This Pop Tart gingerbread house is so fun to decorate and perfect for the holidays! Once you make a gingerbread house out of Pop Tarts you'll never go back to graham crackers again. I'll share tips and tricks for decorating your gingerbread house with candy and royal icing. This post contains an affiliate link.
You might also like our gingerbread cookie Christmas countdown!
Watch our step by step video!
I think we all knew that when we made Pop Tart haunted houses earlier this year that a holiday version would make its way to the site. Seriously friends, once you switch to Pop Tarts you'll never go back to graham crackers.
It all started when I couldn't find chocolate graham crackers at the store to make haunted gingerbread houses. My husband suggested using chocolate Pop Tarts. I was skeptical but bought a box to humor him. They turned out awesome! Sturdy, easy to work with, and fun to decorate.
Why are Pop Tarts Better Than Graham Crackers?
- They are bigger than graham crackers so you get a bigger house.
- They are easier to cut than graham crackers and don't crumble as easily, but can still break if you aren't careful. TIP: Use a serrated knife, and saw through the Pop Tart instead of cutting or putting pressure straight down on the knife.
- They come in so many colors and flavors.
- They are sturdier than graham crackers and look more like a boxed gingerbread house kit.
- They are frosted so it gives them a fun texture and decorative look.
- How long will your pop tart house last? Pop tarts are basically already stale so you don’t need to worry about your gingerbread house going soft like graham crackers sometimes do. This house will last all season.
What people are saying about my pop tart gingerbread house
"Made these with four grandkids ages five and under and it worked. great. Adults built the house, then the kids decorated them. We used powdered sugar glue to make the house and canned icing for the decorations. They loved it. Thanks for posting."
"Thanks for making our first attempt at Holiday House Decorating successful and fun!! The grandkids loved it!! It made it very doable for 3 and 4 year olds !"
"I made these tonight and we’re decorating them tomorrow. This recipe is so great and easy! The icing is simple and holds together really well! I didn’t have any houses fall apart! Also, no egg whites or meringue powder is a plus! Thank you for sharing!"
Pop tart house Supplies
You'll need 6 Pop Tarts. I used strawberry because it already had red and green sprinkles on the frosting.
You'll also need a variety of holiday candies and royal icing.
Easy Royal Icing for Frosting pop tart Gingerbread Houses
Royal icing works great on gingerbread houses. Here is a royal icing recipe from Wilton that uses meringue powder to create a sturdy icing.
My recipe is simply a mixture of powdered sugar and water. It dries hard and works well.
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons water
Mix sugar and water together until it reaches the consistency of craft glue. You don't want it to be too runny.
Can You Use Store-bought Frosting in a Tub?
One reader shared that they made these on Zoom with the 8-11 year olds at their church. She said they delivered boxes of pop tarts, candy, sprinkles and store-bought icing (plain ol' vanilla that you use for frosting cakes) to the kids and it worked out great! She said, "everything stuck great, almost no wait time. Even the heavy candy went right on and stayed put."
So there is another option. Easy for kids, holds the heavy candies on well. May not dry as hard as royal icing, but works great!
Pop tart Gingerbread House Candies
We all have our favorite holiday candies to use for gingerbread houses. My go-to candies are mints and chocolate candies in holiday shapes---like Santa, trees or snowmen.
Tips for Assembling Pop Tart Gingerbread House
- Follow my instructions at the end of the post for cutting your Pop Tarts. ONLY USE A SERRATED KNIFE to cut the Pop Tarts. A paring knife will not work. Gently saw as you cut and you'll end up with nice clean lines.
- Add a bead of icing to the Pop Tarts and use your hands to hold the 4 walls into place for a minute or two. After that, the icing is tacky and will hold it on its own.
- Repeat for the roof, holding it in place for a minute or so before letting go.
These houses are pretty sturdy once the royal icing has had a chance to set. This takes about 15-20 minutes, but waiting at least 30 minutes before decorating is recommended.
For even sturdier houses, assemble them the day before you plan on decorating them to allow the pop tarts to dry out a bit.
If you do this you shouldn't have any issues with your house falling apart.
Tips for Icing and Decorating Pop Tart House
Make sure to watch our video to see how we assembled and decorated our house.
Obviously lightweight candies like Necco wafers are easier to work with than M&Ms and starlight mints, but don't let that stop you. I'll share a few tips for working with heavier candy. That being said, if you are making these with a group of children, I'd go for lightweight candy and sprinkles to avoid little ones getting frustrated.
- To add heavier candies to the trim (see M&Ms in photo):
- Add a bead of royal icing to the house and let it sit for a couple of minutes before adding candy. This allows the icing to begin to get tacky. Add the candy, then adjust as necessary if you see any drooping. The icing will harden and hold everything after 10 minutes or so.
