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There is something so cozy about a kitchen full of melting chocolate and bubbling sugar in December. Homemade Christmas candy is one of my favourite holiday traditions, and it is a lot easier than most people think.
Most of these recipes need just a handful of ingredients, and plenty of them are no bake. A few, like toffee, caramels and divinity, use a candy thermometer, but the recipe creators walk you through every step.
Whether you are filling cookie tins, building a holiday dessert board or making little gifts for neighbours, teachers and coworkers, there is something here for everyone.
The Best Easy Christmas Candy Recipes to Make This Holiday Season
This article is all about the best easy Christmas candy recipes.
1. Peppermint Bark
What it is: A two layer bark with a base of semi-sweet chocolate, a peppermint white chocolate layer on top and a shower of crushed peppermint candies. You only need four ingredients and a 9×13 pan.
Tip: Let each layer set at room temperature instead of in the fridge. Averie says condensation from chilling can stop the two layers from sticking together, so the bark splits apart when you break it.
2. Christmas Crack
What it is: Saltine crackers covered in a quick butter and brown sugar toffee, baked for a few minutes, then topped with melted chocolate chips. It is salty, sweet and wildly addictive.
Tip: Line the pan with foil and grease it well before you lay down the crackers. Add sprinkles or chopped pecans while the chocolate is still soft so they stick.
3. Homemade English Toffee
What it is: Classic buttery toffee made with butter, sugar, a little corn syrup and vanilla, cooked to a deep caramel colour and finished with chocolate chips and chopped almonds or pecans.
Tip: Use a candy thermometer and aim for about 290°F. Kara warns that the toffee can burn quickly once it passes 280°F, so stay close to the stove for those last few minutes.
4. Buckeye Balls
What it is: Creamy peanut butter balls made with butter, vanilla and powdered sugar, then dipped in melted chocolate with a little circle of peanut butter left showing on top so they look like buckeye nuts.
Tip: Chill the dough before rolling and again before dipping. A toothpick makes dipping easy, and you can smooth over the little hole with your finger afterwards.
5. Christmas Oreo Truffles
What it is: Crushed Oreo cookies mixed with cream cheese, rolled into balls and dipped in semi-sweet chocolate, then finished with festive sprinkles. No baking required.
Tip: Chill the rolled balls for about 10 minutes before dipping so they hold their shape, and add the sprinkles right away while the chocolate is still wet.
6. Crockpot Christmas Candy
What it is: Salty sweet peanut clusters made in the slow cooker with chocolate almond bark and dry roasted peanuts. Scoop them onto parchment and top with Christmas sprinkles.
Tip: This makes a big batch, so it is perfect for cookie trays and gift tins. A cookie scoop keeps all the clusters the same size.
7. Easy Christmas Fudge
What it is: A layered fudge with a semi-sweet chocolate bottom and a white chocolate top, both made creamy with sweetened condensed milk and marshmallow creme. Finish it with red and green sprinkles or crushed peppermint.
Tip: Line the pan with foil or parchment so you can lift the whole block out once it sets, about 4 hours in the fridge. Cut it with a sharp knife for clean squares.
8. Easy Homemade Peanut Brittle
What it is: Old fashioned peanut brittle made in the microwave with sugar, corn syrup, peanuts, butter, vanilla and a little baking soda that makes it light and crunchy. A stovetop method is included too.
Tip: Have your lined baking sheet ready before you add the baking soda. The mixture foams up and starts to set quickly, so spread it thin right away.
9. Soft Buttery Homemade Caramels
What it is: Chewy, melt in your mouth caramels made with sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt and evaporated milk. They are lovely wrapped in wax paper for gifting.
Tip: Add the evaporated milk slowly while stirring and cook to 238 to 240°F. Chill the slab briefly before cutting so the squares stay neat.
10. Homemade Peppermint Patties
What it is: A no bake candy with a creamy peppermint filling made from butter, corn syrup, peppermint extract and powdered sugar, cut into rounds and dipped in semi-sweet chocolate.
Tip: Freeze the cut circles for 15 to 20 minutes before dipping. Firm patties are much easier to coat without losing their shape.
11. Cranberry Pistachio White Chocolate Bark
What it is: Just three ingredients: white chocolate, shelled pistachios and dried cranberries. The red and green look so pretty on a holiday platter.
Tip: Melt the white chocolate gently in 30 second bursts and let it cool for a few minutes before stirring in the fruit and nuts. Chill for at least 30 minutes before breaking it up.
12. Old-Fashioned Divinity Candy
What it is: A light, fluffy, nostalgic candy made by beating hot sugar syrup into whipped egg whites, then folding in vanilla and chopped pecans.
Tip: Pick a dry day to make it. Humidity can stop divinity from setting properly, and this recipe recommends skipping rainy or humid days.
13. No Bake Chocolate Rum Balls
What it is: Crushed vanilla wafers, ground pecans, cocoa and sugar mixed with dark rum, honey and water, rolled into balls and coated in powdered sugar or sprinkles. These are for the grown ups.
Tip: Chill the rolled rum balls for about 30 minutes so they firm up. For a more festive look, roll some in sprinkles instead of powdered sugar.
14. Christmas Chocolate Covered Pretzels
What it is: Pretzel rods dipped halfway in melted chocolate or candy melts and covered with sprinkles, crushed candy canes, chopped nuts or mini candies. Kids love helping with this one.
Tip: Add the toppings while the chocolate is still wet, then let the rods set on parchment. They keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
15. Peppermint Candy Cane Marshmallows
What it is: Fluffy homemade marshmallows flavoured with peppermint extract and swirled with red food colouring so they look like candy canes. Drop one into a mug of hot chocolate.
Tip: Let the marshmallow set at room temperature for at least 3 hours, or overnight, before cutting it into squares.
Tips for Making Christmas Candy at Home
- Get everything measured and your pans lined before you start. Candy moves fast once the sugar is hot.
- A good candy thermometer is worth it for toffee, caramels, brittle and divinity. Test it in boiling water first so you know it reads correctly.
- Melt chocolate slowly in short bursts in the microwave or over a double boiler, and keep water away from it so it does not seize.
- Make candy on a dry day when you can. Humidity can make toffee sticky and stop divinity from setting.
- Store each kind of candy in its own airtight container so flavours and textures stay just right, and pack them into tins with parchment between the layers for gifting.
Pin this post so you have all of these easy Christmas candy recipes ready when it is time to fill your holiday cookie tins!
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