Easy gluten-free gingerbread house to make at home with step-by-step recipe instructions! The gingerbread house dough is vegan and gluten-free so little ones can nibble on the raw cookie dough as you make it (just heat treat flour first)!
Decorating gingerbread houses is another favorite holiday celebration I do with my kids. Most years we use a gingerbread house kit for convenience, but making a gluten-free gingerbread house from scratch can be so much fun to do with the kids! This gingerbread house recipe is from my vegan gluten-free gingerbread cookies.
Supplies to make a homemade gingerbread house
First you need to gather all the gingerbread cookie ingredients to make the house, a bunch of candy for decorating, icing, and disposable icing piping bags. You will also need a parchment paper, a baking sheet, ruler, and kitchen knife (not serrated) for cutting out the shapes of the house. Don't worry, I provide the measurements needed😊. This recipe makes one gluten-free gingerbread house and I suggest making one recipe at a time.
Key ingredients
For the gluten-free gingerbread house you will need gluten-free flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, salt, maple syrup, molasses, coconut oil, and vanilla.
How to make this recipe
STEP 1: In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Then add the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, molasses, and vanilla. Using a spatula mix it together then using your hands continue to knead to cookie dough until it is well blended and the flour is combined.
STEP 2: Roll the dough out on parchment paper to be ¼ thick (no less or the cookie may break).
Then using a ruler and knife start cutting out the shapes. During this process you will cut the sides of the house, roll the dough and cut the roof, then roll the dough and cut the last part of the roof. Here are the measurements and pieces you will be cutting:
- 4 - 4x4 inch squares for the sides of the house
- 2 - 5x3 inch high long triangles with a flat top for the roof
- 2 - 4x3 inch high triangles for the sides of the roof
To make the four squares cut a large square that is 8x8 inches using the ruler.
Then make marks on all four sides that are at the 4 inch point and make 4 even squares. Transfer the pieces to a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
STEP 3: Then roll the dough out again and make the longer triangles with the flat tops. Make the dough 10 inches long by 3 inches high. Cut in on the sides so they are even. Transfer the pieces to the baking sheet.
STEP 4: Roll the dough out again to ¼ inch thick and cut out 2 triangles that are 4 inches long by 3 inches high. To do so make one long cut that is 8 inches by three inches high. Cut in half then form into even triangles with the top point at 2 inches in. Transfer to the baking sheet.
STEP 5: Bake the cookies for 15 minutes. Let them cool on the pan for about 15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Do not put together this gluten-free gingerbread house until they are completely cooled.
There will be leftover dough so feel free to make gingerbread men cookie shapes out of it!
Gingerbread house icing
For a dairy-free and gluten-free gingerbread house you can use coconut oil icing from the store. If diary is not an issue, regular vanilla icing can be used, a little less than 1- 16 ounce container per house. We made three houses and used two icing containers. Add the icing to a disposable icing piping bag and tie the top together with a rubber band (or I used a hair-tie!). Cut a small snip at the bottom of the bag to allow for the icing to come out for piping.
House decorations: candy
Grab all your favorite candies to decorate the gluten-free gingerbread houses with. Here are few ideas:
- chocolate coated candies such as M&M's
- gum drops
- fruit candy slices
- cinnamon imperials/red hot's candy
- Twizzlers
- gummy bears
- peppermint pieces
- mini candy canes
- licorice
- red, green, gold, silver sugar sprinkles
- Junior mints
Assemble the gingerbread cutouts
To assemble the gingerbread house. Add icing to the rims of all the pieces.
STEP 6: Carefully place two of the four squares on a flat surface or dish. Add extra icing to the base to seal it. Do the same to the remaining two sides. Attach one of the long tops and the triangles. Seal all around with extra icing as needed. Add the last two roof pieces.
STEP 7: Let the gingerbread house dry completely. If the icing is not completely hardened the house may fall apart when it is decorated (learned that from experience!). Use the icing as a glue for all your candy pieces and decorate the house.
