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
Great as Gifts – Cinnamon candy goes great in tins and can be gifted to family and friends each holiday season. It keeps longer than cookies!
Science Experiment – These common candy pieces are often used in rock candy experiments. Just remember that making rock candy requires working with a hot sugar mixture and hot liquid; therefore, homemade candy recipes are not great for kids to do themselves but just observe, and of course, enjoy.
Important Note
Hot sugar can burn VERY EASILY and requires extreme caution.
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.
Peppermint Oil
Check amazon for drams of oil flavors here.
- If you can make this recipe when it’s not humid, that’s easier/better.
- Add a piece of Rock Candy into a cappuccino or whipped coffee (really!) for a delicious sugary way to sweeten coffee.
Related Holiday Recipes
- Need another great Christmas candy to pass out to friends and family this season? This white chocolate Christmas bark recipe paired with Grinch Bark is a festive and fun way to enjoy chocolate all holiday long.
- Throw back to your childhood, make sure to make this foolproof Christmas nougat candy recipe with gum drops!
- Pretty pink and peppermint Marshmallow fluff dip perfect for a party.
- The best Christmas Cream Cheese Mints recipe on the internet.
- Top cupcakes with Pretzel Christmas Trees.
- Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip will be the most talked-about appetizer recipe this year.
- Crunchy delicious haystack cookies can be made with butterscotch or peanut butter.
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Cinnamon Rock Candy for Christmas
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 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 har 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 information is an automated estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator or app.
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying of full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
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