A few years ago, I started doing this Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses and Royal Icing Recipe with the kids. It has become a fun tradition that our kids look forward to. They also love helping me make Old Fashioned Cherry Mash Chocolates for their teachers. Isn’t Christmastime the best time?!
These gingerbread houses are also a perfect way to liven up a Christmas party. You can have a timed decorating contest. We have done this a few times, and it is always a blast! Each family works together decorating their house. Before you start decorating, you designate someone to be the judge, and they are banished to a different room during the decorating process.
The winning family gets a prize, which is usually a bag of candy.
Recipes Perfect for Christmastime
- The Best Gingerbread Cake
- Cranberry Christmas Cake
- Blueberry Jello Salad
- Holiday Ham
- The Best Easy Baked French Toast
- Mom’s Best Dinner Rolls
If there is one tradition my kids talk about the most leading up to the holidays, it is making gingerbread houses. I am excited to share how we build the graham cracker house and the royal icing frosting recipe with you! I hope you try out this fun tradition!
HOW TO MAKE Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses and Royal Icing Recipe
- It takes four large graham crackers to make each house.
- Break two of the large graham crackers in half to make four square pieces.
- Next, trim the other two large graham crackers like the picture below.
- Once the pieces are cut out, it is time to make the frosting.
- Put all ingredients–powdered sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar–in a mixing bowl. With a hand mixer, beat for 7-10 minutes or until icing holds a peak.
- Next, put large spoonfuls of frosting in sandwich-size Ziploc baggies for building the houses.
- Then, put a spoonful in the corner of a bag for each house for adding the candy. A little goes a long way.
- When you are ready to build the houses, snip the edge of the baggies to pipe the icing out.
- Use a paper plate for the base of the house. Turn the paper plate upside down.
- Build all the bottom pieces first and let them dry to set up a little.
- Next, add the roof pieces.
- Once the houses are dry, decorate them with all your favorite candies. We like to use any of the following:
- M&Ms
- Gumdrops
- Peppermints
- Small candy canes
- Lifesavers
- Mini Marshmallows
- Hersey Kisses
- Licorice, cut into three-inch pieces
- Spree’s
- Smarties
- Sweet-tarts
- Mini tootsie rolls
- Leftover Halloween Candy
Tips for making Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses and Royal Icing Recipe
- I like to use a large cutting board to cut the graham crackers on. Gently press down a large knife when cutting the graham crackers. A reader had success cutting the crackers using a serrated edge knife. If you accidentally break the tip off while you are trimming them, don’t fret. You can use a little icing and glue it back on.
- Build a solid base before adding the roof. On occasion, I have had a roof that wants to slide off, and it has helped to have the base solid before adding the roof.
- Use a hot glue gun to build the houses instead of the Royal Icing.
- You can use store-bought frosting in place of the Royal Icing for adding the candies, but not building the houses. Store-bought frosting will not hold the graham crackers together very well.
- The Royal Icing can be made ahead of time. It will stay good in the Ziploc bags left out on the counter for up to three days. When you need the icing, snip the edge of the baggies and start building.
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Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses and Royal Icing Recipe
Prep time
Total time
This recipe calls for cream of tartar. I have not used it in the recipe the last two years I have made it, and it still turns out fine.
Recipe type: Royal Icing for Gingerbread Houses
Ingredients
- FOR THE HOUSES
- Graham crackers
- Sandwich-size Ziploc baggies
- Paper plates
- Candy
- ROYAL ICING
- 1 lb powdered sugar (approx. 3-4 cups)
- 3 egg whites
- ½ tsp cream of tartar (optional)
Instructions
- To make the Royal Icing, put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat for 7-10 minutes or until icing holds a peak. (I have to admit, I do not always beat it to that point, and it still works fine.)
- Next, put large spoonfuls of frosting in sandwich-size Ziploc baggies for building the houses.
- Then, put a spoonful in a bag for each house for adding the candy.
