Homemade candy is one of my favorite things to make and one of our Christmas traditions we love the most! It's such a fun and delicious sweet treat that is perfect for sharing with others.
These are all of my best candy recipes that are perfect for making at Christmastime (or any time of the year!).
Every year at Christmas I love making candy and other edible gifts to share with friends and neighbors. It's a tradition that has been passed down through generations of my family and I treasure the memories and recipes associated with this time of year.
From toffee to fudge, and caramel popcorn to divinity, I've gathered up my favorite easy candy recipes to make. Whether you are a fan of nuts or chocolate or caramel, there is something here to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Homemade Christmas Candy Recipes
Some of these Christmas candy recipes require a candy thermometer (affiliate link), which is an inexpensive but invaluable investment if you want to learn how to make homemade candy. Others are remarkably easy and can be made in the microwave in under 10 minutes!
But ALL of them are totally doable for even novice candy makers! I've included all my best tips and tricks in every one of these recipes to help you have success the first time you make them. Just check out the reader comments and you'll see it's true!
Which one is your favorite? Are there any missing from my list that you would like to see on here?
Let me know in the comments below!
Sweets & Treats for the Holiday Season
These edible gifts are perfect for sharing with friends and neighbors this holiday season! Many of these are family recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do every year!
Looking for the best easy Christmas candy recipe? It's these simple Rolo Pretzels that are made with just three ingredients and can be made in less than 10 minutes! Everybody loves the creamy, crunchy, salty-sweet combo of pretzels, caramel, and chocolate!
These Chocolate Coconut Balls are the perfect easy candy for beginners who want to start learning candy making without the stress of cooking caramels or toffees on the stove. They are no-bake, only 5 simple ingredients, and are ready in under 1 hour. Perfect for fans of Mounds bars and Almond Joys!
Dark chocolate shells surround a creamy, soft peppermint filling in this easy Homemade Peppermint Patties recipe that is sure to be a hit with family, friends, or coworkers! They are a simple and easy Christmas candy to make without needing a thermometer or major baking skills!
This Disneyland Churro Toffee is a cross between the ever popular classic churro and delicious homemade toffee. The buttery toffee squares are coated in smooth white chocolate and topped off with a cinnamon sugar mixture. The first bite of this delectable treat is pure Disney magic. It's a major hit at the Parks for a good reason!
Peanut clusters don't get simpler than this easy Christmas Crockpot Candy recipe where you just dump everything in the slow cooker and let it do its magic! You'll end up with perfectly smooth, creamy chocolate that is loaded with roasted peanuts in every bite!
Few people are capable of resisting the siren call of Saltine Cracker Toffee (aka Christmas Crack)! It's got that tempting salty and sweet thing going on with great buttery crunch and rich chocolate on top. It's less than 15 minutes of actual work!
Our easy Homemade Turtles are made with chewy caramel, toasted pecans, and rich chocolate for one of the BEST Christmas candy recipes that you really can (and should!) enjoy all year round. They can be made without a candy thermometer in under 30 minutes for a fun treat that makes a great edible gift for friends and neighbors!
This easy homemade Peppermint Bark only takes 4 ingredients and about 10 minutes to make! Layers of rich dark chocolate and creamy white chocolate, laced with a hint of peppermint and crushed candy cane for good measure make this treat a Christmas tradition!
Crunchy, sweet Cinnamon Candied Almonds are an irresistible snack that always make me think of Christmas! They are baked in the oven at a low temperature and are foolproof!
Grandma Nash’s Best Butter Almond English Toffee recipe is one to be handed down through generations as it has been in our family. The crunchy, buttery toffee and toasted almonds with a thick layer of chocolate makes this one of our favorite candies and a Christmas tradition that we love to share with friends & neighbors!
Reader Comments:
This is absolutely the BEST toffee I have ever had!! OMG! Didn’t know it was even possible to get even better….but it was PURE HEAVEN! If you are looking for a great toffee recipe you found it! - Kim
I just made this and it was my first time attempting toffee! Its so good! The addition of baking soda is what sets it apart from all of the other recipes I looked at, gives it an easier bite in my opinion! We LOVED IT! This will be the only toffee recipe I ever use! - Boa
OMG made single batch exactly as written including only stirring twice. No problems, no separating, no burning. Perfer, fantastic, delicious. I will make multiple batches for the holidays and through the year. Don’t forget the baking soda. It’s essential to keeping the toffee just airy enough to not break a tooth. - Ruth M.
