How to Make a Vegan Gingerbread House

Vegans do not promote the use of animal by-products or dairy products. Enjoy traditional holiday treats in vegan style. There are numerous alternatives to animal by-products and dairy products for your holiday baking. Make a vegan gingerbread house for Christmas. Decorate it with vegan-approved icing and candies. It's beginning to taste a lot like a vegan Christmas. Read on to learn more.

Things You'll Need

• 3/4 cup unsulphured molasses
• 3/4 cup soy margarine
• 3-2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. double-acting baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• Egg substitute equal to 1 large egg
• 2 dough rectangles cut to 6-by-5-by-7 1/2 inches for the front and back walls
• 2 dough rectangles cut to 5-by-7 inches for the side walls
• 2 dough rectangles cut to 7-by-5 inches for the roof
• 1 dough rectangle cut to 7-by-6 inches
• 3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
• Egg white power equal to 3 egg whites
• Soy, rice or nut milk

Instructions

Gingerbread House Pattern and Dough

1. Visit the Petakids website for a list of acceptable vegan candies to decorate the gingerbread house. Make a shopping list for the ingredients for gingerbread. Purchase all goods at a health food store, Kosher market or local supermarket.

2. Warm the molasses without letting it boil. Remove from heat and add soy margarine. Stir in margarine until it melts. Set aside to cool.

3. In a bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients and spices, except brown sugar. Mix the brown sugar and egg substitute separately. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

4. Take out the refrigerated dough and roll out in 1/8-inch thickness.

5. Take a sharp knife and cut out the gingerbread house pattern. Use wax paper to separate and layer the walls, roof and base.

6. Refrigerate each piece as it is cut out for the gingerbread house.

Bake and Decorate

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Bake the dough 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool on a baking rack until ready to assemble gingerbread house.

3. Prepare the icing. Mix the confectioner's sugar and powdered egg whites. Substitute soy, rice or nut milk for the liquid used in the powered egg white mixture.

4. Put icing in a re-sealable plastic or pastry bag. Make a small cut across the corner of the re-sealable plastic bag for icing to flow in a continuous line.

5. Begin assembling the gingerbread house. Adhere walls to the base with a generous amount of icing. Form a line. Allow 15 minutes to dry. Next, place the roof onto the walls and repeat the drying process. The gingerbread house is now ready for decorating.

6. Use additional icing as glue and decorate with candies. Be creative or choose a picture of a traditional gingerbread house and replicate it.

Tips & Warnings

• Use sugar, flour, cocoa powder, spices and flavored extracts in vegan cuisine. Consider using a sweetener. There are companies that process sugar with ground animal bones. Rice syrup is a great alternative.

• Stay away from food coloring as many dyes are made from animal by-products. Check with health food stores or the Petakids list for alternatives.

Resources

• Browse a list of vegan-approved candies.