This homemade candy corn recipe is one of our favorite retro Halloween sweets. It’s so much more tasty than store-bought candy corn, and surprisingly easy to make.
An Alton Brown recipe that I found years ago, my family wouldn’t let me get through the season without making a batch or two (OK, maybe more than 2). In fact, it’s an essential centerpiece of our treat table for our annual pumpkin carving party. Its probably the most-talked-about recipe my friends – and my kids’ friends’ – ask about.
Even if you’re not a big candy corn fan, this one is definitely a keeper. Unlike store-bought candy corn, this leaves no strange, waxy aftertaste. Yes, it’s sugary, but you’re only eating it during Halloween season . . . unless you change the colors and create red, white and green candy corn for Christmas!
- 4 1/2 ounces powdered sugar, approximately 1 1/4 cups
- 1/2-ounce nonfat dry milk, approximately 6 1/2 teaspoons
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 1/2 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1/2 cup
- 3 3/4 ounces light corn syrup, approximately 1/3 cup
- 2 1/2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 drops yellow and orange gel paste food coloring
Combine the powdered sugar, dry milk and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 4 to 5 times until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Set aside.
Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in a 2-quart pot. Put over medium heat, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Add the butter, clip on a candy thermometer, and bring the mixture to 230 degrees F, about 1 to 2 minutes. When the sugar syrup reaches 230 degrees F, take the pot off the heat and remove the thermometer. Add the vanilla and the dry mixture, stirring continuously with a silicone spatula until well combined. Pour onto a half sheet pan lined with a silicone baking mat. Cool until the mixture is cool enough to handle, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Add 2 drops of yellow food coloring to 1 piece and knead the dough until the color is consistent throughout. Add 2 drops of orange to the second piece, and knead until the color is consistent throughout. Leave the third piece white. Roll each piece of dough into a strand, about 18-inches long. Cut each strand in half.
Roll 1 of the white pieces into a strand that is about 1/2-inch thick and about 22-inches long. Repeat with a yellow piece and orange piece. Lay the strands side by side and press them together using your fingers. Cut the strand into 4-inch pieces. Lay the strands, 1 at a time, onto the silicone mat and press into a wedge shape, like a triangle. Use a wire butter slicer to cut the candies into pieces. If you don’t have a wire butter slicer, use a knife, metal bench scraper or pizza cutter to slice the dough into small pieces. Repeat the procedure with remaining dough. Lay the finished pieces on a piece of parchment or waxed paper to dry for 1 hour. Store in an airtight container with parchment paper between each layer.
