Restless Chipotle

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
×
Home » Recipes » Christmas

How to Make a Graham Cracker Gingerbread House

Published: Nov 4, 2023 · Updated: Mar 26, 2025 by Marye

Learn how to make a graham cracker gingerbread house step by step with this bright white, easy-to-make royal icing. It's the best icing for gingerbread houses.
Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 10 minutes minutes
Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
Overhead view of a bowl of royal icing.
Finished gingerbread house with title text overlay for Pinterest.

Updated for 2023! Learn how to make a graham cracker gingerbread house with new, gorgeous step-by-step images.

Making gingerbread houses with graham crackers is easy once you know these tips. AND be sure to read through them. It will save you a ton of time.

A trio of decorated gingerbread houses on a cake dish.

I've hosted a gingerbread house party for over 30 years and have plenty of tips!

Learn how to cut the crackers more easily, put them together so they stay together, and more! 

This post has been updated from the December 2012 version. 

Table of Contents
  • 🗝️ Key takeaways
  • 🧾What you'll need
  • 💭 Things to know
  • How to Cut the Graham Crackers to Shape
  • Make the Royal Icing
  • How to Assemble
  • Decorate !
  • 🎥 Video
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 📞 The last word
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Old images
  • 💬 Comments

🗝️ Key takeaways

  • This is a fun project to do with your kids or classroom.
  • It's perfect for inside days when you've got bad weather. Adjust the decorations to fit Halloween, Easter, and other holidays, too.
  • Honey Maid Graham crackers is the only brand that I have found that still makes rectangular crackers. Squares won't work.

🧾What you'll need

Ingredients needed for the royal icing and the gingerbread houses.
  • Honey Maid Graham crackers - this is the only brand that I have found that still makes rectangular crackers. Squares won't work.
  • Confectioner's sugar
  • Egg whites
  • Paper plates
  • Candy
  • Children of all ages

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: Be sure you get a couple of extra boxes just in case. And now is a great time for a cranberry Moscow Mule or three - especially if you're a perfectionist.

  • You will need five rectangular graham crackers for each house. One rectangle for each of the ends, one rectangle cut into two squares for the sides, and two rectangles with about 1 inch cut from the bottoms for the roof. Cutting the graham crackers can be a bit stressful and they break pretty easily.
  • If you leave the graham crackers out for a few hours and it's humid they will soften up and are easier to cut. You can also put them in a single layer on a cookie sheet in a cold oven and put a bowl of steaming water in with them so the steam softens them - check often! You don't want them to get too soft.
  • A wood cutting board is the best surface for cutting.
  • Use a sharp knife and cut the top end of each rectangle into a point. It doesn't need to be perfect.
  • Cut straight down. If you use a sawing motion the graham crackers are more likely to break.
  • Once you have two pointed rectangles, set them aside with two rectangles cut in half to make squares. Continue on until you have all of the pieces cut and stacked together.

Number one with red circle around itHow to Cut the Graham Crackers to Shape

5 graham crackers cut in the shapes needed to build the gingerbread house.

white number 2 in a red circle

Make the Royal Icing

Keep the royal icing covered with a damp paper towel once it's made to keep it from drying out. You'll probably need to make more so have plenty of supplies.

Recipe is at the bottom of this page.

Step by step images showing how to make royal icing.

number three in a red circle

How to Assemble

Smear a thick bead of icing down one side each piece.
Smear a thick bead of icing down one side each piece. Don't worry about being messy! This will be on the inside. The royal icing sets up fast so don't wait too long before going on to the next step.
Gently press a square into it and hold it for a couple of seconds. Smear another bead of icing down the other side. Press a square into place.
Gently press a square into it and hold it for a couple of seconds. Smear another bead of icing down the other side. Press a square into place.
Spread beads of icing on either side of the other pointed graham cracker. Gently push it onto the open end of the house.
Spread beads of icing on either side of the other pointed graham cracker. Gently push it onto the open end of the house.
Repeat with the other side and let set for a couple of hours.
Repeat with the other side and let set for a couple of hours.
Smear icing on 3 sides of the first roof piece.
Smear icing on 3 sides of the first roof piece.
Press it on the angled side of the tall graham cracker. Hold for a few seconds.
Press it on the angled side of the tall graham cracker. Hold for a few seconds.
Repeat with the last square. Use icing to fill in any cracks or weak areas.
Repeat with the last square. Use icing to fill in any cracks or weak areas.

Set aside to let dry while you make the other houses. It works best for them to be stable before adding the roof.

Let stand at room temperature overnight.

White number 4 in a red circle

Decorate !

Now comes the fun part! Decorating those cute graham cracker houses! You'll need to handle them gently and remind the younger kids to be careful - they collapse easily.

