3 Pastry Chefs Reveal the Secret to a Perfect Gingerbread House—and the Common Mistake Almost Everyone Makes

If gingerbread houses had building codes, most home versions would fail inspection. Yet every December, they return as a holiday tradition, along with the same familiar problems: walls that won't stay upright, roofs that slide out of place, and structures that threaten collapse before decoration even begins. What often looks like a decorating issue is almost always a construction one. The real mystery is: How do picture-perfect gingerbread houses stay pristine and upright?

To find out how professionals build gingerbread houses that are both beautiful and structurally sound, I spoke with three pastry chefs: Beatriz Muller of Gingerneers, a Canadian company that makes custom-designed gingerbread pieces; Sally McKenney, the creator of the site Sally's Baking and New York Times bestselling author of Sally's Baking 101; and Amanda Lauder, Pastry Chef de Cuisine at EPCOT in Walt Disney World. I also referred to former Serious Eats editor Stella Parks' existing gingerbread recipes and guides on the site.

Start With Dough Designed for Architecture

One of the biggest mistakes home bakers make is using a gingerbread recipe intended for eating rather than building. Construction gingerbread prioritizes strength over tenderness, and uses minimal fat and little to no leavening to create a dense, dry dough that bakes up rigid and stable. While a soft gingerbread that spreads and puffs in the oven may taste great, it works against the clean edges and tight seams essential for structural integrity: Sharp corners allow walls to meet at true right angles, maximizing surface contact for icing and minimizing stress points that could cause the structure to shift or collapse as it dries.

Stella avoids leavening entirely in her construction gingerbread to eliminate air pockets that weaken walls and roofs. The result is a dough that holds its shape precisely and can be cut, baked, and trimmed with accuracy.

McKenney takes a similar approach, recommending a dough that's low-spread, low-puff, and modest in fat. "A dough that's lower in baking soda helps the gingerbread house shapes stay crisp and defined instead of ballooning in the oven," she says, explaining that using less baking soda means the dough won't soften or expand excessively in the oven. By limiting spread and rise, the baked pieces stay flat and square, making it easier to align walls, seal seams, and build a structure that holds its shape as the icing sets.

Bake for Strength

In gingerbread construction, dryness is an asset, not a flaw. Unlike cookies meant for eating, which should come out of the oven slightly soft, McKenney emphasizes that "gingerbread house pieces should be baked until they're completely set and firm." Gingerbread pieces that are intentionally dried out by baking longer than gingerbread you plan to eat are less likely to warp, soften, or shift during assembly. This makes them easier to trim precisely and strong enough to support weight over time.

Muller treats the process as a low-and-slow bake—similar to how some biscotti are baked—to ensure the pieces fully set and dry out. She bakes her gingerbread house pieces at 300°F (149°C) for about 30 minutes.

Rely on Engineering—Not Luck—for Flat Walls

Flat gingerbread walls don't happen by chance. Warping is typically caused by uneven thickness, excess moisture, or steam trapped during baking—problems professional pastry chefs actively work to prevent by using precisely measured pieces. McKenney rolls her dough between sheets of parchment to a consistent 1/4-inch thickness, then places her templates directly on the dough and slices around them. The result is evenly baked gingerbread that stays flat and aligns cleanly when it's time to assemble. 

Muller takes precision a step further, deliberately oversizing her templates as a buffer that allows her to square off edges after any minor spread. "I cut my templates about a half inch larger so I can trim the baked pieces to the exact size once they've cooled,” she says. To prevent warping as the pieces cool, she adds a final safeguard, placing a flat, heavy object on top as soon as the cookies come out of the oven. A wooden or bamboo cutting board works well, but a rimmed baking sheet weighted with cans can achieve the same effect, gently holding the gingerbread flat without crushing it as it sets.

Icing Is Both Structural and Decorative

In gingerbread construction, icing plays two roles: decoration and structural support. Decorative icing is typically looser, formulated to flow smoothly through piping tips for detail work. Structural icing, by contrast, is mixed much thicker and used as edible mortar, binding walls and roofs together and hardening as it dries. Many pastry chefs rely on royal icing, a simple mixture of powdered sugar and egg whites, for construction because its consistency can be adjusted by changing the ratio of sugar to egg whites. Whipped to stiff peaks, royal icing sets quickly and forms joints strong enough to support the structure's weight before any decorative work begins.

In her royal icing recipe, Parks mentions she favors it for its reliability: It firms as it dries and forms a strong bond with gingerbread. McKenney also recommends royal icing as the most dependable option for home bakers. “Royal icing is the easiest and most reliable glue,” she says. “It dries hard, pipes neatly, and doubles as decoration,” making it both practical and forgiving during assembly.

Caramel is another popular option, though Muller notes that while it's undeniably strong, it's also unforgiving. "If a wall goes on crooked, it will stay crooked," she says. Royal icing, by contrast, dries more slowly, giving builders time to nudge pieces into proper alignment before the icing hardens. Lauder tailors her approach to the scale of the build: Tempered chocolate works well for smaller, edible structures because it sets quickly and adds flavor, while larger or more ornate houses benefit from very stiff royal icing.

For decorating, it's best to use royal icing with a medium consistency. To adjust the consistency of your icing, you can increase the amount of lemon juice or egg whites for a thinner icing and add powdered sugar for a thicker icing.

Assemble Like a Builder, Not a Decorator

The order of assembly matters just as much as the materials themselves. In her recipe for construction gingerbread, Stella recommends working in deliberate stages and allowing each phase to fully set before moving on, rather than treating assembly as a single continuous step. McKenney takes a similarly methodical approach, starting with a flat, sturdy base—such as a cutting board or foil-wrapped cardboard—before attaching any walls.

Then comes the step most likely to be skipped: waiting. Muller insists on letting the walls dry for at least two hours before adding the roof, while McKenney recommends at least one hour. I recommend erring on the side of caution and allowing the walls to dry at least eight hours before attaching the roof.

How Professionals Fix a Failing House

Even with careful planning, structural failures happen, and knowing when to reinforce versus when to start over can save both time and frustration. If a house begins to collapse mid-build, Muller recommends removing the pieces, cleaning off the icing, and starting from the beginning, rather than trying to force a crooked structure to hold.

When immediate support is needed, Lauder relies on an unexpectedly practical solution. "Small soup cans are excellent for supporting the walls while the icing dries," she says.

Once your house is built, display it in a cool spot in your home, away from direct sunlight to help it last as long as it can. A properly constructed and displayed gingerbread house should last at least a month.

The Takeaway

Among all the pastry chefs, a handful of core principles consistently guide successful gingerbread construction:

• Design gingerbread dough for structure, not softness.
• Bake pieces fully and allow them to dry before assembly.
• Use stiff royal icing for glue and medium-consistency icing for decoration.
• Let walls set completely before adding roofs or heavy décor.
• Keep finished displays out of direct sunlight to prevent drying and discoloration.

The consensus among the chefs is simple: While decoration brings gingerbread houses to life, structural integrity is what allows them to last throughout the season.