My fun Graham Cracker Beach House brings sunny, seaside vibes to the holiday table. It’s designed as a Christmas party centerpiece. Cookie surfboards and festive details add a touch of whimsy.

An edible beach scene made from graham crackers and frosting with cookie surfboards

The weather may be chilly, but it is Christmas time at the beach.  Surf’s up at our graham cracker house and we’re riding the waves on our peanut butter cookie surfboards because holiday baking is in full swing.

Christmas centerpiece

A friend of ours hosts an annual holiday party at their beach house. I offered to make a centerpiece for the food table. What’s better than a holiday beach scene with palm trees, flip-flops, a snowman, and a Christmas stocking hanging on a graham cracker house?

How to make a Graham Cracker Beach House

Much like the construction of gingerbread houses, getting the pieces of the crackers to fit together is a bit time consuming, so to make it easier I’ve provided a blueprint if you will for the 6 pieces that make up 1 house. I used a homemade royal icing which hardens nicely like a cement to hold the pieces together. Royal icing is  3 egg whites, 1 box of powdered sugar and beat together for about 5 minutes until thickened.

The shape and sizes of the graham crackers used to make the beach houses

I know making something like this looks daunting, but once you have the houses made, the possibilities are endless and baking with graham crackers is fun. A holiday display like this can be customized however you want it and of course it doesn’t have to be a beach house. You can decorate the graham cracker houses like a gingerbread house with snow frosting, using colored candies or add candy canes.

A cookie surfboard

The cookie surfboards are an easy baking idea and a fun addition to the scene. Baking with peanut butter is always a tasty treat. Peanut butter cookies are decorated in Christmas colors to make them fun and festive. I printed a surfboard template that measures 2 ¾-inches tall. Then I took a ball of cookie dough and spread it out about ⅛-inch thick onto the parchment lined baking sheet. I cut around the template and discarded the cuttings.

An edible beach scene

Additional decorative items used

Edible and not edible items that can be added for effect:

  • Ground vanilla cookies for the sand
  • Blue dyed whipped frosting for the ocean
  • Fish crackers in the ocean
  • Wheat cereal for the roof and doors of the houses
  • Peanut butter to ‘glue’ the wheat cereal to the roof
  • Gummy Christmas trees
  • Chocolate matchsticks and frosting for the fire
  • Christmas stockings were made from fabric
  • White fondant beach ball painted with food coloring
  • Snowman, palm trees, beach chair, towel, flip flops,
  • Hard round candies with frosting for the life preservers
  • Ready-made frosting in tubes for Christmas lights

If you’re looking for more holiday desserts, check out Christmas Sweet Mince Pies and Traditional Homemade Eggnog

Blue frosing ocean with Goldfish crackers, cookie surfboards and Graham cracker house and sand
2 beach houses made out of graham crackers on a beach of graham cracker sand and blue frosting ocean
5 from 14 reviews

Graham Cracker Beach House & Peanut Butter Cookie Surfboards

Janette
This Graham Cracker Beach House & Peanut Butter Cookie Surfboards is a fun, beach-themed decoration that was used for a Christmas party table centerpiece.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 8 minutes
Servings: 4
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Ingredients
 

  • 12 Honey Maid graham crackers, cut into shapes per picture
  • 2 Honey Maid graham crackers, whole
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 box powdered sugar
  • Various colored frosting
  • Gummy christmas trees
  • 1 cup Skippy smooth peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup Honey Maid graham crackers, crushed into crumbs
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg

Instructions
 

  • Per the picture, cut the graham crackers into pieces using a serrated knife in a sawing motion.
  • To a mixing bowl add the egg whites and start to whisk with a stand or electric hand mixer
  • Add the powdered sugar in stages and whisk until it reaches stiff peaks.
  • Add the icing to a piping bag with fine tip.
  • Lay on a flat surface 1 whole graham cracker, this is the base.
  • Take a side piece and pipe icing to the bottom and two sides.
  • Stick the side to the base.
  • Take a front piece and pipe icing to the bottom and two sides, stick it to to the side.
  • Take a side piece and pipe icing to the bottom and two sides.
  • Take a front piece and pipe icing to the bottom and two sides, stick it to to the side.
  • All the walls should be in place.
  • Pipe icing around the tops of the walls and stick one side of the roof.
  • Pipe icing to top edge of roof and place the last roof piece in place.
  • Pipe green frosting around edges to hide white icing.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • To a mixing bowl add peanut butter, graham crackers, sugar and egg.
  • Mix until smooth.
  • Shape into surfboards.
  • Bake for 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Decorate with frosting.
Serving: 1, Calories: 832kcal, Carbohydrates: 104g, Protein: 23g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 709mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 68g
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