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Gingerbread House Recipe

Everything you need to make a Homemade Gingerbread House including recipes for dough and icing, as wells as a free printable pattern and decoration ideas.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 1 house
Calories: 10507 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the Gingerbread:
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 1 cup vegetable shortening
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 7 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 lbs powdered sugar (about 6-7 cups)
  • 2 tsp cream of tarter

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Make the Gingerbread Dough:
  2. In a large saucepan combine molasses and shortening. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and water and stir to dissolve, set aside.
  3. Bring the molasses and shortening to a boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in the soda/water mixture, mixing well to combine.
  4. In a large mixing bowl use an electric mixer or stand mixture to combine the sugar, eggs and vanilla.
  5. Add the molasses mixture to the sugar/egg mixture and mix well to combine.
  6. Add the flour, salt, and spices and mix to combine. Place dough in a large ziplock bag and smash use the palm of your hand to shape it into a large, flat disk inside of the bag.
  7. Chill the gingerbread for several hours, or make up to 1 week in advance.
  8. Bake the gingerbread house pieces (link to .pdf of my pattern is above in the post):
  9. Preheat your oven to 375. Remove the gingerbread dough from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Cut dough into four equal pieces, and use your hands to mold each piece into a thick rectangle, as best as possible.
  10. Place a damp towel on your countertop and place a piece of wax or parchment paper ontop of the towel. (The damp towel will keep the parchment paper from sliding asyou roll out the dough.)
  11. Lightly dust your hands and one of the pieces of gingerbread with flour. Roll the pieceinto a large rectangle, no more than ¼ inch thick.  Before you bake the gingerbread, make sure the pattern pieces you will cut from that piece of gingerbread fit on top of thedough you’ve rolled out. Watch the corners particularly.
  12. Place the gingerbread (still on the parchment paper) onto a large baking sheet orjelly-roll pan and bake at 375 degrees F for 11-12 minutes. Remove from oven.
  13. Cut your house pattern pieces while the gingerbread is still warm from the oven. (You can cut your own patterns or download and print my pattern. See the download link above in the post!) As each batch comes out of the oven, place pattern pieces on top and use a sharp serrated knife to cut the pattern out, pulling the scraps away from the pieces you cut.  Allow gingerbread to cool completely before removing from the parchment paper.
  14. Royal Icing for gingerbread houses:
  15. Place all ingredients in a metal mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and standing peaks (about 4-6 minutes).  Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth as you use the frosting (this will help keep the frosting from drying out).
  16. Assemble the Gingerbread House:
  17. Find assembly instructions and step-by-step photos above in the post, or in the printable .pdf.

Notes

  • Make Ahead Tips:
  • The gingerbread dough can be made days in advance and the baked gingerbread house pieces can be cut and stored in a dry place days in advance.  

Nutrition Information

Calories 10507kcal (525%) Carbohydrates 2034g (678%) Protein 115g (230%) Fat 223g (343%) Saturated Fat 55g (275%) Cholesterol 327mg (109%) Sodium 5022mg (209%) Potassium 7177mg (205%) Fiber 25g (100%) Sugar 1343g (2686%) Vitamin A 475IU (10%) Calcium 891mg (89%) Iron 59mg (328%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1house

Amount Per Serving

Calories 10507

% Daily Value*

Calories 10507kcal 525%
Carbohydrates 2034g 678%
Protein 115g 230%
Fat 223g 343%
Saturated Fat 55g 275%
Cholesterol 327mg 109%
Sodium 5022mg 209%
Potassium 7177mg 153%
Fiber 25g 100%
Sugar 1343g 2686%
Vitamin A 475IU 10%
Calcium 891mg 89%
Iron 59mg 328%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.