If you love holiday baking and creative sugar crafts, building a gingerbread house is one of the most festive and fun traditions you can do with family or friends, especially when you do it your way! This year, I made a gingerbread RV house because we live and travel in our RV, and it turned out adorable and delicious. A gingerbread house is not just a cookie project, it’s a fun experience, whether you’re aiming for a classic winter cottage or a mobile home on candy wheels!
This guide will walk you through my favorite homemade gingerbread house recipe, how to bake sturdy gingerbread pieces, royal icing tips for assembly, a gingerbread house template printable, decorating ideas, and common questions so your gingerbread house stands strong all season long. This is a perfect holiday project for bringing family together and having some fun.
What Makes a Great Gingerbread House?
A good gingerbread house isn’t just about flavor, it’s about structure. For the walls and roof to hold together, the dough needs to be strong and not spread too much in the oven. The pros even make “construction gingerbread” that’s stiffer and firmer than regular cookies so the walls stay flat and square and hold up under all that yummy candy decor.
But don’t worry, with a few simple tips and your own holiday inspired creativity, you’ll have a sturdy house to decorate with candies, icing, and loads of imagination.
Gingerbread House Ingredients (scroll to print the recipe card below)
Gingerbread Dough Ingredients
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ tsp ground clove
- ½ tsp salt
- 10 tbsp salted butter, slightly warmed
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup regular sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup dark molasses
- 2 tsp vanilla
Royal Icing Ingredients:
- 3 cups powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar)- may need extra to get the icing the right consistency
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp meringue powder or 2 egg whites from pasteurized eggs (or 2 tsp light corn syrup – this will make the icing take longer to dry, but it’s more common to find in the pantry)
- 3-5 tbsp water (use way less water if using egg whites)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Needed for Assembly & Decoration
- Royal icing (your “glue” for the house)
- For design and decor: Assorted candies, chocolate, sprinkles, coconut flakes (looks like snow!)
- Templates for walls, roof, and unique RV shapes
- Parchment paper and baking sheets
How to Make & Bake Gingerbread House Pieces
Step 1: Make the Gingerbread Dough
In a large bowl, whisk together all your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
In another medium bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter and sugars together. Then add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
Fold the wet and dry ingredients together with a wooden spoon. You can use your hands to knead the dough a few times to bring it together. It should be more on the dry side (like cookie dough). If your dough feels too moist, add a little extra flour. If it’s too dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time until it holds together.
Once the dough is brought together, split it in two, and wrap both doughs in plastic wrap and shape into discs. Place these discs in the refrigerator and allow to chill for about a half hour while you prep the cutting station.
Step 2: Roll & Cut Your Shapes
Grab the free Gingerbread House Template Printable and cut out the shapes for the parts of the house. Remember, you will need two of each house part.
When you are ready to roll and cut your gingerbread house shapes, lay parchment paper on your counter and put a portion of dough on top. Either flour the top of the dough lightly or place a second sheet of parchment over the dough and roll it to an even thickness using a rolling pin.
Use your house templates to cut out walls, roof panels, and unique pieces for your gingerbread house (or in my case, an RV). We recommend leaving the dough shapes on the parchment paper and picking up the parchment paper and simply transferring them to baking sheets. This way, you won’t ruin your dough cut-outs by trying to lift them off of the paper.
Step 3: Bake for Strength
Bake at 350°F for about 7-9 minutes on one side, then rotate the baking sheet and bake another 7–9 minutes. Smaller or thinner pieces may take less time. You want the edges to just begin to darken. This helps ensure the gingerbread will be firm for building.
Let the pieces cool completely on the baking sheet or a flat wire rack before assembly. Do not stack pieces before cooling, as this can cause breakage.
The Best Royal Icing (Glue for Your House)
Royal icing is essential for holding your house together. It dries hard and strong, and it’s perfect for gluing walls and roof pieces. Traditional royal icing is made with meringue powder, powdered sugar, and a little water until combined. You can use egg whites from pasteurized eggs in place of the meringue powder (the sugar and acid as well as the heat from the pasteurization of the eggs, should make it safe to eat). In substitution of the meringue powder or egg whites, you can use light corn syrup, but this will make the icing take longer to dry. Remember to add water sparingly to the ingredients, and mix until you get the consistency of icing.
Load the royal icing into a piping bag and use decorating tips, or a Ziplock bag with one of the bottom corner tips cut off, and pipe generously along the edges of the gingerbread pieces when building.
Pro tip: Let each section dry partially before adding another piece. The more patient you are, the stronger your house will be!
How to Assemble Your Gingerbread House
- Create a strong base: Use a board or tray covered with foil or parchment.
- Pipe royal icing along edges where walls meet.
- Attach the front panel and one side first, then prop with cans or jars until partially dry.
- Continue with the other side and back panel, piping icing into all seams to strengthen the bonds.
- Let this basic structure set at room temperature for at least an hour before adding the roof.
- Glue roof panels once walls are stable, holding them in place as icing sets.
- After the house structure is secure, start decorating!
Pro tip: Professional bakers often let walls dry for hours before adding the roof to avoid collapse.
Decorate with Holiday Candy & Creativity!
Now that your gingerbread house is glued together, it’s time for the fun part, decorating!