- To add heavy candies to the roof, you have two options:
- 1: Decorate the roof pieces before assembling the house and let them dry. Then assemble the house.
- 2: Use the tip above for heavier candies, adding a bead of icing, let it sit for a minute or two, then adding the candy and adjusting as necessary until it is firm.
- Decorating the walls:
- If you're only adding a couple of items (like I did) you can add them at the end. Easy.
- If you'd like to add a bit of decoration to the walls of your house you can do that BEFORE assembling the house. Let it set up and dry then build your house. This is an easy way to make sure gravity doesn't pull the candy down.
Pop Tart Gingerbread House Tutorial
Pop Tart Gingerbread House
Equipment
- serrated knife
- plastic sandwich bag
Ingredients
- 6 pop tarts
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons water
Instructions
- Place 6 pop tarts on the cutting board.
Roof
- You will be making cuts on 4 out of 6 of the pop tarts. The 2 that aren't cut are the roof pieces. You can set those 2 pop tarts to the side if you'd like.
Front and Back Walls
- Take 1 pop tart and place it on its side, right next to another pop tart.
- Cut on a diagonal from the corner of the pop tart that it on its side, to the center of the middle pop tart. Repeat on the other side.
- You should now have a pop tart that looks like a house. Repeat this step so that you have 2 house-shaped pop tarts.
Side Walls
- Remember that pop tart that you turned on its side? Go ahead and stand it up again. Place it next to one of the house-shaped pop tarts, lining up the corners, and cut horizontally across. Repeat.
- You should now have two roof pieces (un-cut), 2 house-shaped pieces, and 2 wall pieces.
- Combine powdered sugar and water to make a royal icing glue. Add water ½ teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved (2 ½ teaspoons works well for me). Spoon icing into a Ziploc bag and cut the tip off. Glue the 4 walls together with icing and hold in place for a minute or so.
- Add the roof pieces and hold in place for a minute or so.
- Let houses stand AT LEAST 30 minutes before decorating. If making these with kids, assemble the houses the day before you want to decorate them to allow the pop tarts to harden a bit.
- Dip decorations into icing or pipe icing onto houses to decorate.
Notes
- Icing should be the consistency of craft glue.
- When cutting pop tarts, use a serrated knife and gently saw. Don't press down hard with the knife.
- To add heavier candies to the houses, like M&Ms, add a line of icing to the house and let the icing stand for a couple of minutes before placing the candy on it. This will allow the icing to dry a little and become tacky.
- You may need to hold the candy in place, or readjust the candy that starts to move as you wait for the icing to dry.
Nutrition
Erin says
This is our 4th year making these pop tart houses and I just want to thank you for the great idea and the clear, easy instructions! It’s become a fun yearly tradition!
Brandy says
Erin this made my day! I'm so glad that it has become a family tradition. Merry Christmas!
Anderson Jill says
I can’t wait to do something like this for Easter and Halloween!!!
Lesa says
Hi,
I just ran across this idea, and am planning on doing it with the elementary age kids I work with at my job at a public library in about two weeks. Today, I tried to put one together....and it did not go well for me. I used a serrated knife to saw instead of cut, and it worked well enough--that wasn't really the problem. The problem came next...the poptarts are too crumbly when handled. I don't eat poptarts usually, so I didn't realize they are pretty much a pastry. Corners away from the cut parts were falling away, a side ended up breaking off, even the roof, that wasn't cut, started crumbling when I tried to put it together. I was being as gentle as I could, and just not having any luck. I'm looking at these boxes of poptarts and now I'm very fearful and nervous about facing trying to put together with kids. Any suggestions? I thought about opening packages and see if they dry out and harden, but my co-workers thought they would actually just get softer. Help!! Thank you.
Brandy says
Hi Lesa! I'm sorry that you are having issues with crumbly pop tarts! Are you using generic or name brand? I've actually found that the generic brand (I used the ones from Walmart) are a little thicker than the name-brand ones. Might be worth a shot. I've used both and they turned out great, but I did think that the generic ones were a little easier to cut. Hope that helps!
Anita Laughlin says
Can you use an electric knife to cut the pop tarts? That’s what I use to cut my Graham crackers for my houses every year. A professional baker gave me that helpful tip for my Graham crackers, and I don’t have nearly the breakage. I teach kindergarten and we make houses every year (for the last 20 years).
Brandy says
Great idea!!
Monica Walsh says
My grandchildren loved making these houses and it was so easy.
Michelle says
Thank you! Gingerbread kits and graham crackers are hard to find in Panama, but I was able to find Pop Tarts so the tradition continues!!
