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How to Make a Gingerbread House

My first try at a gingerbread house led to a little bit of frustration, as the royal icing which came in the kit I was using, just wouldn’t hold the house walls or roof up. Fast forward a few years, and I’ve found a great royal icing recipe (No problem holding those walls up!), and have learned a few tips and tricks to make the experience even more fun.

I’ll be sharing my recipes and gingerbread house tutorial videos in this post, as well as a little how-to on this specific house.

Making a Gingerbread House

Recipes, Template & Candy Ideas

You can find my gingerbread cookie recipe here and a video on how I make my gingerbread house royal icing here. (Recipe included there as well).

Here is the template I used to cut the gingerbread house pieces out, along with a video on assembling the gingerbread house.

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For this year’s house, I went light on the candy, but flooded the house pieces with royal icing instead. (More on that below). If you’re looking for a few ideas, here are a few of mine from previous years, a collection of ideas on Pinterest, and if you’re interested in going a little more detailed, I love Teresa Layman’s books!

One of my favorite candies to use on a house for roof tiles, are Necco Wafers. You could make them from fondant as well, but I love the already made wafers, and they come in such pretty colors too.

Flooding the Gingerbread House Pieces

I used a pale pink royal icing and a piping tip #3.5 to cover my gingerbread house pieces. (Sorry about my dark phone pics here!).

For a how to video on flooding with royal icing, click here. Consistency of the icing is key. If you’d like to see a video on that, click here.

After I let the pieces dry for about 7 hours, I assembled the walls, let those dry for about an hour and then put on the roof. I was a little rushed for this house, so normally play it safe and wait at least overnight to put the roof on, but the humidity in the air was low and the icing was drying quickly, so it worked fine!

{Instagram Pic}

Add your candy before or after you put on the roof – it’s up to you!

Once the roof was dry, I added the roof tiles and the royal icing hanging loops or swags were made using a #2 piping tip and stiff gingerbread house royal icing.

There were fun to pipe, although I’m looking forward to practicing, so that I can make them more even.

A how to video on the fondant snowflake (made using a medium sized PME snowflake cutter, can be found here.

Thanks to Holly’s Sweets and Eats for the idea of using random glittery roof tiles!

Besides the ribbon around the gingerbread house base, all the other silvery glittered items are covered in disco dust. Important to note is that disco dust is considered non-toxic, but for food decorative purposes only. Make sure your gingerbread house recipients know to remove the disco dust items if they’re eating the house.

Are you making a gingerbread house this year? I’d love to hear about your gingerbread house experiences, or would love to see pics of your houses too, if you’d like to share links in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Google+ etc.!

Have fun baking and decorating!

xo,

Marian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I love this! I always look at your houses for inspiration, and this is a lovely interpretation. Good job… now off to make some gingerbread houses here (we’re only making one large one, but 30 mini ones!! yipes- I better get to it!)

    Reply

    • Julie, oh my goodness! I LOVE your gingerbread houses, your kitchen, your Christmas tree, the standing gingerbread cookies, your mantle – everything! Thanks so much for sharing with me, and please, feel free to continue sharing posts with me… I’d love to see the amazing things you’re up to (and your pretty house!). Glad you had a great time with your family too… that’s what it’s all about. xo

  3. Thank you very much. This post answers to lot of my questions. I baked parts for my first ever gingerbread house yesterday and now with your help I am bit more confident when assembling it.

    Reply

  4. I made one last year , not planning to do this year as don’t have that much free time. I wish i had time to make as i love the one you have made.

    Reply

    • Hi Cindy,
      I know what you mean about being hooked!
      Clicked on the link but it says the “content is unavailable”. I’ll bet your castle is amazing!

  9. Oh dear, what can I say.. like I said in your previous blogpost, I am such a fan of your gingerbread houses, love them SO much!

    Thanks for so many tips on making a gingerbread house.
    It does seem challenging but I am sure once I’m done, I’d be filled with joy 🙂

    Lovely post, Marian! Thanks <3

    xoxo,
    niner 🙂

    Reply

  16. You outdo yourself every year! Sigh, this is so beautiful. I want to make one this year from scratch. I cheated last year by using a pre-made box (gasp!). But this year, I want to bake the house and decorate it all on my own.

