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Construction Gingerbread Cookie Dough | Ultimate Guide|

ByHani Updated on
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This Construction Gingerbread Cookie Dough is perfect for making long-term display gingerbread decorations and gingerbread houses. I’ve been using it for years. Often, keeping finished pieces for up to 2 years.

Tree cookies decorated with white icing glued on a round base standing up.

WHY I LOVE THIS RECIPE

  • Flour-to-fat ratio: A higher flour-to-butter ratio creates a sturdier dough. Dough with less /butter/shortening/margarine is also less likely to spread. This recipe uses a ratio of about 1:4 (fat : flour).
  • Flour – I use all-purpose flour ( with 10%-11% protein); I always have it on hand.
  • Molasses, Corn Syrup, Honey – I use all three interchangeably, but corn syrup and molasses aren’t always available everywhere. What matters most is using the correct ratio. Adding too much will throw off the flour-to-fat balance, and over time, because all three ingredients are hygroscopic, the cookies will absorb moisture from the air, leading to structural instability.
    • Molasses – adds a beautiful color and aroma. It can make the cookie a bit more brittle after cooling.
    • Corn Syrup – you can use light or dark corn syrup. It keeps the dough more pliable after baking, and it’s easier to re-cut the shapes, or cut them after baking while hot.
    • Honey – I love using honey because of the color profile, and I always have it on hand. Use honey with a viscosity similar to molasses.
Baked gingerbread cookies on a tray.

COOKIE DOUGH INGREDIENTS

This fragrant cookie dough doesn’t have any leavening agents, and it doesn’t spread during baking. It’s especially important when making gingerbread houses or other complex structures that require precision.

  • All-purpose flour or a combination of all-purpose and bread flour
  • Ground Spices: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pepper, ground chili flakes(optional)
  • Sugar
  • Molasses|Corn Syrup|Honey
  • Large Egg
  • Margarine or Vegetable Shortening ( I don’t use butter as it’s expensive, and for gingerbread decoration that is not meant to be eaten, I prefer to use cheaper alternatives)
  • Cocoa powder – optional, if you are in need of dark gingerbread, you can use 2-3 tablespoons per this recipe
Gingerbread cookie dough ingredients on a counter.
Bake gingerbread cooling on a wire rack.

FLOUR AND SPICES

I like to use fragrant spices in my construction gingerbread cookie dough. And I use them for a couple of reasons.

  • I love the smell and the beautiful aroma lingering around the house. It’s perfect for the holiday season.
  • Spices can also help keep pests away. This might be a good idea, especially if you plan to display or keep your decorations for an extended period. Cinnamon and cloves have been known to repel ants.
Sifting flour and spices into a large bowl.
Sift flour and spices.

COOKIE DOUGH

  • On medium-high speed, beat margarine and sugar until creamy, about 5 minutes.
  • Then beat in one whole egg until well combined, 30 seconds to a minute.
  • Scrape down the bowl and continue beating.
  • Lower the speed to medium-low and gradually pour in molasses, corn syrup, or honey. Pour it down the side, not on the beaters.
  • Beat well until combined, about a minute.
  • Lastly, gradually beat in flour mix in 3 additions.
Creaming butter and sugar in a bowl.

HOW TO MEASURE MOLASSES | CORN SYRUP| HONEY

  • You can use Molasses, Corn Syrup, Honey, or a combination of the three.
  • Spray a measuring cup with a nonstick spray. Pour in the molasses. Nonstick spray coating helps to release sticky molasses from the cup.
  • For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients.
Spraying a measuring cup with nonstick spray and pouring molasses into the cup.

SHAPE THE DOUGH

  • Dump the fresh dough onto a lightly floured work surface or into a large bowl. I always use a bowl I had the flour in.
  • Knead it with your hands for about 30 seconds until it comes together into a ball.
  • If it appears too sticky, sprinkle up to ¼ cup of flour over it and gently knead it in.
  • Shape the dough into a disk.
  • Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for several hours, up to overnight, or roll it out immediately.
  • Dough will keep in the fridge for several days. Up to 3-4 days.
  • It slowly dries out if kept for longer.
  • Freeze for up to 3 months.
Kneading fresh cookie dough into a bowl with little bit of flour.