Nikki says
Evey year we make Gingerbread houses, and we did so again this year. But I saw this tutorial and decided to try it with my girls in addition to our other houses. While we opted to not make our own icing and purchased tube frosting it was by far the easiest version of house making we have done in 10 years! My girls were able to do it with almost no help from me ( I did cut the poptarts). We will definitely be making these again! Thank you so much for this awesome idea!
Christi says
This was so much fun!!!! The kids said it was easier than gingerbread. Thank you!
Dani says
I did this with my kids and it was the best alternative to gingerbread houses ever! So easy, cute, and best of all, edible! Awesome idea.
Angeline says
Pop Tarts made this house stay up so easily!! Best idea ever!!
Katie says
We’ve made a number of gingerbread kits in years past, but this was the most successful house we’ve built to date. It was fun to pick the colors we wanted for the walls and so easy to cut the house pieces for assembly. Making your own royal icing is def the way to do this. And the houses were a perfect size for my young kids. Loved it!
Amy says
Assembled these with grandkids ages 12, 8, 6. We used cookie icing in a tube for the ‘glue’, to connect the poptarts. Let that dry overnight. Very successful decorating session the next day, recommended to all my friends!
Melissa says
Turned out great! What a sweet idea!
Cynthia says
This was wonderful. We will do it this way again!
Kat says
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cathy says
This was the BEST! It will be a new tradition for grandkids...and my friend and I made 16 for her 5th/6th grade class at church. So creative, so fun, and turned out so cute! Thank you!
Mandy H. says
Excellent idea...perfect family fun! Thank you for your detailed directions. We made ours the week of Thanksgiving and they set out until Christmas. No crumbles or mold. My 7 year old wasn’t pleased that I threw our village away but I promised we’d make these again next year. (Even thinking about bunny houses at Easter!)
Jenny H says
My kids had a blast making these! We used hot glue to put them together and they stayed beautifully! We will definitely be doing these next Christmas. Thank you!
Jan says
Ingenious!! Kids loved it!
Victoria says
Worked great!
Paula says
This was such a fun activity to do with my daughter! We will be doing this again next Christmas!
Amy B says
These were very easy and fun to make! The video tutorial was excellent! I will use royal icing next year but the confectionery sugar worked well. The grandchildren loved decorating then. Thank you!!
Bri says
My kids loved making these together, they were super easy to assemble and tasted & looked better than traditional gingerbread houses we’ve done in past! Thanks for the wonderful idea!
Sue says
My grandchildren loved the pop tart houses. I put the houses together the night before so they would be ready to decorate the next day and stored them in the refrigerator. The first one I made I had a hard time getting the glue thick enough to stick together but, with patience they finally dried and the roof could be put on. I made the glue thicker for number 2, it worked a lot better.
We used canned frosting to stick the decorations to the outside of the house. This let my grands do the decorating “all by themselves”! I would recommend this fun and festive gingerbread house technique to all and plan to try again next year.
Makinzee says
We will make these everywhere. I loved the simplicity of buying from the store and then assembling even 5 minutes before we started decorating. I had 4 friends copy the idea also. Thanks for the suggestions.
Liz says
Brilliant. Never going back to graham crackers again!
Roxanna says
We made pop.tart gingerbread houses this year and used a royal icing recipe. It was so much easier to use the pop tarts then Graham crackers. I think something that might have helped more would have been to let the pop tarta sit out on a cookie sheet to harden for a few days before making the houses. Ours were a bit soft from being in the packages. This was a great idea and that k you for sharing it!
Denise says
We've done traditional gingerbread houses for the past 25+yrs but when I saw this, I HAD to do it! My grandkids AND adult kids had a blast! Less fuss, tons of fun for all!!!
Kim Tietz says
I teach kindergarten and am doing so remotely this year. For $70 I purchased all the supplies and made 26 ziplock baggy kits that families picked up on a distribution day, so my students and I could make candy houses together on our last Google Meet before Christmas break. So. So. So! Much easier with pop tarts. My students were so excited for the project they were waking parents at 6:30 for our 9:00 class. The directions were clearly written and the photos were helpful. The parents prepared their children for class by cutting the pop tarts as directed and surprisingly only one package of pop tarts were broken! Thank you for this great idea!
Brandy says
This just made my day. Virtual high fives to such an amazing teacher to do this for your class, and high fives all around for the parents who helped their kids cut the pop tarts and assemble the houses! So awesome!
Cherie Norris says
These were so much fun & tasted better than traditional gingerbread houses! We will definitely do these again next year. Thanks for the suggestions.
Sandra Smith says
We loved making these pop tart gingerbread houses! So easy and I made them the night before, so they were super sturdy for the kids to decorate the next day! I will definitely be making these next year too!
Lisa says
We had so much fun making this. I found the icing needs to be on the thicker side to really get the candies to stick. This will definitely be our family go-to Christmas craft for years to come.
