Pop Tart Nativity Scene

Why I Like This Recipe

• Easy to use. Toaster pastry (Pop Tarts) is sturdy, easy to work with, and is already iced!
• Inexpensive. Making a pop tart nativity is cheaper than purchasing a gingerbread nativity kit. The main components are made from Tootsie Rolls and pretzels, both of which are very inexpensive.
• Spiritual focus. We like decorating gingerbread houses this time of year, but there is something so sweet and special about making a nativity as a family.

Ingredients

• Pop Tarts/Toaster Pastries: You'll need 5 pop tarts. I used brown sugar cinnamon but unfrosted pop tarts would work well too.
• Royal icing: 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. A good rule of thumb is to use ½ cup of powdered sugar and 2-3 teaspoons of water. Mix the sugar and water until the mixture reaches the consistency of craft glue. You don't want it to be too runny.
• Rolos: These are used for the character's bodies.
• Pretzels: For the manager, angel wings, and shepherd's staff. You'll need twists, square pretzels and pretzel sticks.
• Tootstie rolls: Vanilla tootsie rolls for the heads, chocolate Toosie rolls for the hair and head coverings.
• Animal crackers: I used a variety of vanilla-flavored and chocolate-flavored animal crackers.
• Toasted coconut: Sprinkled around as hay/straw.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Tips and Tricks for Assembly

• Use store-brand pastries. Feel free to use a generic store brand vs. a name brand. Not only are they more affordable, but they are thicker, too.
• ONLY USE A SERRATED KNIFE. A paring knife will not work. Gently saw as you cut, and you'll end up with nice clean lines.
• Hold in place. Add a bead of icing to the pop tarts and use your hands to hold the 3 walls in place for a minute or two. After that, the icing will be tacky and hold on its own. Let it stand for 10 minutes before adding the roof. The roof is a little less sturdy than a standard pop tart roof because there are only 3 walls to support it instead of 4. Hold it in place for a minute or so before letting go, then let it stand until dry, making adjustments if it begins to move.
• Let set. Other than the angel, I did not decorate the stable; I simply added the characters around it. If you want to add candy and decorations to the walls and roof, make sure to let the stable stand AT LEAST 30 minutes before doing so to allow the icing to dry completely.
• Assemble in advance. For an even sturdier nativity, assemble it the day before you plan on decorating it to allow the pop tarts to dry out even more. If you do this, you shouldn't have any issues with your stable falling apart once the kids start to do their thing.
• Decorate with Tootsie Rolls. Tootsie Rolls have a similar texture to modeling chocolate and can be warmed and shaped with the warmth of your hand. To soften them even more, you can microwave them for 5-7 seconds. I used both methods to create the darling figures for my nativity. Vanilla Tootsie Rolls for the heads and chocolate Tootsie Rolls for the headpieces, hair, and body of Baby Jesus.

How To Make a Pop Tart Nativity

Step 1: Place 5 pop tarts on a cutting board.

Step 2: You will be making cuts on 3 out of 5 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.

Step 3: Take 1 pop tart and place it on its side, right next to another pop tart.

Step 4: Cut on a diagonal from the corner of the pop tart that is on its side, to the center of the middle pop tart. Repeat on the other side.

Step 5: You should now have a pop part that looks like a house.

Step 6: 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.

Step 7: You should now have two roof pieces (uncut), 1 house-shaped piece, 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.

Step 8: Glue the 3 walls together with icing and hold in place for a couple of minutes. Let it stand for 10 minutes before adding the roof.

Step 9: Add the roof pieces and hold in place for a couple of minutes.

Step 10: Other than the angel, I did not decorate the stable; I simply added the characters around it. If you want to add candy and decorations to the walls and roof, make sure to let the stable stand AT LEAST 30 minutes before doing so to allow the icing to dry completely.

How To Make Candy Nativity Characters

Mary: Use icing to stack and secure two Rolo candies for the body. Unwrap a vanilla tootsie roll and warm it in your hands. Roll into a ball. Use icing to secure it to the top of the Rolo stack for a head. Unwrap a chocolate tootsie roll and warm it in the microwave for 5-7 seconds. Flatten into a rectangle, then place over the head to create hair.

Joseph: Use icing to stack and secure two Rolo candies for the body. Unwrap a vanilla tootsie roll and warm it in your hands. Roll into a ball. Use icing to secure it to the top of the Rolo stack for a head. Unwrap a chocolate tootsie roll and warm it in the microwave for 5-7 seconds. Flatten into a rectangle. Cut a thin strip off the bottom and set it aside. Place the rectangle over the head to create the headpiece. Add the strip across the front for the headband.

Baby Jesus: Unwrap a vanilla tootsie roll and warm in your hands. Roll into a ball. I only used ⅔ of the tootsie roll because I wanted a smaller head than Mary and Joseph. Unwrap a chocolate tootsie roll and warm it in your hands. Shape the chocolate tootsie roll into a body (resembling a baby body wrapped in a blanket). Press the body against the head to attach. You can use icing, but I didn't find it necessary.

Place on top of a square pretzel (manger).

Shepherds: Follow the instructions for Joseph, but add a pretzel stick for a staff, using icing to attach it.

Angel: Follow the directions for Mary, but use a vanilla tootsie roll for the hair as well. Attach pretzel wings to the back using icing. Allow the icing to set before attaching the angel to the nativity.

Animals: Attach the animal crackers to the side of the nativity using icing.

Final details: Sprinkle toasted coconut around the platter/plate to look like straw. Add any other details that you'd like.

Pop Tart Nativity FAQs

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