    Reply

  19. I said it on Facebook and I’ll say it here – your gingerbread houses are the best. So whimsical. I will be attempting your pink gingerbread house from a couple of years back for Christmas this year.
    May I ask what size board you use under your gingerbread house please?
    Irene x

    Reply

    • Hi Irene,
      I think it’s a 8 inch round but I’ll have to check at the store when I’m there again. xo

  20. I love the pink and silver color scheme – such a beautiful gingerbread house. I’m inspired…but uncertain. We’ll see what the week brings. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  21. After more than a year of regular reading your beautiful blog, I thought it was time I expressed my gratitude for all your hard work and care in maintaining such a fabulous site. This house is particularly lovely, but I really just wanted to say a big “thank you” for all the wonderful information and inspiration you offer. Merry Christmas and best wishes from the bottom of the world, Karen Brown, Wellington, New Zealand

    Reply

    • Awww, thanks so much Karen! I really do appreciate reading your comment, and thanks for the warm fuzzy. 🙂

  22. Hi Marian! I’m panning on visiting an Old Time Confections soon to pickup some candy for my gingerbread house this year (I’m in Brampton so it’s not too far from both locations). Do you recommend the Barrie location or the one in Upper Canada Mall?

    Reply

    • Hi Vanessa,
      Yay! I actually haven’t been to the one in Newmarket yet, but maybe a quick phone call to the store to see if one is larger than the other?
      Have fuuun shopping and with your gingerbread house!

  26. wow…. wonderful work,gorgeos, elegant gingerbread house. I love it very much.The icicles are amazing.You are so talented and thank you for sharing all your knowledge.
    ML

    Reply

  27. I see on this house you put windows on the side, what size are the windows in inches. I would like to know for when I make my house so they are proportional to the rest of the house. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hello Marcus!
      I used a small square cutter (Just over 1 inch), and then cut that in half for the shutters. Have fun with your house!

  32. Your gingerbread houses are so beautiful. I’m the grandma of 7 grandsons and our crafty houses at “Camp Grandma” wouldn’t win a prize. We’ve had a blast making Halloween houses and pretzel log cabins in post at: http://wp.me/p3E6HV-G6

    I used your house templates and loved giving you credit in my post. Thanks for helping me with the Camp Grandma craft projects.

    Reply

  33. I don’t want to be to bossy, but I think you made an error in the title and need to fix it immediately. Instead of “How to Make a Gingerbread House” it should be “How to Make the Awesomest Gingerbread House Ever.”

    🙂

    Reply

  34. I live in the U.S., do you have any idea where I can purchase the candies you use on your houses, i.e., Necco wafers in white,and the little pearl looking candies and the glitter dust? Your houses are absolutely adorable! You have inspired me to try to make the first one ever using your template and recipes.
    Thanks,
    Judy M.

    Reply

    • Hi Judy,
      Candy.com is a great site for starters, and I actually like Amazon too. You can find almost anything on there!

  36. your gingerbread house is so pretty do you think thank it would be the same if you did the loops in white fondant.

    Reply

  37. Hi Marian! I love your work and your gingerbread houses are amazing! I plan on attempting to make 7 of them for my daughter’s gingerbread house and cookie exchange birthday party this year. I’m a little worried about time management because I have to make other food for the party, several batches of cookies and her birthday cake. Would it be possible to freeze the dough ahead of time and defrost it when I’m ready to bake the houses? I was thinking about making the dough and cutting out the parts and maybe freezing it a few weeks before and then baking them in the days leading up to the party. Do you think this would work? Thank you so much!!!!

    Reply

  38. I love your gingerbread house. I’m currently in culinary school and my final for my baking course is to make a gingerbread house. Since we are past Christmas and will be past Easter in May, our theme is Children. Any thing at all to do with Children! I have never made one so I need something fairly easy. Any ideas or pictures?

    Help!
    Thank you.

    Reply

  40. Love this. Planning on making first gingerbread house this year!! Will definitely using some of your decorating tips

    Reply

  41. Fabulous tips and recipes! After reading all your Christmas cookie and gingerbread house tips I finally made my first gingerbread house. It turned out great! ( I called you out on my Facebook post if you want to check it out.) I do love those few metallic shingles, such a great idea. Have to admit that I was pretty scared to try and make royal icing for the fist time. I was really afraid the whole house would fall down. So I did every other possible thing in the kitchen for about an hour before I started making the royal icing. Was easier than I thought. Lol Today I’m going to make your mini Christmas cookies. So fun! Thanks for all the inspiration.

    Reply

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