Rachel says
I made them with my kids. I used to always use graham crackers but the pop tarts held much better and the kids loved it. Such a creative idea! Thanks for sharing, gluesticks!
Jill says
So much better and easier than gingerbread or graham crackers! The entire family made them together and had a great time
Johanna says
These were awesome! We’ll be doing this every year! Thank you for such a creative idea!
Terrah Anderson says
fun!
Tina says
Our teenagers had so much fun making these!
Julie says
This was such a fun idea to do with my Kindergarten granddaughter! She had so much fun and it was so easy to do! Icing was great at holding everything together!
Jen J says
Great idea and was a lot of fun to put together.
Sonya says
We had so much fun doing these!
Joanna says
So easy and cheaper than a kit!! Thank you for this!
Beth says
Great time making these with my 17 year-old. Bought supplies (pop tarts and candy) from the Dollar Tree for $10 to make two. Next time will use cinnamon pop tarts for more of a gingerbread appearance and smell. 😉Also coconut sprinkled made a fun snow effect and helped cover up some frosting boo boos.
Brandy says
Great idea!!
Dians says
Thanks a bunch, think I’ll use coconut TOO!!!! My friend and I have been trying to figure out what Brandy used for the snow but we’re at a complete loss haha. (Maybe frosting??) But the coconut might suffice. Thanks again:)))
Marissa says
We had so much fun making these pop tart houses! We have 5 kids, 1 grandma, and 2 parents in our family ... so, we made 8 houses! We spent less than $25 for all of the pop tarts and candy to decorate, and the kids went cRaZy on the candy. Can you imagine how much we would have spent on 8 pre-made gingerbread kits?! Not to mention, the kids were able to be completely creative in their creations, and they turned out beautifully. Thank you, Gluesticksblog for the awesome
idea and tutorial!
Brandy says
So awesome! And yes, that would have been so pricey to buy that many pre-made houses!
Felicia says
We did this . Had a hard time getting candies to stick with the powder sugar mixture. Grandma imploded her roof with to many mint tiles. We had a blast and will definitely do this again next year!
Natalie Borreani says
We made the pop tart gingerbread house and it was great! I bought the 12 count box of strawberry pop tarts so made a little village. Directions were easy to follow the roof was a little wonky after my 4 year old nephew added a ton of peppermints. I let him do whatever while the creativity was flowing but in hindsight gluesticks advice on adding heavier candy to the roof prior to assembly would have been better.
Diana says
Just an idea: maybe next time you could try using sugar-frosted shredded wheat cereal (the little squares) for the roof instead of the heavy peppermints. I’ve never made a gingerbread house before but I’ve seen this cereal used in lots of pictures and they turn out really cute. Then you could use the peppermint candies on the sides, etc :)))
Laura says
Your instructions were so helpful. We had a 2 year old, 4, 9, 11 and 12 year old helping big brothers. They are 17 and 18 teenagers who love creating our yearly gingerbread houses. Good thing we had extra tarts! 🏚🎄🎁🔔
Laura says
Easy to put together (I did it the night before) & sturdy enough for little hands to decorate.
Brandy says
Awesome!
Paula says
Much like any ginger bread house scenario, this works best with older steady hands helping out. They did not hold together very long and trying to cut the pop tarts initially (we used a combo of Pop Tart and Great Value) was tricky. We lost a lot of Pop Tart lives in the cutting. 😂 They did taste great and the kids enjoyed it. They all do want to do traditional gingerbread houses next year, though. No pop tart house regrets for 2020z Our kids ranged in age from 8-14.
Brandy says
Glad they still enjoyed it! Thanks for your honest review!
Teresa says
Made these with my 10 year old. The best ever!!!!!
Kristin says
We did this with 4 adults- 57 to 23 years old, and had a blast! So much easier than making gingerbread, and buying bargain poptarts at Walmart and Aldi made the craft much more affordable. It was an evening of fun and some therapeutic creativity. Thanks for the great idea and instructions!
Michelle says
It was quick and easy. Much cheaper than even half off sales. Using leftover halloween candy and 1 box of generic pop tarts we spent about $3 for 2 pop tart houses. Perfect for our family! And can't beat the out if pocket cost.
Brandy says
Love this! Yes, the generic pop tarts work JUST AS GOOD! Saves so much money, too!
Stacy says
This is our new favorite way to build gingerbread houses! Much sturdier and kid friendly!
Jennifer says
We made these and they were Awesome and worked perfectly.
Jenny says
These are so fun!! What a great idea to use Pop Tarts! Thanks for the detailed tutorial! 🤩
Kathy says
Such a cute idea and so much easier that cutting out and baking gingerbread. I used sticks of gum for the shingles. It was lots of fun!
