So, you’re planning on building a gingerbread house, hey? Maybe it’s your first time, or maybe you’re looking for some new inspiration for decoration. Well, you’ve come to the right place. You see, people think that building a gingerbread house is easy compared to building a real house. Well, they’re wrong. In fact, many construction workers were once gingerbread house builders who couldn’t handle the pressure. It’s true. Building a gingerbread house is serious business. Today, we’re going to take a look at the best candies you can use to decorate your very own gingerbread house!
So, what are the best candies to decorate a gingerbread house? The best candy to decorate a gingerbread house are those that taste good, looks good, and will stay firmly in place. This means that you have the freedom to use whatever candy you’d like to decorate it as long as it fulfills these criteria. Though Necco Wafers, gumdrops, chocolate pretzels, and marshmallows are ideal.
There are so many great candies you can use to decorate your gingerbread house in a variety of ways.
The only limitation is the freedom of your imagination!
However, some candies are seen as staples (and tend to work best) when it comes to decorating a gingerbread house.
So let’s now explore them in greater detail, shall we?
Before turning to the types of candies to steer clear from and avoid for reasons, I shall shortly be outlining!
Best Candies To Decorate A Gingerbread House With
Necco Wafers
What’s a gingerbread house without a roof, hey? It’s perhaps the most defining feature that makes it recognizable as a house.
Other than maybe the windows….or the doors…. you get the idea. A gingerbread house needs a roof that stands out.
So, what does it need to be made of? Well, the same thing the roofs of normal houses are. Tiles.
Except, we’re not going to be using real tiles on a gingerbread house adorned with delicious, high-sugar candy.
Instead, we need a piece of delicious, high-sugar candy that’s going to act as our tiles.
These need to taste good, look good and stick well. So what could they be?
Well, seeing as I’m writing under a headline titled ‘Necco Wafers,’ you’ve probably released that I am suggesting we purchase some Necco Wafers to stick on the roof of our gingerbread house.
Necco Wafers feel like they’ve been around since candy was invented. They’re certainly an old candy, yet they still remain popular.
Not only are they popular, but they are also fantastic for using as roofs on a gingerbread house.
For a start, their shape design makes them appear similar to real-life roof tiles.
The vibrant colors will also brighten up your gingerbread house. The pattern you decide to lay your Necco Wafers out in is entirely up to you.
Their powdery surfaces also add a festive feel as if there were layers of snow on your gingerbread house.
Gumdrops
So you’ve got your tiles. Great. That’s a large proportion of the gingerbread house covered.
But it’s not the only candy we’re going to put up there for the birds to perch on. We need something to line the peak of the roof. That’s where Gumdrops come in!
They’re different enough in appearance to be distinguishable up on the roof from your Necco Wafers.
They also stick well and taste delicious.
Why else am I mentioning Gumdrops on this list? Well, it’s also because they’re incredibly versatile.
Sure, you can use them for the peak of your roof, but you can also stick them onto other parts of the gingerbread house or even it’s garden.
Chocolate Pretzels
That’s enough about roofs for now. It’s time to talk about windows.
Of course, you can brainstorm to come up with your own window designs, but what I think really gives a look of realism is the use of chocolate pretzels.
These are perfect as their color and texture make them look like genuine window frames.
You can’t just stick Chocolate Pretzels on the house, although saying that, they would look like some bizarre, fairytale windows. Maybe that’s what you’re going for?
If you want normal windows for your Gingerbread house, then you’re going to have to pick apart the pretzels, so you have the right pieces in terms of length and shape.
Think of yourself as a pretzel carpenter in this instance.
Once you have your pretzel window frames, stick them on.
Get creative with all the candies I suggest today. Just because I recommend chocolate pretzels for windows doesn’t mean they can’t be used for something else.
You could use them for the garden’s fence. Or the house’s guttering.
Remember, as long as it looks good, tastes good, and sticks good, that’s all that matters.
Red & Green Sour Tapes
Let me tell you something about me. I love sour sweets!
And I promise you; I’m not putting sour candy in this list because I’m biassed…even though I am.
Red & Green Sour tapes are perfect for use with gingerbread houses. You can use them for all sorts of decorative features.
Personally, I love to use them as pathways through the garden, up to the gingerbread house’s front door.
Who wouldn’t love to walk up to their house along a Sour Tape?
I mean, you wouldn’t walk, would you? You’d lick your way up there every day.
Red and Green Sour Tapes could also be used for the house’s exterior wallpaper or the garden’s grass if you’re not using them for the pathway.
You could even use the red Sour Tapes for the path and the Green ones for the grass. That’s what I do! I know, it’s ok, you don’t have to say it. I’m a genius.
Sour Tapes fulfill the criteria of tasting good, looking good, and sticking good. They stick particularly well due to being so high in sugar. As we know, the higher the candy’s sugar content, the more it will stick to anything.
Marshmallows
There are so many great candies to use when decorating a gingerbread house. Today, we’re only going to be examining 5.
As gingerbread houses are normally a festive delight, I thought we’d stick to that theme for today’s final candy.
Marshmallows!
Now, why on earth are these festive? Are they just used for toasting around the campfire any time of the year?
Well, you’re right. Marshmallows, per se, are not festive at all. But it’s what you can do with them that makes them a festive addition to your gingerbread house.
Marshmallows are often white and soft. Remind you of anything festive? Snow? Yes, exactly! Marshmallows could very well be little blocks of snow for your gingerbread house.
