What would Christmas be without candy? Whether you normally make your own or buy it in the store, you just have to have those delicious bits of chocolate and confections around the house during the holiday season.
We have collected a great list of make-it-yourself Christmas candies that are sure to please everyone this season. Whether you prefer to leave them all in the candy dish or you want to add a little something special to someone’s gift and give them a selection of your homemade candies, there are recipes here that are easy to make and look as good as they taste.
Christmas candy is a wonderful gift choice for teachers, coworkers, and just anyone on your list who has a bit of a sweet tooth. Make a selection and wrap it all up in a nice basket, and you have the perfect gift for someone who seems to have everything. The best part is that most of the candies on our list are really easy to make and only need a few key ingredients. So, get busy making your favorites from the list or make them all and surprise someone with a gift of homemade goodness this Christmas.
Jump to:
- 1. Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
- 2. Candy Cane Marshmallow Pops
- 3. Peanut Butter Balls
- 4. Yummy Candied Caramels
- 5. Homemade Hard Candy
- 6. Peppermint Patties
- 7. Peanut Brittle
- 8. Peppermint Bark
- 9. Marshmallow Pops
- 10. Homemade Almond Joy
- 11. Candy Cane Marshmallows
- 12. Easy Toffee
- 13. Reindeer Noses
- 14. Homemade Butter Mints
- 15. Cappuccino Caramels
- 16. Homemade Potato Candy
- 17. Homemade Cherry Cordials
- 18. 3-Ingredient Christmas Fudge
- 19. Brazilian Chocolate Truffles
- 20. Traditional Chocolate Fudge
- 21. Candy Cane Hearts
- 22. Turkish Delight
- 23. Easy Peppermint Sticks
- 24. Homemade Snowcaps
- 25. Homemade Gumdrops
- Bonus recipe - Homemade Crunch Bars
- Ready for more? Check out our other Christmassy collections and tutorials:
1. Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
Pretty easy to do lovely cookies that will definitely make you stand out! BHG provides easy-to-follow instructions, and it can be done in an hour!
2. Candy Cane Marshmallow Pops
Candy canes, marshmallows, chocolate, and nuts – nothing says Christmas more than this! These little pops are so easy to make. You just dip a marshmallow in melted chocolate, roll it in nuts, sprinkles, coconut, or whatever you want, and then just stick the candy cane into the marshmallow for a stick. They would be cute sticking off the side of a cup of hot chocolate.
3. Peanut Butter Balls
Chocolate peanut butter balls or buckeyes are a popular Christmas candy. They are relatively easy to make and simply melt in your mouth with deliciousness. You need ingredients like powdered sugar, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and shortening, and although they look complicated, they are actually one of the easiest homemade candies that you can make.
4. Yummy Candied Caramels
You can take regular caramel squares that you buy in the store and then use sprinkles, chocolate, nuts, and other ingredients to give them a homemade touch. Just use lollipop sticks and dip them in chocolate or white chocolat,e and add the decorations that you want. They are easy to make and oh-so-yummy, and are the perfect gift-giving candy.
5. Homemade Hard Candy
Homemade hard candy or rock candy is really simple to make. You just need the key ingredients, which include sugar and flavoring oils, which you can purchase at many hobby stores and at most Wal-Mart stores. You do need a candy thermometer to ensure that the candy cooks to the perfect temperature, but aside from that, it’s really easy to make homemade rock candy, and you can make different flavors to make everyone happy.
6. Peppermint Patties
Oh, the taste of chocolate-covered peppermint! If you love York peppermint patties, this is the perfect candy recipe for you. It calls for cream cheese, peppermint flavoring, chocolate, and a few other key ingredients, and you can choose to color the inside green or leave it white. You can also choose to dip them in chocolate or let them stand alone as peppermint candies – the possibilities with this one are endless.
7. Peanut Brittle
Peanut brittle is a classic Christmas candy that is so great for gift-giving. You can fill a Christmas tin with peanut brittle and make virtually anyone on your Christmas list happy. The best thing is that this candy is very simple to make. You just have to crystallize the sugar and add peanuts. You can also use almonds or any other kind of nut you want to make it a bit unique.
8. Peppermint Bark
Peppermint bark is another candy that is easy to make. You just have to melt chocolate and white chocolate, layer them, and then add crushed peppermint. You can also make this by adding melted white chocolate to peppermint and Rice Krispies and then layering it onto melted dark chocolate. If you want, you can decorate with things like marshmallows, crushed candies, or just anything you prefer.
9. Marshmallow Pops
If you want a really easy to make sucker type candy and something that the kids can help with, these marshmallow pops are perfect. You just insert a sucker stick into a marshmallow, dip it in white chocolate or chocolate, and then decorate it however you wish. You can use nuts or sprinkles or go all out and create snowmen, Santa, and other characters.
10. Homemade Almond Joy
This is a great and really versatile candy to make. If you love the taste of Almond Joy, you will love this recipe. You can choose to make it into bars or roll it into balls if you want, and then dip it in chocolate. You can also choose not to use chocolate at all or dip them in white chocolate, whatever your preference. The recipe is really easy to make, and the combination of almonds and roasted coconut is delicious.
11. Candy Cane Marshmallows
Did you know that you can make your own marshmallows? This candy cane peppermint marshmallow recipe is great, and homemade marshmallows are the perfect choice for adding to cocoa mixes if you are giving those as a gift. You make them in a baking dish and then cut them into whatever size you want. Or, if you want to be really creative, you could use Christmas-themed candy molds to shape them.
