By

Wendy Stoltz / Last Modified On June 5, 2025

No Christmas is complete without making this gluten free gingerbread recipe. You can start or continue an age-old tradition that children and adults love, making a gingerbread house. It's a great fun activity for the festive season, and you can decorate it as you please.

The Best Gluten Free Gingerbread Recipe

In the run-up to Christmas, this gluten-free gingerbread recipe is at the top of my list. I make sure I buy the ingredients well in advance, or else all the shelves are empty at my local store. It seems all the seasonal bakers come out, which is great, but I do wish the store managers or purchasers would keep this in mind for next year. 

We love all things ginger during the festive season, from gluten-free gingerbread cake to gluten-free gingerbread men. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, so I like to go all out with Christmas cookies, especially gluten-free gingerbread cookies. 

The full ingredient list and step-by-step instructions are below. You can click "jump to recipe" to get there immediately!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Fun to Make - This is such a fun activity for families to make. You can even make it for Christmas in July. Decorate it with what you want - There is no one way to decorate a gingerbread house. You can use any candy you like. Smell - The smell of the house pieces baking will bring back memories over the festive season for years to come.

Ingredients

It does have a few ingredients, but it is so much fun, and you have time to do this family activity.

For the cookies:

• Flour - For this gluten-free recipe, we used Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. The combinations of flour in this gluten-free flour blend deliver the perfect gluten-free gingerbread cookie. They are firm enough to cut into shapes, but pillowy soft when you bite into them. Note that you can make your own gluten-free flour blend. Just make sure yours includes xanthan gum or another binding agent. That's key to the structural integrity of your gingerbread house!
• Spices and seasoning - This is for a tasty cookie and is a combination of ground cinnamon (which can have beneficial effects on blood pressure), ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, salt, and brown sugar.
• Ginger - This is such a great ingredient. Did you know it has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects? 
• Butter - You can use regular butter or dairy-free butter.
• Baking soda - This is so that the cookies rise.
• Egg - The egg binds the ingredients together. I use a single large egg for this recipe. 
• Molasses - This adds such great flavor.
• Vanilla Extract - Use a good quality gluten-free vanilla extract.

For the icing :

• Sugar - Use powdered sugar.
• Milk - I have used whole milk, but you can use water.
• Vanilla Extract - Use a good quality vanilla extract.

Equipment Needed

Use a few large bowls. A hand mixer is handy for creaming the batter. You can use a house cookie cutter or make your own. Take a look at the video. Use a stable board to display the gluten free gingerbread house kit.

How to Make Gluten-Free Gingerbread

These are the 8 steps to making your gingerbread house. Follow along visually or watch the video. 

This may seem daunting, but making this gluten free ginger bread house is easier than you think. If you love being creative, then don't give it a miss.Here are the steps.

Combine And Cream

Mix the gluten-free flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add Dry Ingredients and Mix-Ins

Add in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Continue creaming until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Add half of the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.Add the remaining flour mixture and continue mixing until fully incorporated and a gingerbread cookie dough forms. 

Stir and Scoop

Shape the dough into a ball and divide it into two halves. On a piece of parchment paper, pat each half of the dough into a 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate the dough disks for 1–2 hours, or until they are cold and firm. Once chilled, remove one dough disk from the refrigerator. Place a piece of wax paper on top, and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thick.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Cut the rolled-out dough into desired shapes using gingerbread house templates or cookie cutters. Transfer the cut shapes onto a prepared baking sheet.Bake and Cool

Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set. Allow the gingerbread house pieces to cool completely on a wire rack before assembling.

Prepare royal icing by mixing powdered sugar, meringue powder, water, and vanilla extract until thick and smooth. Use the royal icing to assemble and decorate your gluten-free gingerbread house. Watch the video so you can see the assembly process and follow along. 

Tips On How to Make This Gluten-Free Gingerbread House

• Cream ingredients - Creaming takes 2-3 minutes, and makes the cookie house pieces nice and chewy.
• Chill the dough - Chill the dough for 1-2 hours, especially if you have a very hot kitchen. 
• Check the cookies - Some ovens run hotter or cooler, so you want to check them. 
• Let the cookies cool - Cool them on the rack for 3-5 minutes, the wait is worth it as they firm up.
• Measure flour correctly - Use the spoon-into-cup method or weigh your gluten-free flour so you have a good result.
• Cooking time - Bake the gingerbread cookie house pieces for the correct amount of time. 
• Cooled - Ensure your gingerbread house pieces are cooled before decorating them. They firm up once cooled.

Where to Buy Gluten Free Gingerbread?

It is a bit tricky to find fresh gingerbread for sale out of season, so keep an eye out from October onwards as stores, bakeries, and markets start selling gingerbread house kits, and they tend to sell out fast.

