Soft, chewy and snow white, old fashioned divinity candy is a homemade Southern candy with sweet flavor and pillowy texture. My grandma made this recipe at the holidays!
Old-Fashioned Divinity Candy Recipe
I love to make this old fashioned holiday dessert at Christmas. Divinity not only tastes incredible, like a cross between a nougat candy and marshmallow taffy, but the bright snow white color, similar to a meringue cookie, is perfect for a plate of goodies!
My grandma made divinity candy every year at Christmas along with cream cheese mints, homemade caramels and saltine cracker toffee. She always stored it in these metal film containers in the freezer and I love that I have one to store it in as well. Anytime someone would stop by, she would pull this homemade classic candy to share.
Below is the recipe card she gave me. As you can see, it didn’t have many instructions so we had to call my grandpa to help us remember her tips and tricks. It took us a few times to get it just right, but I’m so happy with how it turned out. It’s divine! :)
Ingredient Notes
- Sugar: The bulk of the sweetness comes from the granulated sugar which makes the candy melt-in-your-mouth.
- White corn syrup: This helps create that chewy, taffy-like texture. Make sure to use light corn syrup.
- Egg whites: These get whipped until stiff peaks form, much like a meringue, and creates the airy texture.
- Vanilla: For an extra boost of flavor, I always add a few teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
- Pecans: These are optional, but I love the added flavor. You can either fold them into the batter or sprinkle a few on top of each piece.
How to Make Divinity Candy
Preparation is key for this recipe. Get out 2 baking sheets and line them with parchment or wax paper. Then set out 2 small spoons and a knife on top. Plug in your stand mixer and add the beater attachment. Pour vanilla and egg whites into the bowl of your mixer, but don’t mix yet.
Add the sugar, corn syrup and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Make sure to continue stirring the whole time so that the mixture doesn’t burn. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan.
While the sugar boils, turn your electric mixer on and start whipping the egg whites and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
When the sugar mixture has reached 240°F on your thermometer, turn the heat to medium high and drizzle half of the hot sugar mixture slowly into the bowl with the egg whites.
Place the pan back on the burner and cook until the temperature reaches 260°F. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixer and mix on high speed. When the other half of the sugar mixture reaches 260°F, pour it slowly into the egg whites. Scrape down the sides again and beat on high speed until it no longer has a glossy finish (about 5 to 10 minutes). Then fold in the pecans if desired.
Immediately after you’re done mixing, start spooning the mixture in little mounds onto the the parchment lined baking sheets. You need to move quickly or else it will harden. Then let the easy homemade divinity candy set for about 1 hour.
Recipe Tips
- Low to no humidity. For some reason high humidity won’t let the divinity set right and it will look like a puddle in the photo.
- Sugar on edges. If the sugar starts to come up on the edges of the saucepan, use a pastry brush dipped in hot water to wipe it down.
- Scrape the sides. Make sure to use a spatula to scrape the sides of your mixing bowl immediately after pouring in the sugar mixture.
- Consistency. When you’re mixing the last step, watch for a marshmallow cream consistency. If the mixture is still shiny, it’s not ready. As soon as the divinity starts to thicken and lose its shine, start testing with a spoon on the paper. Make sure that the candy mounds into a ball and doesn’t flatten. If it flattens, keep mixing on high for another minute and then test again.
- Multiple people. Make sure to keep a close eye on the entire process. This Christmas candy recipe works best with 2 people helping as it moves fast and it’s easier to have one person mixing the egg whites and one person watching the candy on the stove. It also helps to have an extra person to help getting the candy onto the paper before it hardens.
Divinity Candy Variations
I prefer my Grandmother’s divinity with just nutty pecans but here are a few popular combinations!
- Add some crushed peppermint sticks or candy canes with peppermint extract.
- Almond extract would pair well with dried cranberries.
- Chopped maraschino cherries will add a lovely color.
- Walnuts with maple extract.
- Any drop of food coloring adds a festive color to these, although I usually keep them white!
Storage
- Store: This homemade divinity will keep for up to 2 weeks if stored in a covered container at room temperature (I store mine in a metal tin like my grandma did). I like to add a layer of parchment or wax paper before adding the candy, so that the bottoms don’t stick to the container.
