Hard Candy Christmas Treats

Some people prefer hard candy Christmas treats instead of chocolate candy. Hard to believe, I know, but it's true!

If you're one of 'those' people, there's a great selection of hard Christmas candy on Amazon.

I'm teasing, of course, about 'those people' as I'm one of them, too.

I have fond memories of my great aunt having crystal candy dishes on her end tables piled high with old fashioned Christmas candy.  There were starlight mints, ribbon candy, and those funny little hard candies with the pictures in the center. 

I could never figure out how they got the design in the middle.  Fascinating stuff for my young mind!

One of my dad's favorites were the raspberry candies with the filling in the middle.  I still love those, too. You'll find all of those sweet treats from bygone days, and more on Amazon.

Make Your Own Hard Candy Christmas Decorations

Want to make your own hard candy Christmas treats? Great!

Below are a couple of adorable and simple recipes that you can use to make beautiful hard Christmas candies in just a matter of minutes by starting with popular candy that you can buy at your local shops. 

For this first recipe, you can really use almost any type of hard candy that you can purchase locally.  Jolly Ranchers are an excellent choice. They have vivid colors and really strong flavors, so they work great.

I like to call this "Stained Glass Candy" because that's exactly what it looks like to me when it's all finished. Your kids would probably really enjoy making this.

If they are fairly young, you need to supervise carefully because of the hot oven, but otherwise, they can do most of the 'work.'

Stained Glass Candy Recipe

What you'll need to make stained glass candy:

• holiday shaped cookie cutters
• hard candies
• baking tray and foil
• ribbon

1. Wrap the bottom and sides of your chosen cookie cutters with aluminum foil and place them on a baking sheet. Spray the insides of the "molds" with cooking spray.
2. Place one layer of hard candy in the bottom of the cookie cutters. Use any combination of colors you like.
3. Place tray in the oven and bake at 350° for 10 minutes, or until the candy is completely melted.
4. Allow the candy to cool for 2 minutes and then use a skewer or chopstick to poke a hole through the top part of the candy so you can put a ribbon through and hang it.
5. When candy is completely cool, remove from cookie cutter mold and add your ribbon!

Isn't that lovely? The simplicity and fun of this recipe makes it one of my favorite hard candy Christmas making activities.

Life Saver Wreath Recipe

What you'll need to make life saver wreaths:

• shoestring licorice
• Life Savers (you can use the Gummie ones if you don't want the littlest children to have the hard candy)
• mini door to hang it on (optional - doll house, toy barn, or even a piece of shaped cardboard works great)

1. Cut the licorice in long pieces - about 12-15 inches. You'll need one for each wreath you're making.
2. String the licorice through about 15 Life Savors. You can use multi colored ones, all the same color, or create a repeating pattern.
3. Tie the ends of the licorice into a bow and hang the hard candy wreath on your choice of mini door, or just hang it directly on your tree as an ornament.

I know these hard candy Christmas recipes aren't truly homemade, but they are perfect to make with the kids. I'll bet they'll always remember having a part in making Christmas special.

If you really do want to 'do it yourself' and make your candy completely from scratch, I'll be adding some homemade hard candy Christmas recipes, too. You can cook to your hearts content. Have fun! I want to see what you've made, so come back and add your photos and recipes.