A finished gingerbread house with the roof being decorated.

Set out the candy in pretty dishes, muffin pans, or whatever holds it and makes it easily accessible. Someday, I'm going to set everything out in vintage teacups and do a gingerbread house party tea.

A finished gingerbread house showing the  decorated front.

Put a glob of  royal icing "glue " on each plate. Show the kids how to add candy to their graham cracker houses using the icing as glue. Caution them to be gentle!

A finished gingerbread house showing a Santa

That's it. Let them decorate to their hearts' content and be sure to "ooooh" and "ahhhhh" over the results. Try not to coach them but be there to help if needed. If you happen to have red hots left over (I always do) consider making the red hots candy apple pie or spiced apple rings.!

A finished gingerbread house decorated with red licorice.

Most of all - take lots of pictures! This is such a wonderful way to make special memories.

🎥 Video

👩‍🍳 FAQs

What do you need to make a gingerbread house out of graham crackers?

Basically, you need graham crackers, royal icing (recipe below) and candy plus time and patience.

How do you stick graham crackers together?

Royal icing or melted chocolate are the most common forms of "glue".

📚 Related recipes

  • A crunchy topped casserole with a serving spoon in it.
    Pineapple Casserole
  • Closeup of sliced ham on a plate.
    Southern Coca-Cola Glazed Ham
  • Overhead view of baked sausage balls in a bowl.
    Cream Cheese Sausage Balls Recipe
  • Overhead view of buckeye balls candy.
    Old-Fashioned Buckeyes Peanut Butter Balls
See more Christmas Recipes →

📞 The last word

About 24 years ago, on the first Saturday of December, I unknowingly created a tradition that was to haunt me for the rest of my life. I made houses out of graham crackers, bought candy, and invited the kids' friends over to decorate the "gingerbread" houses.

I served gingerbread and hot chocolate to the kids, and wine to the moms.

Since then I have only missed one party - and that was because of tremendous upheaval in my life.

I hosted the 1998 party while in active labor with Sean - giving birth to him at home about 4 hours later.

I have hosted parties with 30 children and I have hosted parties where the only ones in attendance were my own kids. Each one has been amazingly fun, but most of all, each has created a special memory for the kids who attended.

A lot of those kids are parents now.

And it isn't just little kids either. My 41-year-old still decorates a graham-cracker gingerbread house with as much candy as she can get on it.

I won't say that my other kids and grandkids have to fight her for the last of the red and green Dots... but I may have witnessed a few arm wrestling championships and food fights that rival the scene in Animal House.

Graham cracker gingerbread houses aren't really difficult but they do take some finesse and some practice.

It takes a little time to get the technique down and you will end up with a lot of cracker scraps and broken crackers that you can use for crumb crusts and other things. You might also want to save up.

This year my candy bill for 20 houses was close to $200.00.

Now every time  I go to the grocery store, the bag boy we voted most likely to smoke weed on his breaks gives me a thumbs up and a knowing smile.

Because really, unless you had a severe case of the munchies why else would you buy an entire cartload of candy?

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Overhead view of a bowl of royal icing.

Royal Icing for Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses (The best "glue")

4.76 from 33 votes
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved! Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Learn how to make a graham cracker gingerbread house step by step with this bright white, easy-to-make royal icing. It's the best icing for gingerbread houses.
Course Dessert - Frosting
Cuisine Holiday
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings:10
Calories:96
Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

  • 2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 2 egg whites, , room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • pinch of cream of tartar

Instructions

  • Rinse your mixing bowl with lemon juice or white vinegar.
  • Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed until they are foamy.
  • Add the sugar and lemon juice.
  • Beat at high speed until thick and fluffy.
  • You may need to add a little water if it is too stiff or a little sugar if it is too thin. It should have the texture of old fashioned paste.

Notes

 
For color add a few drops of food color while whipping.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 96kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 9mg | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin C: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

First published December 10, 2012. Last updated November 4, 2023 for better tutorial images.

Old images

plaingingerbreadhousesreadytobedecoratedforthegingerbreadhouseparty titleimage
two gingerbread houses with cookies and red and green candy on a lace covered table

More Christmas Recipes

  • Closeup of date nut bread slices on a cutting board.
    Date Nut Bread
  • Overhead view of a finished cherry and cream cheese coffee cake with vanilla glaze.
    Cream Cheese Cherry Bubble Up
  • Closeup of pecans in a serving dish showing the bumpy texture of the crunchy candied pecans.
    Spiced Candied Pecans
  • Closeup of squares of gingerbread on a cake plate.
    Homemade Gingerbread

Love it? Share it!

3.4K shares
  • Facebook
  • Flipboard

About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

Comments

    4.76 from 33 votes (30 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Love it? Give it 5 stars!