HOW TO ROLL OUT COOKIE DOUGH

  • Rolling Guides -I use 1/4-inch (6mm) rolling guides to roll out dough for the house panels.
    • And for small structures or individual cut-out cookie shapes, I try to maximize the dough yield and use 1/8-inch (3mm) guides. This highly depends on the project.
  • Portion Cookie Dough – Depending on the size of the house you’re working on, you might want to cut the cookie dough disk in half and work with one half at a time.
  • Easy Dough-Rolling -Roll the cookie dough between 2 sheets of parchment or silicone baking mats. Be sure to cut the parchment to fit the baking sheet you will be using.
  • To eliminate the ‘stretch’ and mishaping cookies when transferring onto a baking sheet, it’s best to cut the cookie shaped on teh surface you’ll be using to bake them on
  • Prevent Sticking – Lightly dust the surface with flour to prevent the cookie dough from sticking.
  • Setting Up Rolling Guides – Place a rolling guide on each side of the parchment sheet.
  • Why a Large Rolling Pin Helps – I like to use a large rolling pin (20 inches long). This way, I can roll out a long, wide piece of cookie dough at once. It allows me to cut more house panels from a single piece of cookie dough.
Rolling out cookie dough between parchment sheets.
Rolling guide tip: You can use wooden rods or unused paint sticks.

COOKIE CUTTERS AND TEMPLATES

  • Cutters and Templates – To make gingerbread house panels, you need cookie cutters or templates.
    • Templates can be made from print or cardstock paper.
    • Print or draw the templates.
    • Trace the house panels onto paper, cardstock, or a plastic sheet.
    • Cut the templates with scissors or an exacto knife.
    • How to make cookie-cutter templates.
  • Using Small Cutters for Details – In addition to the house-shaped cutters/templates, small geometric cutters can be very useful. Use them to create windows or to make extra cookies for decorating the outside of the house.
Gingerbread house cookie cutters and template on a table.
  • I used a small square cutter to cut out window panes.
  • Use these mini cutters to cut out window panels, doors, and other shapes as desired
  • Get creative, use rounds, hearts, stars, and rectangles.
  • It’s a gingerbread house, who says it can’t have star-shaped windows?
  • For easier cutting, dust cutters with a little bit of flour.
Cutting out a small window from a cookie dough using a mini square cutter.
Cookie cutter dusted with flour.
Dip cutters in flour to help them release more easily.
Cutting out heart shape from a gingerbread house panel.

CUTTING AND HANDLING CUTOUTS

  • Cutting Cookies Without Misshaping Them – To prevent cookies from stretching or losing their shape when transferring them onto a baking sheet, it’s best to cut them directly on the surface where they will be baked.
  • Choose your Baking Surface – You can roll the dough on parchment and either flip it onto a perforated baking mat or leave it on the same parchment for baking.
  • Remove the top layer of parchment, leaving the bottom parchment.
  • With a pastry brush, dust off flour residue from the cookie dough.
  • Cut out the large house panels first. Such as the front and back, the roof and the sides.
  • Calculate to keep about 1/2 inch space between cookies.
  • Remove scraps and slide parchment with house cut-outs onto a baking sheet. Don’t handle large cookie cutouts.
  • Don’t try to move them as they will go out of shape.
Cutting out gingerbread house panels form a rolled out cookie dough.
Baked gingerbread house panels layered on a cooling rack.

BENCH SCRAPPER FOR STRAIGHT EDGES

  • Use a bench scrapper or a small ruler to cut out house panels with long, straight edges.
  • Dust the bench scraper’s edge with a little flour to prevent sticking.
Cutting out large cookies with a bench scrapper.

