Gingerbread cookie and house kits from Ginger's Breadboys® | FAQs

Q. Does Ginger's Breadboys offer a gingerbread house kit?

A. Yes. In 2022, Ginger's Breadboys will offer a gingerbread house kit! The kit will feature 6 cutters for a 5 x 7 inch house along with candies for decorating, meringue powder for the royal icing, two bases on which to place the house, and a complete recipe and instruction card. Best of all, our kit will make TWO (2) gingerbread houses. That is the best value around! 

Q. Butter or shortening? Can I make the Ginger's Breadboys gingerbread boy cookies with butter?

A. Yes. Ginger's Breadboys bases its gingerbread recipe on a recipe that dates from the 1950s and more than likely well before. The gingerbread boy cookie recipe has no attribution probably because it has been handed down from one generation to the next and no one really knows who came up with it. But the gingerbread recipe specifically calls for shortening. And Crisco was the most popular brand of that era. We love how Ginger's Breadboys cookies bake and taste using Crisco. And all Crisco shortening products now have 0g trans fat per serving.

While we understand that some of you may prefer butter to shortening, a Crisco gingerbread boy cookie will be higher and lighter than a butter cookie which will be flatter and crispier. Read "How to Substitute Butter for Shortening When Baking" to learn how to substitute butter for shortening when baking. And remember, butter has more water than shortening, so go easy on the wet ingredients in the Ginger's Breadboys recipe if you substitute.  Read more on our blog post "Butter or shortening?" We include the adjustments to the recipe for using butter on our recipe and Instruction card.

Update: 8/10/2019 - We test baked a batch of gingerbread cookies with butter and they turned out awesome. Use 2 sticks of salted butter (1 cup) and adjust the liquid in the recipe (remember butter is 20% liquid). Use only 3/4 cup of unsulphured molasses instead of a cup and 5 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar instead of 2 tablespoons.

Q. Are Ginger's Breadboys gingerbread cookie kits sold outside the United States?

A. No. Unfortunately at this time, Ginger's Breadboys is not set up to sell internationally. However, if you really must have a gingerbread cookie kit and do not reside in the United States, email me at info @ gingersbreadboys.com and I'll see what I can arrange for you. 

Q. I want to purchase several gingerbread cookie kits but ship them to different addresses. Can I ship to multiple addresses?

A. Yes, You can purchase multiple gingerbread cookie kits or gingerbread house kits on the same order if they are all going to the same address. However, you will need to enter each order separately if going to different addresses. Be sure to include your gift message in the notes. This will print on the packing slip. No prices appear on the packing slip.

Q. I'm sending the gingerbread cookie kit as a gift.  Can I include a message with the kit?

A. Yes. On the shopping cart page, there is a text box. Fill it in to send a gift message with your gingerbread cookie kit or gingerbread house kit. Your message will print on the packing slip and be included with the kit. No prices print on the packing slip.

Q. What are your business hours?

A. As a single proprietor, woman-owned business, I'm usually online to answer questions and to check on things if not in a meeting or traveling to vendors or trade shows. However, our fulfillment house only operates Monday thru Friday (which means they won't be shipping your cookie or house kits after 5 pm on Friday.) Also, cutoff for same-day fulfillment (when possible) is 1:00 pm EST. We try to process all orders within 2 business days.

I recognize that lots of shopping happens over the weekend and we will do our best to ship your order first thing Monday morning.

Q. I opened my gingerbread cookie kit and I'm missing an item. Now what?

A. Oops! Your Ginger's Breadboys gingerbread cookie kit or gingerbread house kit contains between 6 and 22 items and it is quite possible that in assembling the kit an item was missed. If you find that you are missing an item in your kit, send an email to us at info @ gingersbreadboys.com to let us know. Please include your order number in the email and tell us what you're missing. We will get the missing item out to you as soon as possible. Apologies!

Q. I need (and want) to make another batch of gingerbread boy cookies. Do you offer a replacement kit?

A. Yes! We're thrilled that you need to bake more gingerbread cookies! We offer a Make Another Batch kit in a smaller tin. This kit contains only the items that were used (and not re-usable) in the original Classic kit - cookie mix, cinnamon imperials, pastry bags, food coloring, parchment paper, and another recipe and instruction card. We also include another refrigerator magnet - so you won't forget us!

Q. I lost my recipe and instruction card for the gingerbread cookie kit. Help!

A. It happens. You forget where you put it or it got tossed. No worries. You can download a copy of the Ginger's Breadboys recipe and Instruction card or from our Instructional videos page. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and open the link for viewing or download.

Q. What are decorations that you can put on a gingerbread house?

A. Traditional gingerbread houses usually are decorated with peppermint sticks, gum drops, and royal icing. Any candy that you love and has the visual appeal you want on your gingerbread house is fine. We offer our tips for decorating at our website page on How to Decorate a Gingerbread House.

Q. What is the best gingerbread house kit?

A. There are many wonderful gingerbread house kits available. Decide first if you want to do it yourself (DIY) or if you want pre-made or pre-assembled. Ginger's Breadboys offers a gingerbread house kit that is do-it-yourself and not pre-made or pre-assembled. It makes two large houses and comes complete with enough candy and utensils to decorate both.

Q. Where is the best place to buy gingerbread house kits?

A. Craft stores, gift shops, and big box stores all offer a gingerbread house kit during the holiday season. Ginger's Breadboys gingerbread house kit is sold online at our website, Walmart, Etsy, Ebay, Facebook, Google Shopping, and Instagram.