I found this White Gold gingerbread cookie mix on Amazon that says it's gluten-free. I haven't tried it, but the reviews seem generally positive. My preference, if I'm buying instead of baking, is to buy from a local gluten-free baker I trust.

I also like to keep an eye on gluten-free brands like Pamela's products and Schar to see if they introduce anything. 

There's also an easy way to make gluten-free gingersnaps any time of year! And it's easy to find similar tastes if you don't mind a little online shopping. I've tried Mi-Del gingersnaps before (you can get them at Amazon). They're Swedish style and have some of that same delicious flavor as gingerbread.

That said, nothing beats homemade!

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few questions to help you along the way. But the main thing you need to do is have fun making this gluten free gingerbread recipe.

How Long Can I Store It?

Gluten-free gingerbread houses can be stored for up to 2-3 weeks at room temperature. Keep it in a cool, dry place away from any moisture and humidity. Try storing it in an airtight container or loosely covered with plastic wrap to protect it from dust, but be careful you don’t break it. I am speaking from experience here, or place it on a table that dogs can reach. Can I Freeze It?

Yes, you can freeze the dough and defrost it when ready to make your house. Alternatively, freeze the house pieces. I do not recommend freezing the entire house, and who has space for it anyway?

Can You Make Vegan Gingerbread?

You would need to replace the butter and eggs with vegan alternatives. Note that I haven't tried the vegan version myself. If I do, I'll try replacing the eggs with aquafaba and the butter with a vegan alternative.

What To Consider When Building A Gingerbread House

So, from my experience, here are a few things to bear in mind:

• The cookies need to cool completely. I know your children may be asking to decorate it, but don't let them get the better of you, or else it will fall apart.
• Make sure the dough is rolled to a ¼ inch thickness. It helps to put it together. 
• The icing is effectively your glue to make sure the consistency is as thick as possible.
• I like to make sure the sides are dry before adding on the roof. Give it about 1-2 hours.
• Give the house structure support by using cans or anything that can hold it up until it dries. 
• Use candy that is not heavy and won't spoil.
• If your gingerbread dough is crumbly, check to make sure you're using a flour blend with a binding agent. If you are, the issue might be too small of an egg or not quite enough butter.

Continue to Content

Yield: 1 gingerbread house

Gluten Free Gingerbread Recipe

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This gluten free gingerbread recipe makes the most adorable Gingerbread house. Perfect for the Christmas season.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 25 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

For the gingerbread house:

• 3 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup butter, room temperature
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• ½ cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Mix the gluten-free flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Continue creaming until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
4. Add half of the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Add the remaining flour mixture and continue mixing until fully incorporated and a dough forms.
6. Shape the dough into a ball and divide it in half. On a piece of parchment paper, pat each half of the dough into a 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate the dough disks for 1–2 hours, or until they are cold and firm.
7. Once chilled, remove one dough disk from the refrigerator. Place a piece of wax paper on top, and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thick. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
8. Cut the rolled-out dough into desired shapes using gingerbread house templates or cookie cutters. Transfer the cut shapes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set.
9. Allow the gingerbread pieces to cool completely on a wire rack before assembling.
10. Prepare royal icing by mixing powdered sugar, meringue powder, water, and vanilla extract until thick and smooth. Use the royal icing to assemble and decorate your gluten-free gingerbread house.

Notes

• Cream ingredients - Creaming takes 2-3 minutes, and makes the cookie house pieces nice and chewy.
• Chill the dough - Chill the dough for 1-2 hours, especially if you have a very hot kitchen. 
• Check the cookies - Some ovens run hotter or cooler, so you want to check them. 
• Let the cookies cool - Cool them on the rack for 3-5 minutes, the wait is worth it as they firm up.
• Measure flour correctly - Use the cup in spoon method or weigh your gluten-free flour so you have a good result.
• Cooking time - Bake the cookies for the correct amount of time. 
• Cooled - Ensure your gingerbread house pieces are cooled before decorating them. They firm up once cooled.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. They never cost you extra.

• 
  Farberware Wood Rolling Pin
• 
  Pyrex Smart Essentials 3-Piece Prepware Mixing Bowl Set
• 
  Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter Set

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 3526Total Fat: 146gSaturated Fat: 90gTrans Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 45gCholesterol: 556mgSodium: 3289mgCarbohydrates: 542gFiber: 7gSugar: 434gProtein: 23g

This nutrition info is based on the exact ingredients and brands used at the time. It may not be 100% accurate. Please check your ingredients nutrition labels.

If you make this gluten-free gingerbread recipe, please consider stopping by and letting me know what you think.