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Decorating a gingerbread house is one of the best parts of the holidays, and the best candy for gingerbread houses is what really brings the whole thing to life. From roof shingles to candy cane fences, the right candy turns a plain gingerbread shell into a festive masterpiece.
Whether you’re building with your own kids, hosting a gingerbread house party, or doing this with a church or school group, half the fun is digging through a pile of colorful candy and figuring out what goes where. Once you’ve got your gingerbread house built and your royal icing ready to go (that’s the “glue” that holds all the candy in place), this guide will help you pick out exactly what to buy.
Table of Contents
- What Candy Works Best for Gingerbread Houses?
- Key Takeaways
- Gingerbread House Candy Breakdown
- Additional Candies to Use
- Non-Candy Items to Use
- Pro Tips for the Best Gingerbread House Candy
- Variations and Substitutions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What to Pair with Your Gingerbread House Candy
- More Candy Recipes to Consider
What Candy Works Best for Gingerbread Houses?
The best candy for gingerbread houses includes small, sturdy pieces that hold their shape and stick well with royal icing, like gumdrops, mini M&Ms, candy canes, Necco wafers, and Starburst. These candies work well for roofs, walls, borders, and decorative details because of their size and shape.
Key Takeaways
- Takes the guesswork out of shopping. I’m going to show you exactly what to use!
- Covers both candy and non-candy decorating options.
- Budget-friendly tips included.
- Great for all skill levels!
Gingerbread House Candy Breakdown
Necco Wafers
This is a vintage candy and is awesome for roofs and pathways. The powdery finish and pastel colors make a lovely scalloped roof. Necco can be kinda hard to find in stores; sometimes gas stations or independent grocery stores carry them. I’ve also found them on Amazon.
Gumdrops
Of course you need gumdrops for a gingerbread house; this is a classic! These are perfect for lining up at the peak of the roof, or arranging around the base of the house. The sugary domes are always a classic choice.
Spree
These colorful little discs make great roof tiles, or can be used to make designs on the walls.
Lifesavers
Green Lifesavers are perfect for wreaths! Add a red mini M&M for a “bow,” and you’re all set. Lifesavers can also be used to make fun decorations for the walls.
Pull n Peel Twizzlers
These flexible skinny ropes are great for making bows! They are also awesome for outlining windows or hiding seams.
Nerds
Sometimes you need tiny, tiny pieces of candy for gingerbread house decoration, and Nerds are a great choice. They work great as little ornaments on trees, or even as tiny lights.
M&Ms and Mini M&Ms
In holiday colors, of course! M&Ms are perfect for creating patterns and designs on any part of the gingerbread house. They are perfect for covering up seams or lining edges.
Starlight Mints
Because of their similarity to candy canes, starlight mints are also a must-have for gingerbread house decorating. They make cute wreaths, or are fun lined up on a roof, or as a pathway.
Mini Charleston Chews
These chocolatey little bricks make great, well, bricks! They have a bit of a “log” effect, and can be used to cover the walls, roof, or make a fence around the gingerbread house. They can also be used as window boxes or frames for windows. Lots of options! They’ll come in the box and be with the other boxed candy.
Hot Tamales
The red color of these candies is perfect for gingerbread houses! Hot Tamales can be used along seams or cut in half; they can look like Christmas lights.
Mike & Ikes
Similar to the Red Hots, Mike & Ike’s can be used as lights, or on roofs or along seams. Because of the colors, they are fun to use to make patterns as well.
Mini Candy Canes
Mini Candy Canes can’t be skipped; these are a must on the front of every gingerbread house! They look adorable along the outside corners of the house, or two of them can be used to make little sleighs. You can also lean two together to make a cute heart shape.
Sweet Tarts
These are sturdy, small, simple, round, and easy to work with. These are great for repeating patterns.
Starburst
Think of these as little candy clay; they can be flattened and shaped into any size or shape you’d like. I’ll often use them to shape things like bowls for wreaths. You can use Laffy Taffy and Airheads in a similar way.
Mini Marshmallows
For a neutral or snowy gingerbread house, mini marshmallows are a fun way to line the roof or decorate the walls.
Additional Candies to Use
- Traditional hard candies
- Round peppermint candies
- Malted Milk Balls
- White Malted Milk Balls (we’ve used these in a pile outside of the house to look like piles of snowballs.
- Gum (we used cut pieces of Fruit Stripped Gum – Zebra Gum) for the roof on a house, and it was so cute.
- The Dollar Store had little red and green candies labeled “Chocolate Lentils” that were about the size of a pea and in red and green, very cute.
- The sky is the limit! You don’t have to stick with holiday colors either. Use what you love, have on hand, or what’s on sale.
Non-Candy Items to Use
- Pretzel Rods make great “logs” for a log cabin style gingerbread house.
- Golden Grahams breakfast cereal is perfect for “shingles”.
- Sugar Cones can be used to make trees; just cover them in green frosting!
- Butter Snap pretzels are similar to windows or would look cool as a roof.
- Sprinkles are similar but not quite candy; don’t forget those. There are so many kinds of big chubby sprinkles that are really fun; I’ve found ones that looked like Christmas light bulbs that were so cute on a house.
Pro Tips for the Best Gingerbread House Candy
- Don’t feel like you have to buy it all! I’ll often go through my kids’ Halloween bags with them in October to pull out some colorful candies for gingerbread houses. The kids don’t mind handing some over because they know they’ll see it again in a few weeks!
- Check the Dollar Store first for a variety of candy!
- Pharmacies and stores like Walgreens tend to have really great candy selections, and I have great luck finding unique candy there. Look at the bags hanging up; that’s where I get interesting candy.
- Keep your Royal Icing covered while you decorate so it doesn’t harden before the candy is in place.
Variations and Substitutions
- Non-Holiday Colors – You don’t have to stick to red and green; use whatever colors fit your vision and what is on sale.
- Seasonal Swaps – Try this same approach for a Haunted Gingerbread House using Halloween Candy instead. The same can be done for a Valentine’s Day Gingerbread House.
- Mix Candy and Non-Candy Items – Combining pretzels, cereal, and sprinkles with traditional candy gives you more texture and variety.
Frequently Asked Questions
Necco wafers, Spree, and Starlight mints all work well for roofing because of their flat or round shapes that layer nicely like shingles or tiles.
Dollar stores and pharmacies like Walgreens often carry unique, affordable options. Check the hanging candy bags for the best variety.
Yes. Royal icing dries hard and acts as the glue that holds the candy decorations (and the house itself) together.
Absolutely. Pretzel rods, cereal, sugar cones, and sprinkles all work well alongside traditional candy.
Right after a holiday when it goes on sale, like Halloween, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day.
What to Pair with Your Gingerbread House Candy
How to Make a Gingerbread House
Royal Icing for Gingerbread Houses
Haunted Halloween Gingerbread House
More Candy Recipes to Consider
With the right mix of candy on hand, decorating a gingerbread house becomes just as fun as building it. Whether you’re going classic with candy canes and gumdrops or getting creative with cereal and pretzels, this guide gives you everything you need to make a memorable gingerbread house.
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