Maybe you’ve stuck graham crackers on milk cartons in kindergarten, or have bought actual gingerbread kits at local stores, but gingerbread houses are a common staple this time of year. Why the gingerbread itself can stay boxed up for months and still be edible for another five years is … questionable, it all comes down to the overall presentation of the house. We cannot emphasize enough just how many skills are required to create an outstanding gingerbread house. Yet, acquiring these skills is challenging, and we have all seen our fair share of failed house attempts. To give you something to work off of, here’s our opinions on what should stay for good and what should stay far away from your gingerbread creations this year, to guarantee that at least some part of your mini-house won’t look like a horror show.
For reference, a rating of one means avoid adding that topping, and a rating of ten means it must go on.
Icing
Connie: 7/10. Icing is very necessary to make gingerbread houses most of the time, however, if you put more than just outlines with it on your gingerbread house (ie: covering the roof), you and I are going to have some issues *side-eye*.
Mia: 10/10. Half the battle of constructing the house is putting it together. If your icing doesn’t stick like glue, your house will collapse and that’s a sore sight for anyone’s eyes. I highly suggest buying a separate tube of icing if you have a few extra bucks that’s dedicated to “gluing” together gingerbread houses—your time, patience, and happiness won’t regret it.
Gumdrops
Connie: 9/10. Honestly the best candy that goes on a gingerbread house. They make cute decorations/ornaments and can also be bushes!
Mia: 7/10. I don’t think I’ve had a year where I haven’t put these on the house. Always make sure to put them right in the seam where the two pieces of the roof meet—it’s the only right way.
Sugar Pearls
Connie: 8/10. Very versatile ornaments that are crunchy and shiny, which I like.
Mia: 8/10. There are so many ways these can be incorporated into the design of the house. They will easily stick to the frosting, and add small little embellishments that really pull the presentation together, plus are provided in most gingerbread kits. Don’t try eating these though—you will break a tooth, and no one wants to go to the dentist during the holidays.
Candy Canes
Connie: 7/10. Despite myself in elementary school being absolutely disgusted hearing they were made out of bug juices, they’re very fun decorations, especially crushed up and sprinkled into the icing to add some nice flavor.
Mia: 5/10. They can be a fun addition to the design, but adding too many ruins it. If you add them, make sure they are tiny ones.
M&M’s
Connie: 10/10. Perhaps I’m just biased towards chocolate, but I think these are better than sugar pearls. The only thing they’re missing is the metallic shininess. It’s basically just fun colors and yummy chocolate.
Mia: 7/10. They add the same kind of enhancement sugar pearls too, just a little bigger and won’t break your teeth.
Spree
Connie: X/10. What?
Mia: 6/10. These remind me of large, flattened Skittles. You’ve probably added these before without realizing what they are. If you already have a lot of decorations, then don’t bother to put these on. Otherwise, they are a good filler. If you don’t have much variety, they can be used to take up a lot of space.
Sprinkles
Connie: 3/10. Regular sprinkles are just average and flavorless. The only thing they have going for it is the variety of bright colors and cool shapes, but even then, there are just better alternatives.
Mia: 10/10. You can never add too many of these. Whether they are little pieces of glitter, or festively-shaped, sprinkles, they can pull the overall look of the house together.
Mini Marshmallows
Connie: 9/10. Marshmallows taste good, just not too many at once or you’ll feel sick. You could also stick them on pretzel sticks and make them into a tree if you prefer that over eating.
Mia 6/10. These work better as a border, or in between the two roof pieces. Otherwise, they stick out and look tacky on the house.
Coconut flakes
Connie: 8/10. Depends on how coarse they are. I prefer the more full flakes over the just shredded ones. I guess you could gather them into a pile as snow or have them represent snow coming out of a snow blower.
Mia 6/10. These add a cool snowy texture to the house. Just be mindful when you put these on, you’ll likely have to put a lot to get the full snow effect, which will impact how many of the other toppings you put on.
Hershey’s Chocolate Bars
Connie: 10/10. I’ve dissed the kisses before but the bars are simply superior in taste. The bars are significantly less dry and just overall taste better. I guess they also look decent on gingerbread houses, maybe like bricks or something.
Mia: 7/10. I feel like these work better in the area around the house, verses on it. But, if you’re feeling creative, these could work well on it.
As you make your gingerbread houses this year, take any and all seriousness that comes with this, especially when selecting your decorations. There must be proper etiquette when selecting toppings for your gingerbread house, which can not be done carelessly. While you should be mindful of the outcome, remember to have fun while constructing your creations!