Looking for the easiest gingerbread house recipe? I created this gingerbread house from a mold and a mix. Here are all my best tips.
The holidays are coming fast and furious.
Bringing with them turkey and stuffing and Christmas lights and Christmas trees and ornaments and holiday parties and shopping and caroling and family and friends.
And holiday baking.
If you have read this blog for more than one hot minute you know something about me. Cooking, baking, sauteing, chefing and anything else that comes under the entire kitchen apron umbrella are not my strong suites.
Not even close.
So when an invitation shows up to a holiday party and they ask me to bring something? My heart sinks. I start to sweat. I can’t think of something to bring so I end up bringing a bag of chips and a bottle of salsa.
Lame. Actually super lame.
But not this year.
This year I’m going to be fancy. Bring on the holiday invitations.
Because this year I’m using this gingerbread mix to make the cutest, most wonderful, most amazing holiday dessert I’ve ever seen.
This mix? Now looks like this.
This snowy gingerbread house.
ISN’T IT THE CUTEST?
And the best part?
It only took me about an hour and it was kind of foolproof (especially after I give you all the tips on how I made this).
Starting with this.
// gingerbread house bundt pan//
This gingerbread house bundt pan.
I ordered off Amazon and it’s on sale for the cheapest price I could find it (and it’s on sale right now for 34% off).
The bundt pan is three dimensional and it’s the same on both sides.
And look at this. There’s an entire village that goes with this house, too.
// gingerbread house bundt pan //
Here’s the front of the bundt pan.
The pan measures 10.1 x 7.8 inches and the gingerbread house measures a little over 5 inches tall.
It comes with a recipe you can make on the back of the wrapping that comes around the house.
But baking?
Ummmm.
Why make a gingerbread recipe from scratch?
// gingerbread mix //
When you can use this gingerbread cake and cookie mix from Betty Crocker.
I got it at Walmart and you can see it here.
I ended up following the directions on the back of the package for the cake part of the recipe. It’s so easy.
You’ll actually need two of these to make the gingerbread house.
The EASIEST Gingerbread House Recipe
Here are all my best tips and things I figured out:
- I did not use spray Pam. The directions on the bundt pan packaging said to brush on butter.
- I brushed butter into every crevice of the pan. There are chimneys and trees and windows and I used a brush to coat them with butter.
- The directions also said to flour the inside of the pan after you finished with the butter.
- Then I added two boxes of the mix, 2 eggs and 2 1/2 cups of water.
- Next I added the gingerbread mix to the bundt pan
- Make sure you only fill the gingerbread pan 3/4 of the way full so the gingerbread can expand
- I also used a spoon to coat the remaining top sides with extra gingerbread mix so there was already a coating of mix on the sides before it expanded
- I baked the gingerbread at 50 minutes (you can adjust for your oven temperature)
- Then I let the pan cool completely and then lightly sliced around the edge of the top of the sides of the bundt pan and flipped it upside down
// gingerbread house bundt pan //
And it looks like this.
I had extra gingerbread at the bottom that I had to trim away.
Now it’s time to decorate it.
This first time I went super simple and created “snow” with powdered sugar.
I just took a handful of powdered sugar and sprinkled it all over the top.
And now?
// gingerbread house bundt pan //
I have the cutest gingerbread house to take to all my holiday events.
If I have to transport it, I think I’m going to just bring the powdered sugar with me to the event and sprinkle it there.
Here are a few other ideas to decorate the gingerbread house.
Instead of powdered sugar?
You could decorate with icing and add sprinkles.
And candles to the top.
You could also add a lifesaver as a wreath over the door.
Then add icing on the trees and icing ornaments.
You could even add a mini gingerbread cookie to the front yard.
And look at this little mini village that goes with the house.
It’s getting cuter and cuter and cuter for Christmas.
You can see the gingerbread village bundt pan here.
I wish you could have heard my joy when I first took the bundt pan off.
I’ve tried a few things like this and they almost never turn out for me. But I took my time and made it simple with the mix and followed all the tips and when I took the bundt pan off? IT WAS PERFECT.
I almost started crying I was so happy.
And now?
Bring on the holidays. If you have an invitation? Send it my way.
I’m a fun guest.
And I’ll be bringing my house with me. 🙂
PS You can see the gingerbread mold here.
disclosure: affiliate links are used in this post, please see my disclosure for more information.
Seriously! God Job!! so DARLING!
Your house is so cute! A welcome treat at any party! Can you come to Atlanta?!
Adorable! I love it. I just can't stop decorating. Thanks so much for sharing this.
That is so cute! I bet it is delicious too!
Very very cute! I use that mix every Thanksgiving and Christmas and find it bring just tge right touch of nostalgia for me. It reminds me of my mom bustling around working to create tasty meals for our family of eight. Ha ha ha Using this mix was a salvation for her. 🩷
Loooooooooooove this !!!!!
That is so cute. And I love ginger cookies and cake. Yum. Especially warm and whipped cream never hurts. Come on over, with the ginger house. 😁
This is adorable and I love ginger bread with lots of butter. Yum..
