If your December baking list is all cookies and no candy, this is the page that fixes it. These christmas candy recipes cover the whole candy dish: glossy peppermint bark that snaps, peanut brittle cooked to a true hard crack, slow cooker clusters that make themselves, and the old fashioned christmas candy your grandparents kept in a tin by the front door. Most are easy christmas candy recipes built on short ingredient lists, several need no oven at all, and nearly every batch packs neatly into tins and cellophane bags, which makes this as much a gift list as a recipe list. Pick two or three, make them on a quiet afternoon, and your homemade christmas candy is done for the season.
Quick Idea Summary
- The key takeaway: All 20 recipes here are complete candies with exact amounts, real thermometer temperatures and honest set times, grouped in six families: bark, brittle and toffee, clusters, truffles, caramels and hard candy, and the chocolate peanut butter classics. Start with any no-cook batch, then graduate to the cooked sugar recipes once you have one success in the tin.
- The detail most people miss: Candy is finished at a temperature, not at a time. Soft christmas caramels pulled at 240°F (116°C) stay a sauce, while the same batch at 245°F (118°C) cuts into soft, chewy squares. Every cooked recipe on this page names its target temperature and the candy stage that goes with it, so you are never guessing from the clock.
- What it costs or how long it takes: A batch costs $4 to $9 in supermarket staples and makes 24 to 48 pieces. Hands-on time is 10 to 30 minutes for most recipes; the rest is chilling, setting or a slow cooker doing the work without you.
| Recipe | Makes | Cook time | Total time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Peppermint Bark | About 1 1/2 lbs, roughly 24 pieces | 10 min | 1 hr 10 min |
| 2. Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark | About 1 1/4 lbs | 15 min | 1 hr 10 min |
| 3. White Chocolate Cranberry-Pistachio Bark | About 1 lb | 5 min | 45 min |
| 4. Peanut Brittle | About 1 1/2 lbs | 20 min | 45 min |
| 5. Christmas Crack (Saltine Toffee) | About 40 pieces | 15 min | 55 min |
| 6. Almond English Toffee Bites | About 1 lb, 36 bites | 20 min | 1 hr 5 min |
| 7. Crockpot Peanut Clusters | About 48 clusters | 2 hrs (slow cooker) | 2 hrs 40 min |
| 8. White Chocolate Haystacks | About 30 stacks | 5 min | 40 min |
| 9. Rocky Road Clusters | About 30 clusters | 5 min | 45 min |
| 10. Oreo Truffles | About 36 truffles | No cook | 1 hr 30 min |
| 11. Chocolate Peppermint Truffles | About 24 truffles | 5 min | 2 hrs 30 min |
| 12. Gingerbread Truffles | About 30 truffles | No cook | 1 hr 15 min |
| 13. Eggnog Truffles | About 24 truffles | 5 min | 2 hrs 30 min |
| 14. Soft Christmas Caramels | About 64 caramels | 35 min | 2 hrs 45 min |
| 15. Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Hard Candy | About 1 lb of pieces | 20 min | 45 min |
| 16. Peppermint Patties | About 30 patties | 5 min | 1 hr 35 min |
| 17. Cream Cheese Butter Mints | About 100 mints | No cook | 4 hrs 30 min |
| 18. Buckeyes | About 36 buckeyes | 5 min | 1 hr 35 min |
| 19. Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Ritz | About 30 sandwiches | 5 min | 55 min |
| 20. Old-Fashioned Divinity | About 36 pieces | 20 min | 45 min |
The 20 christmas candy recipes, family by family
Bark
01
01. Peppermint Bark
The candy that starts the season: a dark chocolate layer, a white chocolate layer and a blizzard of crushed candy cane, snapped into jagged pieces. This christmas peppermint bark is the most requested of all the easy christmas candy recipes on this page because it needs no thermometer, no oven and about 15 minutes of actual work. Make it first, because every tin you pack looks better with bark in it.
Makes: About 1 1/2 lbs (roughly 24 pieces) · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 10 minutes · Chill: 45 minutes · Total: 1 hr 10 min
Ingredients:
- 12 oz (340 g) dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 12 oz (340 g) white chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, divided
- 6 regular candy canes (about 1/2 cup crushed)
Steps:
- Line a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides so the slab lifts out cleanly.
- Put the candy canes in a zip bag and crush them with a rolling pin into small bits and dust. Set aside.
- Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring until smooth. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the peppermint extract.
- Pour the dark chocolate onto the parchment and spread it into an even layer. Chill for about 10 minutes, until the surface looks set but a fingertip still leaves the faintest mark. A fully hardened bottom layer is why bark sometimes splits apart.
- Melt the white chocolate the same way and stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract. Let it cool for 2 minutes so it does not melt the layer under it, then pour it over the dark chocolate and spread quickly to the edges.
- Scatter the crushed candy cane evenly over the top and press it very lightly with a clean hand so it sticks.
- Chill for 30 to 45 minutes, until the slab is firm all the way through. Lift it out by the parchment and break it into rough pieces with your hands. A good piece snaps with a clean crack instead of bending.
Try it: swirl the two chocolates instead of layering them. Drop spoonfuls of white chocolate over the still wet dark layer, drag a knife through once or twice, then add the candy cane. Same flavors, bakery-window look.