USING EXACTO KNIFE|PEN BLADE

  • Use a Knife for Detailed Shapes – To cut out more complex shapes without a cutter, such as doors, you can use a knife, an exacto knife, or a pen blade.
  • Protect Your Work Surface – When cutting cookie dough with a sharp blade, I like to slide a plastic sheet (the green sheet in the picture below) underneath the parchment to protect my work surface/baking sheet.
  • Tips for Hand-Cutting Shapes
    • Chilled the dough for 10-15 minutes. Chilled dough is easier to cut with a knife/pen blade.
    • Set the template on top and cut along the edges with a sharp knife.
    • Use a straight-up-and-down cutting motion rather than dragging, as dragging can pull and distort the dough.
    • If the template sticks, dust it with flour.
    • Smooth rough edges with your finger.
Cutting out a cookie shapes with exacto knife.

BAKING CONSTRUCTION GINGERBREAD

  • Temperature -I bake construction gingerbread at 350°F (175-180°C). Bake the cookies until the centers are no longer shiny and the edges are golden brown.
    • Use 325°F (165°C) if your oven bakes hot.
    • If you live in a humid area, I recommend drying out cookie panels a bit more. After their 1st bake, continue baking panels at 175F-200°F (80-95°C) for 20-30 minutes.
  • Separate by Size – Bake large cookies separately from smaller ones.
  • Baking Times – This depends on the size of the panels.
    • Larger panels (up to 7-8 inches) take about 16 – 20 minutes.
    • Small cookies/panels take about 10-12 minutes.
    • Molded pieces can be baked just like flat pieces. Let molded pieces cool completely before handling.
Baked and cooled gingerbread layered on a cooling rack.
Baked and cooled gingerbread house panels layered on a cooling rack.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE GLUE

ROYAL ICING

  • My preferred glue for Gingerbread houses and decorations is Royal Icing.
  • Royal Icing Glue Recipe – batch of Fresh Lemon Royal Icing Recipe.
  • Consistency – Be sure to use thick royal icing to glue gingerbread house panels.
    • Icing should be stiff but not too stiff.
    • If you use icing that is too stiff, it won’t adhere to the cookie properly, and after drying, it will separate from the cookie, losing the bond, and the house will collapse.
    • Glue Icing should be medium-stiff, with a peak that bends down.
  • Working Time for Royal Icing – Royal icing doesn’t harden immediately; it takes time to dry. This gives you extra time to adjust the panels and their angles as needed.
  • Drying Time – Royal icing takes 6-8 hours to fully dry, and up to 12 hours. A thicker application of icing will take longer to dry.

MELTED SUGAR | CARAMEL | ISOMALT

I’ve tried using melted sugar on several occasions. It bonds house panels instantly. However, for gingerbread houses or displays that need to last, I prefer royal icing. Melted sugar can be somewhat unpredictable, so I only use it for projects that don’t require long-term display.

  • Melted sugar/caramel creates a strong bond instantly – I find this method very effective for certain projects, but it does have drawbacks. Since the bond sets almost instantly, there’s virtually no room for error when aligning the panels.
  • Humidity – In a humid climate, over time, melted sugar glue will start to weep.
  • Prepare Melted Sugar Glue – pour 3 – 4 cups of granulated sugar into a heavy stainless steel pot. Heat on medium heat until the sugar is completely melted. Keep an eye on it as it will caramelize quickly.
  • Using Melted Sugar | Caramel – Dip the edge of the house panel into melted sugar. Immediately pick up the connecting house panel and connect it to the edge of the house panel dipped in melted sugar. Keep in mind to keep 90-degree angles between wall panels. Sugar hardens pretty much instantly; you need to work fast. And with precision.
  • Adult supervision required: When working with melted sugar, be careful. Melted sugar is hot. Don’t burn yourself.
Swirly gingerbread tree centerpiece displayed on a table.
I used melted sugar to glue my tree centerpiece onto the base.

HOW TO BUILD A GINGERBREAD HOUSE

DECORATE AND ASSEMBLE

  • I usually decorate house panels and then assemble the house.
  • Before You Decorate
  • Examine all the panels. If needed, fine-tune them.
  • Use a microplane to shave off uneven edges.
  • Shave the top edges of the roof to create approximately a 45-degree angle. This will help form a much cleaner, neater seam.
  • Why do I Decorate Panels First?
  • Flat pieces are easier to decorate with icing. Especially when flooding panels with icing.
  • Icing dries evenly with no sliding or sagging.
  • Decorating a horizontal surface is easier than decorating a vertical one.
  • Lettering and fine details look cleaner on a horizontal surface.
  • I can still add small piped details after the house is assembled.
An edge of cookie panel shave off with a microplane.
  • Decorate panels with icing, fondant, and other decorations.
  • Let the icing fully dry before assembling the house.
Cookie panels decorated with icing.

