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Building a gingerbread house is a delightful holiday activity for all ages; that is, unless the gingerbread pieces fall apart or the icing doesn’t stick. For those who don’t want to bake one from scratch, a gingerbread house kit will provide most or all of the necessary ingredients to build a tasty and eye-catching decoration.
We reached out to Melissa Halme Redell, owner of The Solvang Bakery, a bakery located in Solvang, California, that makes custom gingerbread houses, for some advice on selecting a gingerbread house kit. She says, “It is always best to look for candies that will not weather too quickly or look dull when set out for display, and also look for an included piping bag—or better yet, a piping bag filled with icing, which will make it easier to decorate.”
For shoppers more interested in the end result than the building activity, Redell suggests a preassembled kit. “We recommend a house kit that is already assembled, so you can focus on decorating and having fun rather than the construction of the house. This is especially important when decorating with kids!” But for those who enjoy the building (and even the baking) process, this guide includes DIY kits as well. Read on to learn more about the best gingerbread house kits for the holiday season.
- BEST OVERALL: Williams Sonoma Gingerbread House Kit
- BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Wilton Mini Village Gingerbread Kit
- BEST MINI: Cookies United Elf on the Shelf Gingerbread House Kit
- BEST THEMED: Create-A-Treat Barbie Vanilla Cookie Dreamhouse Kit
- BEST FOR ADULTS: Crafty Cooking Kits Mid Century Modern House Kit
- BEST FOR GIFTING: Baketivity Baking Kit Holiday Gingerbread House Kit
- BEST BAKING KIT: King Arthur From Scratch Gingerbread House Set
- ALSO CONSIDER: Cookies United Candy Land Mini Gingerbread House Kit
How We Chose the Best Gingerbread House Kits
A quality gingerbread house kit is sturdy, attractive, and—for those who plan to eat it—tasty as well. We researched over 20 gingerbread house kits, looking for features such as easy-to-build designs, fun candy options, and favorable ratings. Whether it’s for decoration or eventual consumption, a gingerbread house should look appealing. Each pick on our list is fit for display, whether it has a charming old-school look or a trendier theme.
We included a few preassembled gingerbread houses in this guide, which are an ideal option for those who only want to decorate the house, not build it. We’ve also chosen more traditional build-it-yourself kits for those also interested in the building process itself. For shoppers who want an even more hands-on process, we’ve included a few kits for baking and building a gingerbread house from scratch.
Our Top Picks
Looking to create a sweet treat that’s also a feast for the eyes? These are the top picks for a more fun and less frustrating experience, all with the outcome of a festive holiday house. Celebrate the holidays with any of the best gingerbread house kits on our list.
Best Overall
Williams Sonoma Gingerbread House Kit
Product Specs
- Pre-built: No
- Icing included: Yes
- Candies included: Yes
Pros
- Gingerbread pieces are precut with notches to help keep the house together while the icing dries
- Icing mix, 2 piping bags, and 2 decorating tips are included
- A nice selection of colorful and Christmas-themed candy options give the house an extra-festive feel
Cons
- The notches are visible after the gingerbread house is assembled, giving it a less seamless look
The Williams Sonoma Gingerbread House Kit is our top pick because it is not only adorable but also easy to build. The precut gingerbread slabs include notches that help keep each piece in place while the icing is drying. The icing mix and two piping bags with plastic decorating tips are all included.
Once the 5.5-inch house is assembled, use the icing in the piping bags to draw the pre-outlined door, windows, and roof shingles; this step immediately gives the house some character. The kit also includes a selection of candy—colorful stars, gumdrops, mini beads, mini lights, and mini holly and berries—to dress up the house even more and create a festive display.
Get the Williams Sonoma Gingerbread House Kit at Williams Sonoma.
Best Bang for the Buck
Wilton Mini Village Gingerbread Kit
Create a small gingerbread village at an affordable price with the Wilton Mini Village Gingerbread Kit. This kit includes four small gingerbread houses, each with a slightly different shape. Each house is between 3.25 inches and 4 inches tall, which is smaller than a typical gingerbread house. This is an excellent pick for shoppers who would like several people to each be able to decorate their own gingerbread house.
