I cried while making my very first homemade gingerbread house. No, crying is an understatement. I blubbered. Serious snot and tears blubbering. I had been so excited - I had a recipe, a plan, and lots of time on my hands! As the walls caved in and all the hours of hard work were reduced to a pile of crumbs, I vowed I would never let that happen again. That was 19 years ago. Since that day, I have learned a lot about what to do, but especially what NOT to do when it comes to making a large gingerbread house.
And then in 2013, I made this baby you see in the photo above AND it did not crumble! If you want to learn how to make a large gingerbread house, a gingerbread mansion, a gingerbread rowhouse (or gingerbread condo), with the best gingerbread house recipe, have it stay intact, how to fix and hide mistakes and still have that house look great, then read on.
🍒Reader Review
"Looks amazing! Recipes and hints are solid."⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jump to:
- 🍒Reader Review
- 🥘 Ingredient Notes
- 📖 Variations & Substitutions
- 🔪 How to make a Large Gingerbread House
- 💡Other Gingerbread House Ideas
- 🏡How to Decorate a Gingerbread House
- 🎥 Video
- 🧑🔧Covering up Mistakes
- TOP 10 TIPS FOR BUILDING A LARGE GINGERBREAD HOUSE
- 🌡️Storing a Gingerbread House
- 🍽️Eating a Gingerbread House
- ❔Recipe FAQ's
- 📋More Gingerbread Recipes!
- 📋 Gingerbread House Recipes
- Best gingerbread house recipe
- 📋Gingerbread House Royal Icing Recipe
- Royal Icing Recipe
Oh, and by the way, I still made tons of mistakes, like cutting the side walls in HALF when I wasn't supposed to, and it still held together. And this giant gingerbread house held together because of all the tips, tricks, and secrets I have learned along the way (and a little determination) These are the tried and true secrets I will share with you today. Trust me, they work!
Food Art is the Best Art: I have always been in awe of gingerbread houses, ever since I read Hansel and Gretel as a little tyke. Who am I kidding? Its food and things made out of food fascinate me. And then there are the things that are made out of food that look like other things. The idea that I could make an entire house out of food made me swoon!
🥘 Ingredient Notes
A great gingerbread house starts with a great gingerbread recipe and an excellent, strong royal icing recipe!
Your gingerbread house recipe needs to be sturdy, yet taste great! I recommend you use my recipes at the bottom of the post. You will need:
Gingerbread:
- Flour. I recommend all-purpose flour as the protein content is higher and this makes the gingerbread stronger.
- Ground Cinnamon and Ground Ginger. These spices creates that iconic gingerbread taste without being too heavy and overpowering (that's why I don't use molasses or cloves).
- Salt. Salt balances the sweetness of the sugar and corn syrup.
- Light corn syrup (I use Crown lily white or Karo light). Corn syrup keeps freshly baked gingerbread pliable and soft, so it's easy to cut while warm and makes it so you'll still be able to eat it without breaking a tooth. Light corn syrup gives baking the right flavor without adding color.
- Light brown sugar. Has molasses in it, so it adds to that iconic gingerbread taste and sweetens the dough.
- Margarine. Margarine works better than butter for building a strong gingerbread house because butter has water in it, which weakens the gingerbread structure. Margarine also extends the shelf-life for the same reason.
Royal Icing:
- Powdered Sugar/ Icing sugar/Confectioners’ sugar (sifted). Powdered sugar is the base of royal icing and gives it a sweet taste.
- Meringue powder (affiliate link). Meringue powder eliminates the need for using raw egg whites, which are traditionally used in royal icing because they dry hard. Meringue powder creates a very sturdy and stable icing that hardens quickly. It also has a longer shelf-life.
- Warm water. Unlike cold water, warm water will completely dissolve the powders, preventing your icing from becoming gritty.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Corn Syrup and Dark Brown Sugar: Dark corn syrup and dark brown sugar may be substituted and will result in darker dough.
