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The Kitchn editorial assistant Celia Funderburk tested nine gingerbread house kits and selected five for different priorities, including overall quality, budget, young children, taste and decorating. Her top overall pick was Dylan’s Candy Bar, though at $65 it was the most expensive kit tested; the report also noted a broken roof in one Favorite Day kit.
The Kitchn’s Celia Funderburk tested nine gingerbread house kits and named five as standouts for different needs, from a candy-heavy overall pick to options for children, decorators and shoppers seeking a lower price. The review gives holiday shoppers practical comparisons of assembly, icing, candy, taste and ease of use, while noting that at least one kit arrived with a broken roof.
Funderburk said she began researching in September, bought or obtained nine kits and assembled each one. While testing, she tracked whether the icing held the walls and roof together, how much candy came in each package, whether pieces were broken before assembly and how much effort construction required. The five picks were Dylan’s Candy Bar for best overall, Favorite Day’s pre-built house for budget, Favorite Day’s pre-built coloring village for little kids, King Arthur Baking Company for taste and Wilton for decorators.
The Dylan’s Candy Bar kit was her overall choice, but its $65 price made it the costliest of the nine she tested. Funderburk praised its range of decorating supplies, including three icing colors, dot candies, rainbow belts, gumballs, cotton candy sticks and chocolate presents. It comes pre-built, so participants can begin decorating without first assembling the structure.
For shoppers watching the price, Funderburk recommended Favorite Day’s pre-built house, which came with three bags of candy and two icing colors. She said it offered plenty of decorating space, but reported that the roof arrived broken. The other Favorite Day pick contains four pre-built houses with icing designs, food-safe coloring markers, a small bag of icing and candy. Funderburk described it as easy to use and relatively low-mess, while cautioning that coloring the houses makes for a shorter activity than building and decorating a traditional kit.
Choosing a Kit for Your Holiday Table
The review’s main value is that it separates kits by what shoppers want from the activity, rather than treating every product as interchangeable. A pre-built house can reduce the time and frustration of keeping walls upright, while a kit with more candy gives decorators a wider range of options. Families with young children may prefer the coloring village, which lets participants decorate without handling as much icing.
Those differences matter because a gingerbread kit is both a food product and a hands-on activity. The report’s notes on broken pieces and icing performance speak to whether a kit is likely to be ready for decorating straight out of the package. Its recommendations are based on one reviewer’s experience, however, and do not establish that every box will arrive in the same condition or suit every household.
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How the Nine Kits Were Compared
Funderburk wrote that she usually chose a classic grocery-store cottage before undertaking this comparison. For the test, she assembled all nine candidates and recorded practical details as she went, including structural stability and the amount of candy left over. She also considered whether gingerbread pieces were already broken when the package was opened.
The Kitchn’s article includes a disclosure that it independently selects products and may earn a commission if readers buy through its links. It also says prices were accurate when the article was published. The review is a product recommendation, not an independent laboratory test; its findings reflect the author’s hands-on trial and stated preferences.
““I got my hands on nine different kits to see which are worth your money — and time.””
— Celia Funderburk, The Kitchn editorial assistant
What the Test Cannot Establish
The source does not provide a full side-by-side scorecard, the prices of the four other recommended kits, or detailed test results for every product. It also does not state how many individual boxes of each kit were tested, so the report cannot show how common broken pieces or inconsistent icing might be across a product line. The broken roof was one reported experience, not evidence of a widespread packaging problem.
Although King Arthur Baking Company was named best tasting and Wilton best for decorators, the supplied report excerpt does not include the reviewer’s supporting details for those picks. Shoppers should also check current availability and prices, which may differ from those listed when the article was published.
Check Prices Before Buying
The Kitchn’s article offers recommendations for shoppers planning a holiday decorating activity, but it does not announce a follow-up test or further product updates. Readers considering a purchase can compare the kit’s contents, construction requirements and current price against the activity they want. For the $65 Dylan’s Candy Bar pick in particular, the key trade-off reported by Funderburk is more decorating variety at a higher price.
Key Questions
Which gingerbread house kit did The Kitchn rate best overall?
Dylan’s Candy Bar was Celia Funderburk’s best overall pick. She praised its selection of candy and icing, and noted that the house comes pre-built.
Which kit did the reviewer recommend for a lower budget?
Funderburk selected the Favorite Day pre-built gingerbread house as the budget pick. It included three bags of candy and two icing colors, though her roof arrived broken.
Which option was chosen for young children?
The Favorite Day pre-built holiday coloring village was the pick for little kids. It contains four houses to decorate with food-safe coloring markers, along with icing and candy.
How many kits did The Kitchn test?
Funderburk said she assembled and evaluated nine kits, comparing details such as icing strength, candy quantity, construction and broken pieces.
Was the top-rated kit the cheapest?
No. The Dylan’s Candy Bar kit was the most expensive kit in the test at $65. The article named a separate Favorite Day kit as its budget choice.
Source: thekitchn.com
