The First Scratch-Bake Gingerbread Cookie Kit. Here’s the Story of One Small Business and a Big Idea.

Because this isn’t just a kit. It’s the original.

In 2015, I typed a simple phrase into a search bar: “gingerbread cookie kit.”

That surprised me—not because I was expecting a million results, but because I couldn’t believe such a kit didn’t exist. I had been making gingerbread cookies since 1984 using a recipe and developing a process that worked for every batch I baked. I’d refined that process through trial and error, year after year, baking for friends, family, and coworkers during the holidays. It was fun, reliable, and joyful.

And now I wanted to share it.

But I didn’t want to sell pre-baked cookies in a box. I wanted people to experience what I loved: the full process. Mix the dough. Roll it out. Cut the shapes. Bake. Decorate. Package. Give. Smile.

There was no kit on the market that did that.

So, I made one.

And in 2017, I assemble 24 kits in my friend’s dining room and sent out the prototype to friends and family who had been receiving baked and decorated gingerbread cookies every year from me for the holidays. Only this year, they got a kit to make the gingerbread cookies themselves. This was my attempt at test marketing.

In 2018, I officially launched Ginger’s Breadboys with a simple, all-in-one gingerbread cookie kit that mirrored my home-baking method. It included my gingerbread mix (from the same recipe I’d used since the ‘80s), a reusable cookie cutter shaped like my original gingerbread boy, decorating tips, and clear and detailed instructions anyone could follow. You could make it from scratch—but with a head start.

I built this company from my kitchen table. I tested every element. I assembled every kit. I designed the packaging and figured out how to ship it. There was no team—just me. No investors. No distribution deals. Just a woman with a good idea, a lot of elbow grease, and a deep belief that gingerbread should be something people would bake, not just buy.

Then, the following year, I noticed something: Suddenly, larger companies were offering very similar kits. Ones that looked like mine. Ones that followed the same “from-scratch” model I’d introduced. And even contained some of the exact same kit items. Some even sold at the exact same price point.

When a small business creates something innovative—especially in a niche like specialty baking kits—it often flies under the radar until a big player takes notice. Then, because they have the budget, supply chain, legal team, and marketing engine, they can quickly replicate and out-market the original idea.

Why does this happen so often?

Small Brands Innovate First

Entrepreneurs like me, with an idea like Ginger’s Breadboys, spot gaps in the market—like a true scratch gingerbread cookie kit that’s simple, beautiful, and fun. I’ve designed every part: the mix, the cutter, the packaging, even the decorating concept, and also created the videos and instructions for buying customers to follow.

That makes Ginger's Breadboys the OG.

Big Brands Watch and Wait

Larger companies monitor the trending products on Etsy, Instagram, Pinterest, seasonal markets and pop-ups, and trade shows and craft fairs. When something stands out and shows traction, they are able to reverse-engineer the idea and launch a “version” of it at scale—often in the same year or the next season.

They Don’t Have to Be First—Just the Loudest

Large companies with an economies-of-scale advantage don’t need to innovate—they just need to be early enough to ride a trend while dominating shelf space, flooding ad channels, and winning Google search results.

Meanwhile, the originator—the one who took the risk and tested the idea—gets lost unless there’s a strong following or legal protections in place.

It's Not Fair. But It’s Very Real.

And it has happened. We’re not imagining it. Ginger’s Breadboys small business story is part of a larger pattern in consumer products—especially where design, process, or packaging is concerned but isn’t patent-protected. While my company’s logo is trademarked, the process and packaging doesn’t qualify for a trade-dress patent.

And while copying may not violate the law, it can absolutely violate the spirit of fair competition.

Was this coincidence? Possibly.

But I know what I searched for as far back as the early aughts and in 2015, 2016, and 2017—and I know what didn’t exist until I brought it to life in 2018.

As a small business owner, I’ve learned not to dwell too much on what the big brands are doing. I’ve always said that there is plenty of room in this space for all of us. But competing has been tough and disheartening at times.

I also believe it’s important to tell my story—especially when I’m pretty sure I was first. If Ginger’s Breadboys was the original scratch gingerbread cookie kit (and I believe it is!), then that’s a legacy worth telling louder.

Because what sets Ginger’s Breadboys apart isn’t just timing. It’s that this kit came from years of tradition, baking with love, and sharing something joyful. It came from my own kitchen, not a corporate boardroom or commercial bakery. And when you open one of my kits, you’re not just getting a product—you’re stepping into a story that began four decades ago, when gingerbread cookies were just something I loved to bake.

The original scratch-bake gingerbread cookie kit came from here. From Ginger’s Breadboys. From me.

I’m still doing this on my own. I’m still baking small, staying true to my process, and helping people all over the country rediscover the joy of making something by hand. This isn’t mass-produced. It’s not engineered by a focus group. It’s just a really good kit, created by someone who’s loved creating gingerbread cookies and gifting them for over 40 years.

And if you’re ready to make your own cookies this holiday season—really make them—I hope you’ll start here, with Ginger’s Breadboys.

Because this isn’t just a kit.

It’s the original.

Read the Story of How it All Started - From Cookies to Cookie Kits