When I was younger, I tried making gingerbread houses out of kits, but they never really satisfied. There wasn't enough royal icing, decorations were scant and because of the subpar icing, it never held together properly. And it just didn't feel creative enough. I wanted to make my own. Making a homemade gingerbread house is just so much better!
This gingerbread recipe is so strong it inspired me to create this NO CHILL Gingerbread Cookie recipe for my daughter's girl guides group. It's great for kids because it's so sturdy and virtually unbreakable. Plus there's NO WAITING FOR DOUGH TO CHILL!
🔪 How to make a Large Gingerbread House
START SMALL!
Start with a small gingerbread house structure. To get practice with putting together a homemade gingerbread house, it's best to start with a small structure and master that before you move on to a big project.
This birdhouse is my very first gingerbread house that held together:
Gingerbread Birdhouse (front) Gingerbread Birdhouse (back)
Then I made mini sized ones for the kids to put together and decorate.
Gingerbread Birdhouses with kids
When you finally move on to a bigger project, just remember that it's just a lot of mini projects. I approached the row housing or "gingerbread condo," as we affectionately dubbed it, as 3 different houses, although they shared walls. Otherwise, it would have been too overwhelming.
💡Other Gingerbread House Ideas
You can also practice building other small structures:
If you're looking for gingerbread house ideas, there are a lot of different ideas in books and online. But it doesn't have to be a house- I made this sleigh for my kids' daycare staff one year! And I also made an edible bowl out of gingerbread.
🏡How to Decorate a Gingerbread House
The great thing is that you can take a simple structure and make it unique with the decorations you use. I used lots of different candies for this project. I looked at houses I liked and tried to figure out what they used and even emailed the decorator, in some cases, if I wasn't sure. Then I went to the candy store with my kids and had a blast picking out all the candies we wanted to use! Here are some Gingerbread House Ideas for decorations:
- Roof shingles- Shreddies are the best, in my opinion -easiest to put on
- Windows- You can use gelatin sheets or make your windows out of sugar (as I did when my gelatin windows fell off) Video: How to make edible sugar windows
- Above bay windows- sliced almonds
- Steps- chocolate wafer (i.e. Voortmans)
- Walkway - broken multi-colored Necco wafers
- Trees - inverted small ice cream cones with green icing
- Shrubs - round green jelly candies
- Light posts - old-fashioned candy canes, with jelly candies on top (decorated with royal icing)
🎥 Video
🧑🔧Covering up Mistakes
"Decorating is all about smoke and mirrors."
You will make mistakes- the key is to just learn how to fix them/cover them up!
I am a cake decorator and a big fan of cake decorator, Duff Goldman. I used to watch his show " Charm City Cakes" religiously and I can't tell you how many times I heard Duff say that. And he's right!
There were so many episodes where you saw him (or the other cake decorators) make big mistakes, then watch how they fixed them or changed the original plan and improvised. Cake decorating and in this case, gingerbread house decorating, is an extremely forgiving art - you can cover up so many blunders! And even make it look like it was supposed to be that way.
Here is the gingerbread condo PRE Smoke and Mirrors (and before my original windows fell off):
My windows are a great example of a major mistake. I originally used gelatin sheets and tinted them with food coloring and alcohol (which evaporates) but they ended up shrinking and falling off, AFTER I had the roof on- DOH!
So, I had to come up and a Plan B. I ended up making the windows out of melted candy and then had to put them on from the outside. Icing "curtains" was the only way I could think to cover up my mistake so you wouldn't see the jagged edges of the candy windows.
My plan did not look like this at all; the entire look of the windows was supposed to be completely different! I also burnt pieces of the porch and had to cover those up as well. You have to be willing to improvise as well and really want to make it work. It may not be what you originally envisioned in your head and that's okay. Plans change. A good cake decorator/gingerbread house decorator is just really good at covering up mistakes!
