If you’d told me a few years ago that Pop Tarts would someday become the foundation for my family’s favourite holiday tradition, I probably would’ve snorted coffee out my nose. But here we are! When the air turns nippy and my counters are scattered with all manner of candy, it’s officially Pop Tart Gingerbread House season at our place. (Full disclosure: sometimes I just do this because I can’t handle baking actual gingerbread walls, but don’t tell the gingerbread lobby, okay?) My niece claims decorating is her personal Super Bowl. And the first time I tried this, the roof totally slid off—less house, more edible avalanche. We’re better at it now, or at least we’re faster at eating the evidence!
Why I Keep Coming Back to This…
I make this usually when I can’t deal with the mess of real gingerbread dough sticking to…every surface known to humankind. My family goes a little wild for this because (a) they all love Pop Tarts and (b) you get to eat the house while you build it; there’s no rule against nibbling a wall. To be honest, every year we squabble over who gets the strawberry one. And honestly? The best part is that nearly all the candies we stick on fall off and just get munched on the spot, which, let’s face it, is why I secretly hoard mini M&Ms year-round.
Gather Up These Ingredients (Swaps Welcome!)
- 6-8 Pop Tarts (any flavor—I’ve tried everything; s’mores sort of worked but the icing melts a bit. My grandma insists on strawberry, but fudge is nice too.)
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar (I sometimes just use a tub of vanilla icing if I'm being lazy. Or if it's too hot for royal icing to set.)
- 1-2 egg whites, room temp (for real-deal royal icing—skip if you just wanna use store icing, no judgment)
- Assorted candies for decorating: gumdrops, pretzels, licorice, mini M&Ms, whatever you’ve got lurking in your pantry
- Sprinkles, basically mandatory in my house
- Optional: graham crackers (for patching up ‘leaks’ or reinforcing the roof, which I had to do last year after an epic cave-in)
Okay, Now Here’s How You Pull It Off
- First thing—make your icing. Mix powdered sugar and egg whites (or grab that tub-o-frosting) and beat till thick and gluey. Actually, if yours is too runny, just add a bit more sugar; works every time.
- Get your Pop Tarts. Two for each side, two for the roof, and two for the ends. Sometimes I just break one in half for the end walls if I’m running low. They don’t have to be square—wonky houses are way more charming! But honestly, s'mores Pop Tarts are a bit crumbly, so handle with care or you’ll have edible rubble.
- Slather icing along the short edge of two Pop Tarts and squish together for the long side walls. This is the sticky finger part—don’t worry if you get half the icing on yourself. Stack these together, propping with mugs or soup cans while they set.
- Add end walls in the same (slightly messy) way. Sometimes I patch up small gaps with sprinkles. If you’re feeling ambitious, cut triangles out of the ends for a fancy roofline. But most years I just leave ‘em flat and call it rustic.
- Time for the roof! Anchor it with plenty of icing and cross your fingers. This is where I usually sneak a bite off a corner, nobody notices. If it dips a little in the middle, just add more candies—they hide a multitude of sins.
- Decorate like you’re auditioning for Bake Off. Glue gummies, candy canes, sour worms—whatever you’ve got. Sometimes my sister spells her name across the roof with chocolate chips. Go wild.
- Let it set at least 30 minutes (if you can wait). Or start picking at it straight away. I won’t judge—I never do!
A Few Mistakes I’ve Already Made For You
- If your kitchen is hot, the icing never sets. Just about gave up one sunny December. Maybe stick your ‘house’ in the fridge if things are sticky.
- Pop Tarts get crumbly quick; don’t toss the box before you know you’ve got a full set! Trust me, I learned that the hard way.
- I once thought Nutella would work as glue. Nope. Delicious disaster; bring a fork.
Other Versions I’ve Tried (Not All Winners!)
- Using graham crackers instead of Pop Tarts—super sturdy, but my niece called it “boring bread” so back to Pop Tarts.
- S’mores flavored Pop Tarts. Yummy but the whole thing looked like a mudslide.
