The Ultimate Gingerbread Houses! Free Template and Recipe

  1. Kristi Meyer says:

    Thank you for this post! I was a little intimidated at the idea of making homemade houses. But, you kept the instructions simple. The pictures and the video were very helpful. I followed the directions exactly and they turned out perfect!!! And honestly weren’t that difficult nor as time consuming as I expected. My kids now want to do this every year.

    • Tessie Snow says:

      I am so happy to hear that Kristi!!! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and I am so glad it went well. It has been a much loved family tradition for our family for many many years 🙂

  2. Julie Owens says:

    We had a blast making this recipe this year! This was our first time as a family making a homemade gingerbread house as well. It was a blast 🙂
    Thank you for making it so easy to follow and having a very yummy gingerbread recipe!

    • Tessie Snow says:

      Julie, I am so happy to hear that you had such a great time making the gingerbread houses! They have been a much beloved family tradition for our family!

  3. Linda says:

    I just made these and they turned out perfect! Can’t wait to start a family tradition. Thank you!

  4. Cori says:

    Hello. For some reason I am unable to get the pattern to print properly off the Pinterest site. Would you be able to send it to me as a PDF? You can send it to themamaandthepapa84@gmail.com
    We are hoping to have a large gingerbread village ready to be made by Sunday evening! Thank you so much and advance.

  5. Leah says:

    Does the recipe for the icing make enough for 2 houses?

  6. Sarah says:

    Confused… does (t) mean tablespoon or teaspoon?

  7. Mich says:

    I am making 6 houses. Will one batch of icing be enough? Should I double or triple it?

  8. Leslie Crawford says:

    I’m going to be making 8 of these houses! Do I need a batch of icing per house? Or 3 or 4 batches?

    • Tessie Snow says:

      How fun! My guess would be to triple the icing recipe. But you might want to have supplies on hand to whip up some extra if needed 🙂

  9. Maureen says:

    Do you omit the baking soda when making your houses?

  10. Sue says:

    Started a new tradition with my 2 1/2 yr grand daughter and 2 yr old grandson making ginger. Read houses this year. Love the recipe. Never made gingerbread before. They had a great time.

  11. Karen says:

    Can I make the icing ahead of time or does it need to be done the day do assembly?

    • Tessie Snow says:

      Honestly, I always make it the day of decorating so I’m not quite sure. I think it should be ok to make ahead but would need to be covered and sealed well 🙂

  12. Lindsay says:

    Hi there. I am busy making this recipe & I couldn’t find molasses in the stores here so I I used muscovado sugar instead. I’ve just finished making the dough and it’s very crumby and not really sticking together. It sticks when I squeeze it between my hands but breaks very easily. Is this the correct consistency? Please help

    • Tessie Snow says:

      Hi Lindsay! No, the dough should not be crumbly at all. It should be soft and moldable. You may need to try again. I’ve never made it without molasses so I’m not sure what to suggest as a substitute. Maybe try honey, corn syrup or maple syrup?

      • Lindsay says:

        Thanks Tessie. I ended up making own molasses so will give the recipe another try. Not sure what to do with the dough that failed though.

  13. Alish De Martini says:

    Instead of refrigerating for 4 hours can i freeze it for 2?

    • Tessie Snow says:

      I’m not sure! I’ve never tried that but please let us know if it turns out. I worry about the dough getting too cold in the freezer. It does get very hard to roll out if it’s too cold 🙂

  14. Jessie says:

    How many 5 inch houses does 1 batch make?

  15. Rebecca says:

    Can I cut the recipe in half to just make one ginger bread house ?

  16. Kristina says:

    Hi! The houses came out great!! But I’ve made the icing twice and it’s so soupy. It does harden, but is sooo messy to work with. Please help!

    • Tessie Snow says:

      Oh no! The icing definitely shouldn’t be soupy. I’m guessing you didn’t beat the egg whites long enough. They need to be beaten with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. You can test it by putting a spoon in and pulling it straight up. The peak of the frosting should not bend over at all, but stand straight up. Good luck!

  17. Anke says:

    Thanks so much for your template! I’ve only made tiny gingerbreadhouses before, this year it’s the first time I’m making larger houses with my girls. Happy Holidays! With love from The Netherlands

  18. Mz Ellie says:

    Thank you so much for posting this. Just what I wanted. I will try this soon and let you know how they turn out.

  19. Khen says:

    Hello from India….the recipe looks awesome …just one question before I start making it …is there any othe recipe than this royal icing which uses egg whites ..since it’s not cooked..don’t want to use it …please help

  20. Jennifer says:

    Hi there! I was wondering how far in advance I could bake before I decorate. Would it be ok if I would bake a week or so before decorating? Thanks for your post! Can’t wait to try 🙂

  21. Khen says:

    Hi ….I really want to try this recipe and send it across for my cousin …but little confused regarding the royal icing as will it stay for that long or should I try icing sugar icing instead … and what is the measurements of the walls , base, windows ,..I’ll try cutting them out on a hard paper

    • Tessie Snow says:

      HI Khen! The royal icing dries very hard and lasts for a super long time. I’ve never used icing sugar so I can’t speak to it. The templates make a house that is 7 inches tall or a house that is 5 inches tall.. If you want specific measurements for the walls, I would suggest printing out the template and measuring them. As for the base, you can make it any size you please! I always eyeball it 🙂 Just make sure the base is VERY sturdy because the houses can get quite heavy. I always repurpose shipping boxes for this. Good luck!

  22. Lara Arrington says:

    Thank you for this post! I have come back to it every year since I found it! The icing holds well, the gingerbread is strong and tastes amazing!
    My only question is that I can’t seem to find the link to the template this year … I usually just come here and re-print it each year. Will you please help!?
    Thanks!

  23. Lara Arrington says:

    Okay, weird. When I posted the comment, it showed up right above the comment boxes. I promise it wasn’t there before :D.
    Thank you again for your recipe and templates!

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