TOP 10 TIPS FOR BUILDING A LARGE GINGERBREAD HOUSE
1. It's all about Foundation- Recipes matter!
a) Use the strongest royal icing glue possible ( see recipe at bottom of this post)
b) Use a very strong and sturdy gingerbread house recipe ( see my fave recipe at the bottom of this post)
2. Use a gingerbread template/pattern:
Use a gingerbread house template and read the directions very carefully. I recommend: "Gingerbread: Things to Make and Bake" by Theresa Layman and Barbara Morgenroth . This is the book I used and the instructions are clear and well-written and the patterns are well done.
3. Use large cans (i.e. tomato juice), cereal boxes
You need to use these objects to hold the walls, roof, and portions of the structure in place while it dries. The biggest mistake I made with my first house was assuming I didn't need to use anything to hold it up.
4. Do one section at a time and work in small sections
Make sure you have TIME! This took 4 days between mixing, cutting, baking, glueing, waiting and decorating. And work in small sections. But you don't have to do it all at once - you could do this over the course of 2-3 weeks or so - it doesn't matter.
5. Be patient.VERY patient.
Icing takes time to dry and you have to build a big structure in stages, with lots of drying time in between. If you rush it and try to add the roof before the foundation is completely dry, it won't stay together. You should be able to tug at the walls (not too roughly though) and have it NOT move.
6. Put lights in and your windows on BEFORE you put the roof on
My windows fell off inside the house so I had to put windows on from the outside. Then I had to remove a wall when it was partially dry to add the lights (I didn't think of this beforehand and my roof was already on (ugh)!
7. Use a larger decorating tip (i.e.#32 tip) for putting the house together
A large tip covers more area (smaller tips are for careful/precise decorating on the outside). And don't be afraid to smear the icing with your finger to fill the gaps where the pieces attach.
8. Use LOTS of icing on the inside to hold it together (no one sees the inside)
This is another major mistake I made with my first house. I didn't use enough icing. Don't be afraid to smear it on thick and fill every gap (and fill it again)! It's hidden inside anyway!
9. Make your icing relatively thick (to start with):
But thin enough that it doesn't hurt your hand to squeeze through the pastry bag and tip. You can always thin it, but it's harder to thicken.
10. Don’t get frustrated if it breaks or you make mistakes.
You can glue it back together and cover up mistakes with icing and decorations. Remember: smoke and mirrors...
🌡️Storing a Gingerbread House
Freezing: If you dismantle it and eat it, you can store the pieces in the freezer, in an airtight container or Ziplock freezer bag, for up to 3 months.
Wrapping: If you want to keep a gingerbread house looking perfect throughout the holiday season, display it in a cool, dry place. Covering it at night with plastic wrap seals out moisture, dust, bugs, and other errant inedibles. Properly sealed and protected, you might be able to keep a gingerbread house looking good up to a year.
Display: If you are okay with making your house a non-edible creation, spray it with a clear lacquer, which is available at craft and hardware stores. You might need several coats for maximum protection. This will protect the house, but once the spray has been applied, do not eat the house or the decorations. You can read more about storing gingerbread HERE.
🍽️Eating a Gingerbread House
Eating your gingerbread house is the FUN part!
But if you plan to eat your gingerbread house, here are some things you should consider.
Time well spent!
Building a large gingerbread house is a big project and it takes a lot of time. So, make sure you budget for it. This particular house took me 4 days. I happened to have a 4 day weekend and it was cold and miserable outside, so making a huge gingerbread house inside, was a great way to spend that time. It was also a great way to spend quality time with the kids (who were 6 and 8 at the time).
They helped me with the entire project from picking out the candy to mixing the gingerbread dough. The kids were super proud of this gingerbread house and loved eating it in the end (well, some of it). Gingerbread houses symbolize Christmas, holidays, family, and happy times! And they make your house smell amazing (especially this recipe)!
❔Recipe FAQ's
For a strong gingerbread house, you need a strong gingerbread recipe and a strong royal icing (the recipes in this post are the best I've ever used), allowing lots of time for drying!
It's best to make a gingerbread house no more than 2-3 weeks early IF you plan to eat it.
A gingerbread house is held together by strong edible glue - a sturdy royal icing recipe, as well as boxes and large cans (if you're building a large gingerbread house).
