How to Make Homemade Candy Corn in Any Color And Flavor

Anne Vorrasi
Updated
Making your own candy corn is easy! Plus you can customize your own colors and flavors. Just follow this recipe.

Each year, we consume ill-advised amounts of candy corn on and around Halloween. Even if you are not the biggest fan of the iconic candy, you tend to stumble upon it just about everywhere: via cocktail, on a dessert, you can even dress up as one. But we know that there are some die-hard fans out there, and this homemade candy corn recipe is for you. "You don't have to limit your candy corn consumption to Halloween—you can make them yourself," says Miranda Keyes, who contributed this recipe on food52.com.

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Not only is this a fun DIY project (for you and any kiddos), but you have the freedom to customize the candy flavor and color as you please. "Feel free to add a different flavor of extract—coconut, almond, or mint work well. You can also mix up the colors!" says Keyes.

Homemade Candy Corn

Yields: 120 Pieces

Ingredients

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar

  • 1/4 cup instant skim milk powder

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup

  • 1 tablespoon water

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 to 2 drops orange food color

  • 1 to 2 drops yellow food color

Directions

  1. 1. Place a Silicone baking mat on a large baking sheet.

  2. 2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, milk powder, and salt, set aside.

  3. 3. In a small pot, mix together sugar, corn syrup, water, and butter. Place on high heat and stir with a Silicone spatula until everything has melted together and the sugar has dissolved.

  4. 4. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pot. Boil the corn syrup mixture, without stirring, until it reaches 240° F, about 2 to 3 minutes. (In candy-making terms, this is the soft ball stage).

  5. 5. Quickly remove from heat and mix in the vanilla extract. Be careful, as it may sputter a bit. Pour the syrup into the bowl with the confectioners' sugar and milk powder. Using your Silicone spatula, mix until everything is combined and the mixture forms into a ball.

  6. 6. Dump the candy corn dough onto the prepared Silicone baking mat. Leave for 5 to 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Split the candy corn dough into three equal-sized pieces. Color one orange by adding a few drops of orange food color, and color the other piece yellow. Knead the food color into the candy corn dough until it is thoroughly mixed in.

  7. 7. Remove about 2 tablespoons of each color candy corn and roll into thin strands (about the width of a pencil). Wrap the remaining pieces in plastic wrap and set aside.

  8. 8. Stack the strips on top of one another starting with the white and followed by the orange and then the yellow. Press them together so they make one tri-colored strip.

  9. 9. Using a small paring knife cut triangles out of the strip to form your candy corn. Continue with remaining mixture. Leave candy corn pieces on the Silicone baking mat until dry, about 2 hours. Keep in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.

Source:

This recipe originally appeared on food52.com. For more stories like this visit food52.com.