GLUE HOUSE PANNELS WITH ICING

  • Assemble Base (4 walls)
  • Line the assembly tray/baking sheet with a rubber liner, or any anti-slip liner.
  • Start by assembling the house base, consisting of the front, back, and sides.
  • Pipe a thick line of medium- to thick-consistency icing along the edges of the front panel (step 1).
  • Pipe icing on the outer edge of the side panels. Glue and align side panels onto the front panel (steps 2-4).
  • Add a line of icing on each end of a side panel (step 5).
  • Pipe royal icing along the short edges of the back panel, then glue it to the 3-wall base, aligning it with the side panels (steps 6-8).
  • Let the base dry for 3-4 hours.
  • Chimney – If the house has a chimney, assemble it; this can vary by project.
Piping icing on the edge of the cookie and gluing other panels to the edge.
  • Support the walls from leaning out or in. Use small sprinkle bottles or bamboo sticks.
  • Clean up the seams. Scrape off excess icing if needed.
  • Let the base dry for 3-4 hours before adding the roof.
Removing excess icing using cookie scrapper.
Gingerbread house base glued with royal icing.
  • Attach Roof Panels – these can be decorated, or you can decorate them after you assemble the house.
  • Pipe icing on 4 edges on the back and front panels (step 1).
  • Carefully, align roof panels atop the house base.
  • Push panels onto the base so they sit on the base and adhere to the icing (steps 2-3).
  • Use small bottles or a bamboo stick to support the roof panel from the bottom.
  • This helps prevent panels from sliding down as the icing dries (steps 4-6).
  • Clean up the edges with a scribe tool as necessary (step 7).
  • Let dry overnight (step 8).
Gluing roof panels onto the house base.

In this project below, I decorated each panel with a different theme.

Decorated gingerbread house panels layered flat on a table.
Decorated house panels, assembled Christmas House.

ASSEMBLE AND DECORATE

  • Great for Decorating Parties
  • This approach is especially practical if you’re hosting a gingerbread-house decorating party, especially for kids.
  • Because the house is already assembled, they don’t have to wait for anything to dry or set; they can jump straight into decorating with candies, sprinkles, and other treats.
  • Use thick royal icing to glue the decorations onto the house.
  • Here is an example – Edible Simple Gingerbread House.
  • If you’d prefer to make a simple gingerbread house that you can later enjoy eating, I recommend using my Honey-Gingerbread Cookie Dough instead of the construction gingerbread dough, which is edible but can be a bit hard to munch on.
Assembled gingerbread house displayed on a black plate.

DECORATE ROOF

You can decorate the roof either before assembling the house or after it’s built or even do a bit of both.

  • Use Icing
  • For a simple design, spread a thick layer of royal icing over the roof panels and dust them with sanding sugar or sprinkles, or leave them plain.
  • Add piped details, such as scallops, for a clean, traditional look.
  • Use piping tips – such as leaf, petal, or star tips- to add texture and detail.
  • Make shingles with royal icing, let them dry, and attach them to the panels with icing.
  • Add fondant details or royal icing transfers.
  • Pipe royal icing icicles along the roof edges for a wintery charm
  • Use stencils and icing; possibilities are endless.
  • Sprinkle edible glitter or sanding sugar over icing for a sparkling “fresh snow” effect.
  • Use Edible Accents
  • Decorate the roof with candies, cereal, and chocolates.
  • Use pretzel sticks or wafer cookies for a rustic, textured roof.
  • Overlap round candies to create candy shingles
  • Think candy canes or peppermint candies.
  • How about popcorn or marshmallows? That could be fun, too.
Gingerbread Bird House.
I used a leaf tip to make roof shingles on this Holiday Birdhouse.
Gluing roof shingles onto the roof panels.
I used shingles made from royal icing to decorate the roof of my Nightmare Before Christmas Gingerbread House.
Threading a ribbon thru roof holes in a gingerbread house.
Decorate the roof of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ House with red ribbon. I threaded red ribbon through heart cutouts and made a bow. Isn’t that pretty?!