02
02. Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark
Sweet, salty and crunchy in one bite: a three minute brown sugar caramel poured over pretzels, baked until it bubbles into every twist, then blanketed in chocolate and flaky salt. It is the christmas bark candy for people who find plain bark too sweet, and the pretzel base keeps every piece sturdy enough to survive the mail.
Makes: About 1 1/4 lbs · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 15 minutes · Chill: 40 minutes · Total: 1 hr 10 min
Ingredients:
- 4 cups (about 200 g) mini pretzel twists, very roughly broken
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200 g) packed brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, for finishing
Steps:
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and then a sheet of parchment, and spread the broken pretzels in a single, tight layer with no bare gaps.
- Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it reaches a full boil, let it boil for exactly 3 minutes without stirring, until it thickens slightly and pulls away from the sides as it bubbles. It will read about 235°F (113°C) if you check.
- Stir in the fine salt and pour the caramel evenly over the pretzels, covering as much surface as you can.
- Bake for 5 minutes, until the caramel is bubbling across the whole pan.
- Take the pan out and scatter the chocolate chips evenly over the hot caramel. Wait 3 minutes for them to gloss and slump, then spread the chocolate into a smooth layer with an offset spatula.
- Sprinkle the flaky sea salt over the chocolate while it is still wet.
- Chill for about 40 minutes, until the chocolate is fully set and hard to the touch. Break the slab into pieces with your hands or cut it with a heavy knife for straighter edges.
Try it: swap half the pretzels for salted roasted peanuts before the caramel goes on. You get a turtle-style bark with the same method and an even better sweet-salty crunch.
03
03. White Chocolate Cranberry-Pistachio Bark
White chocolate studded with ruby cranberries and green pistachios, brightened with orange zest, is the prettiest piece in any candy tin and the fastest recipe on this page. It belongs on every list of white chocolate christmas candy worth making: five minutes of melting, thirty minutes of chilling, and it breaks into pieces that look like they came from a chocolatier.
Makes: About 1 lb · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 5 minutes · Chill: 30 minutes · Total: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 16 oz (450 g) white chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 cup (95 g) dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup (95 g) shelled roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- Pinch of fine salt
Steps:
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 20 to 30 second bursts, stirring after each one. White chocolate scorches fast, so stop when the last few small lumps remain and stir them smooth off the heat.
- Stir the orange zest, the salt and about two thirds of the cranberries and pistachios into the melted chocolate.
- Pour the mixture onto the parchment and spread it to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick with an offset spatula.
- Scatter the remaining cranberries and pistachios over the top and press them in gently so they sit in the chocolate, not on it.
- Chill for 30 minutes, until completely firm. Break into pieces; the edges should snap, not tear.
Try it: add 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom with the orange zest. It is a quiet, almost floral note that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is.
Brittle & Toffee
04
04. Peanut Brittle
Real peanut brittle is cooked sugar taken all the way to the hard crack stage, and that is exactly why it snaps instead of bending. This is the old fashioned christmas candy that filled tins a century ago, and the method has not changed: the peanuts go in at the soft ball stage, baking soda foams the syrup at the very end, and you pour it thin and leave it alone to set.
Makes: About 1 1/2 lbs · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 20 minutes · Cool: 15 minutes · Total: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (160 g) light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/2 cups (210 g) raw peanuts (or roasted unsalted peanuts)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Steps:
- Butter a large rimmed baking sheet or line it with a silicone mat and keep it near the stove. Measure out the butter, vanilla and baking soda now; brittle gives you no spare seconds at the end.
- Stir the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt together in a heavy 3 quart saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Clip on a candy thermometer.
- Cook without stirring until the syrup reaches 240°F (116°C), the soft ball stage.
- Stir in the peanuts. From here, stir often and keep cooking until the thermometer reads 300°F (149°C), the hard crack stage, about 8 to 10 more minutes. The syrup turns a deep amber and the peanuts smell toasted. Raw peanuts cook through in the syrup; roasted ones simply warm.
- Take the pan off the heat at once. Stir in the butter and vanilla, then the baking soda. The mixture will foam up pale and airy; that foaming is what makes the finished brittle light instead of tooth-breaking.
- Pour the brittle onto the prepared sheet and spread it as thin as you can with a buttered spatula. Do not touch it while it cools.
- Cool for about 15 minutes, until glass hard. Break it into pieces with your hands. A correct batch snaps cleanly and never bends or sticks to your teeth.
Try it: if you like heat, stir 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne into the syrup with the peanuts. The burn arrives about three seconds after the sweet, and the tin empties twice as fast.
05
05. Christmas Crack (Saltine Toffee)
Ask a room of bakers for their easiest holiday candy and this saltine toffee wins the vote every time. Butter and brown sugar boil into toffee over a sheet of saltines, chocolate melts on top, and the whole tray chills into a crisp, salty, chocolatey slab. It is the easy christmas crack recipe that fills more cookie swap trays than any other candy here, built on four ingredients most kitchens already own.
Makes: About 40 pieces · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 15 minutes · Chill: 30 minutes · Total: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
- About 40 saltine crackers (1 sleeve, about 4 oz / 115 g)
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200 g) packed brown sugar
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (60 g) chopped pecans, or 2 tablespoons Christmas sprinkles
- Pinch of flaky sea salt (optional)
Steps:
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet (about 10×15 inch) with foil and then parchment, and arrange the saltines salt side up in a single layer, edges touching.
