too. You can always use a sharp knife to turn the flower pot into legs.

Related: 11 perfect holiday gifts for kids who love to cook. | Holiday gift guide 2017

 

Pop-culture gingerbread cookies: Iron Throne cookie from Game of Thrones by Ama Westergren on Twitter

By the seven gods, this Iron Throne Gingerbread House (if you can call it that) that Ama Westergren casually shared on Twitter is incredible. I doubt it’s going to be our weekend baking project — because whoa — but how could I not share it for you GoT fans? Ama, we’re thinking you should be next in line for the queen of Westeros…or at least, queen of the kitchen.

 

Pop-culture gingerbread cookies: Superheroes at Sugar Swings

My kids are hard-core Wonder Woman fans and are going to love these designs for Superhero Gingerbread Men and Women that I found at Sugar Swings. They look ambitious, but if you have patient kids and follow her tips for making sure that you know what colors you want to use where ahead of time (sketch, sketch, sketch), you just might be able to pull this off. And even if they look a little wonky in the end, they’ll still be delicious.