📋More Gingerbread Recipes!
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📋 Gingerbread House Recipes
Best gingerbread house recipe
Ingredients
- 6 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups light corn syrup
- 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup margarine
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.176 degrees C.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.
- In medium pot, over medium-low heat, mix light corn syrup, light brown sugar and margarine together, stirring constantly until all margarine is melted.
- Stir the margarine mixture into the dry mixture and stir well. Mix with hands as dough becomes stiff. Chill the dough for about 10 – 15 minutes.
- Roll the dough out to about ⅛ inch thickness on lightly floured surface and cut into desired shapes. * I would recommend using a pattern or template from a book such "Gingerbread Things to Make and Bake"
- Bake for 12- 15 minutes or until golden brown. Check periodically for air bubbles during baking and poke them with a toothpick or cake tester during baking process.
- When baking is done, allow house pieces to cool on pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a large cooling rack. Make sure all pieces lie flat.
Notes
Nutrition
📋Gingerbread House Royal Icing Recipe
Royal Icing Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups icing sugar/confectioners’ sugar/powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 tablespoons warm water
Instructions
- Combine the icing sugar and the meringue powder in a clean and grease-free mixing bowl. ***Do NOT use a plastic bowl. I recommend using stainless steel, washed with hot water and dried with a paper towel.
- Add the water and beat until the icing forms peaks (about 8-10 minutes with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes with a hand-held mixer). * I also recommend using a stand mixer, as it's a pain to use a hand held.
- Keep the icing covered with a damp cloth while it is being used and store it in an airtight container (do NOT refrigerate it).Before using again: beat again at low speed
Notes
Nutrition
Art
Hi! I’m so happy to find this article! I had the Theresa layman book and had made most of the houses in it….I haven’t been able to find it for years and fear it needed up in a give away pile. Are these the same recipes from the book? If so, I think I’m all set. I think I could replicate the little ski chalet without the pattern. Btw:!your row houses look great! My favorite one to make was the church with the stained glass window! Thanks so much for this terrific article!!!!
Terri Gilson
Hi: I'm so glad that this was helpful! And thanks for your compliment re: row houses. Yes, the gingerbread recipe is from Theresa Layman's book (slightly altered) but the royal icing is from Steven Stellingwer's: The Gingerbread Book and it's the best royal icing I've ever used! I still have Theresa Layman's book. One day I will work through it too. Let me know if you need anything from the book maybe and I can scan it for you 🙂 Terri
Andrea
Are you supposed to let the hot mixture cool down before adding it to the dry? Because it doesn’t say.
Terri Gilson
Hi Andrea,
No, that is not necessary- it should be warm when it's combined. Enjoy!
Terri
Sam
Hi there, I was wondering if I would need to alter this recipe as I live in a very dry climate at a high altitude? Thanks so much for all of the tips, your house was beautiful!
Terri Gilson
Hi Sam,
Thank you- the house was truly a labour of love (and bucket list thing)! I also live in a very dry climate and fairly high altitude (about 1hr away from Rocky Mountains) and I cut the flour by about a 1/2 cup for this recipe. Now, I don't know how high you are, but where I am, I find that the only thing I need to adjust for altitude is candy making. However, that is not the case for most people who live high altitude. So, I would do what you usually do, if anything. Good luck and enjoy!
Terri
Susie Collins
Loved reading this and the comments. My 9 ye old granddaughter and I have a tradition of decorating a house every year. We look at candies and now all foods ie. cereal, pretzels etc, that can be used. She suggested we bake our own gingerbread next, so we’ll try that. We realized this year some decorating of the sides before construction helped. Candy Alligators were in the pond, didn’t mind the snow! We’ll use your recipes and techniques when we practice in the Spring during her visit to me in Fl.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Susie! That sounds like a fantastic tradition to share with your granddaughter!She is going to have amazing memories. And I LOVE LOVE the candy alligators! How fun is that?!
Alexandra
I was wondering how much gingerbread this recipe made? I also love your houses I think they are so amazing!! We are a making a larger house and need to know how much we need?