31 Homemade Candy Recipes for the Sweetest Gift Ever
![Image may contain Food Creme Dessert Cake Cream Cupcake Icing Confectionery and Sweets](https://cdn.statically.io/img/assets.bonappetit.com/photos/61ef13b73135111cef663cc8/16:9/w_320%2Cc_limit/20220118%2520Coconut%2520Ladoos%2520LEDE.jpg)
Of course you can buy lollipops. But who doesn’t want to be the sort of person who pulls a homemade lollipop out of their purse and offers it to a friend on a moment’s notice? “It’s saffron-pear,” you’d say casually. Imagine a world where that’s you.
For lollipops you’ll need lollipop sticks (go figure) and a candy thermometer too. And while we do think a candy thermometer is well worth the drawer space, we also have plenty of homemade candy recipes that need no special equipment. These Free-Form Chocolate Candies—you pick the toppings—require little more than a spoon and baking sheet. And with just some muffin liners, you could churn out these Chocolate Date Caramel Cups, or these Salted Coconut Ladoos.
So what’ll it be? Here are 31 of our favorite homemade candy recipes. Consider us jealous of whoever you choose to share them with.
- Alex Lau1/31
Ube (Purple Yam) Candies
For these stunning yam candies, you will need a ricer or a food mill. We vote for the former, so you can also use it for life-changing mashed potatoes.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich2/31
Kaju Katli
This five-ingredient sweet is Priya Krishna’s all-time favorite, and it’s as good for a Wednesday-afternoon snack (keep some in your freezer!) as it is for a Diwali celebration.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio3/31
Chocolate Date-Caramel Cups
Assembling these dessert cups in muffin tin liners (just the liners!) helps speed up the process and ensure the sticky date caramel doesn’t get out of hand.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Micah Morton4/31
Brigadeiros Are My Rich, Fudgy Holiday Gift of Choice
They look like truffles, but they're smoother, chewier, and more voluptuous.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Kat Boytsova. Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca5/31
Salted Coconut Ladoos
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova6/31
Chocolate-Almond Fridge Fudge
There's a secret ingredient that helps replace the dairy in this vegan, fudgelike treat. Just kidding; it's not a secret...it's avocado!
- Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott7/31
Black-and-White Halvah
Both types of tahini should be roughly the same consistency for this halvah recipe—ideally pretty loose and pourable—which makes it easy to marble them. Most black tahini will be great, but Roland and Whole Foods 365 Organic were the best of the white tahini we tested.
- Photo by Alex Lau8/31
Sour Candied Citrus Peels
These are like homemade Sour Patch Kids, and we can't stop eating them.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski9/31
Salted Chocolate Halva
Salt and bittersweet chocolate lend a savory, sophisticated edge to this typically saccharine-sweet dessert.
- Alex Lau10/31
Apple Caramels
If you don’t have any (or don’t like) hazelnuts, try this autumnal treat with coconut flakes, pecans, walnuts, or peanuts—or simply leave them out.
- Christopher Testani11/31
Nutty Chocolate Toffee Bark
This recipe is easily doubled; it’s also a perfect host or hostess gift.
- Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott12/31
Free-Form Chocolate Candies
Known as mendiants in France, these adorned chocolate bites are a holiday tradition.
- Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott13/31
Chocolate-Peppermint Fudge
Crush candies in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. Using a hand mixer is more effective than a stand mixer for this chocolate-peppermint fudge recipe.
- Bobbi Lin14/31
Saffron–Rose Water Brittle with Pistachios and Almonds
This brittle recipe is a riff on an Iranian candy known as sohan. Its snappy texture and fragrant flavor pair well with bitter tea.
- Alex Lau15/31
Candied Carrot Coins
Candied vegetables? Oh, yes. These candied carrot coins were dreamed up with carrot cake in mind, but why not eat these by the handful instead?
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott16/31
Salted Honey and Chocolate Bark
This holiday confection is both sweet and salty.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott17/31
Saffron-Pear Lollipops
Anchor these in short vases filled with granulated sugar and win sweetest decor award.
- 18/31
Rose Water Marshmallows
There are marshmallows, and then there are homemade marshmallows. The boing? The bounciness? Incomparable.
- 19/31
Candied Grapefruit Peel
If you want to go the extra mile—of course you do—dunk this chewy candied citrus peel in melted chocolate. (Bittersweet would be a beautiful complement to the tangy grapefruit.)
- 20/31
Pumpkin Seed Brittle
For that friend who is allergic to peanuts, this crunchy pepita brittle is just the ticket. The salt on top is a must to balance all the sweetness.
- Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott21/31
Boozy Grapefruit-Pomegranate Gummy Candies
Left unadorned, these gummy candies look like precious gems, or they can be transformed into sparkly crunchy treats by tossing in coarse sugar before serving.
- Marcus Nilsson22/31
Bourbon–Sea Salt Caramels
The secret to these spectacularly chewy caramels? Sweetened condensed milk—which, if you ask us, your pantry should never be without.
- 24/31
Salted Pistachio Brittle
Crumble this pistachio brittle on top of store-bought pistachio ice cream and you have a wildly elegant, fully festive dessert to cap off a party.
- 26/31
Peppermint Meringues
A dash of peppermint extract and few drops of red food coloring yield the most festive meringues in town.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott27/31
Cran-Apple Jellies
This dark red mixture will bubble and spit like a vat of lava as it cooks. Okay, slight exaggeration, but really: Cook this in a deep pot and use a long whisk.
- Danny Kim28/31
Spicy Orange Hazelnut Chocolate Bark
Not in the mood to boil sugar? With chocolate bark, you don’t have to. This recipe has toasted hazelnuts, orange zest, and a pinch of cayenne.
- Peden + Munk29/31
Hazelnut Butter and Coffee Meringues
For a high-contrast swirl, go easy when folding in the nut butter. A stroke or two with the spatula is enough.
- Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott30/31
Salted Black Licorice Caramels
People who love black licorice will flip for these assertively flavored candies. They’ll be not-quite-black without the food coloring but still very cool looking.