DT says
Fun kids activity, and tastier than gingerbread.
mamab says
Great idea!
Lena says
Adorable and sooooo easy to do. I will make them again and contemplating try to make them for birthdays with different candies and pop tarts
Jennifer StJohn says
Easy and fun. Will do this next year!
Jenn @ Whole Child Homeschool says
I shared this pop-tart gingerbread house with my followers and they loved it! Many of them commented that this technique worked better than any other that they'd tried in the past!
Star says
Such a fun activity to do with my student!
Nancy Morrison says
So much fun making these and I didn't have to stress about them falling apart based upon my baking skills. LOL!!!
Alison says
Great idea!
Jean Longendyke says
I made these adorable houses with my daycare kiddos. They loved them! Easy to put together and were super sturdy to decorate. Even the 1 year olds were able to decorate their own.
We will definitely make them again next year!
Gina Britton says
This was a great activity, with my 3 year old grand daughter! we both had fun and it was easy! And Tasty!
Janelle says
So much fun!
Cindy Alexander says
Great fun and didn't fall apart
Libby says
Thank you for sharing this creative idea
Lynne says
Excellent idea! I saw countless posts of folks using this! Homerun! Congratulations! 🎉
Lynn Zanca says
My grandkids (3 and 5) loved making these!!! They came out adorable!! Love them!!! 5 *****
Brenda landon says
These were so much fun and so easy
G. Sehnert says
I did this activity with several patients this year, mostly over Zoom. It was the BEST! Way better than graham cracker or gingerbread.
Debbie Hammer says
We made several with our granddaughter and her parents did too with her. So much fun! A great family activity and simple!
Candice Jensen says
I love this idea! So cute and a fun holiday activity.
Kayla says
This pop tart house was so much fun to make with my kiddos!!!!!
Melis says
The kids enjoyed making this!
Angie says
This worked perfectly! So much easier to assemble and looked so cute even before adding any candy decorations because the Pop Tarts are already frosted! Will never go back to graham crackers (or preassembled gingerbread, for that matter) again! Thank you so much!
Caitlin says
The directions were so easy to follow. An engaging activity for my crew ranging in ages from 6 to 74. This will definitely become a new tradition. Thank you
Roxann says
So much easier than Graham crackers & the pop tarts are already frosted! We used an assortment of different kinds. We plan to make it an annual family tradition. THANK YOU
MB says
We made this and it held up so much better! My granddaughter loved it and had fun eating, oh I mean making it!! 😊
Patti says
This was a very cute project I made twice with my grandkids. First, was with my 14 year old granddaughter. We didn’t realize the “frosting glue” needed to dry first because our walls kept falling in while decorating. Next I made it with my younger granddaughters , 7,5 and 4. We let them dry several hours before decorating and had a much better result!
Cody says
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Susan says
I made these with grandchildren and was pleased with them. They are still standing weeks later. I used a container of vanilla store bought frosting for the “glue to build” and attach candies.
Julia says
The pop tarts were much easier to work with! Loved this idea! Thank you!
Susan says
This is the perfect house for the holidays. We had a great time. Thank you for the wonderful idea.
Felicia says
We tried this and they came out so much better than the graham cracker houses we usually make. Thanks so much for sharing!
Lynn says
Great way to do houses. Will continue this every year!
Virginia L says
We absolutely loved making Poptart gingerbread homes! So fun and super easy too! Best idea ever!!!
Shandra says
Great activity! I loved making these more than gingerbread houses!
Diane says
Cute idea! We used melted vanilla candy coating instead of icing, it dried fast and held together very well. Grandkids had a blast!
Sue says
I am the least talented person I know. Have never been able to make a gingerbread house. My 2 grandsons (2 and 6) and I made these houses this year and we all were thrilled. The tip about putting them together the night before was great! The kids had a great time making their own design. So easy, and turned out so cute.
Brandy says
Sue, I'm so glad to hear that they worked out for you!
Heather says
Excellent idea!
Sylvia says
Great idea. I loved this so much. Thank you. I rate this a 5 *
Michelle says
Super easy and fun! Easy to adapt to adults too. The videos help so much for visual learners like myself. Can’t wait to try the Halloween one this year too!
Thanks for this site! It’s my go to to try new things...the very best:)
Brandy says
I'm a visual learner too! MUST HAVE VIDEO, haha! Thank you for your kind words, Michelle!
Amanda says
This was way better than using graham crackers! Thank you!
Stephanie says
Such a simple and easy idea. We love our family tradition of gingerbread house making. This simple pop tart house was so fun and cute.
Jessica says
So much fun! I like the pop tarts because they are sturdier than graham crackers as well as a bit bigger! The kids had so much fun!