- Melt the butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a full rolling boil and boil for 3 minutes, stirring once or twice. It should look thick and glossy and read about 235 to 240°F (113 to 116°C).
- Pour the toffee slowly and evenly over the crackers and spread it to the edges with a spatula.
- Bake for 5 minutes, until the toffee is bubbling all over the surface.
- Remove the pan and immediately scatter the chocolate chips over the hot toffee. Wait 3 minutes, then spread the melted chocolate smooth with an offset spatula.
- Sprinkle the pecans or sprinkles, and the flaky salt if using, over the wet chocolate.
- Chill for 30 minutes, until the chocolate is completely hard. Break or cut into about 40 pieces. Each piece should crunch like toffee, not bend like a cookie.
Try it: build a second layer of flavor with half semisweet and half white chocolate chips, swirled together with a knife before the toppings go on.
06
06. Almond English Toffee Bites
English toffee is butter and sugar stirred to a deep amber 300°F (149°C), poured thin, capped with chocolate and chopped almonds, then broken into bite-size shards. It tastes like the center of a famous candy bar, keeps for weeks, and is the christmas toffee recipe to make when you want one batch to cover a long gift list.
Makes: About 1 lb (36 bites) · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 20 minutes · Cool: 35 minutes · Total: 1 hr 5 min
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (90 g) finely chopped toasted almonds, divided
- 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Steps:
- Line an 8 or 9 inch square pan, or a rimmed sheet, with parchment. Have the vanilla, almonds and chocolate chips measured and waiting.
- Melt the butter in a heavy 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, water and salt until combined.
- Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom corners where toffee likes to scorch. The mixture melts, foams, then slowly turns from pale yellow to the color of a copper penny.
- Keep cooking and stirring until the thermometer reads 300°F (149°C), the hard crack stage, about 15 to 18 minutes from the boil. If the butter separates and pools, stir faster and it will come back together.
- Take the pan off the heat, stir in the vanilla and half of the chopped almonds, and pour the toffee into the prepared pan, tilting it to level the surface. Let it sit for 2 minutes.
- Scatter the chocolate chips over the hot toffee, wait 3 minutes, and spread the melted chocolate to the edges. Sprinkle the remaining almonds over the top and press them in lightly.
- Cool at room temperature for about 35 minutes, until the chocolate is set, then break or cut into roughly 36 bite-size pieces.
Try it: use half almonds and half finely crushed pretzel on top for a salty-sweet finish that makes the toffee taste twice as buttery.
Clusters
07
07. Crockpot Peanut Clusters
Four ingredients, one slow cooker, no stirring schedule: the chocolate melts gently around the peanuts while you wrap presents, then you scoop the mixture onto parchment and walk away. Of all the chocolate christmas candy on this page, this makes the biggest batch for the least attention, about 48 clusters, which is why it is the first recipe to reach for when you need christmas candy gifts in quantity.
Makes: About 48 clusters · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 2 hours on LOW · Set: 30 minutes · Total: 2 hrs 40 min
Ingredients:
- 16 oz (450 g) salted dry roasted peanuts
- 16 oz (450 g) vanilla almond bark, broken into pieces
- 12 oz (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 4 oz (115 g) milk chocolate, chopped (or another 1/2 cup chips)
- Christmas sprinkles (optional)
Steps:
- Put the peanuts in the bottom of a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Layer the almond bark, chocolate chips and milk chocolate on top. Do not stir.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours. Resist lifting the lid; the trapped heat is what melts everything evenly, and a blast of steam can make chocolate seize.
- After 2 hours, stir the mixture until the peanuts are completely coated and the chocolate is smooth and glossy. If a few lumps of bark remain, cover and wait 10 more minutes, then stir again.
- Drop heaped tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto parchment or wax paper, spacing them close; they hold their mounded shape rather than spreading.
- Add sprinkles while the tops are still glossy, if you like.
- Let the clusters set at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or chill them for 15 minutes, until the chocolate is firm all the way through before you move them to a tin.
Try it: swap half the peanuts for a mix of cashews and dried cranberries. The cranberries cut the richness and the clusters look like little wreaths in the tin.
08
08. White Chocolate Haystacks
Crunchy chow mein noodles folded into peanut butter white chocolate and dropped into little golden stacks: no thermometer, no oven, no fuss. Haystacks are the easy candy to make for christmas when kids are helping, because the entire method is melt, stir, scoop and wait 25 minutes.
Makes: About 30 stacks · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 5 minutes · Set: 25 minutes · Total: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 12 oz (340 g) white chocolate chips (or chopped white chocolate)
- 1/2 cup (130 g) creamy peanut butter
- 3 cups (150 g) chow mein noodles
- 1 cup (50 g) mini marshmallows
- 2 tablespoons red and green sprinkles (optional)
Steps:
- Line two baking sheets with parchment or wax paper.
- Melt the white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 20 to 30 second bursts, stirring until just smooth. Take it off the heat and stir in the peanut butter until the mixture is glossy.
- Fold in the chow mein noodles with a spatula, turning gently until every strand is coated. Try not to crush the noodles; the crunch is the point.
