So, you want to learn how to make strawberry candy? Great idea! Homemade candy is always delicious and your kids will love you for it. First of all, it is important to give yourself enough time to make strawberry candy. You should allow about two hours for this recipe. Once you have allowed plenty of time for the candy to set, you are ready to get started.
CANDIED STRAWBERRIES
Like candied apples these candied strawberries have a thick hard candy shell with the fresh juicy berry inside. The candy coating, like a sucker, will leave a lovely shiny shell around the berry.
We love fresh strawberries at our house, we go through like two Costco cases a week when they are in season! So I’m always looking for new ways to enjoy them.
AND I was looking for a fun way to use a strawberry on a cake (it all comes back to cake around here)
Candied Strawberries
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ANYWAY I decided to try Candied Strawberries,like these candied apples. Mmmm a thin candy shell that add’s a great crunch to these sweet berries. You can add color or flavoring but I left these plain.
The kids loved these, they made great afterschool treats without feeling like I was feeding them a ton of candy. AND, bonus, it creates a GORGEOUS shine, seriously so pretty.
Make sure when you get close to the right temperature on the candy thermometer that you turn the the heat down so you don’t over cook your candy coating.
Once it get’s too hot that’s it, it’s too hot, so turn down the temp and move quickly. I had all the toothpicks in my strawberries ready to dip, and the cooling tray right next to me, I ended up double dipping, doing two at once, to get them all done quickly.
TIPS FOR MAKING CANDIED STRAWBERRIES
- use a candy thermometer
- adjust for high altitudes – I’m at 4000 feet so I actually heat candy 20 degrees lower than at sea level
- have all the strawberries (or anything else you plan to dip) prepped and ready to go so you can work quickly when you hit the right temperature
- use both hands and enlist helpers so you can dip everything quickly as the candy will start to cool and harden fast.
- use a silicone mat to keep the candied berries on, or parchment paper, as the sucker candy shell will tend to stick to plates.
- make just before serving as the fresh strawberries are effected by the heat and will start to shrink and get overly rip and juicy quickly. They won’t be good the next day
SOOOO pretty! And side note how HUGE is my BABY looking??? Seriously remember when he was just a little baby being my hand model? Seems like YESTERDAY, and now he’s this little mini man! Anyone have a baby I can borrow, I’m missing that stage terribly.
Candied Strawberries
Just like candied apples these strawberries are lovely and fun to eat! a thin candy shell around these fresh delicious strawberries
4.49 from 64 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Calories: 96kcal
Ingredients
- 2 C granulated sugar
- 2/3 C water
- 1/2 C light corn syrup
- Strawberries
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat
- When the sugar is dissolved turn the heat up and simmer
- Using a candy thermometer heat the candy to 300-310° and turn the heat to low (I actually turn it down at 290°)
- quickly dip the strawberries in the coating and shake it off, place on a cooling rack, parchment paper or silpat mat and let harden (it wont take long)
- These are only good the day of, so you can’t premake these for events.
How to Make Candied Strawberries (Foolproof Recipe)
These candied strawberries are fresh strawberries coated with a thin hard candy shell.
With strawberries in full season, it’s a fun way to enjoy them. The thin candy coating gives the strawberries a beautiful shiny shell and a nice crunch. The only downside is you have to enjoy these immediately, as they liquefy over time. In addition to eating them on their own, they make gorgeous decorations and toppers to cakes, cupcakes, and many more.
You can also use this recipe to candy other fruits besides strawberries. Use this recipe to coat orange slices, tomatoes, grapes, or any other fruit.
I’ve been watching a lot of ASMR videos on Youtube lately during this quarantine. Yes, it’s one of my guilty pleasures. One of the things that intrigued me most is candied fruits.
I quickly learned candy making is no easy task. You need to heat the sugar to the right temperature. Plus, the sugar gets really, really hot. I recommend getting a candy thermometer to gauge the correct temperature and I highly suggest you DO NOT try this recipe with the kids for their safety. I had to keep fighting the urge to taste-test my syrup. It’s a habit as a home cook but it’s something you absolutely DON’T DO in candy making. Or you die.
I also learned that the addition of corn syrup makes this recipe foolproof. I tried this recipe multiple times without corn syrup, and I often got crystallization in my sugar. It ruined everything. I had to throw the whole batch of sugar out and restart. The addition of a different type of sugar prevents crystallization and I recommend that you don’t leave this essential ingredient out.