  1. Alyssa says

    December 14, 2020 at 6:07 pm

    How many batches of frosting would you suggest for 15 kids?

    Reply
    • Marye says

      December 15, 2020 at 11:01 am

      Probably 2 to 3.

      Reply
  2. Jana says

    November 29, 2020 at 6:05 pm

    These are great! How many days in advance do you make the houses? I

    Reply
    • Marye says

      November 30, 2020 at 12:31 pm

      About 12 hours at most or they get soft

      Reply
  3. Erica sanford says

    November 04, 2019 at 10:18 am

    Yes, I'm curious which candies you used.tradionsl or unique? I have tried this twice.love the time and excitement.thank you for any feedbback

    Reply
    • Marye says

      November 04, 2019 at 10:08 pm

      I go to the candy store and pick up whatever seems interesting. It's different every year!

      Reply
  4. Suzanne says

    December 21, 2018 at 8:51 am

    4 stars
    I had greater success with my houses by putting the frosting on the squares (not the triangular roof pieces) and then being sure the triangular pieces are on the INSIDE so the roof is the exact same as the triangles that support it. The houses are more structurally sound this way. The photos shown are not made this way but the opposite! They are more likely to collapse and rely on the frosting more to stay together. Otherwise, great instructions. My graham crackers cut quite easily after time in the oven w some steaming water!

    Reply
    • Meg says

      December 20, 2020 at 9:35 pm

      5 stars
      I added just a little extra (approx 1-2T) sugar to firm it up a bit, then made the houses as described above. I only had time to let it dry for 2 hours before letting my kiddos decorate (I clearly didn't read the directions to plan ahead). . . and they turned out great. Two hours was sufficient for the frosting to harden and the houses withstood two 6 yr olds pushing candies all over them. So, just know you can make these last minute if you're in a pinch!

      Reply
  5. Tara Bevillard says

    December 12, 2018 at 7:04 am

    Is the royal icing edible?

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      December 14, 2018 at 3:42 pm

      yes

      Reply
  6. Laura Edge says

    October 29, 2018 at 4:42 pm

    How far ahead can you make the royal icing and what is the best way to store it? I want to use your cute idea for a teen library program.

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      November 08, 2018 at 9:42 pm

      You can make it ahead by a few days and store it in the fridge with a damp paper towel over the top.

      Reply
  7. Taylor Kiser says

    October 14, 2016 at 10:03 pm

    Gingerbread houses are such a fun tradition! Love this idea to use graham crackers!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      October 18, 2016 at 8:25 am

      Thanks Taylor... we've had lots of fun with it.

      Reply
  8. allie says

    October 14, 2016 at 9:13 pm

    Love the simplicity Marye!!! Takes the stress out of holiday gingerbread houses for sure. These are adorable.

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      October 18, 2016 at 8:29 am

      Thanks so much, Allie!

      Reply
  9. Jerry says

    December 05, 2015 at 11:58 am

    5 stars
    Simple fun for the whole family! I'll definitely do this if I can get all the grandkids to visit. (We'd have a LOT of gingerbread houses.)

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      December 06, 2015 at 9:43 pm

      It really is so much fun!

      Reply
  10. Karen @ The Food Charlatan says

    December 04, 2015 at 4:20 am

    4 HOURS LATER??? Oh man. That is some serious gingerbread dedication.These are so fun!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      December 06, 2015 at 9:35 pm

      LOL! Yeah well, homebirth is way different. Thanks!

      Reply
  11. Dorothy says

    December 03, 2015 at 4:05 pm

    How many houses can you make with one batch of icing? I'm trying to figure out how much icing to make for 30 houses.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      December 03, 2015 at 4:20 pm

      Well between the houses and the decorations I usually make 3 batches of 15. Probably 2 batches for putting them together

      Reply
    • Karen Rogers says

      December 05, 2015 at 2:07 pm

      I did these houses with my students. I used store bought icing in the tubs. You have to add 6-7 tablespoons of icing sugar per tub to thicken the icing. We made these houses in one day but the more the students handled the icing and the longer it took the icing got too warm and the houses started falling apart and collapsing. ( I live in California so we joked that the earthquake made the houses lean and roofs cave in.LOL). After reading a lot of posts I think I will have the students construct the houses one day and decorate them the next day. I hope a day of the icing drying on the houses we will have fewer collapsing houses!

      Reply
      • Marye Audet says

        December 06, 2015 at 9:44 pm

        that kind of icing really doesn't work... you need royal icing to glue them together...