Roxanne says
Great idea works perfectly better than the original gingerbread houses thank you!
Alyssa Kiger says
Thanks for coming up with this idea! They are so cute!
David A says
So much fun and easy. Our granddaughter had a blast making this.
Missy says
Made these with my 8th grade students for our class Christmas party. They loved doing this!
Jonna says
Best Christmas Activity EVER!! So easy and so fun!!
Linda says
The best for littles and their grownups I've ever seen. Looking foreword to making poptart houses with my granddaughter. Thank you!
Joy says
So creative!! Thanks for sharing!
Natalie says
This was fun and easy and looked amazing!
Kara says
This was so easy and fun, definitely will be doing this next year instead of the typical gingerbread houses !
Michelle says
So fun, so easy and super cute!!!
Amber says
We did this Pop Tart Gingerbread House activity over zoom with 12 Primary Activity girls and it was a HUGE hit! Thanks a bunch!
Courtney says
This was really easy and fun for my 10 year old daughter to do!! While so many others were buying premade expensive houses for the class online party my daughter loved following the tutorial and they stuck together great (using canned frosting too) and we used lots of her fav candy all for under $10 which made tossing it later on even easier 😂
Brandy says
I love this, Courtney! You were able to create a custom gingerbread house with candy that your kids actually want to eat!
Mel B says
Hot glue + Pop tarts = Gingerbread houses to the next level!
Jessica H says
Super easy and fun! Sent the supplies to family out of town and allllll the kids loved it!
Brandy says
Yay! So fun!
Christina says
Easy, cute and fun!
Melissa Jensen says
This was the easiest and by far the cutest gingerbread houses we have ever made! The houses were strong and stayed together! We plan to make Valentine houses next! Thanks Brandy!
Brandy says
Love this, Melissa!
Diana says
It’s def encouraging to hear you had so much success. I have to ask, did you happen to learn anything especially helpful that you can pass down to the newbies like me? I’ve never made a gingerbread house in my life, childhood or adulthood. Also I’ve been trying to figure out what Brandy used for snow. Pretty sure it’s not cotton candy, cotton balls, marshmallow cream or coconut. I’m SO perplexed! Any ideas??? Thank you!
Cathy says
This was our Christmas Eve project with my two and five year old grandsons, their mom (my daughter), and their dad’s mom (other grandma). We had a great time! My daughter constructed the house, my grandsons did the decorating, and we two grandmas thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!
Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. I always wanted to make gingerbread houses with my kids, but never attempted it. Your pop tart recipe is genius!
Brandy says
Love hearing this, Cathy!!!
Sandra says
We loved making our pop tart gingerbread houses!! Thanks for the great idea!!!
Brandy says
Yay! So glad you guys had fun! Merry Christmas!
Adrian says
Totally agree with what someone said above about the frosting not holding everything together. It was a disaster. Followed everything to the letter and though the house stayed together at first overnight and dried fine, it didn’t last. Peppermints wouldn’t stay on, and even the candies were a struggle. Toddlers were in tears, mom and dad were frustrated, and it was not fun. Went to Walmart, bought one of the kits, and everything was perfect. Just a sort of“buyer beware” warning. The kits from Walmart are much better and actually stay.
Brandy says
I'm sorry yours didn't turn out when so many others did!
Vicki says
Can you use the cheapo pop tarts from Dollar Tree for this?
Brandy says
I used the cheap ones from Walmart and they worked GREAT! $1.50 for a 6 pack. I've used these ones and the Pop Tart brand and can't say one is better than the other so I think you could definitely use the ones from Dollar Tree.
John says
This project is a disaster. Don’t try it. ESPECIALLY KIDS DONT TRY IT!
The problem is simply the frosting doesn’t hold the house together. It can collapse at any point. It is NOT what you want with kids during a “fun” family gathering. I’ve been doing graham cracker houses (house constructor for the family) for many years, so my point of reference is very established.
Very disappointed in this. Might work if you had a full day to build one AND you’re an adult. For family fun though covering ages from kids thru grandparents, my advice is don’t waste your time, money, and MAN HOURS on this. You will regret the attempt.
Brandy says
That's a shame! Ours are 3 weeks old and still holding strong and we've had about a hundred images shared from successful pop tart houses on our FB page. I'm sure you won't try it again this year, but of you do, thick frosting is the key. Make these at LEAST 30 minutes before decorating (making them the night before is ideal) and they will be hard and ready to go when the kids go to decorate them.
Susan Andrews says
I made these tonight and we're decorating them tomorrow. This recipe is so great and easy! The icing is simple and holds together really well! I didn't have any houses fall apart! Also, no egg whites or meringue powder is a plus! Thank you for sharing!
