It's Christmas. You've got kids. They want to make gingerbread houses. That's a pretty normal situation in most households at this time of year. But what if your kids have to eat gluten free? The situation just got a lot more difficult. Or did it? Nope. I've got you covered. Check out the simple solution to create a gluten free gingerbread house (or any gingerbread house) in minutes!
Simple Hacks for Amazing Gingerbread Houses
Really, all of these hacks work for any gingerbread house. We just happen to think gluten free around here. We've been making gingerbread houses the day after Thanksgiving for several years. Always, the most time consuming part is putting together the house. The crackers break, the frosting's a mess, and it takes forever. Not anymore!
Check out these tips!
Save time with graham crackers
Do you make your own gingerbread? We have in the past. We've even made gluten free gingerbread. It's nice to have the real stuff, but you can save a lot of time and energy by simply using graham crackers. For gluten free, we like Pamela's. They're super yummy!
How to cut graham crackers without breaking them
The tricky part about graham crackers is that they often break when you cut them. Not with this simple trick!
Put the graham cracker inside a damp paper towel, then put it in the microwave for about ten seconds. Now, the graham cracker is soft enough to cut without breaking it. So cool! Be sure to use a serrated knife. Don't believe me? Check out the video. Easy peasy!
Cut and Assemble Your Pieces
For a basic house, you need five crackers: Two for the roof, two for the front and back of the house (with a point cut on the top half), and one cut in half for the sides of the house. I've made a simple diagram to help you assemble the house.
How to assemble a gingerbread house in minutes
Now for the hack you've been waiting for! Quick and easy gingerbread house assembly -- here we go! What's the secret? Lean in close. Closer. Now don't tell anyone. . . . A GLUE GUN!
I know. Crazy, right? Glue the house together with hot glue, then turn it over to the kids to decorate with royal icing. If they don't like the look of the house without the white trim, they can pipe icing along the seams, and no one will ever know the difference! Except there will be one really big difference -- the house was assembled in minutes without a huge mess. That means more time to spend on decorating! Mom's happy. Kids are happy. It's a win-win.
One note I forgot to add to the video: Before you turn the house over to the kids to decorate, pull out a paper plate, and glue the house right to the plate. You'll thank me later!
Now that the easy part is complete, hand the houses over to the kids and let the decorating begin! If you want your house to be gluten free, here are some ideas for candy (be sure to check the labels because things always change!):
- mini candy canes
- M&Ms
- skittles
- starlight mints -- often the sugar free kind are gluten free
- gum drops -- check the warnings to make sure they are gluten free
- cinnamon Santas
Have fun! I hope your houses turn out fantastic! Thanks for stopping by today. Don't forget to check out more ideas by clicking on the images below.
Marysa
That is such a great idea.. the operative thing being how easy it is! Usually gingerbread houses are so stressful. Plus these are small, so it limits the amount of candy. Definitely doing this!
Heidi
Thanks, Marysa. We made them again Friday for this year's tradition, and it was a lot of fun! (The kids use too much candy no matter the size, but this definitely limits it!)
Rosey
It came out so cute. I like the candy cane heart over the door. :)
Heidi
Thanks, Rosey. I love that part, too. My girls are pretty creative.
Audrey McClelland
That is awesome! I have NEVER been able to successfully put together a gingerbread house without several attempts and lots of adult words. LOL
Heidi
Thanks for making me laugh, Audrey! The glue gun definitely takes the adult words out of the picture!
Jacqui Odell
I can't wait to make a house with my family! I will need to try it this way. Looks sturdy and fun to do.
Heidi
Good luck, Jacqui. I hope it works well for you. We just did it again a few days ago, and it worked like a charm!
Vera Sweeney
I love this time of year!! Gingerbread houses are so much fun to make with the kids, these are great tips!
Heidi
Thanks, Vera. It's a fun family tradition for us. We do it the day after Thanksgiving, and then we can enjoy the houses as decorations all month long. (Well, at least we can enjoy some of the houses. One of my kids eats the candy off of hers right away!)
ErinN
Heidi! I love the glue gun idea. I may try that. We use a cardboard cutout about the size of a placemat. Then with royal icing we glue cardboard boxes to the cutout. This is our foundation. (Usually we use the box that the graham crackers came in.) Now we glue (with icing) the graham crackers to the box! Some of my kids just started gluing their candy straight to the box! Silly kids. I will send you some pics via email. Totally a fun time. -Erin N-
Heidi
Thanks, Erin! I just realized that I never replied to this comment from back in November! That sounds like a great idea to assemble the houses. I've seen kids do it a similar way around school milk cartons. I love your idea to create big houses. Sounds fun!
valmg @ Mom Knows It All
I used to have an aunt that worked for days making gingerbread houses. They were almost a sin to eat!
Heidi
I know what you mean, Val. I'm always sad when the kids start eating the candy off the houses.
Marcie W.
I love the look of gingerbread houses but they can be almost impossible to piece together. This hack is totally awesome and I know the kids will really enjoy creating these tasty projects over winter break.
Heidi
Thanks, Marcie! I hope you had fun creating gingerbread houses with your kids. Sorry I missed replying to this comment for so long! Blame it on the busy holidays.
Milton Goh
That’s really smart! What a great way to prevent messes when the kids decorate gingerbread houses! Your photos are really beautiful too!