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Easy No Bake Gingerbread House with Nuts

Create the intricate and fun gingerbread house recipe using a variety of nuts! Almonds, walnuts, pecans and more give this Christmas tradition a delicious upgrade!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Holiday
Keyword gingerbread house ideas, gingerbread house no candy
Prep Time 2 hours
Resting Time 3 hours
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 1 gingerbread house
Calories 215 kcal
Author Kelly

Ingredients

  • 12 graham crackers per house
  • Diamond of California sliced almonds
  • Diamond of California finely diced walnuts
  • Diamond of California whole almonds
  • Diamond of California shelled pecans
  • Diamond of California pine nuts
  • Diamond of California pistachios
  • Diamond of California cashews
  • Diamond of California macadamia nuts
  • Pretzel sticks
  • Pretzel squares
  • Dried roasted green peas
  • Dried cranberries
  • Medium round cardboard circle for the surface cake circles work great

Royal Icing:

  • 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 3 Tablespoons meringue powder
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 - 1/3 cup warm water less for stiff icing and more for thin icing

Optional Decorations:

  • powdered sugar for snow
  • gingerbread fondant men

Instructions

To Make the Royal Icing:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together meringue powder and powdered sugar. Add warm water, 2 tablespoons at a time while mixing on high speed for about 5-7 minutes or until stiff peaks are achieved. Add more water as needed if too running but the consistency should be thick enough to hold the house pieces together. Transfer to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.

To Make the House:

  1. Place two graham cracker sheets on the cake circle to form the floor. Pipe icing in the middle and glue together. Then pipe icing along all four edges, working quickly, place the house's four walls (which should stand across from each other) onto the icing and pipe more icing where the crackers touch vertically.
  2. Pipe icing along one side of the house and glue one graham cracker on top of it to form a roof. Allow time to dry and harden. Snap a graham cracker into two rectangles and attach to the roof and side of the house to close off the roof. Repeat with the other side.
  3. Cut a triangle for each end of the roof from two separate graham crackers. Secure with royal icing.

  4. Set aside gingerbread house for at least 3 hours to dry and set. The house can be made a few days in advance.

  5. Add sliced almonds to the front and back of the house, starting from the bottom and work your way up and secure with glue. Add pretzel squares for the windows on all four sides of the house and pretzel sticks for the doors. For the door handle, attach one green pea and secure with royal icing. Add a dried cranberry for the circle window.
  6. Line the sides of the house with pretzel sticks and the bottom side of the house with pecans, broken in half.
  7. Add chopped walnuts to the sides of the house on the roof in a semi-circle pattern. Secure whole almonds diagonally for the remainder of the roof the same pattern and add one pecan for the middle.
  8. Add "lights" on the roof using green peas and dried cranberries.
  9. Create a walkway using pine nuts and line pistachios along the border. Spread out diced walnuts to create the lawn around the house and add crushed green peas.
  10. Pile pistachios in layers to create pine trees with royal icing.
  11. Add macadamia nuts for rocks and cashews for a rock boulder and a lawn border around the house.
  12. Add gingerbread fondant men and sprinkle powdered sugar for snow.

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts
Easy No Bake Gingerbread House with Nuts
Amount Per Serving (1 serving (1/12 gingerbread house. nutrition facts vary based on toppings and decorations))
Calories 215 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Sodium 93mg4%
Potassium 24mg1%
Carbohydrates 50g17%
Sugar 42g47%
Calcium 11mg1%
Iron 0.6mg3%
* Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy using the WPRM recipe calculator. It is best to make your own calculations to ensure accuracy. We expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.