Pop Tart Gingerbread House
Easy pop tart gingerbread houses are absolutely adorable, and a fun way to make memories during the Christmas season. We are so excited to share with you our recipe and step-by-step directions for how you can easily make these cute gingerbread houses using pop tarts!
Christmas Pop Tart House
Making a pop tart gingerbread house is an easy alternative to graham crackers or prepackaged gingerbread houses. With this easy tutorial you can make a fun and simple gingerbread house using pop tarts.
When you make and decorate pop tart gingerbread houses you get to enjoy celebrating the holidays without the headache. Try starting a new family tradition that everyone will love!
Why use Pop Tarts for a “Gingerbread” House
There are many good reasons why we recommend using pop tarts to make a gingerbread house rather than graham crackers or gingerbread.
First of all, pop tarts are easy and less likely to break in places you don’t want them to when making your gingerbread house.
Pop tarts hold together well, and they are relatively inexpensive to buy. All of these reasons tend to make a better overall experience and happier holiday memories.
Why are Pop Tarts Better Than Graham Crackers?
Pop tart gingerbread houses are way better than graham cracker gingerbread houses.
I’ll never forget the first time I tried to make a graham cracker gingerbread house. It was miserable. Trying to get the graham crackers cut in the right place was very hard to accomplish and proved to be a stressful experience rather than a relaxing and fun event.
When making a pop tart gingerbread house it is much easier to do, because pop tarts are able to be cut in the right places, without breaking in places that you don’t want them to.
Then getting the pop tart gingerbread house to hold together is easier as well with our simple steps. We are happy to show you how to make these easy pop tart gingerbread houses that will revolutionize your holiday traditions and how to make happy fun memories together.
How do you make a Gingerbread House using Pop Tarts?
Making a gingerbread house using pop tarts is quite simple. You use six pop tarts, cut to shape to make the house, use royal icing to hold it together, then decorate it any way you want.
Look at all of the different supplies we recommend having on hand to make this easy pop tart gingerbread houses.
Supplies You Will Need
Pop Tarts. To make one house you will need to have Six pop tarts of your favorite flavor.
Icing
There are many ways you can make icing for gingerbread houses. The traditional way is to use Royal icing, however, you could also follow our easy icing recipe below if you are unable to find meringue powder.
Easy Icing for Gingerbread Houses
Confectioner’s Sugar. Confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar is a must have ingredient. This helps to give body to your icing.
Vanilla Extract. Vanilla extract helps to flavor your icing. You can use vanilla extract, imitation vanilla, or regular vanilla for flavoring.
Light Corn Syrup. Light corn syrup will help your icing to harden. It is important that use light corn syrup rather than dark corn syrup.
Water. Room temperature water helps to moisten your frosting. You can add as much or as little as needed.
Sea Salt. We recommend adding a pinch of sea salt to the icing to enhance the overall flavor.
Easy Royal Icing for Frosting Gingerbread Houses
Confectioner’s Sugar. Confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar will help to form the base of your icing. This is a must have ingredient for royal icing.
Water. Water helps to moisten your Royal icing. We recommend that you use room-temperature water for the best results.
Meringue Powder. Unlike most royal icing recipes, we recommend that you use meringue powder to help stiffen the icing.
You can use egg whites instead, however, you will need to be sure that the egg whites are cooked appropriately before the icing is able to be consumed.
Gingerbread House Candies
There are so many fun options you can use for candy to decorate your pop tart gingerbread house. Candy canes, gumdrops, peppermints, there are so many fun candy options that you can use to decorate your gingerbread house.
For a detailed list of ideas, check out Candy for Gingerbread House. When making our pop tart gingerbread house pictured in this post, we used the following recipe and options.
Optional Decorations:
The decorations we used when making our pop tart gingerbread houses included M&M’s, mini marshmallows, peppermints, sprinkles, and chocolate figurines.
How to Make A Pop Tart Gingerbread House
Make the icing
Begin first by making the icing. You can choose to use our real icing recipe I wanted above, or you can use the easy icing recipe. It’s entirely up to your preference.
When the icing is made, go ahead and set the bowl aside while you prepare the pop tarts.
Cut the Pop Tarts
Before assembling your pop tart gingerbread house it’s important to cut the pop tarts to shape. Begin by taking one pop tart and lining it up vertically with another pop tart next to it horizontally.
