Gingerbread House Template and Recipe

Step 1: Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.

Step 2: With an electric mixer, combine the molasses, 1/2 cup of the vegetable oil, brown sugar and egg.

Step 3: Gradually add the flour mixture while on low speed. Mix until fully incorporated – the dough will be sticky, but should feel thick like a brownie batter.

Step 4: Wrap the gingerbread dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a disc and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 5 days. It will help make the dough easier to roll out.

Step 5: Coat a baking sheet with 1/3 cup of the remaining oil. Use a non-tapered jar or drinking glass to roll out the chilled gingerbread.

Fill the entire baking sheet. There might be some oil that comes up onto the top of the dough – that’s okay! Keep the thickness of the dough the same throughout, and the top smooth and free of cracks or holes.

Step 6: Arrange the small gingerbread house template pieces over the baked gingerbread. They should all fit when arranged in this order.

Cut around the templates with a sharp knife. It’s easiest to cut the gingerbread house pieces while the gingerbread is still soft and warm.

Carefully remove the gingerbread house cut outs from the baking sheet. I use a long angled metal spatula to scoop them off the pan. Allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

Step 7: While you’re waiting for the gingerbread pieces to cool, prepare the royal icing. See my recipe card for full instructions. It’s key to whip the icing until it forms stiff peaks.

Add the roof, one side at a time. Line up the pieces in the center of the roof line. Hold each side in place for about 1 minute, until the royal icing sets.

Attach the chimney to the roof with royal icing. Then add the door to the front of the house, piping icing onto one side and the bottom of the door. Wait at least 5 hours for the house to set before decorating.

Gather together the best candies for gingerbread houses, sprinkles, candy canes, cookies, and even cold cereal. It’s always helpful if you start with a theme or color scheme in mind. Let your creativity flow! An easy way to start – pick your roof first. This will set the tone and style for the rest of the house.

You can also use my Buttercream Frosting with Shortening for piping garlands or wreaths. The shortening makes it a crusting buttercream – it will form a crust after it sets, making it perfect for gingerbread house decorations.

For this gingerbread house idea, use pretzel squares for the roof, and make detailed decorations with my easy buttercream frosting. For the garland, use a closed star piping tip and sprinkle small white non-pareils on it. Pile on some sugar around the house to resemble glittering snow.

Nilla wafers make the cutest roof, especially when dusted with powdered sugar! Add more decorations with buttercream frosting, including garland and wreaths. I used a leaf tip to make the wreath around the candy window. Add some sugared cranberries too – they’re so pretty and festive!