How to Make Rock Candy (Blue Rock Candy Recipe) - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

How to Make Rock Candy (Blue Rock Candy Recipe) - The Cookie Rookie® (1)

By: Becky Hardin

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Rock Candy is such a fun treat to make and eat for holidays, parties, or any fun occasion. Learn how to make rock candy at home for something special to share with the family. I chose to make raspberry-flavored blue rock candy, but you can make any color or flavor you like with this quick-and-easy rock candy recipe!

How to Make Rock Candy (Blue Rock Candy Recipe) - The Cookie Rookie® (2)

Table of Contents

What’s in this Rock Candy Recipe?

This easy recipe shows you how to make rock candy sheets in about an hour. It’s a fast way to make it, and you can make any color or flavor with this method.

  • Water: Helps to dissolve the sugar into solution.
  • Light Corn Syrup: Helps prevent sugar crystallization. It contains glucose, which interferes with the formation of large sugar crystals, resulting in smoother and smaller sugar crystals that are characteristic of rock candy.
  • Granulated Sugar: This is the main ingredient that will form the candy. As the sugar solution cools and evaporates, the sugar molecules come together and form crystals.
  • Flavoring Extract: I used raspberry, but you can use just about any flavor!
  • Food Coloring: I used blue, but feel free to choose any color or leave your candy plain.

Pro Tip: I had a reader comment that a great way to keep them from sticking is shaking them in powdered sugar before sealing them in an airtight container. Genius!

Variations on Rock Candy

You can choose any color and flavor combination you like! Try green candy for St. Patty’s Day (with lime or sour flavor), orange and black for Halloween, or red with strawberry flavor for Valentine’s Day. The possibilities are endless!

How to Make Rock Candy (Blue Rock Candy Recipe) - The Cookie Rookie® (3)

How to Make Rock Candy (Blue Rock Candy Recipe) - The Cookie Rookie® (4)

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What’s the difference between rock sugar and rock candy?

Rock sugar is a type of sugar that is produced in the form of irregular lumps and is slightly less sweet than regular sugar. Rock candy, on the other hand, is created by crystallizing sugar into a hard candy.

How long does it take to make rock candy?

With this method, making rock candy takes only 20 minutes, plus cooling time (usually 30-45 minutes for it to harden).

What equipment is needed for rock candy?

The main things you’ll need to make this recipe are a kitchen scale(although this is optional), a baking sheet, and a candy thermometer.

Does brown sugar work for rock candy?

Yes, brown sugar will work, but be aware that it will give your candy a brownish hue that may be more difficult to color. It could also lead to a slightly bitter flavor if overcooked.

What can I use to color rock candy?

You can use regular water-based or gel food coloring.

Does temperature matter when making rock candy?

Yes! Temperature is super important! You’ll need to bring your sugar to the hard crack stage, which is 300°F; otherwise, it will not harden.

Why is my rock candy not hardening?

If your candy doesn’t harden, even after sitting for a long time (it should only take 45 minutes, not much longer), it might be that your liquid never got hot enough. It’s important that the temperature reaches 300°F while cooking the syrup. And the best way to make sure it gets hot enough is to use a candy thermometer to check. This is not the time for guessing!

How do you break up hard candy sheets?

To turn the sheet of candy into small pieces, it’s easiest to use a metal mallet (like a meat tenderizer). Just hit the sheet with it until it breaks into pieces. If you want to make it look more like rock candy, place those pieces into a bag, and use a rolling pin to crush them up even smaller.

How to Make Rock Candy (Blue Rock Candy Recipe) - The Cookie Rookie® (5)

How to Store

Place the candy pieces into a resealable bag, pour in some powdered sugar, and shake it up to coat the candy. Do this before storing, and they won’t stick!

I recommend storing this candy at room temperature, ideally in a pantry or cupboard where it is slightly cooler. In these conditions, it will keep well for up to 1 month!

Serving Suggestions

Serve this tasty candy with a fun and colorful drink or co*cktail, like lavender lemonade, cherry limeade, blue margaritas, a blue Hawaiian, or a cotton candy martini!

How to Make Rock Candy (Blue Rock Candy Recipe) - The Cookie Rookie® (6)

5-Star Review

“Just made this! And it is awesome and so easy! I will actually use this rock candy as the gems in my geode cake later this week! I used lemon extract in mine and it is delicious! Thank you!!” – Lauren

Recipe

How to Make Rock Candy

4.49 from 95 votes

Author: Becky Hardin

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 10 minutes minutes

Total: 20 minutes minutes

How to Make Rock Candy (Blue Rock Candy Recipe) - The Cookie Rookie® (7)

Serves8

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Making this rock candy at home is such a fun experience and it is a really cool party treat! Both kids and adults love this stuff!

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Ingredients

  • ½ cup water 114 grams
  • ¾ cup light corn syrup 234 grams
  • 2 cups granulated sugar 400 grams
  • 2 teaspoons flavoring extract 8 grams (I chose raspberry, but there are lots of flavors to choose from!)
  • Food coloring optional (I used blue, but use any color!)

Recommended Equipment

Instructions

  • Mix all ingredients together in a medium saucepan set over medium heat.

