Gingerbread House Icing

Name: Gingerbread House Icing
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 cups powdered sugar; 2 Tablespoons water ((more or less as needed))

Jamielyn Nye
Updated November 12, 2021

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I’m sharing this quick and easy gingerbread house icing made with just 2 ingredients! It’s a delicious edible glue for the walls of your house that can also be used to decorate all your cookies and cupcakes!

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Best Icing for Gingerbread House

This is the perfect gingerbread house icing recipe, especially when making a graham cracker gingerbread house! I’ve tried several, including royal icing recipes, that require meringue powder or egg whites but found this recipe with 2 simple ingredients to be just as sturdy.

I love this recipe because I can quickly whip up more as needed if one of my kids needs more but I can also use the leftovers to drizzle on top of my favorite Christmas cookies! It tastes similar to a classic powdered sugar icing which is great if you plan on eating your house!

Tips on How to Make Icing for Gingerbread House

The icing acts as glue for the gingerbread house pieces so you’ll need it to be thicker than traditional powdered sugar icing.
Add a bit of water at a time until a smooth cream but thick enough that it will stick to a spoon.
To decorate a gingerbread house recipe, gingerbread man cookies, or any other treat you’ve got baking away in the oven, add the icing to a piping bag for neater decorating and cleaner lines.
Use it as glue to hold the pieces together, but also to add dots to place candies or crunch candy canes, sprinkles, and other decorative items. You can even drizzle it like snow or draw on little snowmen.

Other Ways to Use It

If you are planning on whipping out your rolling pin and making your gingerbread dough from scratch this year, this icing can still definitely hold your gingerbread house template together.
Use it for a lighter, smaller, graham cracker house, if the ginger and molasses flavors aren’t your favorite!
Drizzle it overtop freshly baked cinnamon rolls or slather it for an extra special Christmas morning!
Decorate cookies and cupcakes and add a little gel food coloring if desired!

Storing Leftover Icing

Keep any leftovers stored in a Ziploc bag in the fridge for up to 5 days.

If you’ve still got some left in the piping bag/Ziploc bag with the tip cut, place the tip end into a cup with warm water in it. The icing is thick enough that it won’t run out, but it will keep it nice and soft.

More Recipes to Use It In:

Gingerbread House Icing

I'm sharing this quick and easy gingerbread house icing made with just 2 ingredients! It's a delicious edible glue for the walls of your house that can also be used to decorate all your cookies and cupcakes!

Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 5 mins

Servings: cup

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Ingredients

2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons water (more or less as needed)

Instructions

Combine the powdered sugar and 1 Tablespoon of water in a medium size bowl. Stir and then add another Tablespoon of water. It will be clumpy but keep stirring. If it needs more water, add 1 teaspoon at a time.
Add more water as needed to thin out the consistency. You want it to be smooth and but thicker than your typical icing so that it doesn't run off gingerbread house. To check if it's ready, lift up the spoon and the icing should not come off the spoon when turned over. If it drizzles off, add a Tablespoon or two more powdered sugar.
Place in a zip top bag and snip the end to decorate your house. Then use icing to build gingerbread house.

Notes

Storage: Store leftovers in a zip top bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If you are using a frosting bag with a cut tip, simply place in a glass of water to keep the end soft.