- Fold in the mini marshmallows last, with just a few turns, so they stay whole.
- Drop heaped tablespoons of the mixture onto the prepared sheets, shaping rough little stacks with the spoon.
- Scatter sprinkles over the tops, if using, and let the haystacks set at room temperature for about 25 minutes, until the coating is firm and matte.
Try it: use butterscotch chips in place of half the white chocolate for the blond, caramel flavored stacks many families know as the original haystack.
09
09. Rocky Road Clusters
Rocky road takes the cluster idea fudgy: dark chocolate folded around mini marshmallows and roasted nuts, scooped into rough mounds that stay soft in the middle. The one skill is patience, because the chocolate has to cool a little before the marshmallows go in, or they melt into sweet streaks instead of staying pillowy.
Makes: About 30 clusters · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 5 minutes · Chill: 30 minutes · Total: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 12 oz (340 g) semisweet or dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or unsalted butter)
- 1 1/2 cups (75 g) mini marshmallows
- 1 cup (120 g) roasted peanuts or walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup (85 g) chopped red and green glacé cherries (optional)
Steps:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
- Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring until smooth.
- Take the bowl off the heat and let the chocolate cool for 5 full minutes, stirring once or twice. It should feel warm, not hot, on your lip. This pause is the whole recipe.
- Fold in the marshmallows, nuts and cherries, if using, until everything is coated.
- Scoop heaped tablespoons onto the prepared sheet in rough clusters.
- Chill for 30 minutes, until set. The finished clusters should look matte on the outside and give slightly when pressed, with a soft, fudgy bite.
Try it: fold in 1/2 cup (25 g) of crushed graham crackers with the marshmallows and you have turned rocky road into s’mores clusters, no campfire required.
Truffles
10
10. Oreo Truffles
Three ingredients between you and the most polished looking candy on the page: crushed sandwich cookies and cream cheese, rolled into balls and dipped in white chocolate. Oreo truffles come within a topping of being a 3 ingredient christmas candy, and a snowfall of crushed candy cane on top makes them the first thing to vanish from any christmas candy dish.
Makes: About 36 truffles · Prep: 30 minutes · Chill: 1 hour (in two rests) · Total: 1 hr 30 min
Ingredients:
- 36 chocolate sandwich cookies (one 14.3 oz / 405 g package), filling included
- 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
- 12 oz (340 g) white chocolate or white candy melts, for coating
- 2 crushed candy canes or 2 tablespoons Christmas sprinkles, for topping (optional)
Steps:
- Crush the cookies to fine crumbs in a food processor, or in a zip bag with a rolling pin. The crumbs should look like dark soil with no white chunks left.
- Mix the crumbs with the softened cream cheese until a thick, uniform dough forms. A stand mixer or sturdy spoon both work; finish by hand if the last crumbs resist.
- Roll the mixture into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls, about 1 tablespoon each, and set them on a parchment lined sheet.
- Freeze the balls for 15 to 20 minutes. Cold centers are what keep the truffles round when they hit warm chocolate.
- Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 30 second bursts. Drop one ball in, roll it with a fork to coat, lift it out, tap off the excess and slide it back onto the parchment.
- While the coating is still wet, shower the tops with crushed candy cane or sprinkles.
- Chill for about 30 minutes, until the shells are hard and glossy.
Try it: use the mint filled sandwich cookies and a dark chocolate coating for a thin-mint truffle that tastes like the boxed kind, only fresher.
11
11. Chocolate Peppermint Truffles
A proper ganache truffle, dark chocolate and cream with a cool edge of peppermint, rolled in cocoa so it looks like it came straight out of a chocolate shop case. These are the fancy christmas candy of the list, the ones worth boxing separately for the people you really like, and they are far easier than they look.
Makes: About 24 truffles · Prep: 25 minutes · Cook: 5 minutes · Chill: 2 hours · Total: 2 hrs 30 min
Ingredients:
- 8 oz (225 g) dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent), finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Pinch of fine salt
- 1/2 cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, for rolling
Steps:
- Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it steams and tiny bubbles form at the edges, just under a boil.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, wait 2 minutes, then stir slowly from the center outward until a smooth, glossy ganache forms.
- Stir in the butter, peppermint extract and salt until the butter disappears.
- Cover and chill for about 2 hours, until the ganache is firm enough to scoop but not rock hard.
- Scoop teaspoonfuls and roll them quickly between your palms into balls. Cold hands or a dusting of cocoa on your palms keeps them from melting. Set them on a parchment lined sheet.
- Roll each ball in cocoa powder until fully coated, then chill for 15 minutes more before boxing. The centers stay soft and almost molten at room temperature.
Try it: roll half the batch in finely crushed candy cane instead of cocoa. They look like snowballs with freckles and the crunch plays against the soft center.
12
12. Gingerbread Truffles
Gingersnap crumbs, cream cheese and a spoonful of molasses roll into truffles that taste like gingerbread in candy form, dipped in white chocolate to finish. They carry all the warm spice of the cookie tin into the candy dish, and the white shells make them look like a row of little snowballs.
