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 harden? ›
You can harden honey by boiling the honey to a temperature of 300 degrees and then letting the honey cool. This causes the honey to thicken and harden. If left alone, honey will also harden naturally or crystalize over time.
How to make honey at home? ›
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.
If so, don't panic - your honey hasn't gone bad, in fact it's the opposite. What you have found is crystalised honey, also known as 'candy', and it's a totally natural process that happens to naturally pure, raw honey.
What is honey snacks? ›
Honey Smacks (formerly known as Sugar Smacks, known simply as Smacks in some international markets) is a sweetened puffed wheat breakfast cereal made by Kellogg's, noted for its high sugar content. It was introduced in the early 1950s. Honey Smacks.
Can you whip honey? ›
Add honey to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on high speed with the whisk attachment for 5-10 minutes, until light and fluffy 2. Transfer to a clear jar and store at room temperate. Re-whip if separation occurs. Enjoy!
Does honey harden like sugar? ›
Real Honey Crystallizes
The natural sugars in honey (glucose and fructose) will bind together and begin to form little crystals, which can start making your honey harder. With differing blends, some honey will begin to crystallize faster than others.
How to crystalize honey quickly? ›
Honey stored in temperatures around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) will crystalize much faster. Store your honey somewhere like the fridge. Use a thermometer to determine your fridge's heat to make sure it hovers around the 50s.
What is dry honey? ›
In this process, the starch takes up the moisture from the honey to become partially gelatinized and then releases it to the atmosphere. The resulting sugar-starch complex consists of 75% sweetener, 23.5% starch and 1.5% moisture. The dry product remains free-flowing on exposure to the atmosphere.
What is honey dust? ›
Honey Dust by Kama Sutra
It's an edible powder that comes with a feather applicator for "a sensual experience alone or with your lover," the description says.
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.
Can I eat raw honey? ›
It is safe for people to consume both raw and regular honey, though it is a good idea to avoid types of honey that contain added sugars. Both raw and regular honey may contain tiny amounts of a bacteria known as Clostridium botulinum. This bacteria can cause botulism, which is a rare form of food poisoning.
Is it safe to eat raw honey? ›
Though raw foods aren't always safe, raw honey is considered safe to eat (except for children under 1 year old). But it may look different from the honey you're used to seeing in grocery stores. “Raw honey often has some pollen and more enzymes in it because it's not treated with heat,” Czerwony explains.
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 are other things that honey can be used to make? ›
For a quick and nutritious breakfast, generously pour honey into coffee, tea, and smoothies or pour over yogurt, granola, waffles, pancakes, or French toast. Or elevate your breakfast with this honey butter syrup recipe.
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.
Is Candy Corn made out of honey? ›
The ingredients in candy corn from Brach's, the largest manufacturer of the stuff, are sugar, corn syrup, confectioner's glaze, salt, dextrose, gelatin, sesame oil, artificial flavor, honey, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, and Red 3.
Why does honey go candy? ›
Why Does Raw Honey Crystallize ? Honey is a super-saturated solution of primarily two sugars: glucose and fructose. Just like with your powdered lemonade, it is a natural process for some of the sugars in a super-saturated solution to eventually come out of solution. All raw honey will crystallize due to glucose.
