For a few years, my son could only have honey as a sweetener, which meant store-bought candy was out of the question. (This was on the advice of his pediatrician who placed him on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet because he had non-responsive celiac disease and was a very sick little boy. The diet worked wonders and he is now a healthy child with no more stomach aches or for that matter, asthma. It’s a fabulous diet!)
I did a lot of experimenting, trying to come up with treats that I could make him. Here are two of his favorites: Honey & Vinegar Candy and Honey Nut Butter Candy; both are fairly easy to whip up when the urge for a sweet treat arises.
One thing that no one ever seems to mention when it comes to making (well, eating!) most honey based candy is that it quickly goes from crunchy to chewy in your mouth. This is more noticeable with the Honey & Vinegar Candy than the Honey Nut Butter Candy, but because of this reason, I recommend these for older children and even then, be sure to break into small serving sizes. The texture of the Honey & Vinegar reminds me quite a bit of the Sugar Babies that I bought as a kid, if that gives you some idea of the chew-factor!
Honey Nut Butter Candy
This first easy honey candy recipe is inspired by “Glass Candy” from the cookbook Grain Free Gourmet by Jodi Bager and Jenny Lass. I love their cookbooks and highly recommend anyone that wants to cook grain-free and refined-sugar-free own a copy of both! Mine are well worn and worth every penny I spent and then some!
- 1 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup nut butter (I used crunchy almond butter here, you can also use peanut butter, cashew butter, sunbutter, etc)
Pour the honey into a heavy saucepan. Place pan over medium heat until mixture starts to boil. Adjust the heat lower if needed and let boil until honey reaches 300 degrees F (hard crack stage.) This takes around twenty minutes.
Remove from heat, add vanilla and nut butter. Stir thoroughly then immediately pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in freezer or refrigerator to cool. Once completely chilled, break into long strips, then break those again into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Store in freezer.
Honey & Vinegar Candy
I’m always looking for ways to use some of my infused vinegars, such as Blackberry Vinegar, and this easy honey candy recipe fits the bill perfectly! For the batch pictured above, I used blueberry infused vinegar (made exactly like the blackberry version.)
- 1 cup honey
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or fruit infused vinegar)
- (optional) 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pour the honey and vinegar into a heavy saucepan. Place pan over medium heat until mixture starts to boil. Adjust the heat lower if needed and let boil until honey reaches 300 degrees F (hard crack stage.)
Remove from heat, add vanilla, if desired. Immediately pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in freezer or refrigerator to cool.
Once completely chilled, break into long strips, then break those again into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Store in freezer. These start off crunchy, but turn rather chewy after a few seconds!
A few tips to remember:
- Be sure to calibrate your candy thermometer periodically. Dip the tip of it in a small pot of boiling water (you can do this while cooking pasta too, as a time saver) and let it stay for a few minutes without touching the sides or bottom. It should read 212 degrees F (at sea level). My candy thermometer happens to be ten degrees off! So, I have to keep that in mind when making candies and adjust accordingly. It WILL make a difference in your recipe. (For more information on this, check out Ray’s comment below.)
- Honey can scorch and burn if heated too high – be sure to stay nearby and keep checking the temperature with your candy thermometer.
- Store honey based candies in the freezer (in single layers, between parchment paper) until right before ready to eat.
- You can also pour the hot candy into lollipop molds. (Just remember the “chew factor” for small kids!)
- Try different flavored extracts instead of vanilla – such as: lemon or peppermint for a great taste variation.
- Fill your still-hot pot with warm, soapy water soon after pouring out the candy and let it soak for a while in your sink – it will make cleaning up infinitely easier!
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FAQs
Torrone (Italian Nut and Nougat Confection)
This impressive looking candy is easy to make. All it takes is a little time stirring at the stovetop. Honey and egg whites combine to create a chewy nougat that envelopes crunchy almonds and pistachios.
How to make honey cotton candy? ›
Cotton Candy Machines
- Pour Honey Sugar into the centre spinner.
- Turn the Candy Switch to ON.
- The floss will start to spin.
- Each machine will vary in instructions, but the procedure is basically the same for each.
