Decorative gingerbread house
Decorative gingerbread house is a medium French recipe that serves 8. 250 calories per serving. Recipe by Once Upon a Time Pastry on YouTube.
Prep: 1 hr 55 min | Cook: 12 min | Total: 2 hrs 37 min
Cost: $6.16 total, $0.77 per serving
Ingredients
- 250 g All‑purpose flour (Sift before use)
- 125 g Unsalted butter (At room temperature, very soft)
- 100 g Brown cane sugar (vergeoise) (If unavailable, replace with brown sugar)
- 1 Egg (At room temperature)
- 2 g Baking soda (About ½ teaspoon)
- 1 pincée Salt
- 10 g Gingerbread spice mix (About 1 tablespoon)
- 30 g Honey (Liquid, preferably mild)
- 100 g Ready‑made royal icing (Add 15 g water before use)
- 15 g Water (To rehydrate the ready royal icing)
- 10 cm² Edible gelatin sheets (Cut to window size)
Instructions
Prepare the gingerbread dough
In the bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda and spice mix. Add the softened butter and work with your fingertips until a sandy texture forms. Incorporate the egg and honey, then mix until a homogeneous dough forms.
Time: PT15M
Chill
Form a ball with the dough, wrap it in plastic film and place it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Time: PT1H
Roll out the dough
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 4 mm thickness using a rolling pin.
Time: PT15M
Cut the pieces
Use the cookie cutters from the kit to cut out walls, roof, windows and decorations (queens, fir trees, etc.). Reserve the scraps for other cuts.
Time: PT20M
Prepare the baking sheet
Place the cutouts on a sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Time: PT5M
Bake
Bake the sheet in the preheated oven at 180°C for 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
Time: PT12M
Temperature: 180°C
Complete cooling
Let the pieces cool completely on the rack, ideally overnight so they harden well before assembly.
Time: PT8H
Prepare the royal icing
Mix the ready royal icing with 15 g water until smooth. (Homemade option: beat 1 egg white with 180 g powdered sugar).
Time: PT5M
Decorate the windows
Fill a piping bag with royal icing, pipe a thin layer on the back of each piece then place the cut gelatin sheets sized to the windows.
Time: PT15M
Assemble the house
Glue the walls together with royal icing, hold each joint for a few seconds. Add the lighted garland inside, then place the roof, pressing quickly so it stays.
Time: PT20M
Final decoration
Use the remaining royal icing to draw snow patterns around the windows and add small pearls or decorative dots as you wish.
Time: PT15M
Nutrition Facts
- Calories
- 250
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 35 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Dietary info: vegetarian, low-calorie
Allergens: gluten, lactose, egg, honey
Last updated: April 7, 2026