Brandy says
Awesome!! This is what I love to hear! 🙂
Alisha says
How long does the icing last?
I want to pre-make kits for friends a few days ahead. Will the icing keep that long and still be the right consistency?
Brandy says
It will if it is covered in an airtight container. Like, put it in a plastic container, then press a piece of plastic wrap against the frosting, then add the lid. This will keep it from drying out. You can also store it in a ziploc baggie, just make sure to squeeze out any air before sealing it!
Jay says
There is no vid link.
Brandy says
The video is there! Do you have a pop up blocker on? The video plays under the first image in the blog post.
Margaret says
Where can I find those chocolate Santa’s?
Brandy says
I ordered mine from Oriental Trading back in the fall, but I've noticed similar ones on the shelves at the grocery store! I'd check Target.
Angie says
Thanks for making our first attempt at Holiday House Decorating successful and fun!! The grandkids loved it!! It made it very doable for 3 and 4 year olds !
Brandy says
Yay! So glad to hear this! Merry Christmas!
Sara Murphy says
I made one with my client to work on executive functioning skills. We had to decide how they would transport the gingerbread house home from the clinic and how we could save time at the clinic. The child came up with using a shoebox to transport and I assisted with coming up with prepping the frosting ahead of time (well, we both made a batch). We needed a lot more frosting than a half of cup...perhaps because they added more water. The bag was a little tricky to use and it was almost better using a spoon to drizzle or even a knife. We made the 2 diagonal cuts but then didn't have the instructions available to recall how the other was cut (as child forgot to bring the instructions). Again, working on these skills 🙂 Thanks again for the idea!
Brandy says
You're welcome! Great job doing it by memory without instructions, too!
Amanda Jones says
Thank you for sharing your talents with us! You are so clever and wonderful! We are making this today on zoom as a youth church activity! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Brandy says
How fun! What a lucky group of youth to have you guys as leaders! Merry Christmas! ❤️
Brianna says
Worked great
Brandy says
Yay!! ❤️
Gina says
Did anyone eat the houses after? Did they get stale?
Brandy says
Hi Gina! My kids will usually eat some of the candy off of their houses, but don’t usually eat the walls. Our haunted house ones that we made back in October dried out and were pretty stale when I tossed them.
Chasity says
This is such a great idea and I’m so glad I stumbled upon this video and recipe. Thanks so much for sharing this. I’ve stayed away from making gingerbread houses because it looked o complicated and intimidating but I definitely feel I can do this with my little ones. We will be trying this for sure this Christmas! Thank you ❤️
Brandy says
I’m so glad!! 🙂
Perry Latshaw says
Where have you been all these years? This is brilliant! I've made graham cracker houses for at least 35 years. Thank you for this idea!! Made my holiday!! Telling my daughters to do this for the grandchildren.
Brandy says
Thank you Perry!
Becky Bucher says
Where do I find the video to show students.
I found it on Facebook but my school blocks Facebook.
I am a new teacher to family and consumer science and I would like to try this with my special needs class in December. Do you think a butter knife would work to apply the frosting rather than a sandwich bag. Suggestions with high school special needs students....
Brandy says
Hi Becky! The video should automatically pop up in the blog post. If you don't see it for some reason, maybe because of a pop-up blocker, I can e-mail it to you! I think the easiest way is to assemble them using the frosting and ziploc baggie ahead of time, and then let the students decorate them after the frosting has had a chance to set. If you'd like the kids to build them themselves, I kind of still think the baggie would work better than a knife, just to get smooth straight lines! I think it is awesome that you are doing this!
virginia barilla says
I just love this idea. Maybe I can cut the door out and have something inside. I bet the Halloween one was cute! Thank you. Happy Holidays.
Brandy says
Hi Virginia! Thank you so much! We had fun making them. 🙂
Lynn says
Awesome idea. I will be making these with the kiddos. Could you please tell me where you got the little white square plates to build them on?
Brandy says
Hi Lynn! I think I got those little plates at Walmart! They worked great! Have fun!
Sue says
Made these with four grandkids ages five and under and it worked. great. Adults built the house, then the kids decorated them. We used the powdered sugar glue to make the house and the canned icing for the decorations. They loved it. Thanks for posting.
Brandy says
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that they had a great time!
Joy says
Have you tried assembling them with a hot glue gun? We don’t eat them so glue will not make a difference.
Brandy says
Hi Joy! I’ve used hot glue with the boxed gingerbread kits in the past, but haven’t tried it with pop tarts.
Martha Harris Miller says
Ours was a disaster!! I dont know if the "glue" was not the right consistency or what. But the pop tarts kept falling down and breaking and it was just a mess! Guess we will try again another time!!