  12. Erin says

    December 03, 2015 at 3:49 pm

    I am still crying over the checkout boy most likely to smoke pot. 🙂 I LOVE to host kids over for food parties! They always have so much fun. I usually do cookie decorating but this year I might have to make some crazy gingerbread houses with the gang!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      December 03, 2015 at 4:21 pm

      LOL! It's a great way to keep them busy

      Reply
  13. Joy @ Joy Love Food says

    December 03, 2015 at 2:29 pm

    What a fun tradition, these houses are so cute, my kids would love them, we'll have to give it try!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      December 03, 2015 at 4:21 pm

      You should!

      Reply
  14. Kristen says

    December 03, 2015 at 9:35 am

    This kind of "gingerbread" house is just my speed. I have tried the real, homemade kind and it's just too much pressure. You are so brave to have hosted to many house raising parties over the years. I admire your courage 🙂

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      December 03, 2015 at 4:22 pm

      LOL! Im not sure courage would be the word I'd use

      Reply
  15. Urvashee says

    December 03, 2015 at 8:50 am

    What a fun activity to do with kids! I have done this before with fewer kids and using kits. Will have to try it with graham crackers.

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      December 03, 2015 at 4:23 pm

      It's a lot of fun!

      Reply
  16. Christie says

    December 03, 2015 at 7:32 am

    What an adorable idea for a party. My daughter is already asking to make a gingerbread house.

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      December 03, 2015 at 4:23 pm

      We do it the first Saturday of December every single year.

      Reply
  17. Brittany says

    December 12, 2014 at 6:01 pm

    Do you have to let it sit overnight? Will the project fail if it is constructed and decorated in the same day? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      December 12, 2014 at 6:06 pm

      It needs to set as long as possible so that the frosting "glue" is completely dry.

      Reply
  18. Anita says

    November 10, 2014 at 9:18 pm

    That gingerbread house party looks amazing! I can't believe how well set up it was and it must have been great to see everyone's different houses! I'll have to do something like that with my kids!

    Reply
  19. Renée J. (RJ Flamingo) says

    November 10, 2014 at 1:24 pm

    What a great idea! I think the only thing holding me back from making gingerbread houses, all these years, was having to make the actual gingerbread. Graham crackers? Inspired! And thanks for the icing recipe, too!

    Reply
  20. Marnie says

    November 09, 2014 at 11:07 am

    we have done these annually for more years than I'm willing to admit. (LOL). It is a family tradition. There is a secret to cutting the graham crackers that makes life so much easier. Place a rack (the kind you put your cookies on to cool) over a skillet of simmering water. Put the crackers on the rack and steam them till they are soft enough to cut. You'll need to flip them a time or two. Then, cut them with scissors. Yep, good old scissors. We even put chimneys on ours. You still might break one or two, but, with practice, you will be surprised how little breakage there is. The crackers will become hard and crisp again once they cool. Have fun!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      November 10, 2014 at 5:29 am

      Yep. I did it the first time in 1992! It's fun tho!

      Reply
Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

Welcome to my kitchen! ☕

NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

Find out more

🍉 Summer Cookouts

  • Overhead view of potato salad in a glass bowl
    Mom's Homemade Potato Salad
  • Overhead view of the finished watermelon basket filled with an assortment of fruit.
    How to Make a Watermelon Basket
  • Closeup of a finished hamburger in a bun.
    Retro Lipton Onion Soup Burger (Vintage Recipe)
  • Closeup of a star shaped cake covered in white chocolate with red and blue sprinkles.
    Zebra Cake Recipe: Little Debbie Copycat

🫖 Picklefork Stories

Picklefork town crest.
Click here to visit Picklefork

👑 Reader Favorites

  • Square overhead of chicken for feature image.
    Crockpot Angel Chicken
  • Close up of the sauce showing the creamy texture.
    Copycat Red Robin Campfire Sauce Recipe
  • Wooden spatula removing fried potatoes out of iron skillet.
    Crispy Fried Potatoes in a Cast Iron Skillet (Southern Style)
  • Blue cocktail with a red and white straw.
    Sex in the Driveway Cocktail
  • A sliced loaf of english muffin bread.
    Easy English Muffin Bread – No Knead, Perfect for Toasting!
  • Two finished loaves of Amish white bread cooling on a table.
    No-Fail Amish White Bread

Footer

^ back to top

About

  • About Marye Audet-White
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Contact
MaryeAudet Whiteandherchildren Dec

Featured In:

Places Restless Chipotle has been featured

We improve our products and advertising by using Microsoft Clarity to see how you use our website. By using our site, you agree that we and Microsoft can collect and use this data. Our privacy statement has more details.

Copyright ©2006 - 2025 Restless Chipotle Media, LLC

Picklefork Tales Copyright ©2025 Marye Audet, Restless Chipotle Media

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This worked exactly as written, thanks!
My family loved this!
Thank you for sharing this recipe

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.