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The Kitchn’s Celia Funderburk tested nine gingerbread house kits and selected five standouts for different priorities, including decorating, young children, budget and taste. Dylan’s Candy Bar was her overall pick, while its $65 price made it the most expensive kit in the test.
The Kitchn’s Celia Funderburk tested nine gingerbread house kits and named five picks for building, decorating and eating, giving holiday shoppers recommendations by budget and intended use. Her overall choice was Dylan’s Candy Bar, a $65 kit she praised for its assortment of decorating candy and icing; other selections include pre-built houses aimed at decorators and children.
Funderburk said she assembled all nine kits and took notes on how well the icing held the structures together, how much candy each included, and whether the gingerbread pieces were broken before use. The test began with research in September, according to her report. The article does not describe a controlled tasting or provide a standardized scoring system; its rankings reflect the writer’s experience with the kits.
Dylan’s Candy Bar earned the best-overall designation. Funderburk said it came with three icing colors and a wide range of decorations, including dot candies, rainbow belts, gumballs, cotton candy sticks and chocolate presents. She described the kit as a splurge at $65, the highest price among those tested, while saying its quantity and variety of candy made decorating more enjoyable.
Two of the other highlighted options are Favorite Day pre-built kits: a gingerbread house presented as the budget pick and a four-house coloring village selected for young children. The village comes with food-safe markers, white icing and black stencils, allowing users to color designs without assembling the structures. Funderburk also named King Arthur Baking Company as best tasting and Wilton as best for decorators. The supplied report excerpt does not include the full details of those two reviews.
Five Kits for Different Holiday Needs
The recommendations separate kits by what shoppers may value most: less assembly, child-friendly decorating, taste or a larger supply of candy. That distinction matters because a kit that works well for a group of young children may not suit someone who wants to construct and decorate a detailed house from scratch.
The test also flags a practical trade-off. A pre-built house can get decorators to the creative part faster, but it may arrive damaged: Funderburk said the Favorite Day pre-built house had a broken roof. Her experience suggests that packaging condition can affect the project, though the report does not establish how often that happens across purchases.
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How the Nine-Kit Test Worked
Funderburk framed the comparison around the work involved in making a gingerbread house, rather than judging appearance alone. She tracked whether icing could support the walls and roof, the amount of candy available, and the condition of the baked pieces when she opened the boxes. Those observations informed recommendations for building, decorating and ease of use.
The article says the writer made all nine kits herself and describes the process as taking hours. The five picks are not presented as a single ranking from best to worst: they are labeled for different strengths, including best overall, budget, little kids, taste and decorating. The source also discloses that The Kitchn may earn a commission if readers buy through its product links, and says listed prices were accurate at publication.
“I got my hands on nine different kits to see which are worth your money — and time.”
— Celia Funderburk, The Kitchn
Prices and Kit Conditions May Vary
The report gives the $65 price for Dylan’s Candy Bar and says prices were accurate when published, but it does not provide current prices for every selection in the supplied material. Retail prices, availability and kit contents can change. Funderburk’s broken-roof experience is a report of one kit; the article excerpt gives no information about damage rates or whether the packaging has since changed.
The available source text names King Arthur Baking Company and Wilton among the five picks but does not provide their full product details or the complete list of nine kits. It also does not specify a formal scoring scale, number of repeat trials or a broader sample of testers. The findings should be read as one reviewer’s hands-on assessment, not as a guarantee that every kit will perform the same way.
Check Listings Before You Buy
Readers considering a kit can compare current retailer listings for price, included decorations and whether assembly is required. Those details help match the purchase to a group’s age range and plans, particularly if the goal is quick decorating rather than construction. The report gives no indication of a follow-up test or a new product announcement; its recommendations are based on the kits Funderburk tested for this article.
Key Questions
Which gingerbread house kit was the overall pick?
Dylan’s Candy Bar was The Kitchn writer Celia Funderburk’s best-overall choice. She praised its variety and quantity of candy and icing, and listed its price as $65 at publication.
Which kit did the report recommend for young children?
Funderburk selected the Favorite Day Pre-Built Holiday Coloring Village. It contains four pre-built houses, food-safe markers, icing and candy, so children can decorate without assembling the buildings.
Did any kit arrive damaged during the test?
Yes. Funderburk said the roof of the Favorite Day pre-built gingerbread house arrived broken. The report does not say whether this is a frequent problem.
Which kits were named best tasting and best for decorators?
The report names King Arthur Baking Company as best tasting and Wilton as best for decorators. The supplied article excerpt does not include the full reasons for those selections.
Source: thekitchn.com