Makes: About 30 truffles · Prep: 30 minutes · Chill: 45 minutes · Total: 1 hr 15 min
Ingredients:
- 36 crisp gingersnap cookies (about 10 oz / 280 g)
- 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 12 oz (340 g) white chocolate, for coating
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger or 2 extra crushed gingersnaps, for topping
Steps:
- Crush the gingersnaps to fine crumbs in a food processor or a zip bag. Reserve 2 tablespoons of crumbs if you are using them for the topping.
- Beat the crumbs with the cream cheese, molasses and cinnamon until a soft, even dough forms. It should hold together when squeezed.
- Roll into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls and set on a parchment lined sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes, until firm.
- Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring until smooth.
- Dip each cold ball with a fork, tap off the extra chocolate, and set it back on the parchment. Dust the tops with a pinch of ground ginger or the reserved crumbs while the coating is wet.
- Chill for about 30 minutes, until the shells are hard.
Try it: stir 2 tablespoons of finely chopped candied ginger into the dough for little chewy sparks of heat all through the truffle.
13
13. Eggnog Truffles
White chocolate ganache made with real eggnog and a grating of nutmeg, dipped and dusted so each piece tastes like the drink itself in two bites. Eggnog truffles are the one recipe here that only makes sense in December, which is exactly why they are worth making while the carton is in the fridge.
Makes: About 24 truffles · Prep: 25 minutes · Cook: 5 minutes · Chill: 2 hours · Total: 2 hrs 30 min
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) eggnog
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 10 oz (280 g) white chocolate, finely chopped (for the centers)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon rum, or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract (optional)
- 8 oz (225 g) white chocolate, for coating
Steps:
- Heat the eggnog and butter in a small saucepan until the butter melts and the mixture steams at the edges.
- Pour it over the finely chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Wait 2 minutes, then stir until completely smooth and glossy.
- Stir in the nutmeg and the rum or extract, if using.
- Cover and chill for about 2 hours, until the ganache scoops cleanly. White chocolate ganache sets softer than dark, so give it the full time.
- Scoop and roll into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls and set them on a parchment lined sheet. If the mixture softens as you work, chill the sheet for 10 minutes and continue.
- Melt the coating chocolate and dip each ball, tapping off the excess. Dust the tops with a whisper of nutmeg while the coating is still wet, and chill until set.
Try it: roll the finished truffles in finely grated white chocolate instead of dipping them for a truffle with a snow-dusted, no-shine finish.
Caramels, Hard Candy & Mints
14
14. Soft Christmas Caramels
Soft, chewy, deeply buttery caramels cooked to exactly 245°F (118°C) and wrapped in wax paper twists are the beating heart of every old fashioned christmas candy recipes collection. This batch makes about 64 pieces, enough for a serious gift list plus a cook’s tax of at least six, eaten warm off the parchment while nobody is looking.
Makes: About 64 caramels · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 35 minutes · Set: 2 hours · Total: 2 hrs 45 min
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter
- 2 cups (400 g) packed brown sugar
- 1 cup (320 g) light corn syrup
- 1 can (14 oz / 396 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- Flaky sea salt, for the tops (optional)
Steps:
- Line a 9×9 inch (23×23 cm) pan with parchment, leaving an overhang, and lightly butter the parchment. Cut about 64 small squares of wax paper later, while the slab cools.
- Melt the butter in a heavy 4 quart saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Clip on a candy thermometer.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom and corners, until the mixture reaches 245°F (118°C), the firm ball stage. This takes about 30 to 35 minutes and the caramel turns a rich amber. Constant stirring is not optional; the milk solids scorch in seconds.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla and fine salt. Pour the caramel into the prepared pan without scraping the saucepan bottom, where the darkest bits live.
- Sprinkle lightly with flaky salt, if you like. Cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours, until completely firm.
- Lift the slab out, and cut it into 1 inch (2.5 cm) squares with a buttered knife, re-buttering as it starts to drag. Wrap each caramel in a wax paper square with a twist at both ends.
Try it: stir 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne into the finished caramel for a warm, faintly spiced batch that tastes like a holiday candle smells, in the best way.
15
15. Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Hard Candy
Glass-clear red shards with a real cinnamon burn: this is the hard christmas candy that filled apothecary jars and church bazaars for a hundred years. The syrup goes all the way to 300°F (149°C), the cinnamon oil goes in off the heat, and the whole sheet cools into one ruby pane that you crack into jewels. Older cooks also called it christmas hard tack candy; the recipe is identical.
Makes: About 1 lb of pieces · Prep: 5 minutes · Cook: 20 minutes · Cool: 20 minutes · Total: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- Butter or cooking spray, for the pan
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, for dusting
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (210 g) light corn syrup
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) water
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon candy oil (or 2 teaspoons cinnamon extract)
- Red gel food coloring, about 1/2 teaspoon, to a deep red
Steps:
- Grease a rimmed baking sheet and dust it generously with powdered sugar, or line it with a silicone mat. The dusting is what keeps the pieces from welding themselves back together.
- Stir the granulated sugar, corn syrup and water in a heavy 3 quart saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Clip on a candy thermometer and stop stirring.
- Boil the syrup until it reaches 300°F (149°C), the hard crack stage, about 15 to 20 minutes. If sugar crystals creep up the sides, wash them down with a wet pastry brush. A test drop in ice water should form threads that snap with a crack.
