How To Make A Gingerbread House | Tips & Recipes
How to Make Gingerbread House Templates, Dough, and more!
Planning the house:
- Determine theme, size of house & make necessary gingerbread house templates
- Download our free A-shape gingerbread house template. It is perfect for kids or beginners.
Making the dough:
- Make sure you use a gingerbread house dough recipe, NOT a cookie recipe, as they are often tastier, but softer. You need a strong dough to stand up (see suggested recipe below).
- Mix dough, wrap, and refrigerate.
- Roll out, trace patterns, cut out, freeze or chill before baking.
Putting it all together:
- Once baked, trim edges to match gingerbread house templates (straight edges are much easier to “glue”)
- Determine what material will be the base for your structure (ex. cardboard, cake board, plywood.)
- For a basic house shape, “glue”, with royal icing (recipe below), a front and side piece, then the other side and back of the structure. Allow the base to set (let the icing harden for one hour, or up to overnight) before moving on to the roof or upper structures. (Remember to build your house on the base.)
Extras:
- Easy “stained glass” windows: jolly rancher candies melt easily on the stove top and come in a variety of colors. Choose one color (i.e. yellow) or mix a few to achieve a stained glass appearance. Melt candies and pour into a window opening on a baked piece of your gingerbread house. (Ensure that the piece is laying flat on parchment or waxed paper.). You can also melt the candies directly in the oven in the window opening after a few minutes in the oven.
- Lighting: battery operated tea lights or pillar candles work well inside a gingerbread structure. Colored or flickering options are available. A small flashlight propped up would also work.
- Accessories: scrap dough can be molded into shutters, doors, window boxes, trees, animals, people…
- Pretzels, pretzel sticks, or candy sticks can make nice fencing materials. The bulk food stores carry many useful items, even chocolate candy rocks-which look great on a chimney or path!
- The internet is a wonderful resource for recipes, ideas, and how-to videos.
Gingerbread House Dough Recipe (for building, NOT eating)
You may need several batches depending on the size of your structure.
- Yield: 1 house 1x
- Category: Cookies
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 ½ cups Crosby’s fancy Molasses
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 cups flour
- 4 tsp. ginger
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ – ½ cup water*
Instructions
- Melt shortening in a saucepan on the stove or in a large bowl in the microwave.
- Cool slightly and add molasses and sugar. Mix well.
- Whisk spices with two cups of flour and add to molasses mixture. Add remaining flour 2 cups at a time, along with ¼ cup of water.
- Mix well and add enough remaining water so the dough is not crumbly.
- Knead dough until smooth, shape into two discs, bag, and refrigerate overnight (or for a few days.)
*Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, if your dough is crumbly.
When ready to bake:
- Line large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll dough 1/4″ thick and cut according to your template.
- Bake at 325 F until firm but not too dark around the edges, about 12-15 minutes.
- Cool completely before assembling your house.
Royal Icing (The glue that holds it together!)
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (3-3/4 cups) icing sugar, sifted if lumpy
- 1 to 2 large egg whites, or substitute 4 teaspoons meringue powder (find at Michael’s or Bulk Barn) and 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together using an electric hand mixer, until the icing is smooth and thin enough to be pressed through a pastry bag with a writing tip. Add more lemon juice or water, if necessary.
You may need several batches depending on the size of your structure.
Christy
I’ve been using this recipe every year for 5 years now. It’s perfect! I added more lemon juice than it called for on the icing recipe once, and it didn’t set. Don’t make my mistake. The recipe is correct!
Suzanne Favot
Is it ok to use cooking molasses instead of fancy as that is what I have
Crosby Molasses
Hello Suzanne,
Cooking molasses has a stronger flavour. For building a gingerbread house, I don’t see any problem using cooking molasses.
-Marie-Pierre from Crosby’s Kitchen
Kathryn
It says that the house is for building not eating, why is that? I mean the fun of building a gingerbread house is to enjoy the look then eat it afterwards. Can we NOT eat it? I don’t see any ingredients that would prohibit this. Please explain, thanks.
Crosby Molasses
Hi Kathryn,
Thanks for asking. You can eat it but the dough was created to be sturdy and solid enough to hold it’s shape. It does not have a soft texture, like a molasses cookie.
