Each and every year the search is on for many food allergy sufferers for candy corn that is peanut, tree nut, and egg free. Some brands are made in a nut free facility but contain egg, some brands do not contain egg but are made on shared equipment with nuts, and many brands do not declare themselves gluten free due to cross contamination. What is a candy corn lover to do?
Luckily candy corn can be made at home with ease and very few ingredients. Below is a recipe that makes a tasty treat similar to the store bought version. It has more of a buttery sugary flavor and less of a waxy feel.
Shaping the candy corn can be time consuming but you can be creative and make any shape you like. This recipe can also be used for any holiday or occasion; Christmas trees, snowmen, etc. and is fun to make and shape with kids. You’ll end up with approximately a pound of candy corn more or less-depending on how much you eat while making it!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup white corn syrup
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
several drops food coloring (optional)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup powdered milk
Instructions:
Combine sugar, white corn syrup, and butter in a pot, bring to a boil stirring constantly.
Turn heat down to low and boil for an additional 5 minutes.
Add vanilla, powdered sugar, salt, and powdered milk to the mixture in the pot. Remove from heat.
Stir until thick and divide among separate bowls if using food coloring.
Add a small drop of your choice of coloring to each bowl and stir, add more as needed.
When cool enough to handle, knead dough until stiff but still pliable. If dough hardens too much, it can be softened in a microwave 10-20 seconds at a time.
Using your hands, form into any shape you desire.
Set aside to dry and harden.
For a traditional Candy Corn shape:
Roll each color into a long rope.
Press each rope together forming a striped band.
Gently press the band with a rolling pin, being careful not to roll the band too thinly.
Cut triangles out of the band and gently use your fingers to shape into a triangle.
Set aside to dry and harden.
Enjoy!
This is perfect timing. I’m just finishing up a blog post about candy corn myself and would love to link the post here for this recipe. Hope that is ok with you. It will be posted tomorrow. This is the first recipe I’ve seen and I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Lisita, thanks for stopping by and for commenting. I’m 100% okay with links to this site or posts with credit. Thanks for asking.
I loved the candy corn. Ironically my food allergic son who has never had candy corn has decided he doesn’t like it after all. After all that work!
We recently discovered our daughter is allergic to both peanuts and eggs, and she is craving candy corn. I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you!
Donna,
Thanks for stopping by. I hope your daughter loves the candy corn! And I hope you find our site valuable as you navigate her new allergies.
my daughter is allergic to dairy..any suggestions to substitute the powdered milk?
thanks
Hi Kim, great question!
You can try powdered soy milk (or other dry dairy substitute) if you are not dealing with a soy allergy.
Better Than Milk Vegan Beverage Mix is a type/brand.
You could also try using a liquid milk alternative, but I would start with very little and perhaps use a tad less liquid ingredients overall. Ie: less butter, corn syrup, sugar-as they all melt down.
I have not tried a dairy substitute, so I can’t say if either will work. You could also try omitting the powdered milk and/or using a little flour-but you’d end up with more of a dough that might not taste as good.
I’d stick with a dry milk substitute if possible.
I’m wondering what can be substituted for the corn syrup, I have a child anaphylactic to it.
Brenda, thanks for stopping by! You can try any liquid sweetener as an alternative to corn syrup. Try brown rice syrup or barley malt-both can be found at Whole Foods or another natural foods store. I have not tried either for this recipe. If you do, let us know how it turns out.
Thank you so much! My egg and nut allergic children are very happy. It tastes remarkbly like candy corn – super delicious treat!!!
I have already made 2 batches and am sharing the recipe with daycare. I also gave you a link on facebook.
Am going to make Christmas trees in December – can’t wait!!!
Chrissy,
So glad you made it and that your kids like it!
Let us know how the Christmas trees come out. I love that it’s home made so that you can alter it for the holidays. Christmas trees, eggs at Easter, the ideas are endless.
As you know, it’s time consuming–but worth it.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing!