Best Candies for Decorating Gingerbread Houses: Top Candy Choices to Make Your Gingerbread House Shine

Gingerbread house decorating is one of the most festive and creative holiday traditions. Whether you’re crafting with kids or competing on style, the right candies can turn a simple house into a stunning holiday centerpiece. Classic choices like gumdrops, peppermint rounds, and candy canes offer vibrant color and playful shapes. M&Ms, Skittles, and jelly beans are perfect for creating patterned shingles or pathways, thanks to their variety of hues and shapes. Licorice laces are ideal for outlining rooftops or adding accents to windows and doors, while mini marshmallows transform easily into snowy landscaping. Don’t overlook chocolate candies, such as Hershey’s Kisses, for landscaping details or chimney embellishments. Sprinkles, nonpareils, and colored sugar enhance finer details, making your gingerbread house truly unique.

Tips 1:

As a designer, I always approach gingerbread house decorating like I would any interior design project—planning color palettes, thinking about textures, and maintaining balance. If you want to visualize your gingerbread house in advance, consider sketching your ideas or using a room planner to map out color and placement. This can help you create harmoniously balanced and eye-catching designs even for your edible architecture.

FAQ

Q: What candies are best for gingerbread house roof tiling?

A: Small, flat candies like Necco wafers, M&Ms, or chocolate buttons work well for roof tiling due to their uniform shape and wide color selection.

Q: How do I get candies to stick to gingerbread houses?

A: Royal icing is the most effective "glue" for attaching candies because it dries hard and holds up throughout the holiday season.

Q: What are creative ideas for gingerbread landscaping?

A: Use pretzel sticks for fences, coconut flakes for snow, and green-tinted shredded coconut for grass. Marshmallows can make snowy bushes or snowmen.

Q: Are there allergy-friendly candy options?

A: Yes, use allergy-friendly licorice, fruit snacks, or chocolate-free candies. Always check labels for allergens if guests have sensitivities.

Q: Can I decorate a gingerbread house with healthy snacks?

A: Absolutely! Try dried fruit, seeds, or unsweetened coconut flakes as decorative and healthier alternatives to candy.