- Take the pan off the heat. Standing back, because the steam that rises is intense, stir in the cinnamon oil and the food coloring until the color is even.
- Pour the syrup onto the prepared sheet in a thin, even layer and tilt the pan to spread it. Do not scrape the saucepan.
- Cool for about 20 minutes, until the pane is hard and glassy. Crack it into shards with the handle of a heavy knife, then toss the pieces in the remaining powdered sugar so they stay separate in the tin.
Try it: make half the batch with peppermint oil and green coloring instead. Red cinnamon and green peppermint shards mixed in one jar is the exact look of the old time candy counter.
16
16. Peppermint Patties
Cool, creamy peppermint centers wrapped in dark chocolate that snaps clean when you bite in, just like the store-bought kind, because the centers go into the chocolate frozen solid. Homemade christmas peppermint patties keep for weeks in the fridge and taste colder and cleaner than any packaged version.
Makes: About 30 patties · Prep: 30 minutes · Cook: 5 minutes · Chill: 1 hour · Total: 1 hr 35 min
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup (80 g) light corn syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- Pinch of fine salt
- About 3 1/2 cups (420 g) powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- 12 oz (340 g) dark chocolate, chopped, for coating
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional, for a glossier dip)
Steps:
- Beat the butter, corn syrup, peppermint extract and salt together until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time, mixing until a firm, pliable dough forms that feels like play dough and does not stick to your fingers. Add the last sugar only as needed.
- Dust a surface with powdered sugar and roll the dough to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Cut out rounds with a 1 1/2 inch (4 cm) cutter, re-rolling the scraps once.
- Set the rounds on a parchment lined sheet and freeze for 30 minutes, until rock firm. This freeze is the difference between neat patties and peppermint soup.
- Melt the chocolate (with the coconut oil, if using) in a bowl over barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 30 second bursts.
- Dip each frozen center with a fork, tap off the excess, and set it back on the parchment, swirling the top with the fork for the classic finish.
- Chill for about 30 minutes until set. Store the patties in the fridge, where the centers stay dense and cold.
Try it: tint half the dough pale pink with one drop of red coloring before rolling, for two-tone patties that look like they came from a candy shop assortment.
17
17. Cream Cheese Butter Mints
The little pillow mints from every church reception and grandmother’s candy dish, made with cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar and left to dry until the outside firms and the inside melts on your tongue. They are the softest entry in the traditional christmas candy family, and the only recipe here that actually improves for a few days after making.
Makes: About 100 mints · Prep: 30 minutes · Dry: 4 hours (or overnight) · Total: 4 hrs 30 min
Ingredients:
- 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (or wintergreen or vanilla)
- About 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- Red and green gel food coloring (optional)
Steps:
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together until completely smooth, then beat in the extract.
- Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until a stiff dough forms that you can roll without it sticking. It should feel like firm fondant.
- If you are tinting, divide the dough and knead in one tiny drop of coloring per portion until even. Gel coloring keeps the dough from going sticky.
- Roll small balls, about 1/2 teaspoon each, or roll the dough into ropes the thickness of your little finger and snip them into pillow pieces with scissors.
- Set the mints on parchment and press each one lightly with the tines of a fork dipped in powdered sugar for the classic ridged finish.
- Leave the mints at room temperature for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until the outsides are dry and firm. The centers stay soft and creamy. Store airtight once dry.
Try it: press each ball into a small silicone candy mold instead of flattening it, and you get shaped mints, trees, bells and stars, for the same effort.
Chocolate & Old-Fashioned
18
18. Buckeyes
Peanut butter fudge balls dipped three quarters of the way in chocolate, so the tan center peeks out exactly like the nut on an Ohio buckeye tree. Buckeyes are the chocolate peanut butter anchor of the classic christmas candy tin, and chilling the balls hard before dipping is the whole secret to the clean chocolate line.
Makes: About 36 buckeyes · Prep: 30 minutes · Cook: 5 minutes · Chill: 1 hour · Total: 1 hr 35 min
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (260 g) creamy peanut butter
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- About 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
- 10 oz (280 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped, for coating
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional)
Steps:
- Beat the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time, mixing until a firm dough forms that rolls cleanly without sticking to your hands. Add a spoonful more sugar if December humidity makes it soft.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls and set them on a parchment lined sheet with a toothpick stuck in the top of each one, or add the picks after chilling.
- Chill the balls for at least 45 minutes, until very firm. Soft balls slump off the pick in warm chocolate.
- Melt the chocolate (with the coconut oil, if using) in a bowl over barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 30 second bursts.
- Holding each ball by its toothpick, dip it into the chocolate about three quarters of the way, leaving a clean tan circle on top. Let the excess drip back, and set the buckeye on parchment.
- Chill until the chocolate sets, about 15 minutes, then remove the toothpicks and smooth the tiny holes over with a fingertip.
Try it: roll the balls smaller, at 3/4 inch, and dip them completely for bite-size peanut butter cups that disappear from the tin in one evening.
19
19. Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Ritz
Salty crackers, a sweet peanut butter filling and a full dip in chocolate: these little sandwiches are the fastest chocolate candy on the page, 30 pieces in under an hour with no cooking beyond melting. They are the classic last-minute answer when you need christmas candy gifts the same day you think of them, and a shower of sprinkles while the chocolate is wet makes them party-ready.
