Nothing screams ‘holiday magic’ quite like making your own gingerbread house. These adorable mini gingerbread houses are the perfect activity for the festive season—whether you’re decorating with kids, preparing edible gifts, or simply embracing the holiday spirit. I’ve made a lot of recipes over the past week to showcase Christmas spirit, and despite looking complicated, this recipe is on the easier end of the spectrum.
I’ve also included a free printable template to make the process even easier! This recipe yields enough dough for four mini houses, so you can experiment with different designs and decorations. While it’s detailed enough for baking enthusiasts, I’ve kept the instructions simple and straightforward for beginners.
What do I need to make Gingerbread Houses?
The recipe list is quite easy, you need basic ingredients like flour, leavenings, spices, sugar, and butter. The only kind of inaccessible ingredient on the list is molasses, which I only use when I make gingerbread houses. But I’ve also included a recipe for homemade molasses that works as a great substitute, and if you don’t want to buy a bottle of molasses just for this recipe, you can use that instead.
You also need royal icing to decorate and assemble this gingerbread house. Click here for my Eggless Royal Icing which is perfect for the job and what I’ve used.
Homemade molasses
For your own homemade molasses recipe, combine brown sugar, water, cream of tartar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Whisk the mixture over low heat until the sugar dissolves and it comes to a boil. It should have a slightly thinner consistency than honey when done. Let it cool completely before using in the recipe.
Step-by-Step Guide (with photos)
Gingerbread Dough
Start by combining all the dry ingredients. Sieve together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger) into a large mixing bowl. Sifting ensures an even mix of spices, giving the gingerbread its signature warmth.
Next, make your ‘fake eggs’. In a separate small bowl, whisk together oil, water, and baking powder. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes until frothy.
In a larger bowl or stand mixer, cream unsalted butter and castor sugar until pale and fluffy. This step is crucial for incorporating air into the dough, which helps the gingerbread bake evenly. Once creamy, add the fake egg, vanilla or almond extract, and molasses. Beat until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, being careful not to overmix. Overworking the dough can result in tough gingerbread, so mix until just combined. Line your kitchen counter with clingfilm, transfer the dough to the centre, and roughly shape and wrap in a rectangle.
Chill and Shape
Once the dough is ready, refrigerate it for at least an hour. This step is essential for firming up the dough, making it easier to roll out and cut into shapes.
When ready to roll, divide the dough into portions and roll it out to your desired thickness:
- For thinner, crispier gingerbread, aim for about 1/3 cm.
- For thicker, softer gingerbread, roll to 1/2–3/4 cm.
Use our free gingerbread house template to cut out the required shapes—walls and roof panels. Be sure to leave about 1/2 cm of overhang as well when you cut the gingerbread. This extra border ensures that the gingerbread retains it’s shape even after spreading in the oven. It also ensures that any darkening on the edges is limited to the overhang and doesn’t ruin the shapes. You can remove any extras but leave the cut-out pieces and the overhangs on the sheet. Place them on a lined baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes. This ensures the shapes hold their structure during baking.
Bake the Gingerbread
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake the gingerbread pieces for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven, it will crisp up while it cools. While the gingerbread is still warm, recut the gingerbread and remove the overhangs as well. Before it cools, you want your gingerbread in the desired size and shape according to the template.
Let the baked pieces cool completely on a wire rack before assembly.
Decorating the Walls
Go crazy with the decoration for your walls! You can be as intricate or simple as you want. I’ve just used white royal icing for a simple look, but you can add candy, gems, m&ms, and so much more. Let the designs dry completely before you start assembly, about 60 minutes in a dry room.
Here is our Eggless Royal Icing recipe, which holds up perfectly for this house.
Assembly
Use royal icing as “glue” to construct your gingerbread houses. Start by attaching the walls to the base, holding them in place for a minute or two until the icing sets slightly. Add the roof panels last, ensuring they align evenly for a snug fit.
Once assembled, let the houses dry for at least an hour before decorating over any gaps. I’ve added piped designs over the seams to make them look prettier.
Links
- Eggless Royal Icing Recipe. The full recipe is enough to ice all 4 gingerbread houses and do some basic design on each wall
- Mini Gingerbread House template, print in A4 to scale and use. Cut the overhangs out but keep in mind that you will need to leave space for it on the actual dough
Watch the Video
Mini Gingerbread Houses
Equipment
- 1 Gingerbread House template refer above for the link
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (420 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsp cinnamon powder
- 1 ½ tsp ginger powder
Wet Ingredients
- 6 tbsp (84 g) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (135 g) castor sugar
- 1 ½ cups (160 g) molasses store-bought or homemade, see recipe below in notes
- 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
Fake Egg
- 1 ½ tsp oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp baking powder
Decoration & Assembly
- sprinkles, gems, m&ms, etc
- royal icing refer above for my eggless recipe
Instructions
Gingerbread Dough
- Sift together all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk the oil, water, and baking powder to create the fake egg, then set it aside for 2-3 minutes.
- In another large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and castor sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Add the fake egg, extract, and molasses to the butter mixture, beating until smooth.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring until just combined.
- Shape the dough into a rough rectangle and wrap in cling film.
- Refrigerate the dough for an hour to firm up.
Baking
- Once chilled, divide dough into 2 portions and work with 1 at a time. Roll out your gingebread dough between 2 sheets of non-stick paper. For thin gingerbread, roll to about 1/3 cm; for thicker pieces, aim for 1/2–3/4 cm.
- Use the attached template to cut out the shapes for your mini gingerbread houses. Leave 1/2 cm overhang to avoid spreading and browning.
- Transfer the cut pieces (with overhang) to a lined baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Bake the gingerbread pieces for 8-10 minutes.
- While warm, cut off the overhang from your shapes.
- Allow the cut pieces to cool completely on a wire rack.
Assembly
- Decorate your walls and rooves using royal icing, candy, and sprinkles. Let everything set completely for an hour.
- Use royal icing to attach the walls and roof pieces. Hold each piece in place for a minute or two while the icing sets. Once the structure is complete, let it dry for at least an hour.
Notes
Notes
- Storage: Assembled gingerbread houses can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to a week.
- Freezing: The dough can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling out.
- Decoration Tip: Prepare icing and decorations ahead of time to make the process smoother, especially if working with kids.