GINGERBREAD HOUSE WINDOWS | STAINED GLASS COOKIES

  • Creating Glass-Like Windows
  • Gelatin Sheets – Cut a gelatin sheet to the size of the window and glue it on the inside before you assemble the house.
  • Isomalt – If you can get your hands on Isomalt you can use it instead of crushed candies or melted sugar.
    • Isomalt melts at a lower temperature than regular sugar.
    • It doesn’t caramelize/darken in color like regular granulated sugar. Isomalt will stay clear.
    • You can get colored Isomalt if you’d like to make stained glass using different colors.
    • If the Isomalt becomes slightly cloudy, you can very carefully use a blowtorch to turn it into clear glass.
  • Melted Sugar/Caramel – Melt sugar, let it caramelize to your liking. Pour onto a parchment. Let harden. Peel off and glue on the inside of the house with royal icing. Or place baked cookies onto a parchment and pour it inside the windows. Let harden.
  • Crushed Hard Candies – I like to pre-bake my gingerbread panels before I fill the open areas with candies.
    • Let the cookies cool completely before adding the crushed candy
    • Bake at 350°F for about 7 minutes, until the candy is melted.
    • Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Cookies with cut outs filled with crushed hard candies.
Cookies decorated with melted candies.

CONSTRUCTION GINGERBREAD FAQ

Why is my cookie dough crumbly?

This could be due to too much flour or not enough moisture. If your cookie dough is crumbly, gently knead it 1 teaspoon of water at a time until it comes together.

How long does gingerbread cookie dough keep in the fridge?

Well, wrapped, it keeps in the fridge for 3-5 days. After that, it slowly dries out and loses some elasticity.

Can I freeze the cookie dough?

Yes, wrap the dough well in the food wrap and store it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let defrost on the counter or in the fridge before using.

How should I store baked gingerbread?

Store baked and cooled cookies flat in an airtight container at room temperature, separating each layer with parchment.
For large panels, place them on flat trays, layer them with parchment, and weigh them down to prevent warping.

Can I eat this gingerbread dough?

Even though this dough is fully edible, I wouldn’t recommend munching on this. However, I get emails from people who say they love this dough, too.
Cookies are rather hard and spicy.
For tastier gingerbread for simple houses that don’t bake so hard, use my Edible Gingerbread Cookie Dough.

Preventing Soft Cookies in Humid Climates

If you live in a humid climate, you’ve probably noticed that sugar and humidity don’t get along. Baked gingerbread can absorb moisture from the air, which often makes the cookies soft.
Here are a few ways to prevent this:
Dry the cookies in the oven: After baking, lower the oven to its lowest setting. Place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake them for 30 minutes to an hour.
Protect the house walls: Before assembling the gingerbread house, brush the inner walls with royal icing to create a humidity barrier.
Absorb excess moisture: Place a small container of rice inside the assembled house to help control humidity or food-grade silica gel packets.

Dough cracks while rolling or cutting

Not enough moisture. Mist the dough with water, cover for 5 minutes, and gently knead it together. Let it rest before rolling it out.

A baked cookie has cracks or bubbles

When you knead the dough, try not to incorporate too much air. These air pockets expand in the oven, causing cookies to crack or have bubbles.
Flatten the tops of the cookies while they’re hot with a flat spatula.
Place a piece of parchment on the top and weigh the panels down with a flat baking sheet.

My panels shrink in the oven

Excessive kneading can lead to too much gluten development. Dough with a tight gluten network resists stretching, causing the cookies to shrink in the oven. Let the dough rest to help the gluten relax.

Dough spreads in the oven

Make sure to chill the dough before baking. Use room temperature shortening or margarine.

GINGERBREAD INSPIRATION

Gingerbread advent centerpiece on a table.
Gingerbread centerpiece with a candle.
Gingerbread snowflake cookie wreath hanging on the front door.
Variety of royal icing decorated gingerbread centerpieces.