Use this method to determine how much of a peak your roof needs to have. Begin by cutting from the center of the vertical pop tart, down to where your vertical pop tart meets the horizontal pop tart. Repeat this process for both sides of the peak.
When the first pop tart has your roof line cut, place it on top of another vertical pop tart, and cut the same shape.
Now your pieces are cut and it is time to assemble your pop tart gingerbread house.
Assemble your House
To assemble your house, take a plastic bag or a piping bag and fill it with your prepared frosting. If you have a frosting tip, we do recommend using it.
When your bag is filled with frosting, take the cut vertical piece, and face the frosted inside of a popped tart out.
Next, take a horizontal pop tart with frosted inside facing out. Frost one side of your corner with icing, then stick them together. Hold them together until the icing is set.
When the icing is set repeat this process with the adjacent side, and back of your pop tart gingerbread house. When the walls of the house have set, attach the roof. Allow the house to completely dry and set before decorating.
Decorate the Pop Tart Gingerbread House
After you allow your pop tart gingerbread house to completely set, you can begin decorating any way you wish.
To decorate, you will want to select your pieces of candy, then use the remaining icing to attach the candy to your gingerbread house. Hold each piece of candy in place until it is set. Once your house is decorated as you desire, allow it to fully set before transporting.
After the gingerbread pop tart house is firm, you can transport it, or eat it if you wish. Enjoy making holiday memories, and eating this delicious treat!
Tips for Assembling Pop Tart Gingerbread House
Make Icing Fresh. We recommend that you make the icing and the day you intend to in assemble your pop tart house.
The icing tends to set if exposed to the air for an extended amount of time. Therefore, we recommend that you make it on the same day you are planning to assemble the house.
Hold Until Solid. As you are assembling each piece for the gingerbread house, we recommend you hold them together until they are set and do not run the risk of falling apart.
Assemble Ahead of Time. To enjoy an extra solid pop tart gingerbread house, we recommend that you assemble the house the day before you wish to decorate it. This way it has plenty of time to set and become solid before adding candy decorations.
Tips for Icing and Decorating Pop Tart House
Let the House Set. After the house is assembled, we strongly recommend that you allow the frosting to set and harden so that you do not risk collapsing the house as you decorate it.
Set Each Piece. As you are working on decorating your pop tart house, we recommend that you use a little bit of icing for each piece of candy, then hold the candy in place until it is solid before releasing.
How to Store Pop Tart Gingerbread Houses
There are a couple of different ways you can store these pop tart gingerbread houses. Keep in mind the way you store the house depends on if you intend to eat it or not.
If you do not intend to eat your pop tart gingerbread house, you can feel free to create it on a surface that you don’t need to worry about, and simply leave it out as a Christmas decoration for as long as a month or even two if you want.
However, if you do plan to eat your gingerbread house, you will want to be sure to store it as follows.
At Room Temperature. You can leave your pop tarts and your gingerbread house at room temperature for up to 24 hours to allow the icing to set, and the house to become solid. Once the pop tart house is set, you will want to seal it securely or store it in the fridge.
When your house is left at room temperature, we do recommend covering the house with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. If you have an air-tight container large enough or a cake carrier, you could also use this to cover your pop tart house as well.
In the fridge. For longer storage, you can keep your assembled pop tart gingerbread house in the fridge.
If you are able, we recommend that you seal it in an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap before placing it into the fridge. We have found that the gingerbread house is best when enjoyed before a week has passed.
Can You Eat A Pop Tart Gingerbread House?
Yes, following our recipe you can eat a pop tart gingerbread house. The determining factor is the type of icing you use, and whether your egg whites are cooked or not.
Because our icing recipes do not contain egg whites, this pop tart gingerbread house can be eaten.
How to Serve
Once your pop tart gingerbread house is assembled and decorated, you can serve this delicious treat as a snack, or a fun Christmas themed dessert. Simply have fun and be creative with your craft.
Variations
There are so many different variations for pop tart gingerbread houses. The primary variations come in when choosing what candy to decorate your pop tart house with, and what flavor of pop tarts to use.
You can use pop tart brand pop tarts, or any off-brand of this breakfast food to create your gingerbread houses. Simply select your favorite brand and flavor you wish to enjoy when making these houses.
FAQs
Can We Eat The Pop Tart House?