    ½ cup water, ¾ cup light corn syrup, 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons flavoring extract, Food coloring

  • Stir until boiling. Once the liquid begins to boil, do not stir until finished.

  • While the candy comes to a boil, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick spray. Set aside.

  • Once boiling, place a candy thermometer in the liquid and monitor closely. when the liquid reaches 300°F, take off the heat and set aside.

  • Allow the mixture to cool until the bubbles quit breaking at the surface of the liquid.

  • Pour liquid onto the prepared baking sheet.

  • Allow to cool until fully hardened. Then, break apart to the size desired.

Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!

Becky’s tips

  • Pro Tip: I had a reader comment that a great way to keep them from sticking is shaking them in powdered sugar before sealing them in an airtight container. Genius!
  • To turn the sheet of candy into small pieces, it’s easiest to use a metal mallet (like a meat tenderizer). Just hit the sheet with it until it breaks into pieces.
  • If you want to make it look more like rock candy, place those pieces into a bag, and use a rolling pin to crush them up even smaller.
  • If your candy doesn’t harden, even after sitting for a long time (it should only take 45 minutes, not much longer), it might be that your liquid never got hot enough. It’s important that the temperature reaches 300°F while cooking the syrup.

Storage:Store rock candy in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month. Keep away from heat and humidity.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 283kcal (14%) Carbohydrates: 74g (25%) Fat: 0.2g Sodium: 21mg (1%) Potassium: 1mg Sugar: 74g (82%) Calcium: 5mg (1%) Iron: 0.03mg

Did You Make This?I want to see! Be sure to upload an image below & tag @thecookierookie on social media!

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How to Make Rock Candy (Blue Rock Candy Recipe) - The Cookie Rookie® (10)

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FAQs

Why didn't my rock candy get hard? ›

If the sugar mixture is not cooked to the proper temperature (the hard-crack stage 300-310° F {149-154° C.} or if you are working in a kitchen with high humidity, chances are your candy is retaining too much moisture.

How was rock candy made? ›

This candy is formed by allowing a supersaturated solution of sugar and water to crystallize onto a surface suitable for crystal nucleation, such as a string, stick, or plain granulated sugar. Heating the water before adding the sugar allows more sugar to dissolve thus producing larger crystals.

How to make heart shaped rock candy? ›

three cups of sugar to one cup of water bring to a clear boil. fold a pipe cleaner into a heart tie to a pencil. with a string make sure it fits in a Mason jar. add food coloring to your syrup and pour into the Mason jar.

Can you bite hard candy? ›

Hard candies are also potentially very dangerous for your teeth. If you have a habit of biting on or chewing hard candies, this could weaken, crack, or even break your teeth. Do not bite on hard candies because it may damage your teeth.

What happens if you put too much sugar in rock candy? ›

1. **Crystallization**: Excessive sugar can make it more difficult to control the crystallization process. Crystallization is the formation of sugar crystals within the candy mixture, and it can result in a gritty or grainy texture rather than a smooth, hard candy.

How hard candy is made for kids? ›

Hard candy, also called high-boiled candy, is made from solutions of mixed sugars that are boiled with water until concentrated into an easily shaped mass that can be colored and flavored. The material can then be formed into shapes and allowed to harden.

Why does rock candy pop? ›

Pop Rocks® are sugar candies with tiny pressurized bubbles inside them filled with carbon dioxide gas. When you place Pop Rocks® in water, the sugar coating dissolves in water, and the gas and pressure are released. This also makes a popping noise, and leaves behind the sugar molecules.

Who created rock candy? ›

Islamic writers in the early 9th century described the early production of rock candy that was made by sugar crystals forming from the cooling of a highly-saturated sugar solution. This would create rock candy sticks, that were perfect for adding sweetness to tea.

Is Candy Cane rock candy? ›

Rock is a different product from rock candy; it more closely resembles a harder candy cane.

How do you make Kool Aid rock candy? ›

Fill a clean, empty mayonnaise jar with 1/4 cup boiling hot water. Slowly add 2 cups sugar and 1 package of Kool-Aid. Stir well. Attach a nail to one end of a string and pencil to the other end of the string.

What are edible crystals from Tiktok? ›

Edible crystals, or kohakutou, is a Japanese candy made from agar agar. Besides looking like real jewels, what makes these crystal candies so special is the texture — they have a crisp exterior shell while the interior of the candies are soft and jelly-like.

Why is my rock candy soft? ›

Hard candy is made up of sugar crystals that are held together by a small amount of water. When hard candy is exposed to humidity from the air, the surface of the candy begins to take in moisture, causing the sugar crystals to dissolve and the candy to become softer.

Why is my candied fruit not hardening? ›

If your candied coating isn't hardening, the candying mixture did not reach a high enough temperature.

Why won't my homemade candy harden? ›

The butter separates from the sugar; candy won't harden:

Use a medium-high heat so the syrup cooks relatively quickly. Also, be sure you're using high quality butter - never margarines, which may contain too much water for candy making.

How long does it take rock candy to form? ›

When you make rock candy, you can see the shape of sugar crystals on a giant scale. The key is giving them lots of time (about 7 days) to grow. As the water evaporates, sugar crystals form on the string or stick, and the shapes that they form reflect the shape of individual sugar crystals.

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