12. Easy Toffee
You can make toffee easily with sugar, chocolate chips, butter, and saltine crackers. The crackers give it a wonderful crunch, and this candy is one of the simplest to make. You just bake and then melt chocolate to cover, freeze, and cut or break apart. You can add pecans or other nuts if you like, or even use white chocolate if dark chocolate isn’t your preference.
13. Reindeer Noses
Kids will adore these reindeer noses for their looks as well as their taste. You just need small pretzels (square ones work really well), M&M candies, and chocolate kisses. Just top each pretzel with a Hershey’s Kiss and bake until melted. Then press a red or green M&M into the center, and you have a tasty treat that is as adorable to look at as it is yummy.
14. Homemade Butter Mints
What a great gift idea! You can make these homemade butter mints and then fill Mason jars, decorate, and you have something very unique and very tasty to give away this Christmas. The mints require powdered sugar, whipping cream, peppermint oil, and a few other ingredients, and you can use food coloring to make them any combination of colors that you want.
15. Cappuccino Caramels
Coffee, sweetened condensed milk, and brown sugar combine to make yummy chocolate caramels. Add pecans or any other nuts that you wan,t and you have a very tasty treat to sample or give away as gifts. These are relatively easy to make and look great stacked in a Christmas tin. Add a few other chocolate candies, and you have the perfect gift.
16. Homemade Potato Candy
Bring back memories when you make this wonderful and traditional potato candy for Christmas. This is one of the easiest candies of all time to make. You just boil a medium potato until done, add powdered sugar, and then layer it out. Spread the layer with peanut butter and roll into a jelly roll shape. Cut into slices and enjoy. This is a pretty candy that is so yummy you will want to keep a bit for yourself and give a bit away.
17. Homemade Cherry Cordials
Chocolate-covered cherries are very much a Christmas tradition in many households. You can make them yourself and add your own new tradition. You can actually make the basic candy recipe and then flavor it in different ways, so you have different candies all from one recipe. What a great gift to give or a yummy treat to keep at home!
18. 3-Ingredient Christmas Fudge
When it comes to making Christmas candy, sometimes easier is much better. This yummy fudge uses only three ingredients – chocolate chips, sprinkles, and sweetened condensed milk. You just melt the chocolate with the milk, add the sprinkles, and then allow it to harden. It is yummy and looks very festive, so you can use it for your gift giving – just fill a tin or jar with the fudge, add a festive bow, and you’re all set.
19. Brazilian Chocolate Truffles
Truffles really do make wonderful gifts. You can take the same recipe and, depending on how you finish it off, have so many different candies to give away. Top your truffles with sprinkles, coconut, crushed nuts, or practically anything you want. These store in the refrigerator for up to a week or out on the counter for a few days, so they are perfect for setting out during holiday get-togethers.
20. Traditional Chocolate Fudge
Chocolate fudge is one of those Christmas candy musts. You know that it’s just not the holiday season without some yummy chocolate fudge to nibble on. Old-fashioned fudge is not nearly as difficult to make as many people believe, and there are so many variations that are just as easy. Whether you choose to keep your fudge or give it away as a gift, you know you’ll just have to make a batch this season.
21. Candy Cane Hearts
You can take mini candy canes and chocolate and create the most adorable candies or lollipops. You just have to place two mini candy canes together so that they form a heart, and then fill in the inside with chocolate or white chocolate. Add a lollipop stick before you add melted chocolate, and it will make the perfect pop. Then just decorate with sprinkles, nuts, crushed candies, or whatever you want.
22. Turkish Delight
What a delicious candy! Turkish delight will simply melt in your mouth, and there is a great recipe that uses pomegranate, which is really healthy. The colors of the candy, particularly when you top it with powdered sugar, are beautiful and make the perfect giveaway candy for gifts. Just layer a tin with Turkish Delight or add a combination of different candies that you have made.
23. Easy Peppermint Sticks
If you want really easy candy, these peppermint sticks fit the bill. You just dip the ends in chocolate or white chocolate and then dip them in sprinkles, crushed nuts, or crushed candies. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and fill a Christmas-themed mug with them for the perfect gift for teachers, particularly when you add some homemade hot chocolate mix.
24. Homemade Snowcaps
What says Christmas better than snow? These homemade snow caps are easy to make and are beautiful to look at, so they make a wonderful gift-giving choice. Dip them in chocolate and then use sprinkles to make them really festive.
25. Homemade Gumdrops
Yummy gumdrops are a wonderful Christmas candy choice. These are made with applesauce, so they are relatively healthy, and you can do them in several different ways. Either layer them out and cut them into squares, or pour them into Christmas candy molds and make them a bit more festive. You can use different colors of food coloring to have a colorful look, no matter how many different flavors you choose to make.
Bonus recipe - Homemade Crunch Bars
Love Nestle Crunch Bars? You can make your own and even use them to give away as holiday gifts. These yummy bars will be a great hit at your office Christmas party, or you can let the kids leave a few out for Santa. They take very little time to make, and you can either pour them into a pan and cut them into squares or get really creative and use Christmas molds to make them unique.
Ready for more? Check out our other Christmassy collections and tutorials:
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- 10 Genius DIY Ways to Transform Pinecones into Holiday Decorations
Patricia Schroll
I like a lot of ideas. Pine cone ideas were neat. Can't think of one thing because you get some thing from each of them. Looking forward seeing more in the near future.
Shirley crocker
My first time on your sight never made candy before so this is inspiring .I will be trying to make gum drops thank you I will be returning
Kay
There is a few things I will be trying with my granddaughter I will let u know how it goes