Cinnamon Rock Candy
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Learn how to make rock candy pieces in any flavor or color!
Perfect for the Christmas holiday, cinnamon rock candy is a simple and sweet recipe that will remind you of growing up with grandma.
Why you will love making Homemade Rock Candy
The cinnamon flavor is no joke — This isn’t the pale pink stuff from a candy dish. Homemade cinnamon rock candy has real heat to it, the kind that lingers and makes people ask what you used.
It’s one of the best things to give away — Rock candy keeps for weeks, ships without crumbling, and fits perfectly in a tin. Every holiday season I make a double batch just because people expect it now.
Ingredients:
- powdered sugar
- white granulated sugar
- light corn syrup
- cinnamon oil – Candy oils come in various flavors and can be easily customized for birthday parties and holidays. Just pick your favorite flavor, remembering that some oil scents and artificial flavor can go a long way. Cinnamon rock candy is very common for the winter season.
- red gel drops of food coloring – We prefer gel food flooring over liquid food coloring to ensure that the liquid doesn’t make the mixture runny.
How to make Rock Candy
- Place a double layer of foil onto a larger cookie sheet (15x10x1) and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Make sure you get it all the way to the edges. Set aside.
- Add white sugar, light corn syrup, and water to a large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, constantly stirring until the sugar syrup is melted.
- Stop stirring the hot sugar solution and bring to a boil until a candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees. Sugar may be a little tan/brown in color.
- Remove sugar mixture from heat and cool to 260 degrees.
- Add oil and food coloring and mix well until evenly combined. Pour onto a prepared baking sheet.
- Allow cooling and hardening before breaking into bite-sized pieces with a meat tenderizer and adding more powdered sugar to the top of the candy. The additional sugar will help the candy not stick together.
- Store hard rock candy pieces in an airtight container or if gifting immediately, a decorated tin container or mason jar.
Candy Making Kitchen Tips
- It can take a bit for the sugar to reach 300 degrees, sometimes 30 mins. So be patient!
- I use LorAnn Oils, which has all sorts of flavors. I use one of the bottles for this recipe. They usually come in a two-pack. They are not only easy to use but have the best cinnamon flavor out of any other brand that I have personally found.
- If you can make this recipe when it’s not humid, that’s easier/better.
Related Holiday Recipes
- Need another great Christmas candy to pass out to friends and family this season?
- Throw back to your childhood, make sure to make this foolproof Christmas nougat candy recipe with gum drops!
Cinnamon Rock Candy
Equipment
- candy thermometer
- saucepan
- Foil
- Baking Sheet
- mallet
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 3¾ cups granulated white sugar
- 1½ cups light corn syrup
- 1 cup water
- 0.125 oz. cinnamon oil
- red gel food coloring
Instructions
- Place a double layer of foil onto a larger cookie sheet (15x10x1) and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Make sure you get it all the way to the edges. Set aside.
- Add granulated white sugar, corn syrup, and water to a large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until sugar is melted.
- Stop stirring the sugar mixture and bring to a boil until a candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees. Sugar may be a little tan/brown in color. This can often take up to 30 minutes to come to heat.
- Remove sugar from the heat and cool just to 260 degrees.
- Add cinnamon oil and red food coloring and mix well until evenly combined. Pour the sugar mixture onto a prepared baking sheet.
- Allow candy to cool and harden before breaking with a meat tenderizer. Add more powdered sugar to the top of the candy, which helps the pieces not stick together. Store rock candy in an airtight container.
Notes
- Hot sugar can burn skin VERY EASILY and requires extreme caution.
- If you can make this recipe when it’s not humid, that’s easier/better.
- I use LorAnn Oils, which has all sorts of flavors. I use one of the bottles for this recipe.
Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.
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