Pro tips
I mention a few of these tips within the steps but here they are as a conclusion:
- The dough will be hard or soft depending on the type of gluten-free flour used. I suggest using King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour or Bob's Red Mill 1-1 Gluten-Free Flour. The dough will be hard but will soften as you knead it.
- Let the gluten-free gingerbread cookie pieces cool completely before assembling the gingerbread house together.
- Once the house is assembled let the icing harden for a couple of hours before decorating or else the house may fall.
More fabulous holiday recipes
Now the fun begins! No need for a gingerbread house kit, a gluten-free gingerbread house can easily be made at home! Let's get started baking!
I hope you enjoy this Gluten-Free Gingerbread House Recipe! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to rate the recipe in the recipe area and leave a comment below!
Gluten-Free Gingerbread House Recipe
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Equipment
- disposable icing piping bag
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups gluten-free flour
- ½ cup tapioca flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup molasses
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 16 ounce container vanilla icing
- candy for decorating
Instructions
Make the Gluten-Free Gingerbread House Cookie Pieces
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl add the flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Mix together with a spatula then add the maple syrup, molasses, coconut oil and vanilla extract and mix to combine and form a dough. Using your hands, knead the dough until all the flour is worked into it.
- Roll the dough onto parchment paper to a ¼-inch thickness. Then using a ruler and knife start cutting out the shapes. During this process you will cut the sides of the house, roll the dough and cut the roof, then roll the dough and cut the last part of the roof. Here are the measurements and pieces you will be cutting:4 - 4x4-inch squares for the sides of the house2 - 5x3-inch high long triangles with a flat top for the roof 2 - 4x3-inch high triangles for the sides of the roofTo make the four squares cut a large square that is 8x8 inches using the ruler. Then make marks on all four sides that are at the 4 inch point and make 4 even squares. Transfer the pieces to a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Then roll the dough out again and make the longer triangles with the flat tops. Make the dough 10 inches long by 3 inches high. Cut in on the sides so they are even. Transfer the pieces to the baking sheet.
- Roll the dough out again to ¼ inch thick and cut out 2 triangles that are 4 inches long by 3 inches high. To do so make one long cut that is 8 inches by three inches high. Cut in half then form into even triangles with the top point at 2 inches in. Transfer to the baking sheet. There will be extra dough which can be used to cut out into extra cookies.
- Bake the cookies for 15 minutes. Let them cool on the pan for about 15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Do not put together this gluten-free gingerbread house until they are completely cooled.
Assemble the House
- To assemble the gingerbread house. Add icing to the rims of all the pieces.
- Carefully place two of the four squares on a flat surface or dish. Add extra icing to the base to seal it. Do the same to the remaining two sides. Attach one of the long tops and the triangles. Seal all around with extra icing as needed. Add the last two roof pieces.
- Let the gingerbread house dry completely. If the icing is not completely hardened the house may fall apart when it is decorated (learned that from experience!). Use the icing as a glue for all your candy pieces and decorate the house.
Notes
- chocolate coated candies such as M&M's
- gum drops
- fruit candy slices
- cinnamon imperials/red hot's candy
- Twizzlers
- gummy bears
- peppermint pieces
- mini candy canes
- licorice
- red, green, gold, silver sugar sprinkles
- Junior mints
- This makes 1 house so make another batch for each gingerbread house.
- The dough will be hard or soft depending on the type of gluten-free flour used. I suggest using King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour or Bob's Red Mill 1-1 Gluten-Free Flour. The dough will be hard but will soften as you knead it.
- Let the gluten-free gingerbread cookie pieces cool completely before assembling the gingerbread house together.
- Once the house is assembled let the icing harden for a couple of hours before decorating or else the house may fall.
Meg partlow says
Hi! Merry Christmas - I discovered after I had already began baking, but your recipe is missing where to add the baking powder.
I hope they come out okay!
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
Hi Meg! Thank you so much for your comment, I just corrected that to add it with the dry ingredients. Please share how this turned out for you, and your experience:-). Happy Holidays!
Meg Partlow says
Turned out great! Very sturdy recipe for a great gluten free house!
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
Yay, so glad you enjoyed!