- Freeze: You can also freeze the candy in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More favorite holiday treats include peppermint bark, Christmas sugar cookies and homemade hard candy.
More Christmas Candy Recipes
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Divinity Candy
Ingredients
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light karo syrup
- ¾ cup water
- 3 egg whites
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Prep. Line 2 baking sheets with wax or parchment paper. Place 2 smaller spoons and a knife on top (so it’s all ready to go) or grab a medium cookie scoop if you have one. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, add 3 egg whites and 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add the beater attachment and plug in the mixer so it’s ready to go.
- Boil sugar mixture. In a large saucepan, combine 3 cups sugar, 3/4 cup corn syrup and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir constantly so it doesn’t burn. If the sugar starts to come up on the edges, use a pastry brush dipped in hot water to wipe it down. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan.
- Whip egg whites. While the mixture is boiling, start whipping the egg whites with vanilla in the mixing bowl. Beat until a stiff peak forms. Leave the beaters on as we’ll add the sugar mixture into this bowl.
- Once the candy mixture reaches 240°F, turn the heat to medium-high and drizzle about half the mixture SLOWLY into the bowl with the egg whites. Place the sauce pan back on medium high heat until it reaches 260°F. Scrape the downsides of the mixer and mix on high speed. When the remainder of the sugar mixture reaches 260°F, slowly pour into the egg white mixture. Scrape down the sides and then beat on high speed until the candy loses its glossy finish (about 5-10 minutes).
- Test. When the beaters are lifted up, the candy shouldn’t drizzle off. Test a spoonful on a piece of wax paper. If it begins to flatten, keep mixing on high and check another spoonful after a minute. Fold in pecans if desired.
- Set. Once it’s ready, you need to move fast or it will harden quickly. Take your spoons or cookie scoops and scoop onto the paper. Allow 1 hour to set.
- Store in a covered container at room temperature for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
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Categorized as: American, Candy + Fudge, Christmas, Desserts, No-Bake
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Actually you can make it on a rainy day. I never wood because it wouldn’t turn out until my mother in law said if humidity is high just remove 1tbls of water out and it does beautifully.
Hi Susan! Thanks for sharing your tips with us for the divinity :)
LOL. Back in 1980 I made a batch of divinity – I don’t remember what went wrong, but it “puddled” on the wax paper overnight and spread out. I figured I had nothing to lose, scraped it off into the bowl, beat it a few more minutes, dropped it by tsp again, and it was fine. Mind you, it had cooled so I couldn’t believe it! This post made me remember and gave me a good laugh.
That’s so funny! Sounds like a happy accident :)
I make this every year and have never put in the syrup mixture until the candy thermometer has reached 260 . What’s the purpose of adding some at 240?
That’s how my grandma always did it, so I follow suit :)
Do you beat the first half of the syrup mixture that you add to the egg whites while the other half is heating up to 260? thanks.
Yes, while the sugar mixture is boiling on the stove, start whipping the egg whites with vanilla in the mixing bowl. Beat until a stiff peak forms and then stop. You can leave the beaters on because you’ll use them again when you add the sugar mixture into the bowl.
I remember that my sister used to make divinity and she would leave some “white” sometimes with pecans and the other part of the batch she would stir in a few tablespoons of cherry gelatin and we would have cherry divinity. Such a good memory!
Cherry divinity sounds delicious! I’ll have to try it sometime :)
that does sound good .. when would you put it in??
Once you beat the egg whites until a stiff peak forms, then you can beat in the gelatin.
Be still my candy-loving heart! Thanks for the great recipe!!
This worked perfectly! I have had issues making divinity in the past an have shied away from it for a while, I am so glad I found this recipe! Now off to make another perfect batch!
Just like you, your grandma was a good cook. If I had to pick one recipe that most reminds me of Ina, it would be her divinity!
Divinity and caramel will always remind me of my grandma Ina! Thanks for leaving a comment Beth. It’s good to hear from you!
I love Divinity! Merry Christmas everyone who sees this
and a VERY Happy New Year!!!!