Directions
- Pour water, sugar, and alum into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil for 10 minutes. Skim any scum that forms on the top.
- Remove syrup from the heat and stir in flowers. Allow to steep for 10 minutes, then stir, and strain into storage jars.
The ingredients for Bit-O-Honey are rather simple. It's a mixture of corn syrup, coconut oil, egg whites, honey, sugar, and milk. Once all those ingredients are mixed together and put into the mold, chopped almonds are added into the mix to top it off.
What snacks use honey? ›
Snacks
- Everything Cucumber Chips.
- Honey Almond Cranberry Granola.
- Honey Coconut Macadamia Nut + Cherry Bars.
- Honey Granola Bars.
- Honey Apple Oatmeal Cups.
- Honey Roasted "Everything" Chickpeas.
- Sweet & Spicy Honey Popcorn.
- Honey Almond Butter Mini Granola Cups.
Honey crystals are made from the combination of sugars and pollen found in raw honey which is why they are sometimes called 'candy', for their sweetness. These crystals form when honey is kept at cold temperatures - just like ice on a lake, sugars will clump together and rise to the top.
Can cotton candy be made from honey? ›
Honey Cotton Candy - Legacy Family Foods. A delightful, sweet tradition that continues year to year! Made famous at the North Carolina State Fair, Aunt Bertie's Cotton Candy is unique because it's made with REAL HONEY and contains no food coloring or additives.
What honey tastes like cotton candy? ›
Tupelo honey
This light, amber honey with a slight green cast has a pear-like and hoppy aroma, and a coveted flavour that fans describe as mild, delicate, buttery, floral, like cotton candy and rosewater. It also has low fructose and never crystallises.
Can we make cotton candy from honey? ›
Cotton candy that we created using our own original recipe with our local raw wildflower honey from our beehives in Bucks County, Pa! Made to order, please allow time for us to spin our honey into cotton candy!
How is honey made simple? ›
From Bee. Honey starts as flower nectar collected by bees, which gets broken down into simple sugars stored inside the honeycomb. The design of the honeycomb and constant fanning of the bees' wings causes evaporation, creating sweet liquid honey. Honey's color and flavor vary based on the nectar collected by the bees.
“Honey does not spoil, however for best quality, the USDA recommends storing honey for up to 12 months,” Amidor says. “After that time, it remains safe but the quality may not be as good. If the honey becomes cloudy, crystallized or solidified this is not a food safety concern.”
How do you make honey by hand? ›
The simplest method of honey extraction, and probably the oldest, is the crush-and-strain method. You simply destroy each of the wax cells holding the honey by crushing the entire comb in a bowl (with a tool or with your hands). Once you've broken the cells, you must strain the honey and wax to separate them.
What is the oldest candy? ›
The two oldest candy types are licorice and ginger. The historical roots of licorice are found in the early years of man's appearance. In particular, many licorice were eaten by Pharaohs and Prophets. The licorice comes from a plant called “Glycyrrhiza” which in Greek means «sweet root».
What is a Bit-O-Honey candy? ›
These bite-sized taffy treats are made with real honey and almonds. The Bit-O-Honey bulk case includes approximately 2,060 individually wrapped pieces making it a great option as a thank-you to customers or attendees to your next event. Bit-O-Honey candies contain milk, almonds, egg and soy.
What products can honey make? ›
Contents
- Honey Butter.
- Hot Toddy.
- Challah.
- Sauces and Salad Dressings.
- Mead.
- Soups.
- Baked Beans.
- Quick Breads.
Below are five ways to use honey in food, including as a natural sweetener, salad dressings, baked goods, glazes and marinades, and beverages. Honey can add moisture and a subtle sweetness to baked goods, such as bread, muffins, and cookies.
How do you substitute honey for sugar in candy? ›
Honey is largely fructose and is therefore much sweeter than refined sugar. Depending on the honey, it can be two or three times sweeter than sugar. For every 1 cup of sugar, replace it with 1/2 to 2/3 cups of honey.
What candy corn is made with honey? ›
Brach's Classic Candy Corn, Made with Real Honey (Classic 11-oz Bag, 6 Pack.