Makes: About 30 sandwiches · Prep: 25 minutes · Cook: 5 minutes · Set: 25 minutes · Total: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
- 60 round buttery crackers (like Ritz), about 2 sleeves
- 3/4 cup (195 g) creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- 12 oz (340 g) milk or semisweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate candy melts)
- 2 tablespoons red and green sprinkles (optional)
Steps:
- Stir the peanut butter and powdered sugar together until smooth and spreadable. The sugar keeps the filling from oozing out of the finished sandwich.
- Spread about 1 teaspoon of the filling onto the flat side of one cracker and top it with a second cracker, pressing gently until the filling just reaches the edges. Repeat to make about 30 sandwiches.
- Chill the sandwiches for 15 minutes so the filling firms up. Warm, soft sandwiches twist apart in the chocolate.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring until smooth.
- Drop one sandwich in, flip it with a fork to coat completely, lift it out, tap off the excess and set it on parchment.
- Add sprinkles to each sandwich while its coating is still wet. Let them set at room temperature for about 25 minutes, or chill for 15, until the chocolate is hard and shiny.
Try it: use white chocolate and crushed candy cane on top for a red and white version, and alternate the two on the serving plate.
20
20. Old-Fashioned Divinity
Divinity is the diva of old time christmas candy: hot syrup beaten into egg whites until the mixture turns matte, loses its shine and stands up in soft peaks. It demands a dry day and a fast hand with the spoon, and in return it gives you clouds of melt-away candy that no factory sweet has ever matched.
Makes: About 36 pieces · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 20 minutes · Set: 15 minutes · Total: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups (500 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (160 g) light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (90 g) chopped pecans, plus 36 pecan halves for the tops (optional)
Steps:
- Line two baking sheets with parchment or wax paper and have two teaspoons ready. Check the weather first: divinity sets best on a dry day, and on a very humid day it may never firm up.
- Stir the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in a heavy 3 quart saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Clip on a candy thermometer and cook without stirring.
- While the syrup heats, beat the egg whites in a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer) until stiff peaks form. Leave them waiting in the bowl.
- Cook the syrup to 260°F (127°C), the hard ball stage. A drop in ice water forms a firm ball that holds its shape.
- With the mixer running on medium-high, pour the hot syrup into the egg whites in a slow, thin, steady stream, aiming between the beaters and the bowl wall. Add the vanilla once the syrup is in.
- Keep beating until the mixture loses its gloss, thickens and holds a soft peak when you lift the beater, about 5 to 8 minutes. It should look matte and mound softly, not pour.
- Fold in the chopped pecans quickly, then drop heaped teaspoons of the candy onto the parchment, swirling each one into a little mound. Press a pecan half on top, if you like. The pieces set at room temperature in about 15 minutes and should feel dry to the touch.
Try it: swap the pecans for finely chopped candied cherries and a drop of almond extract for the pink, old fashioned divinity that filled dime store boxes.
Pro tip: Test your candy thermometer in boiling water before your first cooked batch. At sea level it should read 212°F (100°C) in a rolling boil. If it reads 210°F, your thermometer runs 2 degrees low, so subtract 2 from every target temperature on this page; if it reads high, add the difference instead. Five wrong degrees is the whole difference between caramels that slice cleanly and caramels that pour.
Three rules for candy that sets, snaps and stays fresh
Almost every failed batch of homemade candy traces back to one of three habits, and all three happen before the sugar even boils.
- Trust the thermometer, not the clock: Sugar stages are temperatures, not minutes. Soft ball is 235 to 240°F (113 to 116°C), firm ball is 245 to 250°F (118 to 121°C) and hard crack is 300 to 310°F (149 to 154°C), and a humid afternoon can add ten minutes to a recipe without moving any of those numbers. Clip the thermometer to the pot before you turn on the heat and cook to the number every time.
- Lay out everything before the sugar boils: Candy gives you no pauses at the end. The brittle needs its butter, vanilla and baking soda the very second it hits 300°F (149°C), and divinity needs its pecans folded in before the shine fades. Measure, chop, butter the pans and set out the parchment first, every single time.
- Keep water away from melting chocolate: One drip of water or one cloud of steam turns a bowl of melted chocolate thick, grainy and matte. Use dry bowls and dry spatulas, keep lids off simmering pots, and if chocolate does seize, stir in coconut oil a teaspoon at a time until it loosens back up.
Storing and gifting your candy
Candy is the most make-ahead friendly Christmas food gift there is: most of this page keeps for weeks, and a layered tin of homemade candy is among the most welcome christmas candy gifts a person can receive in December.
- In tins, layered and separated: Pack candy in airtight tins with parchment or wax paper between the layers, and never store strong flavors together, because peppermint moves into plain chocolate within days. Hard candy and brittle keep 4 to 6 weeks at room temperature, toffee and clusters 3 to 4 weeks, wrapped caramels about 2 weeks, and truffles and peppermint patties 2 weeks in the fridge.
- In the freezer: Bark, clusters, toffee and dipped truffles freeze well for up to 2 months, sealed tight. Thaw them still sealed, so condensation lands on the container and not the chocolate. Hard candy and divinity do not freeze at all; humidity is their enemy in every form.
