Gingerbread House Dough

This Gingerbread House Dough creates a sturdy cookie that’s perfect for building gingerbread houses and other structures. Alternatively this recipe makes about 3 dozen 3 inch cut-out cookies.

Gingerbread House Dough

Gingerbread houses: I would move into one if humanly possible.  Cookie walls, chocolate fondant roof, and a nonpareil walkway…  yep.  Those are all the amenities I’m looking for in life.

Tiny mistletoe  hangs above the entry.  

If you don’t have a gingerbread recipe for building purposes – no worries. I’ve got you covered!  This Gingerbread House Dough slices easily with a knife, so it is ideal for cutting around templates.  It bakes up sturdy but not too hard, so you can also use the dough for cut-out cookies if that is your preference.

Gingerbread House Dough

Need a good template?  I use and recommend this one from bbcgoodfood.com.  Just print out 3 copies and cut out each of the shapes.  It is just the right size for a single batch of dough with a little left over to roll out and cut into cookies.

I had planned to decorate this house with gumdrops and colorful candies, but obviously the muse led elsewhere.  I’m not sure where the Bavarian influence came from, but… I like it!  

 

The roof shingles and other “wood” ornamentation are pieces of chocolate fondant that were striated with a toothpick and adhered with dabs of corn syrup.  The trees are cupcake picks placed randomly around the house  in the powdered sugar “snow”.

Gingerbread House Dough

This dough creates a sturdy cookie that's perfect for building gingerbread houses and other structures. Alternatively this recipe makes about 3 dozen 3 inch cut-out cookies.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients
 
 

  • cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
  • ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup molasses preferably "golden", "mild" or "sorghum" molasses
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in another large bowl at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat 1 minute. Add molasses; beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg; beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low; beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed just to blend.
  • Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Form each half into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap disks separately in plastic; chill until firm, at least 4 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
  • Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper to ¼-inch thickness. Use gingerbread house templates or decorative cookie cutters to cut-out shapes and transfer to prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather scraps, roll out dough, and cut more shapes/cookies, repeating until all dough is used. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are firm on top and slightly darker around edges, about 8 minutes for smaller shapes and up to 15 minutes for larger shapes.
  • Cool completely on rack. Line baking sheets with fresh parchment as needed.
  • Cookies will not spread much during baking, but for precise gingerbread house construction, cookies can be perfectly re-cut while still hot. Place the paper templates on top of the hot cookies, and quickly cut with a plain-edge knife – but be careful not to burn yourself!
Keyword ginger, molasses
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Megan
Megan
12 years ago

I want to move in too! This is, by far, the cutest gingerbread house I ever did see! Love love love the shingles. And the hearts are just perfect!

Kristin
Kristin
12 years ago

I love it! Such a beautiful gingerbread house and I love the powdered sugar snowing on the house. You always put a great spin on things.

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

Wow!! I love it! If I could just repeat this phrase over and over I'd have to fill your comment box. I do have a "flare" for the dramatic. The Bavarian look is perfect…less bling…more charm. This is inspiration to tackle my yearly Bûche. Happy Holidays Heather.

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

Oh my…I just noticed the tiny mistletoe hanging over the door. Awww.

Lauren at Keep It Sweet
Lauren at Keep It Sweet
12 years ago

What an incredibly professional looking gingerbread house! I'm pretty sure mine would not look close to that if I made it from scratch.

Jessica @ How Sweet
Jessica @ How Sweet
12 years ago

you rock my world. have i told you that lately?

Emily
Emily
12 years ago

it looks magic ♥
kisses

Selina
Selina
12 years ago

this is unbelievable beautiful <3

Yammie
Yammie
12 years ago

That is definitely the most adorable gingerbread house I've ever seen. Ever.

Darla | Bakingdom
Darla | Bakingdom
12 years ago

Can I lease the loft upstairs and we could be baking bestie roommates?? I promise to whip up dough and icing for any chewing damages I may cause. And Loki and Biscuit would be best buds! They can sleep in beds of marshmallow. 🙂 Thoughts?

A SPICY PERSPECTIVE
A SPICY PERSPECTIVE
12 years ago

Oh my goodness, this is so precious! What patience you must have. 🙂

Rosa's Yummy Yums
Rosa's Yummy Yums
12 years ago

Wow, it is sooooo pretty! You are such a talented baker and cake/cookie decorator.

Merry Christmas!

Cheers,

Rosa

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

So, so cute!

Danielle
Danielle
12 years ago

This comment has been removed by the author.

Danielle
Danielle
12 years ago

This comment has been removed by the author.

My candy kitchen
My candy kitchen
12 years ago

Very very nice! I love this house! TY!

Jenn
Jenn
12 years ago

Aw, so cute!! You put so much detail in everything you make, I love it!

IFeelCook
IFeelCook
12 years ago

It's so cute!!!! I love your gingerbread house 😀 It'd be also my dream house.

Amy
Amy
12 years ago

Precious! I bet you'd have no trouble trying to re-sell that one.

RecipeGirl
RecipeGirl
12 years ago

So super cute. I want to live here too!

