To find the best gingerbread house kits, we researched a variety of picks, keeping in mind the dimensions, cookie type, and what’s included. Overall, the best gingerbread house kit is the Bakery Bling Gingerbread House Kit because of its easy assembly, delicious cookies, and festive candy accessories. Here are the best gingerbread houses available online now. Keep in Mind: There’s not a ton of room for creativity in the kit, since the decorations are very stylized. The no-bake kit includes pre-made cookies and frosting, so you’ll have all of the essentials to get started. There are included step-by-step instructions, but assembly is fairly easy. All you need to do is place the six cookie sheets in the shape of the house and adhere them together with the brand’s signature cookie icing. Once it’s assembled, you’ll be able to use the included glittery sugar and candy accessories to personalize the structure and decorate it however you see fit. Price at time of publish: $40 Dimensions: 9.5 x 3 9 inches | Cookie type: Gingerbread | What’s included: Pre-baked gingerbread cookies, cookie icing, glitter sugar, and candy accessories Keep in Mind: It has a slightly different look from a traditional gingerbread house. In a departure from traditional gingerbread houses, this kit resembles a cozy log cabin. Once the structure is set in place, you and your loved ones will enjoy decorating it with the included sugar, confetti, candy mix, sprinkle mix, candy cane sticks, and icing options. Price at time of publish: $22 Dimensions: 3.52 x x 9.38 x 9.75 inches | Cookie Type: Gingerbread | What’s Included: Pre-baked gingerbread log cabin panels, pre-baked gingerbread cookies with easels, sugar, confetti, candy mix, sprinkle mix, candy cane sticks, icings, and decorating bags Keep in Mind: The house is pre-assembled, which may not be ideal if you want to build yours fully. The kit includes a pre-assembled house, which is great for families with kids who like to skip straight to the decorating phase. Speaking of which, it comes with 11 different types of candy to decorate, like chocolate, gummies, and other options, so you’ll be able to decorate however you see fit. Although it’s a splurge, part of what makes this pick one of the best gingerbread houses is that it’s a giftable option as well. The pre-made set comes in a festive box with a built-in handle that makes it easy to transport it to and from underneath a tree. Price at time of publish: $60 Dimensions: 14.5 x 8.5 x 10 inches | Cookie Type: Gingerbread | What’s Included: Mini gumballs, rainbow dark chocolate mini nonpareils, gumdrops, assorted starlight fruit mints, holiday foiled milk chocolates, starzmania tie dye sixlets, dylan’s candy bar jelly bean mix, sour rainbow bricks, and candy buttons Keep in Mind: Unlike some other styles, this kit doesn’t include colored frosting or chocolate for added decor. Unlike some other styles, the gingerbread pieces are designed to fit into each other like puzzle pieces, so everything should line up well. Once it’s assembled, you can decorate it with the included mix of vibrant candy pieces. Just keep in mind that unlike some other styles, this kit doesn’t include colored frosting or chocolate, so it just depends on your preferences. Price at time of publish: From $30 Dimensions: 5.75 x 5 x 5.5 inches | Cookie Type: Gingerbread | What’s Included: Precut gingerbread cookies, vanilla icing mix, star candies, gumdrops, mini beads, mini lights, mini candy gum, 2 piping bags, and 2 plastic decorating tips Keep in Mind: This gingerbread house doesn’t come with candy pieces for decoration, so you’ll have to buy those on your own. Made from six gingerbread cookie sheets, the pre-built house has a sturdy foundation. The kit comes with extra icing to decorate but it’s worth noting that the kit doesn’t include any colorful candies or chocolates, so you’ll have to source those yourself. Price at time of publish: $15 Dimensions: Not listed | Cookie Type: Gingerbread | What’s Included: Pre-built gingerbread house and icing Keep in Mind: It’s processed in a facility that also processes peanut and tree nuts, so you’ll need to be mindful of any food allergies. The pre-baked gingerbread cookies can be assembled with the included pre-made. Although it’s small in size, there’s plenty of surface area to decorate however you see fit. It’s worth noting that items in this kit are processed in a facility that also processes peanuts and tree nuts, so you’ll just need to be mindful of any food allergies. Price at time of publish: $15 Dimensions: 2.75 x 2 x 4.6 inches | Cookie Type: Gingerbread | What’s Included: Pre-baked gingerbread, pre-made icing, candy jewels, and fruity gummies Keep in Mind: It’s significantly more expensive than other styles and you’ll have to prep the icing before you use it. Before you begin assembling the six-piece house, you’ll need to prep the icing per the included instructions. Once the structure is set, however, you’ll be able to enjoy the plethora of included candy toppings, like marshmallows, gumdrops, sprinkles, and candy canes. Keep in mind that the kit is more expensive than other styles. However, it’ll last up to one month on display at room temperature, so it should last you through the whole holiday season. Price at time of publish: $130 Dimensions: Not listed | Cookie Type: Gingerbread | What’s Included: Six pieces of gingerbread, sugar icing mix, marshmallows, gumdrops, assorted candies, candy canes, and sprinkles Keep in Mind: It’s made of chocolate cookies instead of gingerbread. The kit includes chocolate cookies instead of gingerbread, so keep that in mind if you prefer a traditional option instead. Unlike other gingerbread house kits, this one comes with golden pearls and a holiday mix for a more elevated look while decorating. Plus, since the structures are