Candy

Candy is a confection that features sugar as a primary ingredient. The category, called sugar confectionery, encompasses any sweet confection, including chocolate, chewing gum, and sugar candy. Sugar candy includes hard candy, soft candy, marshmallows, gumdrops, and jellybeans. The history of candy recipes is a long and varied one, with some recipes dating back thousands of years.

The first candy recipes were probably for honey-based confections, as honey was one of the first sweeteners available to humans. Honeycomb candy is thought to be one of the oldest candy recipes, dating back to ancient Egypt. Other early candy recipes were for fruit-based confections, such as candied fruit. These recipes were likely developed in the Middle East or Asia, and then spread to Europe via the Silk Road.

In the Middle Ages, sugar became more widely available in Europe, and candy recipes began to reflect this. Sugar-based confections, such as marzipan and nougat, became popular. Candy-making also became an important part of medieval pharmacy, as sugar was used to disguise the taste of bitter medicines.

Jump to: Ingredient Breakdown Insights

Recipes

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Candy Apples

  • light corn syrup
  • red cinnamon candy
  • water
  • sugar
  • apple
  • cooking spray
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Homemade Candy Canes

  • light corn syrup
  • red gel coloring
  • white gel coloring
  • peppermint extract
  • water
  • sugar
  • cooking spray
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Candy Sushi

  • butter
  • marshmallow
  • puffed rice cereal
  • fruit roll ups brand
  • licorice candy
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Caramel Candy

  • nonstick spray
  • dark corn syrup
  • sugar
  • light brown sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • butter
  • heavy cream
  • pecan
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Candy Apples

  • vanilla bean
  • cinnamon
  • light corn syrup
  • salt
  • sugar
  • treat
  • apple
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Candy Apples

  • nut
  • corn syrup
  • strawberry glaze
  • water
  • cherry gelatin dessert
  • granny smith apple
  • wooden candy apple
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Christmas Popcorn Candy

  • brown sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • butter
  • corn syrup
  • allspice powder
  • baking soda
  • salt
  • popping corn
  • vegetable oil
  • clove
  • ginger powder
  • almond
  • cinnamon
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Sponge Candy

  • edible paraffin wax
  • dark corn syrup
  • sugar
  • baking soda
  • white vinegar
  • semi sweet chocolate chip
  • vanilla extract
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Easy Candy Apples

  • cooking spray
  • light corn syrup
  • red coloring
  • sugar
  • water
  • granny smith apple
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Candy Canes

  • essential oils flavor
  • paste
  • water
  • vinegar
  • sugar
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Candy Apples

  • wooden
  • candy corn
  • licorice
  • water
  • corn syrup
  • red coloring
  • sugar
  • granny smith apple
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Chocolate Cherry Candy Cake

  • all purpose flour
  • baking soda
  • vanilla extract
  • egg
  • butter
  • buttermilk
  • dutch process cocoa powder
  • sour cream
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • sugar
  • cherry
  • almond extract
  • gelatin
  • heavy cream
  • cream cheese
  • semisweet chocolate
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Baby Ruth Candy Bar

  • light corn syrup
  • butter
  • milk chocolate chip
  • water
  • powdered sugar
  • milk
  • vanilla
  • salt
  • peanut
  • unwrapped caramel
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Chocolate Raspberry-Mousse Candy Cake

  • all purpose flour
  • sugar
  • white chocolate
  • baking soda
  • vanilla extract
  • egg
  • butter
  • raspberry
  • buttermilk
  • dutch process cocoa powder
  • heavy cream
  • sour cream
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • powdered gelatin
  • cream cheese
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Pilgrim Hats Candy

  • light chocolate candy coating
  • white candy coating
  • chocolate peanut butter
  • round cracker
  • dark chocolate candy coating
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Chocolate Caramel-Creme Candy Cake

  • all purpose flour
  • sugar
  • baking soda
  • vanilla extract
  • egg
  • butter
  • gelatin
  • buttermilk
  • dutch process cocoa powder
  • heavy cream
  • sour cream
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • heavy cream
  • sugar
  • cream cheese
  • milk chocolate chip
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Crockpot Candy

  • sweet chocolate chip
  • peanut
  • bar german sweet chocolate
  • white almond bark
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Tricolor Candies with Ricotta Cheese and Speck

  • sheep milk ricotta cheese
  • milk
  • yolk
  • triple tomato paste
  • all purpose flour
  • egg
  • speck
  • null bay leaf
  • nullc grana padano cheese
  • null chive
  • null cornstarch
  • nulloz spinach
  • null salt
  • null white pepper
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Crockpot Candy

  • semi sweet chocolate chip
  • dark chocolate bar
  • vanilla almond bark
  • peanut
  • marshmallow
  • sprinkle
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Candy Sushi

  • candy fruit leather
  • rice cereal treat bar
  • gummy fish
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Chocolate Coconut Fudge Candy Cake