- Use gumdrops, mini candy canes, peppermint swirl candies, sprinkles, coconut flakes for “snow,” gumdrops, edible metallic beads, marshmellows, licorice, M&M’s for pretend lights, Hershey Kisses chocolates, pieces.
- For candy windows, crushed hard candies can melt into “stained glass.”
- Pipe decorative details with color royal icing.
- Get creative: decorate the house the way YOU want it. For example, for my Gingerbread RV house, I added a license plate, peppermint wheels, a wreath for the door, a few gingerbread Christmas trees, and people standing outside RV!
Never be afraid to adapt the gingerbread house to your liking! There are no rules in decorating, just have fun.
I use the Wilton tips and bags to decorate the gingerbread house. You can get those online or at a Michaels store near you. If you need something in a hurry, Ziplock bags work great too. Just fill the bag with icing and then cut just a tiny bit off of one of the bottom corners of the bag.
Fun Family Tip: Make enough gingerbread ahead of time to have a gingerbread house competition. Give every team enough to make a complete house and lay out an assortment of candies and decorations. Then give everyone a time limit, say a few hours, and enjoy the night! Put on some Christmas music and then judge the best house and give a prize at the end.
❓ Common Questions About Gingerbread House Making
Q: Why does my gingerbread warp in the oven?
This happens when dough spreads. Roll to an even thickness, chill before baking, and bake pieces until firm so they stay flat and straight. Also make sure the parchment paper is not pulling up around the edges of your baking pan and bending the dough while cooking.
Q: Can I decorate pieces before assembly?
Yes! Decorating sides while flat makes detailed piping easier and less messy than doing it after the house stands.
Q: How long should I let the house dry?
Allow at least an hour before the roof goes on. Let the whole gingerbread house dry overnight before transporting if possible for the strongest bond.
Q: Can I make pieces ahead of time?
Yes, you can bake and cool gingerbread shapes up to a week ahead and store them covered at room temperature.
Final Tips for Success with Baking your Gingerbread House
- Use parchment paper for an easy non-stick surface while baking and cooling.
- Make your dough firm enough to hold shape but still tasty. That’s the balance between construction-grade gingerbread and dessert cookie texture.
- Let kids help with decorating and don’t worry about being perfect! It’s the best way to make happy memories during the holidays.
This gingerbread house project is a great way to get creative, celebrate the season, and end up with a tasty edible centerpiece. Don’t forget to enjoy eating all your hard work!
We want to see your gingerbread house! Make sure to tag us on Instagram @SweetiePieAndCupcakes or over on Facebook at our Sweetie Pie and Cupcakes page. Have questions or want help with templates or royal icing recipes? Just ask below! Happy Holidays!!!🎄✨
Here’s the Gingerbread House Recipe for Printing
Gingerbread House Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk together all your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.In another medium bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter and sugars together. Then add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
- Fold the wet and dry ingredients together with a wooden spoon. You can use your hands to knead the dough a few times to bring it together. It should be more on the dry side (like cookie dough). If your dough feels too moist, add a little extra flour. If it’s too dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time until it holds together.
- Once the dough is brought together, split it in two, and wrap both doughs in plastic wrap and shape into discs. Place these discs in the refrigerator and allow to chill for about a half hour while you prep the cutting station.
- Grab the free Gingerbread House Template Printable and cut out the shapes for the parts of the house. Remember, you will need two of each house part.When you are ready to roll and cut your gingerbread house shapes, lay parchment paper on your counter and put a portion of dough on top. Either flour the top of the dough lightly or place a second sheet of parchment over the dough and roll it to an even thickness using a rolling pin.Use your house templates to cut out walls, roof panels, and unique pieces for your gingerbread house (or in my case, an RV). We recommend leaving the dough shapes on the parchment paper and picking up the parchment paper and simply transferring them to baking sheets. This way, you won't ruin your dough cut-outs by trying to lift them off of the paper.
- Bake at 350°F for about 7-9 minutes on one side, then rotate the baking sheet and bake another 7–9 minutes. Smaller or thinner pieces may take less time. You want the edges to just begin to darken. This helps ensure the gingerbread will be firm for building.Let the pieces cool completely on the baking sheet or a flat wire rack before assembly. Do not stack pieces before cooling, as this can cause breakage.
- Create a strong base: 1. Use a board or tray covered with foil or parchment.2. Pipe royal icing along edges where walls meet.3. Attach the front panel and one side first, then prop with cans or jars until partially dry.4. Continue with the other side and back panel, piping icing into all seams to strengthen the bonds.5. Let this basic structure set at room temperature for at least an hour before adding the roof.6. Glue roof panels once walls are stable, holding them in place as icing sets.7. After the house structure is secure, start decorating!
- Royal icing is essential for holding your house together. It dries hard and strong, and it's perfect for gluing walls and roof pieces. Traditional royal icing is made with meringue powder, powdered sugar, and a little water until combined. You can use egg whites from pasteurized eggs in place of the meringue powder- just use less water if using egg whites (the sugar and acid as well as the heat from the pasteurization of the eggs, should make it safe to eat). In substitution of the meringue powder or egg whites, you can use light corn syrup, but this will make the icing take longer to dry. ***Remember to add water sparingly to the ingredients; add a little at a time and mix until you get the consistency of icing.Load the royal icing into a piping bag and use decorating tips, or a Ziplock bag with one of the bottom corner tips cut off, and pipe generously along the edges of the gingerbread pieces when building.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!