I thought it would be fun to make homemade candy corn for Halloween again this year. Last time I made my own, I experimented with a few different flavors but I really liked the maple and cinnamon combination. Since I didn’t want to make multiple versions of the candy this time around, I just made the tastiest one, in my opinion. It’s simple to put together, however it does take a bit of time to do it the way I found works easiest for me. The basic recipe is from Alton Brown, but instead of making one large batch and then coloring different sections, I made smaller batches of each flavor and stacked them together.
Add the sugar, corn syrup, water and butter to a small saucepan. I like to get everything melted on low heat first but it’s fine to heat it quicker. Over medium heat bring the sugar mixture to 230F. This will take a few minutes, so while that’s going, stir together the powdered sugar, milk powder and salt together in a bowl that can hold the hot sugar later. Once the sugar reaches 230F, take it off the heat, stir in the vanilla extract and then pour over the powdered sugar mixture. Stir everything together until it’s a thick paste. I prefer to just dump the hot candy into a mold, usually my baby loaf pan, and cut it into shapes later, but you can let it cool until it’s workable and roll it into strips then cut into easy triangles. Repeat the process two more times replacing and adding ingredients to make the other flavors as needed then let the whole thing sit at room temperature until it’s completely set. Then you can cut the candy however you wish. Let the candy dry for another hour or two on parchment paper after they’re cut to make sure the candy is ready.
This size batch will make about 60 larger sized candy corn pieces that can be stored in a container at room temperature for a week.
Maple Cinnamon Candy Corn
Ingredients
- Powdered sugar: ⅔ Cup
- Milk powder: 1 Tablespoon
- Sugar: ¼ Cup
- Corn syrup: 3 Tablespoon
- Water: 1 Tablespoon
- Butter: 1 Tablespoon
- Vanilla Extract: ¼ teaspoon
- Salt: pinch
Instructions
- Add the sugar, corn syrup, water and butter into a small saucepan. Boil over medium heat until the mixture reaches 230F.
- While the sugar is heating, stir together the powdered sugar, milk powder and salt. Set aside.
- After the sugar has reached 230F, stir in the vanilla and then pour the hot sugar over the powdered sugar. Mix everything until it becomes a thick paste and then pour it into a mold.
- Follow the same steps two more times with flavor variations, pouring each new batch on top of the last.
- Allow it to rest at room temp for 2-3 hours then cut the candy into desired shapes. Have the finished candy sit out on parchment paper for another 1 or 2 hours to completely dry.
- For the Maple layer: Substitute maple syrup for the corn syrup. Actual maple syrup is awesome, but I honestly use the butter flavored stuff I usually have on hand and it works great.
- For the Cinnamon layer: Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the sugar in the saucepan before you boil it.