This Easy Candy Trick Turns Any Gingerbread House into a Showstopper

Published on December 10, 2025

Make your gingerbread house unforgettable at this year's decorating competition, thanks to a simple trick circling social media as of late. Users everywhere are transforming one fan-favorite candy into stunning windows that immediately elevate any festive creation. Here's how you can beat the competition this year and make a stunning house no one will be able to take their eyes off of.

Stained Glass Windows for Your Gingerbread House

Gingerbread houses with faux glass windows look difficult to make, but they’re deceptively simple. All you’ll need are some clear, hard candies that melt easily and a sturdy tool to crush them up (@judys_gingerbread uses a hammer). Judy chose Jolly Ranchers to create a colorful stained glass for her gingerbread house.

You’ll need to complete this hack before you’ve assembled your gingerbread house. Start by placing all the gingerbread walls with windows onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Then, take your hard candy and crush it up into small pieces with a hammer or other preferred tool. Mix the colors of your choice together and sprinkle them inside the cutouts of each gingerbread house window.

Pop your gingerbread walls into the oven to bake until the candy is melted. It won’t take long to melt—Judy recommends 300°F for about 7-10 minutes—so keep an eye on it to prevent burnt candy. Once the crushed pieces are liquified, take the gingerbread out of the oven and leave it to cool until the candy has completely hardened.

Sugar Alternative

If you want your windows to be shimmery rather than multi-colored, try melting down sugar instead. Heat the sugar with water on the stovetop until it forms a thick mixture that hardens when cooled.

While your sugar mixture is warming, you can add a few drops of food coloring to color the windows slightly. A very light blue tint will make them look frosty, while yellow or orange can make the inside of your gingerbread house look illuminated by Christmas lights. 

Once your sugar is fully melted, carefully pour it into your gingerbread windows. Leave your gingerbread to cool until the windows are hardened. 

Assembling Your Creation

When your windows have hardened, it’s time to build your gingerbread house. Each of your windows should now hold up on its own; if you see any cracks or notice that your windows are uneven, simply layer on more crushed candies or sugar mixture and wait for it to cool again. 

Pipe icing over the bottoms of your windows to make it look like they have snowy window ledges, or use candy to create mini gingerbread flower boxes. 

For extra sparkle, place string lights or battery-operated LED lights inside your gingerbread house. The hardened sugar won’t be completely transparent, but it will let light shine through to the outside, just like true stained glass.