This kit includes the gingerbread panels, candy, green fondant, two piping bags, two decorating tips, and ready-to-use white and red icing. The mini houses are charming when put together in a village setup, and the combination of green fondant with red and white icing creates a fun holiday feel.
Product Specs
- Pre-built: No
- Icing included: Yes
- Candies included: Yes
Pros
- Affordable price for a 4-house village set; ideal for those who want multiple houses to decorate
- Each house has a different design to add visual interest
- Decorations—including candies, green fondant, and red and white icing—go above plain candy decorations
Cons
- Some reviewers note that the kit did not come with enough icing
Get the Wilton Mini Village Gingerbread Kit at Amazon.
Best Mini
Cookies United Elf on the Shelf Gingerbread House
Product Specs
- Pre-built: No
- Icing included: Yes
- Candies included: Yes
Pros
- Mini size is quick to decorate and won’t take up much space in small areas
- Despite the small size, gingerbread panels are still detailed, with a door, windows, and roof-shingle etchings
- Includes Elf on the Shelf character cutouts
Cons
- Small size means less area to decorate, so the finished decoration can look cramped
For shoppers who have room for only a mini gingerbread house, this Cookies United Elf on the Shelf Gingerbread House Kit is the space-saving solution. Love Elf on the Shelf during the holiday season? Then that’s even better. This kit creates a small gingerbread house that measures 4.6 inches tall by 2.8 inches wide by 2 inches long, so it won’t take up much space at all as part of a Christmas display.
Everything is included to craft this little abode, such as the gingerbread panels, icing, candy jewels, and fruity gummies. To truly set the scene for holiday cheer, it also features a few small cutout characters, one of which is the famous Elf on the Shelf.
Get the Cookies United Elf on the Shelf Gingerbread House at Amazon, Walmart, or Blain’s Farm & Fleet.
Best Themed
Create-A-Treat Barbie Vanilla Cookie Dreamhouse Kit
Product Specs
- Pre-built: No
- Icing included: Yes
- Candies included: Yes
Pros
- Barbie theme is playful, nostalgic, and distinctive
- House design, pink icing, and pastel candies all fit with the Barbie design
- Uses vanilla cookies rather than gingerbread, which some builders (including kids) may prefer
Cons
- Some reviewers found the house difficult to put together; it has more pieces than many gingerbread houses
Barbie fans will appreciate this pretty-in-pink Create-A-Treat Barbie Vanilla Cookie Dreamhouse Kit that uses vanilla cookie panels instead of gingerbread. While it doesn’t have the look of a traditional gingerbread house, it delivers on the nostalgic and sweet-as-can-be Barbie theme.
This Barbie gingerbread house kit is also more intricate than a traditional gingerbread house, so the final display is quite eye-catching. It includes the cookie pieces, the icing pouches, and a variety of assorted decorative candies. Instructions are included as well since it’s an irregularly shaped structure. Of course, users can expect a whole lot of pink in this kit.
Get the Create-A-Treat Barbie Vanilla Cookie Dreamhouse Kit at Amazon, Walmart, Joann, or World Market.
Best for Adults
Crafty Cooking Kits Mid Century Modern House Kit
Product Specs
- Pre-built: No
- Icing included: Yes
- Candies included: Yes
Pros
- Distinctive design; looks like a modern bungalow rather than a traditional gingerbread house
- Includes colorful icing pens for more detailed designs
- Still easy to assemble with the help of the included base connector clips despite the irregular shape
Cons
- Several reviewers report some cookie pieces came stuck together, which resulted in breakage
Shoppers searching for a modern-looking gingerbread house (but without the Barbie colors) will find the Crafty Cooking Kits Mid Century Modern House Kit to be an excellent option. This gingerbread house kit throws tradition out the window, going for a modern bungalow design instead.