Recipe below. Enjoy!
YIELD3 servings1x2x3x4x5x
PREP TIME
5 Min
COOK TIME
20 Min
TOTAL TIME
25 MinPRINT
How to Make Candied Strawberries (Foolproof Recipe)
These candied strawberries are fresh strawberries coated with a thin hard candy shell. Working with sugar to make candy is tricky. Achieve that hard candy shell the first time with this foolproof recipe.
INGREDIENTSUSMetric
- 1 lb fresh strawberries
- Wooden skewers or toothpicks
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
INSTRUCTIONSFahrenheitCelsius
- Wash strawberries and pat dry.
- Pierce each strawberry through the top with a wooden skewer or toothpick. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, add sugar, water, and light corn syrup. Give it a mix until evenly combined. Heat on medium-high to 305°F (hard crack) on a candy thermometer. Adjust temperature to maintain heat at this level, if needed.
- Acting quickly, dip strawberries into the syrup one at a time. Allow any excess syrup to drip off then transfer to parchment paper. Allow spacing between the strawberries to prevent sticking.
- Strawberries will harden in 4-7 minutes. Best to serve immediately, as they will liquefy over time.
How to Make Candy Strawberry
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How to Candy Strawberries. These easy candied strawberry slices are gorgeous and easy to make. They are the perfect addition to your cupcake and cake recipes or a delicious sweet snack!
Ready for the most incredible strawberry candy recipe? It is beyond simple to make and takes only THREE ingredients! But let’s step back a second and answer the biggest question… What exactly are candy strawberries?
How to Candy StrawberriesPlay Video
Candied strawberries are ripe pieces of fruit that are covered in a candy coating. They are most commonly used as a fun treat or decoration for you favorite dessert. You can make this easy candy strawberry recipe as whole berries or in slices. I prefer the slices.
I decided to candy mine in slices and use as a cupcake topper for my Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes, but also because we love to eat these as a grab-and-go treat. They are scrumptious and the slices are ideal for treating yourself.
What You Need For Candy Coated Strawberries
Ready to dive into how to make candied strawberries? First we need to talk about ingredients. Most recipes call for corn syrup. If you are making whole berries, this works great. But we like to use a simple syrup made of just water and sugar. It gives you that same delicious candy coating, but one less step in the process.
- Strawberries- Ripe is best, but they will be coated in sugar so it is ok if they are a little less sweet.
- Sugar
- Water
By the way, while mine are slices, my good friend Ashlee has an amazing whole berry version. If that’s what you are searching for, hop on over to her site and check out the tutorial.
How To Make Candied Strawberries With Sugar And Water
The first step in the process is making a simple syrup from sugar and water. Simple syrup is made from equal parts water and sugar. You bring both ingredients to a light boil just until the sugar is dissolved. Once it has cooled you can use it in a variety of recipes like these candy covered strawberries, limeade, cocktails and more.
- Start by combining half of a cup of sugar with half of a cup of water in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil. Make sure you are stirring frequently to avoid any burnt sugar on the bottom of the pan.
- Once the sugar has dissolved completely, take the pan off of the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
For Candied Strawberries In Oven
- Next in the step process is hulling the strawberries. Hulling a berry is a fancy way of saying removing the stem. You can do this by using a sharp knife or I found this great tutorial using a straw on youtube.
- Once they are hulled, slice each berry as in even thickness. I recommend using a sharp paring knife or a mandolin (affiliates).
- By now your simple syrup should be cooled. Dip each slice directly in the syrup and place on a parchment lined baking pan.
PRO TIP: Invest in silicone baking mats in place of parchment. They are reusable and I have yet to come across something that sticks to its surface. Well worth the small $13 price tag!
- Bake at 200 degrees for up to 3 hours, depending on the thickness of your strawberries.
- I recommend checking on your berries every hour to see their progress.
- You are looking for a dry to the touch berry that still retains the bold red color.
- The result should be a nice dark red berry that is somewhat dry to the touch, but not overly crunchy. Almost like a gummy version of the fruit.
Tips For Making Candied Strawberry
- Making a small batch? You can easily cut this recipe in half. On its own, this candied strawberries recipe makes two large sheet pans full of berry slices.
- You can also find other fruit recipes like my Candied Lemon Slices!
How Do You Use Candied Strawberries?
