Building a gingerbread house is a holiday tradition… but finding a kit that actually tastes good while staying upright? That’s the challenge. We put seven popular gingerbread house kits to the test, evaluating flavor, sturdiness, and ease of assembly, so you don’t have to waste time on a crumbly, tasteless disaster.
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Why Gingerbread Houses Are Tricky: Flavor vs. Structure
Most gingerbread houses prioritize structural integrity over deliciousness. The gingerbread is baked hard to avoid crumbling, often at the expense of flavor. Mass-produced kits rely on preservatives and stabilizers, resulting in cookies that taste more like cardboard than holiday spice. This trade-off means many kits look festive but leave you wanting a real gingerbread cookie.
How We Tested
To find the best, we assembled houses from seven brands and had our editors sample each one blindly. We scored them on:
- Flavor: Warm spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg) were key.
- Texture: Sturdy enough to stand, but not rock-hard.
- Sturdiness: Could the house survive more than a few hours?
- Ease of Use: How well did the icing and candies stick?
The Winner: Cookies United Gingerbread House Kit
The Cookies United kit stood out in every category. It actually tasted like gingerbread, with real cinnamon, ginger, and molasses notes. Editors agreed it was the most edible, with icing that was soft, easy to spread, and not overly sweet.
“This is the only one I think I could eat a whole cookie of,” said our associate visuals director.
The kit includes a stable tray base and etched details for a polished look, plus enough gumdrops, sugar balls, and mini gingerbread people for creative decorating. While smaller than some others, its manageable size makes it ideal for beginners.
The Runner-Up: Williams Sonoma DIY Gingerbread House Kit
At $40, the Williams Sonoma kit is the most expensive. It delivers a substantial, homemade-feeling house with a strong, spicy scent. The gingerbread is edible (though not necessarily pleasant), and the kit includes pre-made icing for faster assembly.
However, the icing is thick and tacky, making intricate decorations difficult. It holds the pieces together, but it’s messy and hard to smooth. If you prioritize a large, sturdy house over detailed decorating, this is a good choice.
Best for Decorating: One Candy Way Easy to Assemble Gingerbread House Kit
This kit comes pre-decorated with etched details, making it a three-dimensional coloring book for icing and candies. It includes a generous variety of decorations: gumdrops, holly, lights, stars, and gingerbread people.
The icing is easy to squeeze from a pre-filled bag and works like glue. The house stayed structurally sound even after testing. The downside? The gingerbread itself is stale and bitter, with no real flavor.
The Bottom Line
Gingerbread house kits aren’t about gourmet eating. As one editor put it, “If I were Hansel with my sister Gretel, I wouldn’t eat any of these.” The best kits balance structural integrity with at least some flavor.
If you want a kit that tastes good and looks good, the Cookies United kit is the clear winner. If you prioritize decorating above all else, One Candy Way delivers the most tools for the job. And if you’re serious about flavor, making your own gingerbread from scratch is always the best option.