The kit still features the typical accoutrements, such as the gingerbread panels, ready-to-use icing, several piping bags and colorful icing pens, and candy decorations, such as candy beads, pastel gumdrops, and peppermint sticks. It also includes base connector clips to hold the house together during the icing process. This is definitely one of the more unique gingerbread house kits on the market: The finished house looks like a home in a neighborhood instead of the classic childhood decoration.
Get the Crafty Cooking Kits Mid Century Modern House Kit at World Market.
Best for Gifting
Baketivity Baking Kit Holiday Gingerbread House Kit
Product Specs
- Pre-built: No
- Icing included: Yes
- Candies included: Yes
Pros
- Includes premeasured dry ingredients for a simpler, kid-friendly baking process
- Illustrated step-by-step instructions and a bake-along video make this kit even more kid-friendly
- Comes in a prepackaged gift box for easy gift-giving
Cons
- Only includes multicolored sprinkles for decoration, not additional candy
For those on the hunt for a family-friendly
, the Baketivity Baking Kit Holiday Gingerbread House Kit is a fun option that will entertain kids and adults alike. This baking kit offers most of what’s needed to both bake
and
decorate a gingerbread house, including preportioned dry ingredients, so there’s no need to dirty measuring cups. This also makes baking easy, so it’s a fun activity to do with little ones. Bakers will just need to add their own wet ingredients.
Step-by-step instructions are included, complete with illustrated instructions for kids. If that isn’t enough, scan the included QR code for a bake-along video. The entire kit comes in a bright and lovely packaged box that’s ready for gifting.
Get the Baketivity Baking Kit Holiday Gingerbread House Kit at Amazon or Baketivity.
Best Baking Kit
King Arthur From Scratch Gingerbread House Set
Product Specs
- Pre-built: No
- Icing included: Yes
- Candies included: No
Pros
- Offers a simplified bake-from-scratch experience—includes gingerbread mix and icing mix
- Includes reusable gingerbread panel cutters, which are embossed to give the cutouts a decorative look
- Comes with decorating bags and multiple tips for added creativity
Cons
- Creates small gingerbread houses; some bakers may prefer a larger size
- Candies are not included
As aptly noted in the product name, this King Arthur From Scratch Gingerbread House Set is a bake-it-yourself option for crafting a gingerbread house from scratch. It includes a gingerbread mix and a white icing mix—just combine each box with the wet ingredients (not included). What makes this kit especially useful are the gingerbread house pop-out cutters, which cut and emboss the cookie dough with adorable gingerbread house patterns. These cutters remove the guesswork of making the house pieces, and they’re also reusable so that making a gingerbread house can be a yearly tradition.
This kit includes enough gingerbread and icing mixes to make two or three 4-inch by 4.5-inch gingerbread houses. The decorating bags and tips are included, but the candies are not.
Get the King Arthur From Scratch Gingerbread House Set at King Arthur.
Also Consider
Cookies United Candy Land Mini Gingerbread House Kit
Product Specs
- Pre-built: No
- Icing included: Yes
- Candies included: Yes
Pros
- Candy Land theme is colorful and appeals to children
- Cutout characters add extra dimension to the gingerbread house scene
- Intended for kids; comes in a mini size that’s easier for small hands to build
Cons
- Does not include a traditional piping bag with a decorating tip
If Candy Land was a favorite childhood game, then this Cookies United Candy Land Mini Gingerbread House Kit might inspire some sweet nostalgia. This mini gingerbread house kit features bright candies—candy jewels and fruity gummies—and cutout characters inspired by the board game.
The kit includes the gingerbread panels and an icing bag; however, it’s just a small bag on which the user cuts off the corner, not a proper piping bag with a decorating tip. Still, it should be sufficient for this mini gingerbread house and works just fine for kids, who are the target audience of this kit.
Get the Cookies United Candy Land Mini Gingerbread House Kit at Amazon.
