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!

Hard candy recipe for Christmas in bowls.

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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 neighbor gift!

Ingredient Notes

Hard candy ingredients on the counter.

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.

Cooking hard candy in the pot.

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.

Pouring candy onto a baking sheet.

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.

Hard candy on a baking sheet.

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.

Red hard candy recipe in a Christmas dish.

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

The best hard candy recipe in a white bowl.

Hard Candy Recipe

5 from 8 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Rest time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 36 pieces (about 2 pounds)
Homemade hard candy is an old fashioned favorite that is both easy to make and customize with your favorite colors and flavors!
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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.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Variations: If making more than 1 color or flavor, pour half the mixture into another pot and mix in the other color or flavor. You could also just make a second batch. 
Tip: To clean your pot, fill with hot water and bring to a light boil to remove the candy. Then clean immediately. 
Storage: 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. 

Nutrition

Calories: 63kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Fat: 0.05g, Sodium: 5mg, Potassium: 0.3mg, Sugar: 17g, Calcium: 1mg, Iron: 0.01mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.