Abby
Hi Bridget,
Do you have the template for the pictured house?
Erin
Hello! Would your neighbor share the template for this house?
Jaime
Template isn’t working. Would you be able to update it?
Crosby Molasses
Thanks Jaime, I removed the broken link and added a new link to another construction gingerbread recipe.
Danielle
This recipe worked beautifully on my very first try! The dough came together beautifully with just 1/4 cup water. I followed the recipe exactly. The cut shapes baked up perfectly. Makes lots of dough! ?
Crosby Molasses
Thanks Danielle, glad you had great success with the recipe.
MICHELLE DAMRON
How long from baking to showing will the house last. I have 2 weeks and want to make it now.
Crosby Molasses
Hi Michelle, Your gingerbread house can last for months as long as it doesn’t get bumped or wet.
Liz Myers
It worked for me with just a couple hours in the fridge, and rolled out fine :) The one batch made enough for this (small but not too simple) house: https://www.kitchentrials.com/2012/12/12/victorian-gingerbread-house-template/
Sylvia
Hi, I’m not sure how many batches to make. My house is going to be much smaller but basically the same design. How much of your house would be one batch worth.
Pamela Upshur
Hi, I’m in Maryland and having a heck of a time finding Crosby molasses any suggestions ,I’m on the Eastern Shore.
Graeme
Hi there,
Any chance we could speed up the waiting process? Rather put the house together tonight? Would having it in the fridge for a few hours work?
thanks for your time,
Crosby Molasses
Hi Graeme,
Yes, definitely. A couple of hours in the fridge should be fine. Enjoy!
Darlene
What size house would 1 batch of your recipe make?
Crosby Molasses
Hi Darlene, One batch would make a very small house. The woman who gave me the recipe (and who makes the Crosby Molasses gingerbread house each year) makes at least six batches for a big house. I hope that this helps.
Pam
HI There,
I’ve made this dough and I can’t roll it out without cracks etc. I’ve tried different things and this dough is still useless. I’m throwing it away and trying someone else’s recipe.
Crosby Molasses
Hi Pam, I went back to our gingerbread house expert who supplied the recipe and she said that happens to her from time to time. If the dough is too crumbly she just adds a bit more water, one tablespoon at a time. this is her tried and true recipe that she uses every year and the fact that it gets crumbly sometimes hasn’t deterred her.
Barbara Berner
Can you update it again. I’d love to have a good template to work from. Thanks so much!!!!!
Crosby Molasses
Hi Barbara, I just realized that the original link to gingerbread house templates is no longer valid so I added a new link to the website: https://www.pinterest.ca/search/pins/?q=Gingerbread%20house%20template%20printable&rs=guide
Courtney snider
I just made the dough for a rather large house and the dough it’s self is very very hard is that normal?
Crosby Molasses
Hi Courtney, The dough should be stiffer than cookie dough but still pliable. Did you end up adding the full half cup of water? Also, did you spoon the flour into the measuring cup? Let me know if you were able to work with it.
Rose Gallant
Hi. when I click on the “Here are some template design ideas:” it won’t open. Any suggestions?
Crosby Molasses
Dear Rose, Thanks for pointing out the broken link. I have updated it with a link to 20 free gingerbread house design templates.
Barbara Berner
Can you update it again. I’d love to have a good template to work from. Thanks so much!!!!!
Chloe
I don’t think I would be able to cook and make a ginger bread house like yours
Crosby Molasses
That gingerbread house was made by my neighbour. I wish I had her talent!
Bonnie Leblanc
At what temperature and for how long do you bake
Crosby Molasses
Hi Bonnie, I’m so sorry that the information is missing. Thanks for pointing it out. You can bake your gingerbread house pieces at 325 F for 12-15 minutes. (You want them to be firm and golden.)
Lorraine
That is amazing; not sure if I’m brave enough to try it though.
Lorraine
That is amazing; not sure if I’m brave enough to try it though.
Crosby Molasses
Hi Lorraine, I hear you. If you try and fail, at least you still have delicious dough to snack on!
Nancy LeB
it says for building not eating ?
Crosby Molasses
Hi Nancy, This is a construction gingerbread recipe so it’s more sturdy. It’s edible but not as yummy as so many other gingerbread cookie recipes on the site.