Our Homemade Gingerbread Houses Recipe is more than a recipe, it’s a tradition. Ours comes complete with a template. Our recipe costs just $6.95 to make 2 large houses!
Does your family have a tradition of making gingerbread houses each year? Do you use the premade kit that has nasty frosting and candy? I have always used the premade kits with my kids, and it was fine, but then I married into the family and Beth introduced me to her homemade gingerbread house recipe.
Oh man, it was literally life-changing! Making gingerbread houses has always been one of my most favorite traditions of the season but making them homemade has taken it to the next level.
Beth, our Gingerbread Houses Recipe Extraordinaire
Growing up in Canada, Beth’s church group would have a committee make all of the gingerbread houses for those who wanted one. They would then come together as a group to decorate them. What an awesome community event!
But wow, what a lot of work! To help lighten the load the group began handing out the recipe for families to make gingerbread houses on their own. This is where it all began for Beth.
She has made this recipe every year since she was a kid. Even as an engaged couple she would invite college friends over to decorate the homemade houses.
After she was married, before having kids, she would make them and hand the kits out to friends as gifts to decorate with their families. How awesome is that?
Now that she has children of her own she has carried this childhood tradition on. Our extended family gets together every year to decorate the houses Beth has made for all of us. Seriously, she’s amazing, and so is this Homemade Gingerbread Houses recipe and template!
We love decorating the houses as a family and it’s fun to see the kid’s creativity come shining through. The other great benefit is the amazing aroma of gingerbread wafting throughout the house.
While making homemade gingerbread houses are a true labor of love, it is definitely more cost-effective than purchasing a premade kit. Plus ours is made of a higher quality gingerbread and royal icing that is actually edible.
We challenge you to skip the premade kit this year and start a new tradition with this gingerbread house recipe!
Gingerbread House Recipe Questions Answered:
How do you keep a gingerbread house from falling apart?
Isn’t that the worst? You put all the time into making a gingerbread house only to have it fall apart or not stay together. The secret is in the sugar glue. It dries quickly so you just need to make sure to assemble the houses quickly. The other tip is to keep the frosting covered when you are not using it. If it is not covered with a damp dishtowel or paper towel it will dry out quickly and that’s a no-go for decorating.
How long can a gingerbread house last?
Not too long in our house! We all pick at it, eating the yummy treats. If you store it in an airtight container in the freezer it can stay fresh for up to 12 months. However, we like to keep it out for decoration and let the kids pick at it so it doesn’t last long enough to start collecting dust particles.
Can you freeze Gingerbread House Dough?
Absolutely! You can prepare the dough ahead of time and store it in the freezer in an airtight container until you are ready to use it. You can also freeze the baked pieces ahead of time. Just to ensure the pieces are separated by wax paper and also stored in an airtight container. I like to do this in November before the busy holiday season starts. And then I can just pull it out when I am ready to assemble it.
How to Make Homemade Gingerbread Houses:
- First, print off the Gingerbread House template then cut it out and trace it onto a cereal box and then cut that out.
- Next, bring shortening, sugar, molasses, and vinegar to a boil. Then let it cool before mixing in the egg.
- Mix dry ingredients together and add to the molasses mixture ensuring you mix it well.
- Allow the dough to chill enough to handle it with your bare hands, before rolling out and cutting it.
- Next, roll dough onto parchment paper or countertop. Place template, print side down, and cut out the pieces of the gingerbread house except for the windows and doors. Lightly score where the door and windows will be but do not cut them out completely. Pick up the cutout dough on the parchment paper and place it on a cookie sheet. Or you can use one of the roof template pieces to lift up the cutout gingerbread pieces and place them on greased cookie sheets – straighten pieces once on the cookie sheets if necessary.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes for the larger houses or 10 minutes for the smaller houses. As soon as the pieces come out of the oven quickly re-cut edges for straight lines. Next, cut out the windows and door completely. Place pieces on a cooling rack to cool completely.
- To assemble the houses, first, wrap a piece of sturdy cardboard (Amazon boxes or Pizza box lids work great) in foil or fun holiday wrapping paper. Next, make the sugar glue by cooking down 2 cups of sugar in a pan over medium to high heat. You’ll know it is done when you can drop a small amount into a glass of water and it forms a ball. Once sugar is completely melted down turn off the heat to avoid burning. If the sugar cools too much that it is no longer runny, then just turn the stove back on to low until it has become runny again.
- Next, work quickly and dip the base of the front piece of the house in the glue and place it on the desired location of your surface. Then, using one side piece, dip the base and one side and attach it to the front of the house. Do the same for the other side piece. Next, using the back piece, dip the base and drizzle some sugar from a spoon down either side of the back piece before attaching it to the side pieces. Drizzle sugar glue down the backside of the roof pieces and place on the top of the houses. Use sugar glue to attach the door in an open position.