Q. Where can I buy a big gingerbread house kit?

A. Online at Ginger's Breadboys. Our kit makes two large gingerbread houses and comes complete with candy and decorating options for both houses. Shop for and buy a gingerbread house kit at our website at https://www.gingersbreadboys.com.

Q. What comes in a gingerbread house kit?

A. Depending on whether you purchase a do-it-yourself (DIY) gingerbread house kit or one that is pre-made or pre-assembled, items in the kit will vary.  Ginger's Breadboys gingerbread house kit contains gingerbread mix, meringue powder (for royal icing), 2 cardboard rectangle bases, pre-cut parchment paper sheets, 6 gingerbread house cutter forms (walls and roof panels, end wall panel with gable, rounded-top door, round window/wreath, square or diamond window, disc paver or shingle), wall and roof dough embossers (cobblestone and diamond patterns), decorating candies (peppermint sticks, gumdrops, gumballs, cinnamon red hots, hard candy), 2 12-inch plastic decorating/pastry bags, 4 stainless steel decorating tubes (#4 piping tip, #7 plain border (mortar), #48 basket weave, #30 closed 8-pointed star), 2 standard plastic couplers (base and ring), green food coloring, recipe and instruction card, and our refrigerator magnet.

Q. How do you display a gingerbread house?

A. A flat and stable surface is best to display your gingerbread houe and one that will not show the stain of grease. Ginger's Breadboys includes two waxed cardboard bases in its gingerbread house kit. The base can then be surrounded with greenery or other items to create a visually pleasing tableau for mantles, dining room tables, or counter tops.

Q. What is the best way to stick a gingerbread house together?

A. Royal icing made with meringue powder. Ginger's Breadboys royal icing recipe for our gingerbread house dries hard and fast to make it easy to bond baked panels and hold house together. Quantity is sufficient to build and decorate two houses.

Q. What kind of base do you use for a gingerbread house?

A. A flat surface is best and one that will not show the stain of grease. Ginger's Breadboys includes two waxed cardboard bases in its gingerbread house kit. The base can then be surrounded with greenery or other items to create a tableau.

Q. What can you use to decorate a gingerbread house?

A. Candy and icing in various colors are the best edible items to use to decorate a gingerbread house. Sprinkles or crystalized sugar can also add a sparkle to your house. We offer our tips for decorating at our website page on How to Decorate a Gingerbread House.

Q. How long does a gingerbread house stay edible?

A. If your gingerbread house stays refrigerated, it can last up to several weeks or a month and still remain delicious. If your house stays out uncovered, then best to consume within a few days.  If your house is sealed in plastic or shrink wrap it will last much longer and remain edible.

Q. Is butter or shortening better for gingerbread cookies?

A. What is best is how you prefer your gingerbread cookies. While we understand that some of you may prefer butter to shortening, a gingerbread boy cookie made with shortening will be higher and lighter than a butter cookie which will be flatter and crispier. 

Q. What kind of molasses do you use for gingerbread cookies?

A. Ginger's Breadboys recommends using unsulphured molasses when baking gingerbread for cookies or houses. There are several varieties of molasses - sulphured, unsulphured and black strap - based on the refining process,  Lighter in color and smoother in flavor, unsulphured molasses produces the most flavorful cookie.

Q. Where can I buy a gluten free gingerbread house kit?

A. Ginger's Breadboys offers gluten free mix in several of its gingerbread cookie kits and on request for its gingerbread house kit. Our gluten-free gingerbread mix recipe bakes ~39 5-inch gingerbread cookies and two houses (respectively). If you've removed gluten from your diet, consider these gingerbread kits for the holidays. No cross-contact. Packaged at J and W Farm where no wheat is present. When baking gluten-free, dust surfaces and spatula with powdered sugar to keep dough from sticking.

Q. Do they make gluten free gingerbread houses?

A. Yes, Ginger's Breadboys will include gluten free mix for its gingerbread house kit on request.

Q. Can you make gingerbread with gluten-free flour?

A. Yes. Ginger's Breadboys offers gluten free mix in several of its gingerbread cookie kits and on request for its gingerbread house kit. Our gluten-free gingerbread mix recipe bakes ~39 5-inch gingerbread cookies and two houses (respectively). If you've removed gluten from your diet, consider these gingerbread kits for the holidays. No cross-contact. Packaged at J and W Farm where no wheat is present. When baking gluten-free, dust surfaces and spatula with powdered sugar to keep dough from sticking.

Q. What is the best ingredient to keep gingerbread houses from falling apart - buttercream or royal icing?

A. Royal icing made with meringue powder is best for keeping your gingerbread house from falling apart. Do not use buttercream to keep a gingerbread house together. Ginger's Breadboys royal icing recipe for our gingerbread house dries hard and fast to make it easy to bond baked panels and hold house together. Quantity is sufficient to build and decorate two houses.

Q. What is royal icing made of?

A. Royal icing is made of powdered sugar and egg whites or meringue powder. Some recipes call for water. Others for cream of tartar or lemon juice (both being a stabilizer for egg whites.)

Have a question not answered here? Need an answer?
Have a gingerbread baking or gingerbread icing question?
Use the contact form or simply email me at
ginger @  gingersbreadboys.com.