Candy covered strawberries and candied strawberry slices are ideal for decorating cakes, cupcakes, brownies, pies, or any dessert. They add an elegant touch that really sends your dessert over the top!
You could even eat them straight from the tray if you’d like. We store ours in an airtight container lined with parchment and treat it like a candy jar. We often refer to this treat as “strawberry oven candy.”
How Long Do Candied Strawberries Last?
This recipe won’t last long. The candied berries should be eaten within one or two days, but I’ll be surprised if they last that long. We always eat them within the first day. Always store the berries in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Candied Strawberries
Give roses a rest: Sweet and glossy, these candy-dipped strawberries don’t need water (but they won’t last as long).Save Recipe
- Level: Easy
- Total: 30 min
- Active: 20 min
- Yield: 12 strawberries
Ingredient
Deselect All
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
12 large ripe but firm long-stem strawberries
Directions
Special equipment:
12 extra-long lollipop sticks
- Add the sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water to a small heavy-bottom saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring once to make sure the sugar dissolves. Attach a candy thermometer or use and instant read thermometer and bring to 300 to 310 degrees F. Remove the pot from the heat and let sit for 1 minute.
- Stir the sugar mixture to even out the temperature from top to bottom. Dip the strawberries, using the stem as a handle and swirling to coat. Remove and allow excess syrup to drip off, shaking as needed. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow to cool and harden, about 10 minutes.
- Trim the ends of 12 extra-long lollipop sticks to the desired length to fit your vase. Carefully skewer each strawberry through the stem end and arrange into a bouquet in the vase. Serve within 2 hours (see Cook’s Note).
HOW TO MAKE CANDIED STRAWBERRIES WITH 2 INGREDIENTS
Beautiful, sweet, and easy to make, candied strawberries are a treat everyone loves! Learn How to Make Candied Strawberries using just two ingredients: corn syrup and sugar, plus water!
Like candied apples, only better! Following this method will leave a beautiful, shiny candy coating on juicy strawberries. This is one of the easiest dessert recipes you can make. It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or as a special treat kids love!
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Our candied strawberries recipe is straightforward and easy. It uses just two ingredients and a few simple steps. You’ll learn how to make candied strawberries easily in no time!
CANDIED STRAWBERRIES RECIPE IS A SWEET TREAT
Everybody loves candied strawberries! When I make these for my family, everyone is happy. They know when I get out the corn syrup and sugar and there are fresh strawberries in the fridge, they’re in for a treat!
Candied strawberries are one of the easiest desserts you can make at home. They’re super simple – cook up the candy mixture, dip the berries, let them cool off and harden, and enjoy!
Making candied strawberries is a great way to use up any strawberries that are closer to losing their freshness, too. Don’t know what to do with those leftover strawberries? Candy them as a treat!
CANDIED STRAWBERRIES RECIPE INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound strawberries
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup corn syrup
To make candied strawberries, you need two essential ingredients (aside from the strawberries, of course!): sugar and corn syrup.
Corn syrup is an important addition for candying. While some make their candied strawberries using just a thick sugar and water mixture, using corn syrup allows for a stronger candied shell. You won’t get the same results if you leave it out.
Have some skewers or toothpicks on hand! This is extremely important so you do not burn yourself. Trust me, you don’t want your hand anywhere near the candying mixture while it’s hot! Plus, skewering your strawberries makes them much easier to dip.
Firmly skewer the berries straight through the center of the calyx (their green leaves). This should do the trick, but make sure they’re secure. Bamboo sticks would work well, too – this is similar to how to make tanghulu, a Chinese treat of fruit with a hard candied shell.
HOW TO MAKE CANDIED STRAWBERRIES
- Combine 2 cups sugar, 1 cup water, and ¼ cup corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat.
- As soon as the sugar dissolves, turn the heat up and allow the mixture to simmer (lightly bubbling). While the mixture is heating, skewer 1 lb. of strawberries (or as many as you want to candy).
- Heat the candy until it begins to bubble, thicken, and turn a golden, caramel-like color. A candy thermometer will read around 300°F when the mixture is to temperature. Otherwise, you can eyeball it.
- Quickly dip each strawberry (on skewers) in the candy coating and gently tap off any excess. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and allow to harden.
Making candied strawberries is so easy and the result is always such a big hit. The candied shell adds an extra layer of sweetness to already delicious, juicy fresh strawberries. Plus, they are just so pretty!