Brandy says
Yes, I hope you try again! I had two readers send photos of their finished houses and they looked great! One used regular frosting from a tub (for cakes, etc.) and said her kids found that to be easier than royal icing. The other used royal icing. So there are a couple of different options that work. And I'm sure you did this, but let the 4 walls set up for a minute or two (hold them in place), then add the roof and do the same (hold it in place for a minute or two), let it stand for a bit, then decorate. Let me know if you have better results next time! 🙂
JULIANA VASQUEZ-KEATING says
HI BRANDY! I WORK FOR FOX 10 NEWS IN PHOENIX AND WAS WONDERING IF WE COULD USE YOUR VIDEO TO SHOWCASE THE IDEA WITH CREDIT TO YOU OF COURSE? ITS SUPER CUTE!!
Brandy says
Sure thing!
Denise says
I really tried making this with my granddaughter, but the poptarts kept crumbling. Maybe an old batch? Will try again.
Brandy says
Hi Denise! They crumbled when you cut them or when you assembled the house? We found that when assembling the house that letting it sit for at least a half an hour (or even overnight) worked well before decorating. For cutting the pop tarts, gently saw them with a serrated knife. If you did both of those things and they still crumbled that’s so odd!
Pam says
This is so cute! The Pop Tarts DO look easier than graham crackers!
Brandy says
Thanks Pam! They really are easier to cut!
Karen says
I saw this and thought it was awesome, so going to do this, great for a centre peace for the grandchildrens Xmas table.
Brandy says
Yay! So fun. My kids are excited to make theirs this year, too!
Marilyn says
What a great idea. Will be doing it with my grandchildren. My husband was also in the Coast Guard for 32 years. He’s a retired rating force Master Chief.
Brandy says
I love that! Please thank him for his service! Mine has been in the CG for 23 years so far, and made the switch from Senior Chief to Warrant last summer! We've enjoyed our time in the CG. 🙂
Debi says
FABULOUS IDEA!!! great for neighbors - just fill the 'house' with candy (lift the house). AND you can make a whole village for next to nothing! Easy with kids, stealing this one... LOL
Cora says
I have been making the gingerbread houses with graham crackers for about 30 years. I find that by making the royal icing with pasteurized powdered egg whites makes the glue sturdier and it dries quicker and holds heavier items. I sure wish I had discovered making them with pop tarts before. This is a genius idea thank you so much we will be doing the Christmas ones with my granddaughters using pop tarts this year for the first time!
Brandy says
Great tip! Thank you!
JoAnne says
Thank you so much for providing an option for food allergy families! We are definitely doing these this year.
Brandy says
Yay! I love hearing this!
Peggy Russell says
I wonder if I make it ahead can it be frozen?
Brandy says
Hi Peggy! That’s a great question. I wish I had the answer for you! I’ve never tried freezing and thawing pop tarts before. Hopefully someone else can comment and help you with this!
Lisa says
Great idea! I am pinning this. Thanks for the instructions.
Lisa
Annmarie says
I love this idea!Brilliant. How long will it last? I worry that the pop tarts will get soft if left out. I like to use my gingerbread house as a centerpiece and then eat it.
Brandy says
The ones we made for Halloween lasted a couple of weeks before I tossed them (not because they went bad, but because we were done with them!). They were still hard and would have lasted longer. So I’d say at least 2 weeks!
Ashlea says
This is amazing!! We’ve never done gingerbread houses as a family since one of my kiddos has Celiac (gluten). Since there are gluten free “pop tarts” this is a game changer! Thanks so much!!
Brandy says
Yay! I’m so glad!
Terri says
So much fun!
Sarah Mick says
Love this!!! I can't wait to try it! Also, love your nails. Looks like Rothko Red from Cirque Colors, with a matte topcoat. Thank you for putting this out there!!
Brandy says
Hi Sarah! Thank you! And yes, I'm wearing an OPI color (can't remember which one off the top of my head) with a matte topcoat. Love the matte topcoat!
Brandy says
Hi Sarah! Thank you! And yes, I'm wearing an OPI color (can't remember which one off the top of my head) with a matte topcoat. Love the matte topcoat!
Shari says
This is so cute! Where did you get the cute compartment trays you used for separating the decorations?
Brandy says
Hi Shari! I bought it on Amazon and love it! So great for veggies and parties. You can put dip in the center (has a lid) I can’t find the exact on that I have on there anymore, here is one very similar: https://amzn.to/36rI8pT
Ana says
Love this idea for the grandkids!
Barbara Olsen says
This looks really cute, but where is the video?
Brandy says
Hi Barb! Do you have pop up blockers on your browser? The video should play automatically under the first image.
Jan says
I absolutely LOVE this idea! Pop tarts! Why didn't this ever occur to me! You are a genius! Thank you so much for sharing.
Brandy says
Thank you Jan!