As long as your icing does not contain raw eggs, and has been stored properly, these tart gingerbread houses can be eaten and enjoyed as a snack.
What’s the Best “Glue” to Keep Decorations in Place?
Using royal icing will help set your decorations and assemble the gingerbread house fastest. Royal icing dries quickly, allowing you to easily assemble the gingerbread house.
The downside of using royal icing is that you have to be careful with using raw egg whites, as it will make your gingerbread house not edible, or you can substitute egg whites for meringue powder, which can sometimes be costly.
If you have time to allow the frosting to set, we recommend using our easy icing recipe for a lower cost. However, if you are looking for seamless icing or glue, then you will want to use royal icing.
How do I Make Icing for My Pop Tart House?
In the recipe card below you will find two different recipes for icing you can use when making a pop tart house. The first is a very easy icing recipe with basic ingredients, and the second is a recipe for royal icing using meringue powder.
Can You Use Store-bought Frosting in a Tub?
While you can use store-bought frosting in a tub, if you try to use regular frosting, you are likely to be waiting a long time for it to harden and set.
You may be able to find royal icing in a tub that you can buy at the store during the holidays, however, you can also make your own from scratch.
Why This Pop Tart Gingerbread House Is A Must Make
We believe that making a pop tart gingerbread house is a must do for your holiday bucket list. We believe that these houses are a must make because they are so easy, fun, and let’s be honest they’re super cute too!
DIY Holiday Houses with Pop Tarts
Making your own DIY pop tart gingerbread house for Christmas is such a fun thing to do, easy, and requires very little hassle.
If you are looking for a fun craft that can double as a snack for your Christmas gatherings, we recommend that you give our recipe for pop tart gingerbread houses a try. We hope that you enjoy them and that you have a wonderful Christmas!
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Let’s Make a Pop Tart Gingerbread House!
Easy Pop Tart Gingerbread House
Ingredients
House
- 12 Pop Tarts 6 pop tarts are needed for each house
Easy Icing for Gingerbread Houses
- 2 cups Confectioners’ Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tbsp Light Corn Syrup
- Water enough to make moist
- 1 pinch Sea Salt
Easy Royal Icing for Frosting Gingerbread Houses
- 2 cups Confectioners’ Sugar
- 1½ Tbsp Meringue Powder
- 3-4 Tbsp Water or enough to make moist
Gingerbread House Candies
- candy canes
- gum drops
- mini marshmallows
- m&m's
- peppermints
Instructions
Make the icing
- Begin first by making the icing. You can choose to use our real icing recipe I wanted above, or you can use the easy icing recipe. It’s entirely up to your preference.
- When the icing is made, go ahead and set the bowl aside while you prepare the pop tarts.
Cut the Pop Tarts
- Before assembling your pop tart gingerbread house it’s important to cut the pop tarts to shape. Begin by taking one pop tart and lining it up vertically with another pop tart next to it horizontally.
- Use this method to determine how much of a peek your roof needs to have. Begin by cutting from the center of the vertical pop tart, down to where your vertical pop tart meets the horizontal pop tart. Repeat this process for both sides of the peak.
- When the first pop tart has your rest line cut, place it on top of another vertical pop tart, and cut the same shape.
- Now your pieces are cut and it is time to assemble your pop tart gingerbread house.
Assemble your House
- To assemble your house, take a plastic bag or a piping bag and fill it with your prepared I’ve seen. If you have a frosting tip, we do recommend using it.
- When your bag is filled with frosting, take the cut vertical piece, and face the frost inside of a popped tart out. Next, take a horizontal pop tart with frost inside facing out. Frost one side of your corner with icing, then stick them together. Hold them together until the icing is set.
- When the icing is set repeat this process with the adjacent side, and back of your pop tart gingerbread house. When the walls of the house have set, attach the roof. Allow the house to completely dry and set before decorating.
Decorate the Pop Tart Gingerbread House
- After you allow pop tart gingerbread house to completely set, you can begin decorating any way you wish.
- To decorate, you will want to select your pieces of candy, then use the remaining icing to attach the candy to your gingerbread house. Hold each piece of candy in place until it is set. Once your house is decorated as you desire, allow it to fully set before transporting.
- After the gingerbread pop tart house is firm, you can transport it, or eat it if you wish. Enjoy making holiday memories, and eating this delicious treat!
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