Gingerbread House Recipe
Dec 13, 2025
Gingerbread House Recipe
Prep Time
1 hour
Bake Time
15 minutes
This construction grade gingerbread is the best! It’s strong enough to support structures of all shapes and sizes for weeks at a time. It bakes with no spread, saving a ton of time and making detailed builds easy. We hope you have as much fun making this as we do!
Ingredients
- 780 g (6¼ cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¾ tsp salt
- 195 g (1 cup) vegetable shortening, room temperature
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature and lightly beaten
- 454 g (16 oz by weight, not fl oz) unsulphured or dark molasses (Grandma’s preferred)
- 480 g (4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted, plus more as needed
- 3 Tbsp meringue powder (not plain egg white powder)
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 90 ml (6 Tbsp) water, plus up to 30 ml (2 Tbsp) additional if needed
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Optional: gel food coloring
-
Isomalt for windows (or crushed Jolly Ranchers)
Construction Gingerbread
Stiff Royal Icing
Extras
Instructions
Construction Gingerbread
Whisk together the flour, spices, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening and sugar on medium speed until smooth and slightly fluffy, but not airy, 1½–2 minutes.
- Add the beaten egg and mix on medium-low speed until fully incorporated and smooth, 20-30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add the molasses and beat on medium-low speed until evenly combined and glossy, scraping the bowl as needed, about 1 minute.
- Add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing on low speed just until the dough is uniform and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be pliable and firm, not sticky.
- Divide the dough in half. Roll each portion between two sheets of parchment paper or silicone baking mats to an even ¼” thickness (about 6 mm) using your Birchberry Adjustable Rolling Pin. The dough must be level for a strong structure to support the house. (The thickness is crucial for even baking—see note #6.) If you’re not using a Birchberry pin, you’ll need to roll in smaller sections, since most pins aren’t long enough to handle half of this dough all at once.
- Freeze the rolled dough sheets for 20–30 minutes, or refrigerate well covered for at least 2 hours, until very firm.
- Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack positioned in the middle. Line baking sheets with perforated silicone mats (preferred) or parchment paper.
- Cut shapes from the chilled dough using cutters or templates. Rechill in the freezer if the dough starts to soften.
- Transfer pieces carefully to the prepared baking sheets then freeze again for 10 minutes to prevent spreading.
- Gather scraps, press together, and re-roll as needed, chilling again before cutting more pieces.
- Bake gingerbread pieces for 15 minutes, then check every 5-10 minutes until the dough is fully baked and darkened. If you press a finger lightly in the center, no imprint should remain. Total time depends on the size of each piece. Large pieces can take up to 30-35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow the pieces to cool completely on the baking sheet until firm and rigid, about 20–30 minutes, before moving or assembling. The top should be crispy and hard when tapped with a finger.
Stiff Royal Icing
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large bowl using a hand mixer), combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder, cream of tartar, 6 Tbsp water, and vanilla.
- Mix on low speed until all ingredients are moistened and no dry sugar remains, scraping down the bowl as needed, about 30 seconds.
- Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the icing is very thick, bright white, and forms stiff peaks that hold their shape without collapsing, 5–6 minutes.
- Check the consistency by lifting the whisk. The peak should stand straight up. If the icing is too soft, beat for 1–2 more minutes.
- Transfer to a sealed piping bag to start assembling. Cover leftover icing with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent crusting.
- If needed for decorating or flooding, thin small portions of icing separately by adding water ½ teaspoon at a time until your desired consistency is reached.
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Notes
Construction Gingerbread
- Yield: Roughly 1,200–1,500 grams raw dough = 1 large house (about 8x10”), 3 medium houses (about 6x6” each), or 6 small houses (about 4x4” each)
- Storage (Raw Dough): Refrigerate unrolled dough, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 2 months, double-wrapped in plastic wrap and sealed in an airtight container. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator, then let it rest at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before rolling.
- Storage (Baked Gingerbread): Store unassembled pieces at room temperature in an airtight container, layered with parchment and kept away from humidity. Do not refrigerate or freeze baked pieces, as condensation will soften them and weaken their structure. For longer structural strength, place near a dehumidifier.