I vowed that is would never make another almond toffee recipe again because, of all the disastrous results I’ve had over the years, until I saw Grandma Nash’s recipe. I used my trusty cast iron skillet, candy thermometer, wooden spoon, prepared all the ingredients, read the entire recipe, helpful hints, and I was ready to go–Delicious! I cooked it LOW and SLOW–didn’t have any butter separation-just wonderful almond toffee gift giving. Thank you! - Eileen
This Old Fashioned Divinity Candy Recipe is a wonderful, Southern confection that is perfect for adding to a plate of goodies to share with loved ones during the holidays! It’s a billowy light, super-sweet, airy candy confection and it tastes…well, divine.
Reader Comments:
Wow …my first time making divinity and it turned out GREAT! Taste just like Grandmas. - Betty R.
I just made this recipe today, and it came out fabulous! Just as a note, it set up beautifully and we not only live in a humid climate, but it was pouring rain all day. - Lee
This Easy Fudge Recipe makes the best, creamiest chocolate fudge ever, just like grandpa used to make! It’s made with pantry ingredients, can be easily customized with other flavors, and makes plenty for sharing bricks of fudge with friends and neighbors during the holidays!
Old-Fashioned Homemade Peanut Brittle is a crispy, crunchy homemade candy loaded with roasted peanuts in a buttery, sweet candy coating. It’s the best peanut brittle EVER and perfect for homemade gift-giving.
Reader Comments:
First time making peanut brittle and it came out perfect with your recipe! It’s honestly the best peanut brittle I’ve ever had. Perfectly crunchy and doesn’t get stuck in my teeth. - Jennifer
Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods are a sweet and salty treat that is easily customizable for any holiday or occasion and fun for kids to help make too! These Christmas chocolate covered pretzel rods are going to be packaged up and shared as gifts with my girls’ school friends this year!
These Easy Homemade Cream Caramels are soft and chewy and buttery and oh so much fun to make! One batch makes a lot and they are an absolutely wonderful treat to share with friends and neighbors at Christmas or anytime!
Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars are part rice krispies treat, part peanut butter fudge, and part white chocolate bark. These totally addicting bars are perfect for a holiday cookie platter or for an easy treat any time of the year!
Reader Comments:
Love this recipe! It was a big hit when I made it for the nurses at my dad’s SNF. I will definitely make this again and again. - Chan
Peppermint Bark Caramel Corn is perfect for gift-giving this Christmas! It’s super easy to make homemade gourmet popcorn (in the microwave no less!) and has that classic caramel corn crunch with plenty of peppermint and white and dark chocolate flavors!
This Christmas Puppy Chow recipe has the perfect combination of decadent chocolate, chunky peanut butter, and crunchy cereal coated in powdered sugar, with festive M&Ms and candy canes, making it the deliciously addicting festive sweet treat everyone craves!
These delicious Gingerbread Truffles are one of the best easy, no-bake treats for the holiday season! With a sweet, gingerbread crumb filling, they're coated in a delicious white chocolatey layer, and topped with crumbs or sprinkles for an extra festive finish!
Quite possibly the easiest holiday treat ever, these yummy, poppable Christmas Pretzel Hugs are so simple to make and require only 3 ingredients: pretzels, Hershey’s hugs, and M&M’s.
Loaded with marshmallows and chopped walnuts, this chocolaty, easy homemade Rocky Road Fudge takes less than 10 minutes and always gets rave reviews!
Gourmet Homemade Caramel Apples are so easy and fun to make! When the sweet, buttery caramel gets paired with crisp, tart apples, and then topped with as many crunchy, chewy, nutty or crispy toppings as you want, you will have confection perfection!
Reader Comments:
These turned out amazing and delicious! I had to triple the recipe because I was leading a kids class at my job and this was the activity I chose to do- so it took a very long time for the caramel to get to temp but it was sooo worth it! - May
Made these last night and they turned out awesome! - Erica
If you are a cookie dough fanatic, you are going to be obsessed with this Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge! It’s easy to make and great for sharing with friends!
This delicious White Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Fudge is perfectly festive with dried cranberries and toasted pecans that give it a holiday feel as well as wonderful texture and flavor. It’s a great addition to any Christmas party or for gifting to friends and neighbors!
