The Best Part Of Ginger Bread Houses: Decorating (And Maybe Eating A Bit)

Okay, so here’s the deal—when I think about ginger bread houses, I can practically smell the spicy-sweet aroma and hear the laughter from my (very chaotic) family kitchen. Let me tell you, we have tried it all: classic, minimalist, flashy, and once, an unintentionally modernist look (ran out of icing, don’t ask). My little brother insists on adding way too many gumdrops—he says there’s no such thing as too many, but that’s a debate I’m not willing to revisit. Last year we even started a tradition: whoever’s roof stays up longest wins the last candied orange slice. Spoiler: it’s never me.

Why You’ll Love Making These

I make ginger bread houses whenever winter hits and we frankly need a little bit of distraction from the grey skies. My kids (and my husband, who turns into a big kid the second he sees royal icing) get oddly competitive about decoration. My family goes a bit nutty for this because you can make it as simple or as extra as you want; sometimes, we lean into chaos and just glue on whatever we find in the pantry. Honestly, the fun is half in the mess—although cleaning up royal icing from under the table is *less* fun, if we’re being honest. Oh, and those moments where someone’s wall falls over? That’s classic comedy, right there—every time.

What You’ll Need (With a Few Swaps & Silly Additions)

Premade ginger bread house pieces (no shame; I sometimes buy these from the supermarket when I can’t be bothered or check out Sally’s Baking Addiction recipe if you want to go old school)
Royal icing (those little packets work, but if I’m feeling ambitious: 2 egg whites, 4 cups powdered sugar, splash of lemon juice – sometimes I just use a bit more lemon when it’s too thick)
Assorted sweets: gum drops, jelly beans, marshmallows, chocolate buttons (I’ve subbed in cereal bits when the sweets ran out; weird, but funny)
Desiccated coconut for snow, or icing sugar if you’re out (I’ve tried flour in a pinch; don’t recommend… it’s not right)
Licorice laces for doors or roof beams
Sprinkles, pretty much any sprinkles—you can’t go wrong really
Food coloring (optional—sometimes the dye leaks and you get a kind of neon house, which is…a vibe)

How to Decorate Your Ginger Bread House (And Not Lose Your Marbles)

Start by assembling the walls with royal icing. Don’t stress if one piece is a bit crocked—actually, sometimes I find a slightly off angle makes it more charming (or let’s say rustic for dignity’s sake).
Let your structure set for about 30 minutes. I used to try to rush this, but every single time, SPLAT—so now I go make a cuppa or poke about on Good Housekeeping’s holiday gallery for new ideas. The setting really helps (though I sometimes forget and start decorating early anyway, oops).
Outline the roof and windows with more royal icing. Actually, I find it’s easier if you use a piping bag, but in a pinch, a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off does just fine. Just make sure you don’t overfill it or it does that explodey thing (ask me how I know).
Right, now comes the best bit: stick on as many sweets as your heart desires! Gum drops along the ridges, chocolate buttons for roof ‘tiles’, and, if you’ve got a steady hand, use licorice for doors and window panes. I always sneak a marshmallow or three at this point. You know, for quality control.
Dust the whole roof with coconut or a good sprinkle of icing sugar “snow”—it covers up any messy bits and makes it look fancy (or at least…not too disastrous)
If you want to really go wild, tint royal icing with food coloring for fairy-tale rainbow trims. I probably wouldn’t do navy blue again; the whole house looked like it’d been caught in a rainstorm, but hey, it was memorable.

Notes I Wish I’d Known Earlier

Use a baking sheet as your base; easier to rotate the house, and you can catch all the falling sweets (or eat them…which is what I do)
Don’t build the house in a humid kitchen. I once tried and the walls sagged like Yorkshire pudding
Actually, if you DO have a piping set, it’s worth using—but I’ve seen my cousin use an old ketchup bottle in desperation, and it worked shockingly well

Funny Experiments & Ideas That Didn’t Totally Work

Mini gingerbread huts with graham crackers—cute, but they fell apart faster than biscuit dunked in tea
Spray-on food glitter: looks fab, but it gets everywhere; even weeks later, we’d find sparkles stuck to the mugs
Fruit leather roof tiles: tasty, but…well, the roof slid off. Probably better for eating than building

What You’ll Need (And What To Use If You Don’t Have It)

A piping bag for icing (or just do the snipped-corner sandwich bag trick if you don’t fancy washing dishes for half an hour after)
Baking tray or even a big chopping board to display your house—one Christmas, I just used a dinner plate. It wobbled, but kind of made decorating a team effort
Butter knife or palette knife for smoothing edges (fingers work too if you’re feeling lazy)

How To Store (If You Actually Have Leftovers…)

Ideally, cover your ginger bread house lightly in foil or clingfilm, and keep it out of direct sunlight on the counter. But—real talk—in my house, it’s demolished in about a day, two if I hide it behind the tea tins. If yours lasts longer, I’d admire your willpower. It starts to get a bit too chewy after day three, so maybe just nibble quickly.

How To Serve (And, A Bit Of Family Tradition)

I like putting the house out, all finished, right in the middle of the table for dinner—mostly so I can show off a bit. Let the kids (and the adults, honestly) choose their favorite sweet to “steal” first, then just break away chunks and dunk in cocoa. On Christmas Eve, our tradition is to eat the roof while watching The Muppet Christmas Carol, which is probably the best way to spend an evening, in my not-so-humble opinion.

Things I’ve Learned – Or, Don’t Make My Mistakes

Resist the urge to pile on sweets before the icing sets (learn form my frustration—every year I try, every year, disaster)
If the house collapses, just call it a “rustic cottage”—sounds cosier than “structural fail”
One year, I tried using regular chocolate instead of royal icing to glue – tasty, but melts if you have the heating on

Questions I Get All The Time

Can I make the house in advance? Absolutely—sometimes I bake the components a day before (less stress, less last minute panic). Keep them in an airtight tin and build when you’re ready. But don’t leave them out open overnight; they’ll go soggy, promise.
What’s the best candy for decorations? Ooh, that’s a good question. Honestly, whatever you like best! Some folks swear by gumdrops and M&Ms, but I’ve seen folks use dried fruit, nuts, even pretzel sticks for fences. Let your imagination go bonkers.
Help, my walls keep falling down, what am I doing wrong? Most likely, the icing glue is too runny or you’re rushing (guilty here). Scoop out a bit more sugar, build slower, and use props (like juice boxes) to hold bits in place while it sets.
Is it actually edible? Technically yes…but on the second day, it’s a bit like eating a brick! First day is best.
Do I have to use cloves or ginger in my base? Not at all! If you like a milder taste, just leave them out or go heavier on cinnamon; it’s your house, after all.

P.S. If you want more wild decorating inspiration, Pinterest’s Gingerbread House Ideas board is a treasure trove, but be warned—you might get lost in there for hours (been there, got the badge).

Anyway, go wild, get messy, and remember: if all else fails, it still tastes delicious.

Ginger Bread House Decoration Ideas You’ll Love To Try