- For gifts and stockings: Small cellophane bags tied with ribbon turn six pieces into a present, and a mixed christmas candy tin with one of everything is the box that wins the office. Plan 8 to 12 pieces per person so the gift feels generous without draining the whole batch. For christmas candy gifts for coworkers, the clusters and bark are the best fillers, and they double as stocking stuffer candy because they hold their shape in a warm room.
Questions readers ask
What are the best christmas candy recipes for beginners?
Start with the no-thermometer recipes: peppermint bark, white chocolate haystacks, crockpot peanut clusters and the chocolate dipped peanut butter Ritz sandwiches. These easy christmas candy recipes ask you to melt, stir and chill, nothing more, and they come out right the first time. Cooked sugar recipes like peanut brittle and soft caramels are the natural second step, once you have watched one batch set properly and know how your stove behaves.
How long does homemade christmas candy keep?
Most homemade candy keeps 2 to 6 weeks in an airtight tin in a cool, dry spot. Hard candy and peanut brittle last longest, around 4 to 6 weeks, while toffee and clusters hold 3 to 4 weeks, wrapped caramels about 2 weeks, and ganache truffles about 2 weeks in the fridge. Keep strong flavors in separate tins, because peppermint and cinnamon will flavor plain chocolate stored beside them within a few days.
Can you freeze homemade christmas candy?
Yes, most of it freezes well for up to 2 months: bark, clusters, toffee, buckeyes and dipped truffles all thaw without damage if they are sealed tight and thawed in the closed container. The exceptions are hard candy and divinity, which drink in moisture and turn sticky or weepy after freezing. If you are planning gifts, freezing finished candy is the easiest way to spread the work across November weekends.
Why did my peanut brittle come out chewy instead of crisp?
It almost certainly stopped short of 300°F (149°C), the hard crack stage. Below that temperature the sugar keeps enough moisture to bend and stick to your teeth instead of snapping. Humid weather makes it worse, because finished brittle absorbs water from the air as it cools. Next batch, cook to the full temperature, confirm it with a drop of syrup that shatters in ice water, pour on a dry day if you can, and get the cooled pieces into an airtight tin the same day.
What are the candy making stages and their temperatures?
The stages run from thread at about 230°F (110°C), soft ball at 235 to 240°F (113 to 116°C), firm ball at 245 to 250°F (118 to 121°C), hard ball at 250 to 265°F (121 to 129°C), soft crack at 270 to 290°F (132 to 143°C), and hard crack at 300 to 310°F (149 to 154°C). This page uses three of them: soft ball when the peanuts go into the brittle, firm ball for the soft caramels, and hard crack for the brittle finish, the toffee and the cinnamon hard candy.
Can I make christmas candy without a candy thermometer?
Yes, about half of this page never needs one: the barks, clusters, haystacks, truffles and sandwiches all set by chilling, not by temperature. For cooked sugar you can use the cold water test instead: drip a little syrup into a glass of ice water, where soft ball forms a blob that flattens when you press it, firm ball holds its shape, and hard crack makes brittle threads that snap. The water test is how candy was made for centuries, but a cheap thermometer is faster and surer.
How do you keep homemade caramels from sticking together?
Wrap every piece individually in a square of wax paper, twisted at both ends, soon after cutting, because unwrapped caramels fuse into one block within hours. Cut with a buttered knife, work in a cool room, and store the wrapped pieces in a single layer or layered with parchment. If the slab is cut but not yet wrapped, cover it tightly and finish wrapping the same day.
What is the easiest christmas candy to make in big batches for gifts?
The crockpot peanut clusters make about 48 pieces from one cooker load with ten minutes of your attention, and the recipe doubles without any extra work, which makes it the most efficient of the easy christmas candy recipes with few ingredients for serious gift lists. Peppermint bark runs a close second, because one sheet pan breaks into roughly 24 gift-sized pieces. Make one big batch of each and your christmas candy gifts are covered.
People Also Ask
What is christmas crack candy made of?
Saltine crackers, a boiled butter and brown sugar toffee poured over them, a layer of melted chocolate and a topping of nuts or sprinkles. Four main ingredients and about 15 minutes of cooking produce the crisp, salty-sweet toffee bark at recipe 5, and the odd name comes from how hard it is to stop eating it, plus the crackle when you break the slab.
Why is divinity candy so hard to make?
It is not the ingredients, it is the weather. Divinity is whipped sugar syrup, and the foam drinks moisture straight out of humid air, staying sticky and soft no matter how long you beat it. Choose a dry day, beat until the mixture turns matte and holds a peak, and work fast once it gets there, because the window between pourable and too stiff is only a minute or two.
What old fashioned candy went into Christmas stockings?
Old fashioned christmas ribbon candy, filled hard candies, candy canes, chocolate coins and horehound drops filled the toe of the stocking, usually alongside an orange and a handful of nuts in the shell. The cinnamon hard candy at recipe 15 recreates the flavor of that stocking mix, and a small bag of it with a candy cane is still the cheapest nostalgic gift on this page.
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Hey! I'm Sanaullah — visual curator and content creator. I search, curate, and test the best aesthetic ideas across Pinterest so you can easily transform your living space, style daily outfits, and try simple creative DIYs without the overwhelm.
