Building a gingerbread house from scratch is a fantastic family activity kids will love, but it may seem daunting for beginners. Luckily, this post contains everything you need to know about how to make a gingerbread house and decorate it.
Ingredients and Tools Needed to Make a Gingerbread House
Here is what you need for the best gingerbread house to enjoy during the holiday season.
Gingerbread House Ingredients
This Christmas cookie house recipe requires these pantry-friendly ingredients.
Flour: Regular white all-purpose flour.Butter: Unsalted is best.Brown sugar: Important for the molasses flavor and darker color.Golden syrup: For more molasses flavor, replace a small amount of the golden syrup with molasses. Alternatively, use corn syrup mixed with molasses.Eggs: Use room temperature medium eggs.Baking powder: Just a small amount, so the pieces don’t puff up too much.Spices: This homemade gingerbread dough uses a simple combination of cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt.
Alternatively, use a pre-mixed “gingerbread spice” blend (including more spices – like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice) for this homemade gingerbread recipe.
Royal Icing for Gingerbread House
Royal icing is the best gingerbread icing recipe. Unlike buttercream or regular icing, it’s thick, stable, and hardens as it dries. This makes it a great “glue” to assemble the house and decorate it.
Egg whites: If you plan to consume the gingerbread house icing, use pasteurized eggs to ensure it’s safe to eat.Icing sugar: Aka confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar).Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice or lime juice, or use half the amount of cream of tartar (to help stabilize the egg white and prevent sugar crystallization).Cream or tartar: (Optional) Add a teaspoon to help stabilize the whipped egg whites and prevent sugar crystallization.
If you plan to use a lot of icing for decorating or as “glue” for decorations, make 1.5 or 2x batches of the royal icing recipe for gingerbread houses. You can also use natural food colorings to color portions of the icing for decorative detailing and/or add some orange or peppermint extract.
The Tools and Extras
You’ll need several gingerbread house supplies to create this Christmas or Thanksgiving gingerbread house.
A ruler,Paper, pen/pencils, scissors – to make the template,Silicone molds (for the house texture – optional),Gelatin sheets (for the windows – optional),Piping bags (or a squeeze bottle or Ziplock with the tip cut off – for piping the royal icing),Plastic wrap,Baking sheets,Sharp knife/pizza cutter/Exacto knife,Rolling pin,Hand mixer or stand mixer,Measuring cups/spoons.
How to Build a Gingerbread House From Scratch
While there are several parts to making gingerbread houses, here is my simple step-by-step guide.
Make Your Own Gingerbread House Template
If you want to use my gingerbread house template (refer to the template for gingerbread house photos below), skip this first section. Otherwise, here is everything you need to consider when designing your own gingerbread house patterns: You can also search for gingerbread house ideas/patterns/templates online and/or purchase them.
Cut Out the Pattern Pieces
Once your design is complete, it’s time to prepare the pattern and draw a gingerbread house. You’ll only need one cut-out template for each of the matching pieces. I.e., one front piece, one side wall, etc. Use card (the most rigid, easiest option), paper, or baking paper. Measure the pieces following mine or your custom template. Then use scissors to cut them out. I recommend using old cardboard boxes to make a “draft” template and build it to ensure everything fits together and works.
Make the Gingerbread House Dough
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment), start by creaming the brown sugar and softened butter until it’s light and fluffy. Then, gradually add the eggs, one at a time, while continuing to mix, and finally, the golden syrup. Doing this step with a manual whisk is possible, but it takes a lot more effort and time. Next, sift in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and spices), and mix until you achieve a smooth dough. Separate the gingerbread into several smaller, more manageable pieces. Then wrap them tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, though overnight is even better.
Do You Have to Chill Gingerbread Dough
Yes, chilling the dough flour mixture helps stop it from spreading as much while it bakes and slightly dries out the dough for the correct consistency. The un-chilled dough puffs up and cracks a lot.
How Thick to Roll Gingerbread House Dough
At this point, you can preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Then, lay a piece of lightly flour-dusted parchment paper on your kitchen counter and roll out one piece of the gingerbread dough using a floured rolling pin to about 1/4-inch thick (½ cm).
How to Make Gingerbread House Pieces
Place a template over the dough, using a pizza cutter or sharp knife to trace the template/pattern. Use a ruler to ensure the cuts are straight. Repeat this with the remaining gingerbread dough and all the house pieces and decorative pieces you’d like. To add realistic texture to the gingerbread dough walls, I use textured silicone sheets to press into the cookie dough. However, you can also use a knife or fork to make your own pattern.
How Long Does It Take to Bake Pieces for Gingerbread House
Transfer the gingerbread pieces to parchment-lined baking ban/sheets or silicone mats (cook them in batches if necessary), and bake for between 11-15 minutes (5-8 minutes for small decorative pieces) until the edges are just browning. It’s better if they’re on the slightly over-baked side rather than under-baked, as they’ll be sturdier. Then, leave the cookies to cool completely.
Prepare the Royal Icing
While the cookies cool, prepare the royal icing. To do so, beat the egg whites until light and foamy. Then, gradually add in the lemon juice and icing sugar until soft, creamy, and thick like toothpaste. If it’s too thin, add more icing sugar. Too thick? Add some water, a few drops at a time. Keep it in the bowl covered with a damp tea towel and/ or transfer some or all of it to a squeeze bottle/piping bag (or a Ziplock with the tip cut off) for more precision decorating.
How to Glue Gingerbread House Together
If you plan on piping a lot of decorations and adding candies, it is best to do these decorations BEFORE assembling, so you aren’t wrestling with gravity. Also, add the gelatin sheet windows now, if using, sticking them with a royal icing border. Now, it’s time to assemble the house. If you plan to stick it to a base, start by piping a thick line onto your base and pressing the wall piece into it, holding it for a while to harden. Otherwise, start by sticking two walls together, with a thick line of piped icing between them. If you don’t want the icing “glue” to be seen too much, pipe the thick lines inside the house. To keep the gingerbread pieces in place, you could use heavy glasses or other items on either side of the walls. You can also add any interior decorations to the house now (like a fake Christmas tree, fairy lights, etc.). Leave it to dry for at least an hour before adding the roof pieces, piping icing along the entire top of the house’s walls and between the two roof pieces in the middle. Don’t worry if there are any imperfections. You can use the royal icing as “snow” to cover them. Untidy seams of your Christmas gingerbread house can also be fixed later with more icing or candy.
How to Decorate a Gingerbread House
Finally, it’s time to add any final decorations. I kept things simple, using the royal icing to look like snow on the roof (if needed, thin it with a bit of water to look like drippy snow), windowsills, and the top of the door. You can also add gingerbread decor around the base, like little trees, snow (confectioners’ sugar works well or “fake snow” products that you hydrate with water – if you don’t plan to eat the house). Voila!
What to Use for Gingerbread House Decorations
I made a minimally decorated Christmas gingerbread house. But if you’re looking for something a little more colorful, here is my favorite candy to decorate gingerbread houses:
Gumdrops and other jelly sweets,Sprinkles,Mini candy canes,Peppermint candies,Chocolate buttons,Smarties/M&M’s,Marshmallows,Coconut flakes,Twizzlers,Jelly beans,Pretzel sticks (to make the house look wooden),Fondant icing in various colors.
How Long Does Gingerbread House Last
The best way to store a ginger bread house depends on how long you hope to keep it. For up to one holiday period, store it in a cool, dry place and cover it entirely with plastic wrap overnight to keep away moisture, dust, and bugs (especially if you plan to eat it).
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If you try this easy gingerbread houses recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
