This Is the Only Gingerbread House Recipe You'll Need This December

It’s easy to build the gingerbread house of your holiday dreams. Follow our recipe, then put it all together using our handy template. Or, if you’re feelin’ extra festive, customize the template to DIY an entire gingerbread mansion!

Gingerbread House Recipe

Yield: One 2½” x 11″ x 11″ house

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Prep

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cut six cookie sheet-sized pieces of parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, ginger, cinnamon and allspice. Whisk to combine.

Pour baking soda into a small container and set aside. In another small bowl, whisk the eggs and set aside. Unwrap the butter and set that aside as well.

2. Heat

In a medium saucepan, heat molasses and brown sugar over medium heat. Stir occasionally to ensure the mixture doesn’t scorch and to help dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture starts to simmer, turn off the heat.

Add baking soda and stir. The mixture should achieve a foam-like texture.

Once the color of the foam mixture is even, as pictured above, place the sticks of butter into the pan and stir until completely melted.

3. Mix

Turn the stand mixer on low and add the egg to the dry ingredients. Then, with the mixer running, stream the molasses mixture into the bowl.

4. Work the Dough

Use a spatula to scrape all dough from the sides of the bowl and push dough into a ball. Divide into quarters (it’s easier to work with in small batches). Let the dough sit for 2-3 minutes.

Pro Tip: Knead each quarter of dough before using. It should be warm, but not tacky.

5. Roll and Cut

Roll out a quarter of dough until it’s ¼” thick, then use our template below to cut out the shape you need (we started with the front of the house).

Place the cut-out dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, being careful to not damage the dough. Remove the unused dough around the cut-out and roll it out for the next piece.

Repeat this step until all pieces for the house are made.

6. Add Details

Use small cookie cutters to create windows and other fun details on your house.

7. Bake

Bake all of your gingerbread pieces for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are browned. Let cool completely on wire racks.

Gingerbread House Construction

What You Need

It’s super helpful to make a template for your gingerbread house. All you have to do is measure and cut your pieces on paper, then use them as guides to cut out the dough. You’ll need the following pieces:

Good to Know: The front and back panels are trickier to define because they’re not simple rectangles. To get the correct measurements, fold a piece of paper lengthwise. From the bottom, measure up 5″ and mark the sheet on both edges. Open the sheet and, using a ruler, draw a diagonal line from the top center to the 5″ mark. This creates the gable (the triangular top of the front and back pieces that support the roof). You can use the leftover triangles for the chimney.

When you’re ready to start decorating, you’ll need to create a base for your house — we suggest a piece of foam board or a similar smooth, flat surface. Whip up a batch of royal icing, spoon it into a piping bag and use it to glue your house together. Start with the walls, letting them dry for about 30 minutes before placing the roof panels and chimney.

Pro Tip: As you pipe royal icing to the edges of your house and press the pieces together, use mugs or other sturdy glassware to prop the sides upright as the icing dries.