MORE GINGERBREAD COOKIE DECORATING IDEAS

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5 from 6 votes

Gingerbread Construction Dough

This is a construction cookie dough for houses and centerpieces. This dough is edible but I don't recommend it for making cookies for eating. Cooled cookies are hard and spicy.
Make 3 medium size gingerbread houses.
Course Cookies
Cuisine American, Czech, German, Slovak
Keyword construction gingerbread, gingerbread house dough, sturdy gingerbread dough
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 3 houses
Author Hani B.

Ingredients

GINGERBREAD CONSTRUCTION COOKIE DOUGH

  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
  • 1 cup margarine (226 grams)
  • 2 room temperature eggs
  • 1 cup molasses (340 grams) Substitutes: corn syrup, honey.
  • 6½ cups all-purpose flour (930 grams), plus more if needed for rolling
  • 2 tbsp ground ginger
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp cloves
  • 1 tbsp dark cocoa powder (optional), Use cocoa powder if you are using honey or corn syrup and you'd like the dough to be a bit darker.

Instructions

GINGERBREAD CONSTRUCTION COOKIE DOUGH

    Gingerbread Dough

    • In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour ( 6½ cups, 930 grams), ground ginger ( 2 tablespoons), ground cinnamon ( 2 tablespoons), and ground cloves (1 teaspoon).
      TIP: If you plan on displaying your gingerbread house for an extended time (a year or so), I suggest using some white pepper (1/2 teaspoon) in addition to all the spices. Spices deter small insects from taking a bite from your beautiful gingerbread house.
    • Cream margarine (1 cup, 226grams) with granulated sugar (1 cup, 200grams) until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
    • Add eggs (2 whole, large eggs, at room temperature), one egg at a time and beat well. Then gradually beat in molasses (1 cup, 340grams) and beat until smooth, about a minute.
      TIP: You can substitute molasses for corn syrup, either light or dark, or honey. Or use a combination of molasses, and corn syrup or honey.
    • At low speed, gradually, in 3 additions add flour mixture to the wet mixture.
    • Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead it for 30 seconds to a minute until it comes together into a large ball. If the dough appears too crumbly, add 1tsp water.

    How To Roll Out Gingerbread Dough

    • I like to roll my cookie dough between 2 silicone mats or parchment sheets to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. I often lightly dust my work surface with flour.
      Once I have all the cookie dough rolled out, I like to chill it for 40 minutes or so.
      TIP: If you are not making house panels right away I recommend you tightly wrap freshly made gingerbread dough into a food wrap and place it into a fridge for up to 3 days. Let it soften a little before rolling it out.
    • It's best to cut the house pieces on the material you are using to bake them on, so you don't have to pick them up after they are cut.
      When hand-cutting with a knife, I prefer to cut and bake gingerbread pieces on parchment to avoid cutting thru the silicone mat. I slide the parchment with rolled-out cookie dough onto a cutting board and I hand-cut cookies.

    Molded Gingerbread

    • You can use this recipe to make molded gingerbread pieces. Dust texture mats with a little bit of flour before using. For deeper molds, such as skulls, I like to use a non-stick spray and freeze the mold with cookie dough and then unmold.

    How to Bake Construction Gingerbread

    • Bake construction gingerbread at 350F (180C) for 12-15 minutes or longer depends on the size of the cookies. I like to bake house panels until they are golden brown around the edges.
      Larger pieces I often bake for 16-20 minutes.
      While baking, sometimes little bubbles can form on top of the cookies. Using a toothpick, make a pinhole in the cookie, where the bubble appears to be forming, while still hot to deflate the bubble. You can also flatten the cookie with a wide spatula while the cookie is still hot.
    • When baking small pieces for your gingerbread centerpieces, you need to watch them carefully as they bake, they will be done in less time.
    • Thicker the cookie more time needed to bake them. I usually bake small pieces on the same baking sheet and large pieces on the another sheet.
    • Cool the cookies completely before decorating.

    Notes

    How many Gingerbread Houses does this recipe make?
    • This is a large batch of gingerbread dough, and it makes 3 standard-size gingerbread houses.
    Can I use Honey in place of Molasses?
    • Yes, you can omit molasses and use just honey.
     I want to make half of this recipe. Will it work?
    • Yes, this recipe can be halved.
    Do I have to use ground ginger?
    • You can skip ground ginger and use cinnamon instead if you prefer.

