It’s simple to make homemade hard candy with this easy to follow recipe that allows you to customize both flavor and color. This old fashioned candy will be a new holiday favorite!
Why I Love Easy Homemade Hard Candy
- Stained glass candy: This hard candy is a little like broken glass with it’s beautiful colors and pretty presentation.
- Simple ingredients: This sweet treat only has six ingredients. If you want skip the food coloring and powdered sugar but it makes the glass candy so colorful!
- Easy to make: Making homemade candy is easier than you think, a batch can be prepped in only 20 minutes. It’s fun for kids to help and learn a little bit about the science behind candy making, too!
- Holiday season: While you can make this anytime of the year, it is especially fun at the holidays to package it up for friends and family as a gluten free homemade Christmas treat gift!
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Sugar
- Water
- Corn Syrup
- Flavoring oil: LorAnn flavoring oils are great as the intensity is perfect for homemade candy. You can use extracts but they won’t have the same intense flavor.
- Food coloring or gels: Liquid food coloring or gel food coloring, although gels will have a more vibrant color. Skip coloring for a pure white old fashioned hard candy.
- Powdered sugar
How to Make Hard Candy
Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Sift powdered sugar generously over the sheet.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir sugar, corn syrup, and water over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Insert a candy thermometer into the saucepan and without stirring let it continue to simmer at a light boil for 15 minutes, or until it reaches 300°F or the hard crack stage.
Remove saucepan from heat and cool 1 minute. Stir in the desired amount of flavor and food coloring then pour hot candy onto lined baking sheet. Use a rubber spatula to spread it out evenly. After it cools slightly, sift powdered sugar over the top.
While candy is still soft, use a large knife to score 1-inch squares across the candy. Let the candy cool and harden until it’s completely set and at room temperature. Break into pieces or use a hammer or mallet for smaller shards.
Hard Candy Tips
- The right temperature. To avoid chewy candy ensure it reaches hard-ball stage before pouring into the pan or molds. Also, store candy away from humid, warm environments.
- Don’t stand directly over the pot. The steam is very hot and could burn you. Be careful!
- Candy molds or free form: Use either. Pouring your candy unto a baking sheet allows you to break it into glass, but candy molds or lollipops work, too.
- Flavor and color combinations: Strawberry oil or cinnamon oil with red food coloring, lemon oil with yellow food coloring, orange oil with orange food coloring or spearmint/peppermint with green food coloring.
Storage Instructions
Store your homemade hard candy in an airtight container between a layer of parchment paper at room temperature. It will stay fresh up to 1 month.
Want more candy recipes? Try homemade toffee, cream cheese mints and chocolate coconut balls, too.
More Homemade Candy Recipes
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Hard Candy Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- Powdered sugar , for dusting
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup water
- 10 drops flavored oil , such as cinnamon, cherry or butterscotch
- Food coloring , liquid or gel
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Sift powdered sugar generously over the sheet.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir the sugar, corn syrup, and water over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Insert a candy thermometer into the saucepan and stop stirring. Bring to a light boil, without stirring, 15 minutes, or until it reaches 300°F or the hard crack stage. To check if it's done, drop a spoonful into ice cold water and it should harden.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool 1 minute. Stir in the desired amount of flavor and food coloring 1 minute, or until combined.
- Carefully pour the hot candy onto the lined baking sheet. Use a rubber spatula to spread it out evenly. Cool slightly, then sift powdered sugar over the top.
- While still soft, use a large knife to score 1-inch squares across the candy (this will help it break easier). Let the candy cool and harden for at least 1 hour, or until it's completely set and at room temperature.
- Once completely cooled and hardened, break into pieces. You can also use a hammer or mallet to break it into smaller shards, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Candy + Fudge, Christmas, Dairy-Free, Desserts, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
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.
This turned out awesome! We needed something for a homeschool activity and this was perfect. My boys loved making it and they plan to make it again for the parties this year.
I love this! I’m so glad you like the recipe!
This was so fun to make not to mention so yummy! My kids loved making it fun colors.
Such a fun activity! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I was a little nervous having never made candy before and it was so easy! I am making these for teachers gifts next week too!