- When you are ready to build the houses, snip one edge of the baggies to pipe the icing out.
- The icing will stay good in the bags left out on the counter for up to three days. When you need them, snip the edge of the baggies and start building.
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Thank you so much for the information its super helpful.
I am going to do this with a class of 19 students about how much does this specific recipe make for?
How many houses are you able to make with this recipe.
Thank you!
I’m sorry I didn’t see this earlier! I think this recipe makes between 6 and 8 depending on how much frosting you put in each baggie. Hopefully your class went well!
How did you cut the roof line without breakage?
It wasn’t easy! You have to gently press down on the giant knife. I definitely had some casualties! After you do a few, you definitely get the hang of it.
Do you think t would help cutting the crackers if you leave them out a couple days to turn soft?
That’s a great idea!
I used serrated steak knife. No breakage
Great idea Beverly, thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this, I admit I was super nervous about making it with my class but you made it seem easier and that gave me confidence to try it out! I am excited, and will let you know how it goes 🙂
Awesome! I can’t wait to hear what it looks like!
We did these houses with our first graders for years. Instead of free standing houses we rinsed out little school size milk cartons and stapled the “roof” shut. Then used the royal frosting to glue the grahams to the milk cartons.
This was a great opportunity to have classroom helpers work with a couple of kids at a time at a center.
So fun and so cute. Kids loved it and were so proud to take them home.
That is such a great idea! Love it!
Can you make this with store bought frost?
You can use store bought to add the candy on, but store bought won’t hold the graham crackers together very well. I have seen people use a hot glue gun to build the house and then use store bought to add the candy.
So much fun! The royal icing is like marshmallow! We had such fun making these! Ahhhh!
I’m so glad it was a fun experience for you. The icing really is similar to marshmallow. 🙂
I’m so excited to do this with grandkids tomorrow. (One is 2 so wish me luck!) I went ahead and put the houses together today and will have them decorate tomorrow. I’ve got the frosting in little bags. Do they need to be refrigerated until use?
Yay! Your grandkids are going to love doing this! No need to refrigerate the frosting until you use it. I always prepare it a day or two in advance and just leave it out. Always works great. Have fun!
Hi- can I use a buttercream frosting recipe instead of this with egg whites or do you need the egg whites to hold the graham cracker pieces?
You need the egg whites and this royal icing recipe or it will be too soft and not hold the house together. Another option is using a hot glue gun to glue the pieces together and then using frosting to glue the candy on. You could use butter cream to stick the candy on.
We are making out today! Thank you
So glad you made these over the holiday! So fun!
Everything in this post worked great! I opted for hot gluing the graham house together and only used the icing for the candy. I used the royal icing recipe without the cream of tartar and it worked just fine. Thank you so much for these instructions!
Awesome! I love hearing that. Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment/review.
Is it eatable?
Yes!
This frosting worked so well and I didn’t even have to run to the store for special ingredients! That’s always a win. I left out the cream of tartar as well and it worked fine. Nice and simple.
Awesome! So happy to hear it worked well for you without the cream of tartar.
Hi Maria!,
I’m excited to try this! How long do you think it takes the walls to dry if we use your icing?
Thanks.
I usually make them the night before I need to use them, but it really shouldn’t take more then an hour or two for them to dry.
How far in advance do you think I could make these? My daughter’s party is a week from today, and I was thinking about making them tomorrow. Do you think they would still be good by Saturday?
I have made the houses a week in advance before, and then made the frosting the night before and bagged it ready to go for the next day. It should be fine.
Can I make the frosting ahead and put it in fridge? Then take it out day before?
You can make it ahead but I don’t reccomend refrigerating it. I have made it ahead of time and loaded it into ziplock bags and it has been fine that way for 2-3 days before decorating.
Is the frosting safe to eat?
We usually don’t eat it because they like to leave them as decorations, but over the years my little ones have taken bites and it’s never been a problem.