Gingerbread house recipe with step by step photos (2024)

FAQs

What is the best candy to use for a gingerbread house? ›

Is it really a gingerbread house if it doesn't have gumdrops? Perhaps the most iconic candy for this seasonal project, gumdrops are easy to come by during the holidays and can be used for shrubs, lining walkways, and general house decor.

How long does it take a gingerbread house to dry? Wilton suggests letting your gingerbread house dry for at least one hour in between putting up the walls and roof, and another two to three hours before decorating. And depending on the size of your house, and overnight dry might be worth the wait.

Caramelized Sugar Works Like 'Magic Glue' To Hold a Gingerbread House Together. Avoid a Christmas decorating disaster.

Just melt the sugar in a pan over low heat. You want to allow it to turn brown, but make sure not to burn it (otherwise it won't taste so great). Then take your gingerbread house pieces, dip the edges in melted sugar and hold them together for a few seconds. That's it!

Before you jump to assembly, consider decorating your gingerbread-house cookies straight out of the box. We like this technique specifically for creating doors and windows, which can be hard to trace on an assembled house—piping icing onto a flat cookie from above can be far easier than doing so from straight on.

Festive wreaths and garlands are great for adding extra details, textures and color to your gingerbread house. Garlands can be used to decorate the roof or you can use them to dress up your side or front windows. Go more modern with your décor with a cute pom-pom wreath.

Gather all the tools you'll need to make the house: a base for the house, cookie sheets, parchment paper, rolling pin, sharp knife, electric mixer, and a pastry bag with tips (or plastic freezer bag). Print and cut out the pattern pieces (download the templates HERE).

Bake at 300° for 7-9 min on a tinfoil covered cookie sheet and then wait til the candy is 100% cooled before taking them off the sheet! #jollyranchers #gingerbread #gingerbreadhouse.

Step 1 - Pipe a dot: Use dots of icing piped to the back of the candy to attach individual pieces of candy to gingerbread. Pipe bigger dots for larger pieces of candy. Step 2 - Pipe a line: Pipe a line of icing on the back of the candy to attach long candies like candy cane sticks or pretzels.

So to make sure our walls could stand strong, we sandwiched melted marshmallow cement between two graham crackers. The marshmallow adds weight, which helps stabilize the structure. It also acts as a sealant, ensuring that the cracker won't crumble.

Why does my gingerbread house keep falling apart? ›

“Most gingerbread disasters, collapses, and frustrations happen because the icing hasn't had an adequate amount of time to dry. It's not always easy for kids to be patient, so it's a good idea to have some other activity lined up in between steps to distract kids while they're waiting to work on the house.”

“There are some gingerbread recipes that are hard right after baking and need to sit for a few days to soften. Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.”

You'll need a few baking basics like a rolling pin, parchment paper, a thin spatula, a sharp knife, and piping bags. You'll also need an electric mixer for the royal icing. Once you have the tools, you'll need a blueprint. The sky is the limit — gingerbread houses can be as simple or complex as you wish.

Gingerbread House Recipe FAQs:

Yes! You can make 8 houses for about $1.20 per house. That is less expensive than the kits you can buy at the store.

The biggest tip for a professional-looking gingerbread house is to decorate the pieces before you build the house. This lets you make everything perfectly even, and prevents awkward slipping of icing down the sides. One caveat: You want the decorations to dry completely before you build the house.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine egg white with half the powdered sugar. Mix at low speed until sugar disappears into a paste, then gradually sprinkle in the rest. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth and light, about 2 minutes.