Or, DIY Your Own Gingerbread House
Shoppers who can’t resist the smell of fresh gingerbread can go the gingerbread house kit DIY route and make their own gingerbread house from scratch. Both gingerbread recipes and gingerbread house templates can be found online for free. First, make the gingerbread dough and then use the template and a pizza wheel to cut each panel to shape. Next, bake the panels per the recipe instructions. Finally, trim the panels when they’re fresh out of the oven and soft enough to even out the sides.
After the gingerbread has cooled (it usually takes a few hours), make the royal icing. Royal icing is the classic choice to securely assemble a gingerbread house. Assemble the house and let it dry for a while before decorating; this makes it less likely to fall apart when adding the candies. Then, add assorted candies using more royal icing.
Jump to Our Top Picks
What to Consider When Choosing a Gingerbread House Kit
There are plenty of holiday situations when a gingerbread house kit can come in handy. Whether building family traditions, keeping the kids occupied for an afternoon, needing a family-friendly activity for a Christmas party, or just enjoying crafts, a gingerbread house kit can be an ideal choice. There are a few considerations to keep in mind when choosing a candy-covered abode, including the difficulty level of the kit, the included items, and the taste.
Difficulty
Gingerbread house kits can range in difficulty from baking kits that require making the gingerbread panels from scratch to completely preassembled houses that only need to be decorated. A pre-built gingerbread house kit is the best choice for shoppers who don’t have the time or patience to build the actual house. It can also be a great choice for those with children who want to avoid the frustration of broken pieces or half-built houses. Most pre-built gingerbread houses include the icing and candies, so decorating them can still be a fun activity.
Gingerbread house baking kits are on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. These kits can include just the gingerbread house molds or may include baking mixes (such as gingerbread mix and icing mix). The middle ground is the most common type of gingerbread house kit that comes with a disassembled gingerbread house, icing, and candies. Well-cut edges or well-placed notches can make these DIY kits easier to put together.
Included Items
The items included in a gingerbread house kit can vary, but the vast majority of kits come with most if not all items required to build the house: the gingerbread panels, the icing, and the candies. The biggest variation usually involves how much or the types of candies included. For ease of use, shoppers will want to look for a kit that already has the icing in a piping bag, which will prevent the need for messy transfers.
Keep in mind that some gingerbread house kits and many from-scratch baking kits won’t include icing or candies; always check the box to make sure. However, this isn’t necessarily a negative—many prefer to customize their gingerbread house with their own candy choices anyway!
Taste
Gingerbread houses are edible, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll want to eat every one. Gingerbread house kits are generally made with the building and decorating process in mind, which means the panels can be pretty tough. Store-bought kits often have a shelf-life of around a year, so the gingerbread may not be the freshest.
The best-tasting gingerbread kits may come directly from a bakery or a confectionery shop. Otherwise, for shoppers willing to experiment with baking, a gingerbread house baking kit will result in fresher gingerbread and even the chance to use their own gingerbread recipes.
FAQs
Bright, nostalgic, and charming, a well-decorated gingerbread house can bring lots of holiday cheer by nestling into a Christmas display or next to Christmas plants. The best gingerbread house kits are straightforward to use, but shoppers new to this holiday tradition might have some questions. Read on to learn the answers to some of the most frequently asked inquiries.
Q.Can you eat gingerbread house kits?
Yes. Gingerbread house kits are meant to be edible, but just keep in mind that some parts may not be, such as plastic holders or non-candy decorations.
Q.How long will a gingerbread house last?
A gingerbread house can last a long time, even up to a year if it is preserved with clear lacquer. However, if you decide to eat the gingerbread house, plan to consume a homemade house within about 2 weeks and a preassembled house within a month. We recommend storing the house in an airtight container (or at least covering it)—leaving it out can lead to exposure to dust, germs, and bugs.
Q.What is the best ingredient to keep gingerbread houses from falling apart?
Royal icing is the best choice for building gingerbread houses. It has the right consistency, and it hardens when dry to keep the house together.
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