- To make the royal icing, beat all ingredients on high speed for 7-10 minutes. Use immediately. Cover unused icing with a damp dishtowel or paper towel to keep the frosting from drying out – as this icing cannot be reconstituted once it has been dried out.
How to get the kids involved with this recipe:
- Ages 2-3: Let them help organize the candy for decorating by placing them into bowls.
- Ages 4-5: Let them help pour in ingredients for the frosting and dough.
- Ages 6-8: Let them measure the ingredients for the dough and frosting and help mix both.
- Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe, except for the sugar glue construction – sugar glue is way too hot! Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe. Help them print and cut out the stencil.
- Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, except for sugar glue part – again, way too hot! You may want to supervise when they cut the dough with the stencil, before and after baking, as this step can be tricky.
Discover why we love getting the kids involved in the kitchen and more tips in our How to Get Kids Involved In Cooking article.
HOW TO MAKE THIS GINGERBREAD HOUSES RECIPE EASIER:
The recipe isn’t exactly hard, it’s just time-consuming with a lot of moving parts. To make things easier, we suggest breaking down the recipe over a few days. Here’s a timeline we usually follow:
***If you live in warm, humid climates (like Florida), then you need to assemble and decorate the houses within a day or two before the gingerbread starts to get soft.
Day 1: Print off the gingerbread house template, trace it onto cardboard pieces and cut them out.
Day 2: Make the gingerbread dough, roll it out, cut, bake, and trim the gingerbread pieces.
Day 3: Wrap pieces of sturdy cardboard in foil, or holiday wrapping paper for the base of the gingerbread houses.
Day 4: Assemble the houses using the sugar glue.
Day 5: Make the royal icing and invite friends or family over to decorate the gingerbread houses!
Favorite candies for decorating homemade gingerbread houses:
- Use leftover Halloween candy to decorate
- Red and Green M&Ms
- Peppermints
- Colored sprinkles
- Candy Canes
- Red Hots
- Hot Tamales
- Dots
- Red and Green Spice Drops
- Kisses & Hugs
- Mini chocolate chips
- Various Christmas sprinkles
- Colored gumballs
- Any festive holiday candies!
What to Serve with Homemade Gingerbread Houses:
Have a pizza night with the family and decorate your houses. It’s such a fun tradition!
How long is this good for:
- Serve: If you’re going to eat the gingerbread houses, then we suggest to eat them within a day or two.
- ***If you live in warm, humid climates, then you need to eat them the same day. Beth has family in Florida and their houses start to get moldy and soft within two days.
- Store: Place pieces of wax paper or parchment paper in between each piece and place it in a Ziploc bag.
- Freeze: When stored as directed above, the gingerbread house pieces will keep in the freezer for up to a month before assembly.
How much will this Homemade Gingerbread House cost:
RECIPE COST: $6.95
To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
NOTE: The estimated price does not include the cost of candy to decorate the houses. We like to get our candy at stores like Winco so you can get just the right amount of candy that you need to decorate the houses with.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: A great way to cut down on cost is by asking each family member or friend to bring some candy for decorating the house with. Trust us, they will be more than happy to bring candy if it means they get a beautiful gingerbread house to take home!
- 1 cup vegetable shortening – $1.42
- 1 cup granulated sugar – $0.23
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar – $0.02
- 1 cup molasses – $2.16
- 1 large egg – $0.10
- 5 cups all-purpose flour – $0.95
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda – $0.02
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger – $0.22
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon – $0.04
- 1/2 teaspoon salt – $0.01
- 2 cups granulated sugar – $0.46
- 3 large egg whites – $0.15
- 4 cups powdered sugar – $1.00
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar – $0.17
Beth’s Gingerbread House Recipe Pro Tips:
- If the dough is very sticky, that’s ok, it just needs more time to cool, so don’t add more flour.
- I would highly recommend baking the pieces on parchment paper. You won’t get as many broken pieces as you try to get the pieces off the cookie sheet.
- When placing the template on the dough before cutting, be sure to place it with the print side down as it has a coating on it to help it not to stick to your dough. Try not to put a lot of pressure on the template so it is easier to take off the dough.
- To make life easier, only trim pieces that need to be flush with another surface, for example, no need to trim the roof pieces as they do not need it, but the roof line of the front and the back pieces need a flat surface for the roof to sit flush.
- I prefer to cut the shapes on parchment paper as they keep their shape better than when you have to transfer it from the counter to the sheet. I found my parchment paper slipped around a lot with my rolling pin with handles, so if that’s the case with you, try rolling it part way on the counter then move the dough to the parchment paper and use the rolling pin, without holding the handles, and finish rolling dough out on the parchment paper then cut shapes.