  • all purpose flour
  • sweetened coconut
  • baking soda
  • egg
  • butter
  • buttermilk
  • sour cream
  • dutch process cocoa powder
  • baking powder
  • coconut extract
  • sugar
  • coconut milk
  • salt
  • gelatin
  • heavy cream
  • vanilla extract
  • cream cheese
  • dark chocolate
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Candy Canes

  • essential oils flavor
  • paste
  • water
  • vinegar
  • sugar
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Coconut Candy Bars

  • semi sweet chocolate chip
  • peanut butter
  • butter
  • sugar
  • paraffin wax
  • sweetened condensed milk
  • graham cracker crumb
  • sweetened coconut
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Stained-Glass Window Candies

  • vanilla extract
  • colored miniature marshmallow
  • walnut
  • confectioners sugar
  • graham cracker crumb
  • sweet chocolate chip
  • egg
  • butter
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Cherry Fizzy Candy

  • powdered citric acid
  • cherry kool aid
  • sugar
  • baking soda
  • light corn syrup
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Irish Potato Candy

  • vanilla extract
  • butter
  • salt
  • cinnamon
  • sweetened coconut
  • powdered sugar
  • cream cheese

Ingredient Breakdown

 
sugar
butter
salt
water
vanilla extract
light corn syrup
baking soda
powdered sugar
milk
peanut
heavy cream
gelatin
confectioners sugar
all purpose flour
cooking spray
semi sweet chocolate chip
egg
peanut butter
vanilla
cinnamon
corn syrup
cream cheese
milk chocolate chip
almond
sweetened coconut
pecan
chocolate
coconut
white chocolate
dark corn syrup
sweetened condensed milk
buttermilk
dutch process cocoa powder
sour cream
baking powder
unwrapped caramel
bittersweet chocolate
apple
vegetable oil
red coloring
potato
brown sugar
white vinegar
granny smith apple
sweet chocolate chip
dark chocolate
sweetened
caramel
peppermint extract
paraffin wax
maple syrup
carrot
honey
marshmallow
rice cereal
egg white
semisweet chocolate
nonstick spray
light brown sugar
food coloring
walnut
clove
candy coating
sprinkle
white candy coating
essential oils flavor
paste
vinegar
raspberry
powdered gelatin
dark chocolate bar
coconut milk
graham cracker crumb
gel coloring
flavoring extract
milk chocolate candy coating
confectioner sugar
goat cheese
almond butter
almond flour
red cinnamon candy
red gel coloring
white gel coloring
butterscotch chip
chow mein noodle
olive oil
cumin
white sesame seed
lemon peel
puffed rice cereal
fruit roll ups brand
licorice candy
crisped rice cereal
candied cherry
cream
chocolate candy coating
green coloring
orange juice concentrate
vanilla wafer cookie
sugar gelatin
vanilla bean
treat
fruit juice
lemon extract
citric acid
candy
vegetable oil spray
bar cocoa dark chocolate
pulp orange juice
caramel candy
toffee
fruit roll up
gummy worm
fish shaped gummy candy
miniature marshmallow
nut
strawberry glaze
cherry gelatin dessert
wooden candy apple
saffron thread
rosewater
date
cranberry
hazelnut
prune
cherry preserve
sunflower seed
pretzel twist
allspice powder
popping corn
ginger powder
edible paraffin wax
chocolate chip
saltine cracker
pretzel
matzo cracker
wooden
candy corn
licorice
cherry
almond extract
frosting
cake
gold
candy bar
light chocolate candy coating
chocolate peanut butter
round cracker
dark chocolate candy coating
corn chip
cayenne pepper
hawaiian pink salt
bittersweet chocolate chip
papaya
pineapple
coconut flake
macadamia nut
bar german sweet chocolate
white almond bark
sheep milk ricotta cheese
yolk
triple tomato paste
speck
null bay leaf
nullc grana padano cheese
null chive
null cornstarch
nulloz spinach
null salt
null white pepper
vanilla almond bark
blue jello powder
blueberry
potato ricer
purple
nonfat milk
lime zest
malibu coconut rum
rum
candy fruit leather
rice cereal treat bar
gummy fish
orange blossom water
coconut extract
sanding sugar
grand marnier
grapefruit juice
pomegranate juice
light agave nectar
lemon juice
campari
tartar cream
irish cream liqueur
popping rock candy
raspberry puree
shortening
grade
colored miniature marshmallow
powdered citric acid
cherry kool aid

Insights

Staple Ingredients

  • butter 21%
  • sugar 21%

Common Ingredients

  • water 17%
  • vanilla extract 15%

Usual Ingredients

  • salt 12%
  • baking soda 9%
  • light corn syrup 9%

Rarey Ingredients

  • confectioners sugar 8%
  • semi sweet chocolate chip 8%