I love the taste of gingerbread and I love seeing cute gingerbread houses decorated by people. But getting creative like this can be overwhelming.
If I were to make my own gingerbread house I would use some of the following candies.
gummy bears
One of the sweets I most associate with gingerbread houses has to be gummy candies. I love how you can do the roof lining. Also, I think it’s super cute how you can use green gummy candies in front of the house to decorate the yard with bushes.
Spree
I’ve never had Spree alone but love how it looks on a gingerbread house roof. The small round pieces are also perfect for dressing up the side of the house. I could also use them to design a path leading to my gingerbread house.
twizzler
Growing up I would often have twizzlers in the winter when making themed treats. While I’ve mainly used them for turning Rice Krispy treats into gifts, I think you could use them for a gingerbread house, e.g. B. to cover the seams or to border windows.
M&M’s
I loved looking for the festively colored M&Ms every winter. The green and red are perfect for many things from the roof to the sides of the house. I like that you can also get regular M&Ms and use the other colors as accents or even fairy lights.
Mini candy canes
I’ve heard of many ways to use mini candy canes when making a gingerbread house. My favorite is probably the base for a sled. You place two candy canes next to each other and use a piece of gingerbread to connect them.
Round mints
I tend to associate round mints with fancy restaurants. But if you can find them in the store, you can attach them to your gingerbread house as decorations. I would use it on the door or possibly on the roof.
Mini marshmallows
Another one of my favorite little treats are some mini marshmallows. I would place them on the roof or in the garden. That way it can look a bit like it’s snowing.
Hot Tamales or Mike and Ikes
While I’ve never eaten Mike and Ikes or Hot Tamales, I think they have the perfect aesthetic to build a gingerbread house. I would combine the red and green to represent Christmas lights.
Rescuer
I know using Lifesavers sounds a bit ridiculous. But listen to me; Use a green lifesaver on the door of your home to represent a wreath!
Article without sweets
Besides the best candies for gingerbread houses, I might use other foods. For example, I would use pretzels on the sides to make the house look like a log cabin. I also think snap pretzels make good windows.
If I had a candy cone, I would cover it with green icing. Then I would put it in the yard to make a Christmas tree. You can add little candies like M&Ms or nerds to decorate the tree.
Tips to find candy
Before building your gingerbread house, you might be wondering how to find candy. Of course you can go to your local grocery store. However, they may not have the candy you want, or you may not need everything that comes in a bag.
I would recommend the following tips for your next gingerbread house.
Save Halloween candy
Before your child eats their Halloween candy, go through them together. Set aside all green and red candies. You can also store any sweets that you don’t particularly enjoy eating but might want to incorporate into your next gingerbread house.
This is a good option because you don’t have to buy all of your candy from scratch. Just make sure you remember you want to save it so you don’t eat it in early November.
shopping spree
You might want to visit a few stores in your area. Dollar stores and pharmacies have some of the best candy options. Also, they may be cheaper than prices at your main grocery store, which can save you money.
If you have a pharmacy or store membership, be sure to check out what’s on offer. You can shop just after Halloween to take advantage of holiday discounts.
Get candy you enjoy
If you can’t find small packages of candy, stick with what you like to eat. Then you can avoid wasting all that excess candy that doesn’t fit on your gingerbread house.
You can also buy sweets that you know your friends or family will eat. Even if you don’t eat the leftovers, you know someone will.
Be aware of any allergies
Think about who will bake a gingerbread house. If someone in your family has an allergy, avoid sweets that contain problematic ingredients.
For example, you should avoid peanut M&Ms if you have a peanut allergy. Then you and your whole family can bake and eat the gingerbread house.
To throw a party
Another great way to get candy for your gingerbread house is to throw a party. Have some other friends and relatives drop by. You can provide gingerbread house kits, and each guest can bring some candy.
That way you’ll have a variety of toppings and enough people will attend so nothing goes to waste. Also, everyone involved can save some money by sharing the candy.