- I like to have ingredients on hand for another batch of Royal Icing. I find with little kids decorating they tend to go overboard on the icing so it’s helpful to be able to mix up another batch quick!
GET THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE TEMPLATES:
Head over to our google drive folder to get the small and large gingerbread house printable templates.
More yummy desserts:
- Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies
- Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Glazed Biscuit Donuts
- Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Death by Chocolate Poke Cake
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bon Bons
Cook’s Tools:
Homemade Gingerbread Houses Recipe
Recipe Cost $6.95 Recipe Serving Cost $0.58Equipment
- medium saucepan
- rolling pin
- parchment paper
- paring knife
- baking sheet
- 10-inch frying pan
- handheld mixer
Ingredients
GINGERBREAD:
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup molasses
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
HOUSE GLUE:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
ROYAL ICING:
- 3 large egg whites
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
PREP THE TEMPLATE:
- First, print off the Gingerbread House template and then cut it out and trace it onto a cereal box, and then cut that out, too.
MAKE THE GINGERBREAD DOUGH:
- Next, bring shortening, sugar, molasses, and vinegar to a boil in a large saucepan. Then let it cool to almost room temperature before mixing in the egg.
- Mix dry ingredients together and add to the molasses mixture ensuring you mix it well.
- Allow the dough to chill long enough to handle it with your bare hands, before rolling out and cutting it. We recommend at least 45 minutes. You can even chill it overnight.
ROLL OUT AND CUT THE DOUGH:
- Next, roll dough onto parchment paper and cut out the pieces of the gingerbread house except for the windows and doors using a paring knife. You will cut the windows and doors out after the gingerbread pieces are done baking. Pick up the parchment paper and place it on a cookie sheet after you are done cutting the shapes.
BAKE THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE PIECES:
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Gently place the house template back on the baked shapes and quickly re-cut edges for straight lines. Next, cut out the windows and door.
PREP CARDBOARD BASES:
- Wrap a piece of sturdy cardboard (Amazon boxes or Pizza box lids work great) in foil.
MAKE THE SUGAR GLUE:
- Make the sugar glue by cooking down 2 cups of sugar in a 1-inch frying pan over medium to high heat. You’ll know it is done when you can drop a small amount into a glass of water and it forms a ball.
CONSTRUCT THE HOUSES USING THE SUGAR GLUE:
- Next, work quickly and dip the base of the front piece of the house in the glue and place it on the desired location of your surface.
- Then, using one side piece, dip the base and one side and attach it to the front of the house. Do the same for the other side piece.
- Next, using the back piece, dip the base and drizzle some sugar from a spoon down either side of the back piece before attaching it to the side pieces.
- Drizzle sugar glue down the backside of the roof pieces and place on the top of the houses. Use sugar glue to attach the door in an open position.
MAKE THE ROYAL ICING:
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, or using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat all of the ingredients together on low until the powdered sugar is absorbed, then increase the speed to high and beat for 7-10 minutes. Use immediately. Cover unused icing with a damp paper towel to keep the frosting from drying out.
DECORATE:
- Finally, fill the piping bags fitted with round piping tips with the royal icing. Decorate the houses using royal icing and candies of your choosing. Have fun and take lots of pictures for family memories!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Our Homemade Gingerbread Houses Recipe is more than a recipe, it’s a tradition. Ours comes complete with a template. Our recipe costs just $6.95 to make 2 large houses!
Haley D. Williams
So many useful tips! gingerbread house success!
Jess Jankowski
Thank you! We love making them!
Kelly Anthony
I just bought two premade kits and they were ten dollars a piece so this recipe is a great way to save some money. I’ll be using this next year instead of buying a kit!
Jess Jankowski
Be sure to pin it so you don’t forget!
Toni
This is really cute!! My kids will surely enjoy this! Thanks for the recipe!
Jess Jankowski
You are so welcome…would love to hear how it goes!
Anita
Your gingerbread house looks so pretty, now I need to decorate mine too. Thanks for all the tips. 🙂
Jess Jankowski
Decorating them is so fun! Enjoy!
Elaine
Finally I’ve stumbled upon a fantastic gingerbread house recipe! This is just what I have been looking for – thank you!
Jess Jankowski
Woo hoo!! Let us know if you have any questions.
Samantha
All these tips are perfect for making and gifting gingerbread houses.
Jess Jankowski
Thank you! We would love to hear back from you on how you use it!
Noelle
So cute! Love the time of year when we get to make these, will be using this next week!!
Jess Jankowski
Ooooh, can’t wait to hear how it goes! Have so much fun!