Rachel Wilkerson
Rachel Wilkerson
12 years ago

Absolutely beautiful and so festive! Love your work!

Jessica
Jessica
12 years ago

Wow beautiful!! I love the little heart 🙂

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

This is so freaking pretty! You amaze me.

Lora
Lora
12 years ago

I want to move right into this adorable perfect little gingerbread chalet! So evokative of the years I spent living in Munich. Thanks for the recipes. It was on my list to make one this year for the first time. Now you saved me tons of time next year hunting for good ones. Happy Holidays Heather! xoxoxo

Kavi @ Lab to Fab!
Kavi @ Lab to Fab!
12 years ago

Wow, gorgeous! You've really outdone yourself 🙂

Julie (pharmbelle85)
Julie (pharmbelle85)
12 years ago

You are amazing. Seriously. 🙂 All your stuff is so incredible! I've never had the thought to live in a gingerbread house, but I would gladly live in yours 🙂 Have a very Merry Christmas!

Jess
Jess
12 years ago

Oh this really makes me long for the US. In years gone by we used to go every Christmas time on business either to DC or San Francisco. In the lobbies of the hotels they always had a display of gingerbread houses. They Christmas atmosphere is always so good in the US big cities, I miss it so much!

Rachel @ Baked by Rachel
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel
12 years ago

That's way to cute! Can you come make a house with my kids? lol I'm scared I'll botch the building process.

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

Your house is simply beautiful. And your post makes me think of Hansel and Gretel in the witch's edible house – although much less terrifying of course. Gorgeous Christmassy post 🙂

Shannon
Shannon
12 years ago

That is the most beautiful gingerbread house I have ever seen. I also saw a gingerbread brownstone earlier this week, that was spot-on.

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

Without question – one of the cutest gingerbread houses I've ever seen!

Merry Christmas!

Diana Stoyanova
Diana Stoyanova
12 years ago

Wow it`s so beautiful….. congratulations!
Merry Christmas!

Lili
Lili
12 years ago

It is so satisfying to see all the details and closeups of this sweet little Bavarian house. As usual you've delivered another masterful creation to spark our imaginations. And I love that you housed it in a tart pan for easy transport…you are just amazing! Merry Christmas Heather. xoxo ~Lili

Bubble My Licorice
Bubble My Licorice
12 years ago

:O
I'm so impressed
this house is totaly awesome
I wanna eat it

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

Oh my goodness. This is gorgeous! It's so beautiful, and it looks just like a winter wonderland kind of house. Say, if I paied you enough, could you make a life-size house that I could live in? That would be really awesome. How long did it take for you to make this?

Jayne
Jayne
12 years ago

I made my very first gingerbread house recently- it looks like a hovel compared to this! I have never seen such a perfect little gingerbread cottage, how magical 😀

Meg @ write meg!
Meg @ write meg!
12 years ago

Absolutely beautiful — I love it! And it would have to remain a beautiful decoration in my house. I'd never be able to eat it!

Krissy's Creations
Krissy's Creations
12 years ago

What a perfect Gingerbread House! Truly incredible Heather 🙂

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

you have more talent in one thumb then I do in my whole body! Great job.

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

My kinda chalet!
I'm packing my bags now! Can I move in tomorrow?

Nic@diningwithastud
Nic@diningwithastud
12 years ago

This has to be my favourite Chistmas post ever. I adore it! Its so Christmassy and I love the animation. Oh its perfect 😀

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

so so pretty!!!
page

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

Every year my mom makes these! This year, I took over. The recipe said to roll the dough directly on the cookie sheet, cut, and keep all in place to prevent "spreading". Total bummer, since I wasted a TON of dough this way. I'm glad to hear that your dough doesn't spread much, and I'll definitly have to give it a try next year! Thanks for posting this, your house looks just as perfect w/o candy as could be. Love it! If you want to check out my houses this year come over to my bloggy @ sarahcupcake.com and find… Read more »

Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
12 years ago

This is the most beautiful Gingerbread House I have ever seen! I would live there in a heartbeat! I have never actually made my own gingerbread before, I always just buy the kit. I am going to have to change that though 🙂

Paula
Paula
12 years ago

This is one of the most adorably crafted gingerbread houses I've seen! I love your last photo with the snow falling.

Merry Christmas to you and your family and all the best for a wonderful year in 2012, both on-line and off-line 🙂

Sue
Sue
12 years ago

Oh Heather, I am in love with your house~ the "woodwork", the scalloped trim, the hearts, I Love it all! CHARMING! Merry Christmas my dear friend!

Marija
Marija
12 years ago

So cute.

Rumah Dijual
Rumah Dijual
12 years ago

thanks, this is very beautiful home decor

Akika (Ichigo Shortcake)
Akika (Ichigo Shortcake)
12 years ago

this is seriously the best looking gingerbread house I've ever seen! The 'wooden' parts look so real 😀 Love the snow too 🙂 Merry Christmas!

365daysofbaking
365daysofbaking
12 years ago

Beautiful! I love the Bavarian theme. With so many houses covered with colorful candies, it's great to see something different, and as always, Heather, you did a fantastic job!