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    Home » Dessert » Candy

    Mini Candy Houses

    Updated: Mar 3, 2025 · by Tonia Larson

    This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Mini Candy Houses are EASY to make, FUN to decorate and look ADORABLE served at holiday parties. Kids LOVE to help make these BITE-SIZED gingerbread houses!

    mini candy houses made with pretzels

    One of our favorite holiday traditions from when our kids were little is making candy houses using graham crackers, frosting, and lots of candy. Now that the kids are older, they like to make candy houses with their friends and so do we! Check out this tiki hut “gingerbread house” me and Brian made a couple of years ago.

    This year we went all hipster and chose a tiny house over a grand gingerbread house. These mini candy houses are so easy and the choices of decorations are unlimited! You can make a whole village in no time.

    How To Make Mini Candy Houses

    shredded coconut covered base for mini candy houses

    Step One: Candy House Base

    Before dipping the pretzel in the almond bark, prepare the shredded coconut so that it is ready. I wanted smaller bits of shredded coconut so I used my kitchen shears to snip them into little pieces. Then, put the coconut bits into a small bowl.

    To hold the mini candy houses together, you can use vanilla almond bark, white or vanilla candy coating, or white chocolate chips. Just follow the instructions on the package of whichever one you choose to melt it.

    Dip a square pretzel in the melted candy coating (I used this dipping fork), place it on parchment paper and cover the edges with shredded coconut leaving a space in the center for the candy bar.

    bite sized candy bar on mini candy houses base

    Step Two: Candy Bars

    The house in these mini candy houses is a bite-sized candy bar. The bag came with a mix of Twix, Snickers, Milky Way, Milky Way Dark, and 3 Musketeers. All of them work great except the Twix because they are too long so set those aside.

    square pretzel roof for mini candy houses

    Step Three: Roof

    When making the roof for the mini candy houses, the LESS of an angle you make (more narrow “V” shape) the taller the roof will be on the house. And the MORE of an angle you make (a wider “V” shape) the lower the roof will be.

    We liked the way it looked when we made the angle a little less than 90Ëš. But if you are making a whole village, you can make the roofs different sizes for more variety.

    sprinkles to decorate the roof of the mini candy houses

    Step Four: Sprinkles

    Once the vanilla almond bark has dried and hardened on the roof, you can add sprinkles for decoration. If you have the time and patience, you can place the sprinkles one at a time in a row.

    If you are in a hurry, dip the edge of the roof in the melted candy coating and then press it into a bowl of sprinkles.

    attach roof to mini candy house

    Step Five: Add Roof

    Once you’ve added your decorations, you can add the roof to the mini candy house.

    mini candy house door

    Step Six: Front Door

    I found it was easiest to use Starburst Minis. They are the perfect size and are ready to be attached.

    For the houses with all white decorations, I flattened a gumdrop and used a knife to cut out a rectangle.

    door handle for mini candy houses doors

    Step Seven: Door Handle

    I used a white pearl sprinkle but a dot of melted candy coating would work too.

    The easiest way to place the pearl is to use kitchen tweezers. Pinch the sprinkle, dip it in the melted candy coating, and place it on the door.

    Additional Ways To Decorate Mini Candy Houses

    mini pretzel candy houses

    Go with all one color. Here’s what my all white mini candy house turned out like. I used shredded coconut for the snow, white pearl sprinkles for decorations, and a flattened gumdrop for the door.

    Add snow to the roof. Use a knife to spread melted candy coating over the pretzel roof and sprinkle it with shredded coconut.

    Use more colors. Buy various colors of candy melts and use them to make a whole variety of house colors.

    Sprinkles galore. Cover the roof with melted candy coating and cover it with sprinkles.

    Add more ingredients. The sky is the limit. Try various candies, crushed Oreos, cereals, and cookies to decorate the mini candy houses.

    mini gingerbread houses

    Recipe Tips

    1. What can we use instead of coconut for snow? If your kids don’t like coconut, try using white sparkling sugar or just use the plain melted candy coating for snow.

    2. Can I use the square pretzels instead of the mini candy bar to make the house? Certainly! We tried that as well but thought the mini candy bars looked and tasted better.

    3. Would white frosting work instead of melted candy coating to hold the houses together? Yes, it would work but it won’t be as sturdy.

    4. Do I have to use a square pretzel for the base? No, you could probably put a plop of melted white candy coating on the parchment paper, but we love how the crunchy pretzel coating with almond bark tastes when eating the mini candy houses.

    More Cute Holiday Treats

    • Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups
    • Snowman Meringue Cookies
    • Christmas Cones
    • Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups
    Mini candy houses on a countertop.

    Mini Candy Houses

    Mini Candy Houses are EASY to make, FUN to decorate and look ADORABLE served at holiday parties. Kids LOVE to help make these BITE-SIZED gingerbread houses!
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    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10
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    Video

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz vanilla candy coating (or vanilla almond bark or white chocolate chips)
    • 30 square pretzels
    • 2 tablespoon shredded coconut
    • 10 bite-sized candy bars
    • 10 Starburst Minis
    • various sprinkles and decorations

    Instructions

    • Melt the vanilla candy coating according to the instructions on the package.
    • Dip a square pretzel into the melted vanilla candy coating and set it on a piece of parchment paper. Cover the edges with shredded coconut. Press a bite-sized candy bar into the center. Set aside to harden.
    • Dip one edge of two square pretzels in the melted vanilla candy coating. Press together to form a “V” shape (slightly less than 90˚) and place on a piece of parchment paper. Allow the candy coating to harden before moving on.
    • Once the candy coating on the roof has hardened, dip the edge in the melted candy coating and then dip it in the sprinkles.
    • Spread melted candy coating on the edges of the bite-sized candy bar house and attach the pretzel roof.
    • Attach a Starburst Mini for a door and a white pearl sprinkle for the door handle.
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    Nutrition

    Serving: 1house | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 69mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Author: Tonia Larson

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      Hot Chocolate Fudge
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      Red White and Blue Trail Mix
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      Red White and Blue Puppy Chow Muddy Buddies
    • A stack candy corn truffle bark with butterfinger filling.
      Candy Corn Truffle Bark

    About Tonia Larson

    Hi! I’m Tonia, the owner and recipe creator at The Gunny Sack, where I’ve shared easy recipes for busy people for 14+ years! My family-friendly meals, easy side dishes, and delicious desserts include mouthwatering photos, dynamic videos, and step-by-step instructions to help you cook at home.

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    Comments

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    1. Rhonda says

      December 5, 2018 at 9:00 pm

      Love this!!!
      Mini’s are the best

      Reply
      • Tonia says

        December 10, 2018 at 10:57 am

        Thanks Rhonda! I agree!

        Reply
    Tonia Larson from The Gunny Sack.

    Hi, I'm Tonia! Welcome to The Gunny Sack, where I’ve shared easy recipes for busy people for 15+ years! Meet Tonia Larson →

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