    This post was originally published on November 23rd, 2012. I updated this post on November 12th, 2019, with new photos and written text.

    This post contains Amazon affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love. Learn more about my affiliate policy here.

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    68 Comments

    1. Hi Hani, just wanted to compliment you on the recipe! The house I made last year for display lasted a full year! I’m trying it again this year with a more complex project! Thank you for your beautiful work!

      Reply

    2. Hi! Can I freeze the gingerbread dough? I usually make the dough in advance, would like to freeze it, then bake it. Thank you.

      Reply

    3. Best construction gingerbread dough recipe I’ve ever used! Thank you so much! I didn’t freeze before cutting from a template (freezer was full!) and it was still super easy to cut with a craft knife, and didn’t spread at all in the oven – so impressed! Two of my kids were eating scraps – one didn’t like it, one said it was perfectly fine for eating. I personally think the molasses taste is a bit much, but like you said, it’s not really for eating, but for constructing.

      I really appreciate your tips about battling humidity. I live in Sydney, Australia where the humidity is 90% every day at the moment, so I’m going to pop everything back in the oven tomorrow for a little while to get it nice and dry before constructing my greenhouse. Fingers crossed the house goes together as planned, and maintains it’s hardiness in this humidity. I will definitely give it a little royal icing wash on the inner panels to see if that helps.

      Thanks again for such a fabulous recipe!

      Reply

    6. I’ll be baking my pieces two weeks before they’ll be used: should I store the baked pieces room temp, between parchment pieces and maybe add rice, or can I freeze the baked pieces? Thanks!

      Reply

      1. Hi Rachel,
        store them flat, between parchment, rice is an excellent idea. Also maybe consider putting some gentle weight on them like a baking sheet or something like that, if they are large flat pieces.

        Reply

    7. How do you get the Eiffel Tower and Swirly (?) tree to stay standing …
      or any free form cookie to stand alone?
      Thank you

      Reply

      1. Hi Michelle,
        I use royal icing – it takes some time to dry, and you must support the piece to keep it upright.
        Or you can use melted sugar, which is pretty much instant. Melt some granulated sugar and dip the bottom of the decoration in the melted sugar
        immediately glue the piece on the base. Hold in place for 10-20 seconds. Melted sugar hardens pretty much instantly, creating a strong bond.
        I hope it helps. Happy Baking.
        Hani

        Reply

    8. Your construction gingerbread recipe does not have an egg in it. But the instructions above does use an egg??
      What does an egg do to the dough?

      Reply

    9. Hi Hani,
      Wow, I thought I was already the queen of gingerbread, but compared to you, I feel I barely touched the surface. Is there anything you haven’t made out of gingerbread? Anway, I will try the birdhouse, thanks for this inspiration.
      Best,
      Jenny

      Reply

      1. Hi Jenny,
        thank you for your kind words. I’m sure you are an amazing gingerbread master!
        There are so many things I haven’t made out of gingerbread. Sky is the limit.
        Happy Baking, Jenny.

        Reply

    12. Thank you for this recipe. I don’t usually buy margarine. Can I use butter instead? I know they can sometimes behave differently in baked goods. Thanks!

      Reply

      1. Hi Melanie,
        I haven’t tried it with whole wheat flour. I’d probably add orange zest, and maybe use a 1:1 ratio of whole wheat and all-purpose. Whole wheat usually needs a little more
        the liquid so I’d try with 1/2 of the recipe only to see if it would need more liquid, I’d start with 1 tablespoon of milk or water for example if it’s too dry.

        Reply

    15. Thank you so much for this recipe. I used it to make a large 2ft tall gingerbread house that had to travel 90km once constructed. It worked wonderfully and held together perfectly. You can see it here.

      Reply

      1. Hi Haidyn,
        I put them up on a display in my kitchen. Usually I keep them for a year and some for longer. Often they are exposed to a lot of sunlight where I display them by the window, so color tends to fade overtime. I still have Snow White House from Jan,2019 and Star Wars from Dec, 2018. It’s hard to part with them.