mini, it’s likely going to be easier to find space to display the whole village together. Price at time of publish: $16 Dimensions: Not listed | Cookie Type: Chocolate | What’s Included: Godiva masterpieces dark chocolate hearts, pre-baked chocolate cookies, pre-made icing, golden candy pearls, and holly mix Keep in Mind: It’s more expensive than some other kits and you’ll still need to buy additional baking ingredients. Once you have your freshly baked pieces, you can assemble them on the included cardboard base. The kit includes a variety of candy options, like Twizzlers, Dots, and caramel squares, so you can decorate it to your liking. The kit is more expensive than some other kits and you’ll still need to buy additional baking ingredients, but we think it’s worth it for families looking to upgrade a beloved tradition by building the entire gingerbread house from scratch. Price at time of publish: $40 Dimensions: Not listed | Cookie Type: Gingerbread | What’s Included: Gingerbread cookie mix, gingerbread house cutters, a cardboard round base, icing mix, piping bags, peppermint rounds, dots candy, twizzlers, caramels, green sour belts, cherry red and watermelon green nerds, and peppermint sticks Keep in Mind: It’s not made with traditional gingerbread cookie pieces. The kit includes a build tray that helps outline the build, making assembly easy. Once the chocolate pieces are put together with the pre-made icing, you’ll be able to accessorize with the included Reese’s peanut butter cups, Reese’s pieces, and small Christmas-inspired candies. Just note that between the chocolate pieces and Reese’s candies, this pick is a nontraditional option, so it’s not ideal if that’s your preference. However, that also means you can use it for other holidays as well, like Halloween or Thanksgiving. Price at time of publish: $36 Dimensions: Not listed | Cookie Type: Chocolate | What’s Included: EZ build tray, reese’s peanut butter cups, reese’s pieces, cookie house pieces, pre-made icings, and assorted candy Keep in Mind: It’s made with sugar cookies, not gingerbread. The cookie pieces for the house are sugar instead of traditional gingerbread, which some families might enjoy more (unless you’re craving the wintery flavors of gingerbread). It also comes with icing decor pieces, glitter sprinkles, and pre-made icing, so you can make the most of the kit. It’s made in a kosher, nut-free facility, so it’s a good option if your family has allergy concerns. Price at time of publish: $28 Dimensions: 7 x 7.5 x 7 inches | Cookie Type: Sugar | What’s Included: Pre-baked cookie pieces, icing decor pieces, glitter sprinkles, and pre-made icing
What to Know About Gingerbread House Kits Before Shopping
Dimensions
The size of a gingerbread house will vary based on the brand. Most gingerbread houses range from 5 to 10 inches tall, give or take. When choosing the best gingerbread house for your home, consider how much countertop space you have, as they’re meant to be left on display after being decorated. Some options, like the Cookies United Mini Gingerbread House Kit, are smaller, so each person can decorate their own house without dedicating your entire kitchen counter to displaying the gingerbread village all season long.
Design
Most gingerbread house kits follow the same template and include six pieces total as far as the house’s structure. However, the design is based on the provided frostings, candy decorations, and any other accessories the kit includes. We recommend buying a few extra decorations for added personalization, especially if you’ll be decorating multiple houses.
Level of Difficulty
The best gingerbread house kit will meet the baker and designer where they’re at. For example, if you’re experienced with putting gingerbread houses together, then you might be okay with cookie sheets without pre-cut sections for easy assembly. You might also enjoy a kit that provides just the mix to bake your own cookies. However, for beginners and kids, pre-cut pieces or pre-assembled houses will make the activity more fun and less stressful.
Creative Freedom
When it comes to decorating a gingerbread house, it’s really up to the person and how they’d like to decorate it. Most kits will include some decorations, however you can always add your own twist with other candy and frosting you might have on hand.
Your Questions, Answered
Is it cheaper to make your own gingerbread house?
Whether or not it’s cheaper to make your own gingerbread house depends on the look you’re trying to achieve. If you want to create a basic gingerbread house with frosting and cookies, then it may be cheaper to make it on your own. With a gingerbread kit, however, you’re essentially paying for the ease and convenience of the premade cookies, icing, and candy altogether.
How long are gingerbread house kits good for?
You’ll want to check on the box to see how long the gingerbread house kit will last. Some gingerbread house kits stay fresh for up to a month while others may have an even longer shelf life. Those that have a super long shelf life likely won’t be particularly delicious by the end of the season, so you might want to have other cookies and candy on hand for snacking while you decorate.
Is everything in a gingerbread house kit edible?
For most gingerbread house kits, everything is usually edible aside from any provided bases or cookie molds. However, you’ll want to check on the product packaging to make sure everything is edible and there aren’t included pieces solely for decoration.
Who We Are
Casey Clark is a freelance writer for Better Homes & Gardens. She has been a writer for three years and has been featured in PEOPLE, Taste of Home, Forbes, HuffPost, Cosmopolitan, and more. To make this list she researched a variety of picks, keeping in mind dimensions, cookie type, and what’s included in each kit.