This easy Honeycomb recipe makes the BEST caramel-toffee candy that can be coated in chocolate to taste just like Cadbury Crunchie bars you can get in England or the Violet Crumble candy in Australia! Honeycomb is extra amazing mixed into ice cream!
Sweet and salty with plenty of crunch, this Candy Coated Crispix Mix is the most munchable, absolutely addicting snack mix to make this holiday season! It’s hard to resist grabbing a handful of the caramel covered clusters of cereal, peanuts, and M&M’s every time you walk by the kitchen! Perfect for sharing with friends and neighbors!
Puppy Chow (aka Chex Mix Muddy Buddies) is one of our favorite no-bake treats! The combination of peanut butter and chocolate covered Chex cereal that is then tossed in powdered sugar to coat every last piece is nearly irresistible!
There is nothing like old-fashioned Southern Pecan Pralines! This melt-in-your-mouth treat is a cross between a cookie and a candy and it’s loaded with crunchy pecans, butter, and fabulous brown sugar flavor.
My classic pecan pralines were so popular, I had to make a chocolate version as well! These Chocolate Pecan Pralines are loaded with rich cocoa flavor and the crunch of sweet pecans. They crumble and melt in your mouth in the most delightful way!
This homemade Flood Mud Microwave Hot Fudge Sauce is such an easy recipe that you can make it in the microwave and have a thick, rich, chocolate-y topping for your ice cream sundaes, brownie sundaes, and banana splits in minutes!
Children and grown-ups alike will love these easy Marshmallow Popcorn Balls that you can make with all the colors of the rainbow! They are perfect for Christmas when done with red, green, and white colors and so much fun to make!
Big, crunchy clusters of lightly sweetened oats and almonds and a touch of cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla, and honey flavor make this the best, easy homemade granola recipe that our family loves! This is a wonderful idea for gift-giving wrapped up in cellophane bags tied with a ribbon!
Reader Comments:
After grocery shopping and deciding that the granola at the store cost WAY too much, I decided to find a DIY recipe! I made yours today and I LOVE it! Thank you so much for making it simple, yet delicious!!! I thought there was just enough of everything in it!! - Kimberly M.
My first time, ever, making granola. The husband wasn’t sure, but as soon as it came out his mind was made;mine was too. THIS RECIPE IS AWESOME! Thank you so much. - M. Hicks
Most amazing granola ever! Way better than any store bought brand. I was surprised by how amazing this recipe tastes! I cant wait to make more and try different variations! - Jessica F.
This Greek Baklava recipe has walnuts and cinnamon layered between flaky phyllo dough brushed with melted butter then baked and drizzled with a sugar and honey syrup to create a crispy, sweet, and impressive dessert!
Just four ingredients, ten minutes, and no thermometer needed. This luscious but also ridiculously easy homemade salted caramel sauce is perfect for topping ice cream, pies, brownies, cookies, cheesecakes, and pretty much whatever else you can think of!
Creamy, rich squares of this Easy Peanut Butter Fudge recipe are pretty much impossible to resist! It has that classic soft fudge texture and is the perfect treat for sharing all year long, but especially around the holidays!
Tips for Making Homemade Candy
1. Prep for success
Make sure you have the tools for the job like parchment paper, baking sheets, and a good candy thermometer (affiliate link).
With many candy recipes, you will reach a point where you need to work quickly before it sets up. Having everything in place before you get started makes it much easier, less stressful, and results in better candy.
2. Don't expect perfection
Candy-making sometimes takes a try or two to figure out. Even candy failures can usually be saved in one way or another.
Caramel that doesn't set it still delicious poured over brownies and ice cream. Chocolates can be chopped up and thrown into a batch of cookies.
And sometimes, like with divinity, the weather can be the cause behind the recipe failing to set up properly. Candy has a reputation for being finicky and tempermental sometimes, but don't give up and you'll get it!
3. Make it your own!
Many of these recipes have variations or suggestions for making it your own. Swap cashews for pecans, use white chocolate instead of dark, throw in some chopped pretzels for a salty crunch!
It's so fun to play around and create your own special candy recipe!
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Loved your recipes! I had not seen this site before but so happy I found it tonight!
Me too! I hope you enjoy them!