Secrets to Perfect Gingerbread House Icing

If you want an A+ gingerbread house, you need the best gingerbread house icing. When planning your gingerbread house, the icing is a very important part. Gingerbread houses are a great way to set the scene for the holidays and impress visitors to your home.

The icing on a gingerbread house serves several functions. It is both decoration and also the "glue" which helps hold the gingerbread house pieces together. If you want your house to look better and last longer, you need to have the right kind of icing and you need to know how to apply it properly.


Royal Icing Recipes for Gingerbread

Gingerbread is typically iced with royal icing recipes. Traditional royal icing is made from fresh egg whites and icing sugar.

Basic Gingerbread House Icing Recipe

  • 2 egg whites
  • 5 cups confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, lightly whisk egg whites. Gradually beat in approximately confectioners' sugar. The icing should be smooth and stand in firm peaks.

Today however, due to health regulations and food safety, many people use a dried albumen-based powder instead of the fresh egg whites. Many people also find it more convenient to use the powder and not have to deal with messy eggs.

Here are our favorite royal icing recipes for gingerbread house construction:

Royal Icing Recipe #1

  • 1 pound of confectionery sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 3 egg whites

Beat slowly until stiff peaks form. Put icing in a pastry bag or plastic bag with a hole cut in the bottom corner to act as a pastry bag.

Royal icing recipe #2:

  • 4 teaspoons dried albumen-based powder (such as ‘Meri White)
  • 4 tablespoons cold water
  • 500g icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon glycerin (prevents the icing from drying too hard)

Beat slowly until the icing is smooth and stands in firm peaks. Use a pastry bag or plastic bag with a hole to apply the icing to the gingerbread.

These icing recipes should help you create beautiful, amazing gingerbread houses. See our decorating pages for creative ways to use icing you may not have thought of.

Have an Icing Recipe or a Tip to Share?

Do you have a favorite Royal Icing Recipe or even just a tip for icing gingerbread houses? Share it!

Other Visitors's Icing Recipes and Tips

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Easy Peasy Gingerbread Construction 
Most people don't eat their houses, they're just for decoration. The fun is in eating the goodies as you go. I have found that hot gluing the houses ahead …

Humbugs: the Wall Saver 
Every year I make a big heavy gingerbread house and have trouble getting my walls to stick together. Last year I discovered that if you microwave a humbug …

BBC Food's Eggless Royal Icing 
Here's one for those who are health conscious, vegan, and/ or have egg allergies. It is from the BBC Food's website and was used with great success in …

sugar glue 
Growing up my mom made gingerbread houses every year for gifts. I remember she always had a hard time keeping the walls from falling in while working on …

Icing used as glue 
You will need: Sugar Method: Boil sugar until sticky and liquidy.

GingerBread house icing recipe Not rated yet
1) Get a large bowl 2) Next get 2 egg whites 3) 4 cups of sugar than stir And your Done!

gingerbread iceing Not rated yet
beat egg whites and sugar until soft

MIX LONGER!!! Not rated yet
It's better to mix longer because then it makes it firmer so then it works as a better thing to conect the house pieces.

cookie frosting Not rated yet
1 have your frosting out for a couple days 2 put in on your cookie 3 then put your cookies back in the fridge for 3hr then you have frosting …

if you use the Basic Gingerbread House Icing Recipe Not rated yet
when you make the Basic Gingerbread House Icing Recipe you should use more confectioners' sugar than the recipe calls for. it will make it thicker and …

The best runny icing Not rated yet
500grams icing sugar 5tbps lemon juice (your choice) 2tbsp soft butter Mix half the juice and the butter until smooth then add the sugar bit by bit. …

Genoese sponge Not rated yet
Ingredients 4 eggs 100 g caster sugar 100 g plain flour 1 tsp vanilla extract 25 g butter Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. …

ROLLED FOUNDANT Not rated yet
ROLLED FOUDANT 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin 1/2 cup cold water 1/2 cup glucose 1 teaspoon glycerin 2 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening 2 lbs. …

peanut butter chocolate Not rated yet
Peanut Butter Chocolates Ingredients: Crunchy peanut butter ½ cup Icing sugar sifted 2 tbsp Cocoa powder 1 ½ tbsp Dark chocolate melted 100gm …

icing Not rated yet
I use white chocolate to glue my houses together as my son is allergic to egg. Still works well as long as you get the white chocolate melts that are quite …

Click here to write your own.






Return Home from more gingerbread house icing page.



View Cart

advertising policies

Free Newsletter

Subscribe to our Free Newsletter!

E-mail Address


First Name (Optional)

Then

Don't worry -- your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you Gingerbread Heaven.

Gingerbread Patterns

gingerbread house patterns
Check out our patterns page.

Don't see what you want? Request a custom pattern!


Search This Site

Custom Search










Enjoy This Site?
Then why not use the buttons above to add us to your favorite bookmarking service?


Copyright© 2006-2012 gingerbread-house-heaven.com
All Rights Reserved.