This is very cute! Great instructions for working with a Bundt mold and all of its details. I looked at the mold on Amazon, and there is also a mold of small buildings, which are individual Bundt within one pan, so you could have this larger house plus the smaller ones for an entire village. That could give you options for several cake flavors for the small buildings. “It’s a Wonderful Life” movie theme in cake form!! 😁
Liz, I didn't see the village! I'm going to find it and order it, too, and add it to the post for everyone! You are a genius my friend!!! Happy day! KariAnne
Used this very mix yesterday and served with lemon sauce.
That sounds so yummy! KariAnne
I have a pan that has separate little houses so you end up with an adorable, snow covered village!! xoxo
That's super cute, too!
Oh that’s absolutely precious! I love it soo much!
So adorable!! I'm going to buy the pan now! But I did have a question... when you said used a spoon to coat the top sides.. do you mean before pouring in the cake mix you put batter into the small indentions on the bottom of the Bundt pan (that becomes the top of the house)??
Marci, Great question---I actually filled the pan with the batter about 3/4 of the way full. Then I took a little batter and kind of scooped it onto the sides that were left. It almost "trained" the cake to cover those areas. So when it expanded---there was already batter there to help define the bottom of the cake (when I flipped it over the bottom became the top)! Does that make sense? KariAnne
Such a cute little house and I like the powdered sugar snow! Big Hugs,
Have I told you lately that I LOVE you! This is just too sweet!
Oh I am SO going to do this!! Ty!!
Once again you are an enabler!! And I bought the special cleaning tool even though I have many dish washing type brushes. I like the small shape of the brush end and the tip to really clean the crevices and not scratch or marr the pan surfaces....that will lead to sticking the next time. Anyone looking at it on Amazon should read the reviews for other good ideas. Someone serves the gingerbread version with lemon whipped cream or bourbon whipped cream!! Now to find good recipes for those additions. One review thinks to recipe with the pan is more along the lines of a spice cake for those that don't care for gingerbread. I like it but it can be an acquired taste...ginger can be strong. And there's an idea for a Halloween house.....now try that one Karianne:-) Thanks for helping me spend money.
Dee, These are all such great ideas! I actually dusted it with sugar in the pan before I added the gingerbread and it helped crisp up the edges! It's SO CUTE. It's a little smaller than I thought so it fits on a cake pedestal perfectly! Happy day! KariAnne
It's super cute! I can give you a few more easy but impressive ideas to take to parties if you are interested ....
I'm all ears! The simpler (and fancier looking) the better! LOL!
Ok KariAnne this is the cutest! What day is baking day 😉 I’ll bring my ingredients 😉 Smiles, alice
You gave me a great idea! Every year I invite 10 ladies to my home for a holiday lunch- a tradition of 14 years and awesome friends! So… this year they’ll have to work for their lunch! I’m going to make 5 cakes, with teams of 2 and all kinds of stuff to decorate the houses and we’ll have a contest! After lunch we’ll take the cakes to the local Retirement community so they can see them and eat them for those who are able! What a fun day!
That is the BEST idea!! I think I may have to copy it! It's the perfect holiday party idea! Happy day friend! KariAnne
I love this! My husband my daughter like to bake together and I just hang around if they need me. I'm thinking this would be a perfect project for them to bake and decorate for our family Christmas get together. Thank you, Karin!
Oh, good grief! I don't know why your name got spelled that way! I'm sure it wasn't because I hit the Enter key too early. Sorry about that, KariAnne!!!!!!
Oh, my goodness!!! This is the cutest and best idea ever! Thanks for the tip!
That is super cute and so are you! Love it!!!! Have a fabulous weekend.
What a cute idea for name tag seating. Then they can eat it!
Sweet idea😍. Thanks for the shout out to the amazing Nordic Ware company. Minnesota based. Check their website. So many fun ideas and they have amazing deals too😊. I actually like this idea for a gingerbread house better. Totally edible.
Wow this is sooo nice! I love it you gave us all a great ideal thanks so much. It is the cutest!! How did you think of this? Very good idea
How do you get the pan to bake in the oven on it's peaked roof without it falling over? Please tell me, KariAnne, I'm dying of curiosity!!!!
Bravo friend! I love it!! You are always welcome at my house...but please don't forget the house! ❤️
Oh yes, I am certain that you would be a fun guest! Your gingerbread cake is simple and elegant. Well done!
Saw this in stories and loved it! The different ways to decorate them is awesome!!
This is fantastic! I love how easy it sounds, so I'm crossing my fingers it tastes as good as it looks. I've frozen gingerbread cakes in the past, they freeze up nicely. I'm thinking I could make up several of these in November and pop them in the freezer for so I'd have them on hand. This would make my life so much easier when I need to take something fabulous to a party in December when life is so crazy busy! Also, just a little tip from my years of making gingerbread cake. Using Coco Powder to dust the inside of the pan works the same as white flour, but it doesn't leave a white residue on dark cake that four often will.