You could cover the garden and roof in marshmallows to give it the look of being covered in snow, but there are a few problems with that.
Firstly, their chunky shape doesn’t make them the best for appearing as layers of snow.
Secondly, and more importantly, you wouldn’t be able to use the other great candies for roof tiles if you were just going to cover them in marshmallows!
So what do we use them for? One word…..snowmen!!
Yes, that’s right. Pop your marshmallows down in the gingerbread house’s garden; then, you can use some other candy to give it a face.
Nerds are a great tiny candy that can be used festively.
You could give your marshmallow snowman nerd eyes or a candy Christmas tree nerd baubles.
What Type Of Candy Are Best To Decorate A Gingerbread House With?
You want candies that taste good, look good, and stick well. But you always want candies that actually fulfill an aesthetic purpose for your gingerbread house.
Let’s face it; you can’t just chuck a load of your favorite candies onto the gingerbread house’s frame and hope that it will look lovely.
You need to purchase within certain categories of candy.
Based on the list I provided you with above, you probably can already see what these categories might be.
So, let’s go through them.
Belts, laces, and cables are the first categories.
These long sweets are useful, as mentioned earlier, for building roofs, pathways, gutterings, and house outlines.
You could even use laces for window frames instead of pretzels.
Next are your tiles.
As I said earlier, Necco Wafers are my favorite gingerbread house tiles candy, but you could also use anything that looks the part.
This could include fudge, gems, chocolate coins, or anything you see fit.
Then you need your other decorative sweets, so ones that are small and colorful. These could be Jelly Babies, Jelly Tots, M&Ms, or Nerds, as mentioned earlier.
I couldn’t write an article about gingerbread houses without mentioning Candy Canes, could I?
These traditional candy pieces are excellent for giving your gingerbread house that festive feel.
Where To Buy Candy To Decorate Your Gingerbread House
Amazon is my favorite place to buy candy to decorate your gingerbread house because you can buy it in bulk on the cheap.
Amazon provides pretty much everything, don’t they? It’s hard to think of a product they don’t stock.
Candy is certainly no exception to this, including those best suited to adorn your gingerbread house.
Amazon provides such a vast stock of candy at great prices, meaning you can purchase in bulk at a great price.
Grocery stores/supermarkets are good when you need candy immediately, but they rarely beat Amazon when it comes to price comparisons.
Let’s take a look at the different prices offered at Amazon and Walmart, respectively, for Tropical Dots, a brand of Gumdrops.
At Amazon, you can buy a box of 24 packs of Tropical Dots for around $30 (plus delivery if you don’t have Prime). A great deal.
That same box at Walmart will cost you more than $40!
So there’s a better deal at Amazon on this one.
- Tropical Dots offers five exotic fruit flavors that satisfy the most discriminating sweet tooth cravings.
- 24 2.2 oz. boxes of Tropical Dots - great for snacking, a mid-day break, or sharing with friends
- Includes five flavors: Island Nectar, Wild Mango, Grapefruit Cooler, Carambola Melon, and Paradise Punch
- Dots is America’s favorite, #1-selling gumdrop brand - now in Tropical fruit flavors.
- Dots are only 12 calories per piece and are Kosher, gluten free, and peanut free.
That’s not to say that Walmart can never match Amazon on price.
But let’s look at the prices of Necco Wafers now.
Amazon off a box of 24 packs of Necco Wafers for around $30 (plus delivery if you don’t have Prime).
At Walmart, the price is very similar, and you wouldn’t necessarily have to pay for delivery either if you were visiting the store.
- AMERICAN CLASSIC: Made in the USA since 1847, Neccos are the original old-fashioned candy wafers.
- AMERICAN CLASSIC: Made in the USA since 1847, Neccos are the original old-fashioned candy wafers.
- BULK CANDY: Stock up! This display pack of candy has twenty-four 2-ounce rolls of Necco Wafers.
- GLUTEN-FREE: This classic American candy is free of gluten and most common allergens.
- HOLIDAY PARTY CANDY: The sweet flavor of Necco Wafers makes them a great party or Halloween candy.
It’s all about making price comparisons when you’re looking to stock up.
Other Ways To Decorate Your Gingerbread House
Icing
For some, a gingerbread house without icing is incomplete; it adds the perfect festive spirit to your gingerbread house.
As well as covering the house, it is actually the icing that also holds a gingerbread house together.
This will require a piping bag and a dexterous hand as you look to solidify the structure of your gingerbread house.
Here is a great icing recipe for gingerbread houses!
Melted Chocolate Drizzle
What’s better than chocolate? Melted chocolate!
And you can use this to strategically add a flavor and features to your gingerbread house.
Whether it’s white chocolate, milk chocolate or your prefer it dark; there are plenty of features you could use this for.
For instance, what about hair for your gingerbread men (or women!)
Finally
You can decorate your gingerbread house however you like.
Just remember, if you intend to build a good one, make sure your decorative candy:
- TASTES GOOD!
- LOOKS GOOD!
- …AND STICKS GOOD!
Happy Gingerbread House construction!
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Hello, I’m Matthew, a candy expert and enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the candy industry. My passion for candy started at a very young age. Since then, I have worked in numerous, large candy stores, and have been fortunate enough to try out hundreds of brands of candies, different types and flavors. In addition to my work, I enjoy sharing my extensive knowledge with others, and decided to create Sugar Stand in order to do so. My mission is to make the world a sweeter place, one candy at a time.
