Did you know that Dec. 12 is National Gingerbread House Day? Well, it is, and we’re excited to share our take on the best gingerbread house kit for 2024. One of the most fun activities (and treats) of the holiday season is building (and eating) a gingerbread house. But with so many kits on the market, it can be a bit overwhelming to decide which one to buy and build. We asked Yahoo shopping editors and friends with kids to help us test some of the most popular kits.
Thanks to these kits, you’re under no obligation to bake your own gingerbread or even pick out the candy for decorating — it’s all included! We evaluated how easy it was to put the houses together, whether you had to mix the icing yourself and how the end result tasted and looked.
Important note: Some of these kits arrived with broken panels. Generally, you should be able “glue” the pieces together with icing, but you may want to pick one up at a store if you’re worried about broken parts.
Best gingerbread house kits of 2024
How we tested gingerbread house kits
We asked Yahoo shopping editors and friends with kids to test the most popular options for sale. We sent them the kits and asked that they have the kids do most of the work. The adults were encouraged to offer help as needed … both with the building, and of course, the tasting!
Other gingerbread house kits we tested
Elf on the Shelf Gingerbread House Kit: This kit arrived with broken roof and side pieces, which meant that the tester and her kids had to attempt to assemble it by “gluing” parts together with icing. Her assessment was this: “The cookie house sides were proportionate, and the pre-made icing was sticky enough. While we were able to wedge the side pieces to stay in place, the broken roof was a non-starter. We tried to use frosting to patch it together, but gravity won out and we were unable to complete the house.”
Target Favorite Day Class Gingerbread House Kit: Our tester reported that many of the gingerbread panels were broken on arrival. “It was a crumbly mess that we couldn’t salvage in any way. It doesn’t ship well. Luckily I have a Target less than a mile from my house, so I picked up another one.” This new one came together well, but it took awhile to put it together. “It’s best to assemble the sides carefully and then take a break to make your hot cocoa before moving to phase two. The waiting might send a younger, less patient kid into a fit.”
Williams Sonoma DIY Classic Gingerbread House Kit: This kit comes with a generous array of candy for decorating, but it arrived several days later than we expected, after the weekend our tester had planned to try it out with her kids. We called Williams Sonoma to complain and they promptly credited our shipping fee, but the tester was still disappointed to have missed out on that weekend’s festive activity.
Trader Joe’s Gingerbread House Kit: This kit’s major drawback is that it doesn’t come with premade icing. According to our tester, making the icing was not easy and the instructions were difficult to follow. The resulting house was quite a mess. His 12-year-old son summed it up, “We wanted to quit.”
Gingerbread house must-haves
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