- Mixer: A stand or hand mixer works best for the dough; mixing by hand will require much more time.
- Molasses: You can replace molasses with dark corn syrup, honey, or maple syrup by weight (grams or ounces), not cups or fluid ounces. Molasses is best for aroma and color. Do not use blackstrap molasses.
- Thickness: An even ¼” thickness is crucial for uniform baking so it can support your structure. This recipe was developed using the Birchberry 16" Adjustable Rolling Pin, which is extra-long for rolling large dough sheets evenly. Standard rolling pins are only 11” to 14” long, so if you’re not using Birchberry, divide the dough into thirds or quarters before rolling.
- Chilling Dough: Chill rolled sheets to make the dough firmer, easier to cut cleanly, and help prevent distortion when transferring pieces.
- Straight/Smooth Edges: Use a very sharp knife when cutting custom gingerbread pieces to prevent cracking or tearing along the edges. If pieces bake slightly misshapen or rough, use a long microplane zester or fine-grit sandpaper to smooth and square the edges once fully cooled.
- When Is Dough Done: Open the oven and press lightly in the very center of a piece. If no indentation remains and it feels like firm cardboard, it’s done. A slight give is acceptable, but it should spring back. Slightly overbaking is better than underbaking for structural strength. If a piece bends once fully cooled, rebake at 350°F, checking every few minutes to prevent burning.
- Eatability: This dough is not meant for eating—it gets very hard to hold up structurally.
- Oven Temperature: A consistent oven temperature is essential for an even bake. We use an oven thermometer to monitor accuracy, especially for large panels that bake
- Tip: A food scale is highly recommended for accuracy in this recipe.
Stiff Royal Icing
- Yield: About 3–3½ cups (roughly 700–800 g).
- Storage: Store at room temperature for several hours, tightly covered with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface or in a sealed piping bag. Refrigerate for up to 7 days in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2–3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature and briefly rewhip before using.
- Mixer: A stand or hand mixer is best; a whisk by hand won’t work well for royal icing.
- Using Egg Whites: If you cannot find meringue powder or prefer raw egg whites, replace both the water and meringue powder with 3 large pasteurized (boxed) egg whites so it’s safe to eat (see note below). Ensure all bowls and utensils are grease-free, or the icing may not reach stiff peaks.
- Eatability: 1) Royal icing made with meringue powder is safe to eat. If using raw egg whites, use pasteurized eggs only which are treated. 2) Stiff royal icing dries very hard; though you can eat it, it’s not typically recommended.
- How to Thicken: If your icing becomes too thin, continue beating to incorporate air and help some liquid evaporate. Alternatively, fold in additional thick icing that hasn’t been thinned to restore stiffness. You can also mix in small amounts of sifted powdered sugar, as needed.
Assembled Gingerbread Structure
- Storage: The structure can last 4-8 weeks (or more) if kept in a dry, room-temperature environment. Humid climates can shorten this timeframe significantly, causing softening or sagging. Placing near a dehumidifier without significant structural issues.
- Placement: Keep the structure away from kitchens, dishwashers, humidifiers, bathrooms, and exterior doors where moisture levels fluctuate to prevent sagging.
- Surface: Display larger pieces on a rigid base (wood, foam board, or cake drum) for easy transportation to prevent warping or stress on joints.
- Repairs: Small cracks or separations can be reinforced with stiff royal icing or melted isomalt, which hardens quickly.
@birchberryco Our first gingerbread house competition 🎄 (we took home first place in our category!) Gingerbread dough has to be perfect... So we tested our Birchberry adjustable rolling pin (prototype). It made rolling these big batches fast, easy, and was exactly 1/4" thick. After almost 2 years of designing and testing, it’s almost ready. (yay!!) Comment “PIN” to join the waitlist for our Rolling Pin launch! Full recipe on our site in bio. #gingerbread #gingerbreadhouse #christmas #baking #christmasbaking ♬ Christmas Is Coming - DM Production