How It All Started

At Gingerbread Traditions, we believe in the power of shared experiences. Our story began not in a commercial kitchen, but in a neighbor’s home after church on a quiet Sunday in 2001. Cheryl Albers, our founder, was invited to bake gingerbread houses with a friend and her two young daughters. That one small moment sparked something much bigger.

Cheryl brought the gingerbread houses home, and almost immediately, two neighborhood girls came over to play asked if she’d bake houses for them too. Cheryl had plans to paint the living room for a party that evening, so she said no, at least for that year. But the idea stayed with her.

Two children and an adult sitting at a table with a gingerbread house and decorations during a holiday season.

Taking Off

The following holiday season, she invited four girls to bake and decorate. The next year, it was eight. Then sixteen. By 2001, there were 40 children building gingerbread houses over several weekends, and Cheryl had to rent the local fire hall to make room for everyone. As she watched kids race around, laughing and sugared up, she turned to her husband, Michael, and joked, “I think there’s a business here.”

He laughed. “Go for it,” he said. “Who wouldn’t want to work in a place that smells this good?”

Gingerbread house with gingerbread men and dogs on a white background

Built on Family, Fueled by Flavor

In May 2002, Gingerbread Traditions, Inc. was officially born. We started in a commercial kitchen with just two product lines: our Traditional Gingerbread House and our Cabin design. Cheryl rolled each piece of dough by hand with a marble rolling pin. Michael helped after work. Their two daughters, naturally, were elbow-deep in frosting.

But Cheryl wasn’t just baking houses - she was raising the bar. She refused to use cheap, flavorless gingerbread like the mass-produced products coming out of Canada at the time. Her mission was to create something that smelled like home, tasted even better, and helped families build lasting memories.

Our commitment to quality, joy, and togetherness still guides everything we do.

Growing With Purpose

From Hobby To Holiday Headquarters

By 2004, demand had outgrown Cheryl’s kitchen. We moved into a 1,000-square-foot facility in downtown Oregon City. In 2006, Gingerbread Traditions received its first large wholesale orders: 200 pre-assembled houses for a country club and 300 kits for a construction company’s client gifts.

That year, Cheryl made over 2,100 houses by hand using nothing but a handheld mixer and her trusty marble rolling pin.

Assembled gingerbread shop with a tree on a white background

Making Room

By 2008, we expanded our facility by another 2,000 square feet. In 2011, we moved into a custom-built bakery and production space in Portland. Today, our headquarters includes a commercial bakery, assembly and packaging rooms, kitting areas, and a dedicated shipping department.

Gingerbread alpine house parts and gingerbread house

Present Day

We’ve continued to grow, doubling production capacity in 2021 and expanding again in 2024 to add more storage and workspace. With a seasonal team of up to 20 employees, we now offer over 25 unique gingerbread designs and product lines. But our spirit? That’s stayed the same.

baking powder in the kitchen

What Makes Our Gingerbread So Special

Ingredients Matter

We don’t cut corners. Our signature recipe includes:

  • Restaurant & Hotel Flour
  • C&H Baker’s Special Sugar
  • GloryBee’s Unsulfured Homestyle Molasses (made from mature, naturally ripened sugar cane)
  • Fresh spices from Oregon Spice Company
  • High-quality soybean & cottonseed shortening for that soft crunch and flavor

These ingredients cost more, but they’re worth it. They give our gingerbread its rich color, delicious aroma, and that “wow” flavor you can smell even before the moment you open the box. Unlike other brands, we only have one recipe for both our houses and cookies. 

Why? Because good gingerbread doesn’t need shortcuts.

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Environmental Responsibility: We Really Mean It

Long before it was trendy, we were walking the sustainability walk. Michael, Cheryl’s husband and now the owner of GTI, was affectionately nicknamed “Earth Boy” by his parents, even before the first Earth Day.

By 2015, we had eliminated bubble wrap and switched to recyclable, crinkled paper cushioning. We chose materials that our customers were already recycling to make it easy and intuitive. We even donate our shrink-wrap scraps to local schools that in turn recycle it and is then made into plastic wood benches.

We’re proud that our recycling bin is bigger than our trash bin. Being environmentally conscious is just part of who we are.

What We Believe

Our Philosophy

At our core, we’re a company built on love - for our craft, our people, and our planet. We’re guided by three key commitments:

  • Crafting high-quality, aromatic, edible premium products

  • Providing thoughtful, memorable customer service

  • Giving back to the community we love
Decorating a gingerbread house with a hand placing a cookie on top.

Our Values

  • Develop lifelong customer relationships
  • Pay living wages and share success with our team
  • Create exceptional holiday experiences
  • Serve our customers, community, and one another with care
  • Commit to excellence in every product
  • Re-earn our reputation every day
  • Build a team-oriented, family-first culture
  • Promote joy, fun, and connection
  • Give generously and often
  • Protect the planet with smart, sustainable choices

Gingerbread for Every Occasion

Our kits and pre-assembled houses are made for:

  • Holiday decorating parties
  • Country club and resort events
  • Tennis & Racquet clubs
  • Specialty retail stores
  • Children’s museums and school fundraisers
  • Church events and community nights
  • Corporate client gifts and team-building activities
  • Family nights at home

Whether you’re hosting 10 people or 1,000, we can help you make it magical!

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A Legacy That Lives On

In 2015, Cheryl passed away after a nearly year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. Her loss was deeply felt by our family and our team. But her dream to bring people together through joyful, hands-on tradition lives on in every house we bake and every kit we ship.

“The time together may be brief, but the memory is forever.”

 – Cheryl Albers, founder