        Reply

      1. Hello Iwona,
        Golden syrup and molasses have similar properties. Yes you can use golden syrup. Flavor and color of gingerbread will be slightly different that the one with molasses.

        Reply

    19. Hi Hani!
      I have spent many hours making my own templates for a couple of different size gingerbread houses. Now I am ready to make my dough, but I am unsure of how much dough I will need. /can you tell me about how large a house one can make with your recipe? Will it make more than one?

      Reply

    20. Hi, I am trying to find the name of, and recipe for something made out of gingerbread that they make liquid so you can pipe it. it dries then hardens just like gingerbread but you can use it to make details out of the ginger bread. I have seen it one a few shows but can not remember where.

      Reply

    21. Hi Hani thank you for your quick response to my essential oil, but I did mean food oil, sorry to confuse. Thank you for this post as I’ve tried other recipes for houses and I found the dough got soft after 2-5 days . Now I will try yours here. I want to cut all my pieces out and then build the houses as I go. My big challenge is how to store the house pieces so they stay structural? I thank you in advance Hani.
      PS sometimes I want to bake, cut and prep up to a week to ten days ahead of construction. Am I off base in my assembly thinking?

      Reply

      1. Hi Karen,

        to make sure they don’t get soft I’d suggest 1st baking them off as usual. And then continue to dry them out at low temperature in the oven for 30 minutes to an hour. Keep an eye on them. How long do you plan on having it on display. I keep my pieces out for a year, some longer if I can’t part with them LOL. Not sure how large your pieces are but anything over 10 inches I’d definitely keep baking for a bit longer. Store them flat between wax paper/parchment. And into the bin add a little bowl with rice, it helps to absorb moisture from the air. You can also brush a thin layer or royal icing on the inside to make them more structurally sound.

        Reply

    22. My question is why use spices if one is making the house to look at, not eat? Is it for the yummy smell while baking or will the house smell good while on display?
      Thanks.

      Reply

      1. I add spices because it smell wonderful when on display. You really don’t need to add the spices. I know they can be costly. I just love the smell so much.

        Reply

        1. Good morning Hani. I have two questions. If not using the spices will I need to make an adjustment to the others in the recipe? What are your thoughts on adding a few drops of GB scented essential oil, seeing that it will not be eaten? Thank you for your thoughts and input.
          Thank you.

        2. Hi Karen,
          I haven’t tried using essential oils, I’m always concerned what if somebody nibbles on it by accident. Not sure how they react to heat. However concentrated oil flavoring could be an alternative. If not using any spices I’d add extra flour in their place.

    23. Can the dough be frozen? I have several houses to make and was hoping to make the dough beforehand and freeze it then bake them off the night before we decorate.

      Reply

      1. I personally haven’t tried freezing this dough, but I’d say it should fine. I have frozen other cookie dough with no issues. Since this dough is not really suitable for eating, though edible, it bakes pretty hard I usually make my panels before, even a week before I decorate and it’s fine. You don’t need to wait till last minute to bake it. Hope it helps. Have fun decorating.

        Reply

    24. Dear Haniela,

      What gingerbread recipe would you recommend for cookies that are to be decorated and then eaten?

      Thank so very much for all the information you put on this blog, youtube and Instagram!

      Reply

    26. I did the recipie and it came out so crumbly. I used all 7 cups of flour, could that be the reason? How can I save it!

      Reply

      1. HI Sydney,
        definitely a full house of average size, and you’ll most likely have some left. I generally roll my dough about 1/8 inch thick so I can make more houses and decorations.
        Even with 1/4 inch thickness you should get a full house of regular gingerbread house size. Hope that makes sense.

        Reply

      1. Hi Michelle,
        you can replace it with molasses and use molasses only. If you omit the 1/2 cup, dough will be super crumbly.
        I’m going to edit the recipe. I should have noted you can use molasses and corn syrup interchangeable. I like molasses but often add corn syrup as it is cheaper.

        Reply

        1. Thank you so much! This recipe is the closest I’ve been able to come to getting smooth gingerbread! Thank you!

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