- Rice Krispie treats as a base...eh, it just gummed up the works (pun intended). Stick with Pop Tarts unless you like kitchen chaos.
What If I Don’t Have Everything?
- Instead of a piping bag, I sometimes use a plastic sandwich bag with the corner snipped—works just fine. In fact, those little baggies from the corner store are my favorite for this kind of mess.
- No big tray? Cookie sheet, dinner plate, even a sturdy book (just wrap in foil) all work. Improvisation is half the fun.
How Long Does This Actually Keep?
So supposedly you can leave the assembled house out for 2-3 days. But, honestly, it’s never lasted more than one afternoon at my house. The roof is always the first to mysteriously vanish. If you somehow manage leftovers, pop them in a big container just to keep the candy from going stale. Or the dog from stealing it (learned that one the hard way).
How I Like to Serve It (and a Silly Tradition)
We usually plop ours on the coffee table, hack off little hunks, and make a contest for the most creative ‘side room’—aka who can attach the weirdest candy. One year, my nephew added pretzel stick ‘gutters.’ Sometimes I have tea, sometimes a cold glass of milk (or honestly, a nip of eggnog if the day’s been long). It’s oddly delightful with peppermint hot cocoa, try it!
Lessons From the Trenches (aka, My Pro Tips)
- I once got impatient and skipped the whole “let the icing set” part. Yep—total collapse. Actually, I find it works better if you step away and scroll Instagram for 15 minutes while it dries. Learn from me.
- Don’t overstuff the roof. Pop Tarts pretend to be sturdy but too many jellybeans and it’s Jenga time.
- Set up everything before you start—hunting for gumdrops mid-glue is a recipe for stress. But sometimes I just wing it and hope for the best anyway.
Okay, But Are There Common Questions?
- Do you have to use egg whites for the icing?
- Heck no! Store-bought vanilla icing does the trick. I’ve even used lemon glaze once when I was out of literally everything else. If you're worried about raw eggs, there’s a good royal icing recipe with meringue powder at Sally’s Baking Addiction I like, or for a super basic fix, this vanilla glaze from Serious Eats is great for lazy days.
- Which Pop Tart flavor is best?
- That’s a family feud in my house. Strawberry holds up best, but I’m partial to brown sugar cinnamon. S’mores is yummy, but like I said, bit floppy.
- Can you make this with little kids?
- Absolutely! Just maybe pre-break the Pop Tarts for them, or else you’ll have edible confetti. And aprons. Trust me.
- Should I keep it in the fridge?
- If it’s a humid day or you went heavy on the icing, I’d say yes. Otherwise, just cover with foil. It’s more about keeping the cat off it, really.
Alright, if you made it this far, thanks for letting me ramble. Last year my brother tried to make a double-decker Pop Tart house, but it ended up a ‘pop art’ house instead (let’s just say, it defied geometry). If you give this a whirl or invent a wild new variation, let me know—always game for inspiration or a good laugh. And if all else fails? Well, you got to eat Pop Tarts and candy, so that’s a win in my book.
Ingredients
- 6 frosted Pop-Tarts (any flavor)
- 2 cups royal icing
- ½ cup assorted mini candies (gumdrops, M&Ms, candy canes, etc.)
- ¼ cup mini marshmallows
- 1 tablespoon sprinkles
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (for dusting)
- ¼ cup chocolate chips (optional, for decorating)
- 1 sheet cardboard or cake board (for base)
Instructions
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1Prepare a clean, flat surface and cover a cake board or cardboard sheet with parchment paper for the house base.
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2Using royal icing as glue, assemble the walls of the house with four Pop-Tarts, placing them upright and attaching their edges together to form a rectangle.
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3Attach two Pop-Tarts on top to form the roof, using royal icing along the top edges and holding in place until set.
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4Use additional royal icing to secure candies, mini marshmallows, sprinkles, and chocolate chips on the roof and walls for decorations.
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5Sprinkle powdered sugar around the base to resemble snow. Allow the structure to set for at least 20 minutes before displaying or serving.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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