Homemade Honeycomb Candy

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I’ve always wondered what chemistry tastes like.  Wait… is that a thing that people say?  No.  You’re right.

A lot of things are chemistry in the kitchen, but this honeycomb situation is burning hot, boiling chemistry all up in your face.  It’s not like that time you threw in cayenne pepper with your olive oil and corn kernels to make popcorn and gassed yourself out of the house.  That’s homemade pepper spray and I’ve definitely never done that… but I know someone who has.

When sugar is boiled down with a bit of water and vinegar, things seem pretty benign.  When baking soda and vigorous whisking are added to the mix, things change, on the quick.  The result? Fluffy sweet, crunchy sweet, completely addictive sweet CANDY!

I love this life.

Oh!

Ps.  If my last post on Chocolate Dipped Bananas left you feeling like I was engaged to be married, rest assured that I am not engaged.  If I were, I probably wouldn’t announce it in a Chocolate Dipped Banana post.  I received a few congratulatory emails and I thank you… and that was awkward for me alone.  …I’m going to go clean the kitchen now.  I love you.  Not weird.

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I think every part of the world has a different name for honeycomb.  Maybe you call it sea foam, hokey pokey, Violet Crumble, sponge toffee, crack candy, dangerzone, or Crunchie Rocks.  Whatever you call it, it’s really just granulated sugar + chemistry.

Here are the step-by-step tones and emotions you might go through with this recipe.  These are the things that are important, but not indicated in the recipe instructions below.

The recipe goes like this:

–  Ho hum… sugar is boiling.  I’m waiting waiting waiting waiting.  I knew this candy thermometer would come in handy.  I’m so smart.  Wait.  Am I doing something wrong?  Should this take so long?  What’s that burning smell?  Oh my pot-holder is on fire.  Pffft.

Next:

– AAHHHHH quickly whisking boiling hot sugar with baking soda is TERRIFYING WHY AM I DOING THIS CANDY BARS ARE SO CHEAP!

Next:

– AAAHHHHHHHHH!!!  You want me to hold a heavy pot and scoop out boiling hot sugar HOW FAST!?!? THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME DO THIS!?  JOY THE BAKER IS SO DUUUUMB GAWD!

Then:

– Oh.  That wasn’t so bad.  I probably didn’t need to scream like that… but maybe it helped the process.

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Then:

– Oh!  It’s fun to crack this candy!  It’s just like stabbing.

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Then:

– CHOCOLATE!!!! Back to yelling.

Then:

–  I ate the whole batch.  I really did just eat the whole entire batch.  I’ve already talked myself out of exercising for the day and NOW THIS!

Then:

–  I need a salad with extra feta cheese.  I think I just gave myself a sugar fever.  Is that a thing?  It is now.  I’m also going to do sit-ups while I watch this rerun of Teen Mom that I’ve already seen.  What?  Don’t look at me.

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Can someone please write a cookbook with emotional instructions alongside technical instructions?  I should do that.  We go through emotions when sugar comes to a boil.  It gets REAL!

This honeycomb is crazy crunchy.  This honeycomb melts in your mouth.  It’s sweet like candy but the bittersweet chocolate and salt helps tone down the madness.  If you’re already in the know… you need no convincing.  If you don’t know… believe the hype.

Homemade Honeycomb with dark chocolate and sea salt

adapted from epicurious and food network

makes about 2 cups of candy

Print this Recipe!

1 1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

6 tablespoons water

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

4 ounces dark chocolate, melted

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, for topping

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil and lightly grease the foil. Set aside.

Fill an empty sink with about 2-inches of cold water  Set up a whisk and the baking soda near the sink.  Timing is everything.

In a medium, heavy bottom saucepan whisk together sugar, corn syrup, water, cream of tartar, and vinegar.  Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and heat over medium heat.  There’s no real need to stir the pan as it begins to boil.  Swirl the pan if you’d like.  Heat boiling sugar mixture to 300 degrees F.

When the mixture comes to 300 degrees F, quickly remove from heat and gently set the pan in the cool water in the sink.  Immediately add baking soda and quickly whisk to combine.  The mixture will become foamy and frothy and look pale.  It will turn slightly golden as you whisk.  Before the candy cools too much, quickly spread it into the prepared pan.  It doesn’t have to fill the pan completely… just get it in there.  It cools and hardens quickly.

Candy will set within 20 minutes.  Crack into big pieces.  Dip and/or sprinkle with melted dark chocolate.  Allow to rest in the refrigerator until chocolate hardens.  Place in an airtight container.  I store my honeycomb in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  

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166 Responses

  1. Love it! I just made this recipe and it was a lot less intimidating than I thought (a lot smaller volume and the foaming hot sugar fit nicely in the pan I used). Next time I’m going to try it without the water bath, though– as soon as I lowered my stainless steel pot into the water bath, the sugar at the bottom cooled and became really sticky and hard to whisk. I lifted right back out of the water bath, which helped a bit, but my candy came out like a hard candy-honeycomb crossover. So, careful if you’re using a thin/ easily heat conducting pot! Will definitely be making this again with a small tweak, the candy is delicious!

  2. Love,love, love the emotional insructions!! Totally want a cookbook with them. Recipe on one side. Emotional instructions on the other!

  3. I have seen a few recipes for honeycomb yours is the first one I have seen that has apple cider vinegar in it. I was wondering what the vinegar does for the recipe, does it make for a better reaction?

  4. Thanks for your humor. I used a bigger recipe in a pan without handles. When I added the baking soda it rose out of the pan, but would not pour out. I screamed and help came. We really needed a third person to video the scene. It was the coffee crunch recipe from Blum’s cake recipe, and made far more than needed to cover the cake, and cover an interior layer. Totally worth the 2 minutes of hysteria, and the 20 minutes cleaning the counter. I broke it up with my hands, but tiny shards flew all over.

  5. Ok, just tried to make honeycomb today. My lovely day of making 8 batches of toffee broken up by a nightmare experience. When I put the pot into the cold water and added the baking soda and whisked, the bottom turned to rock candy in the pot. What gives? Is the cold water bath necessary?

  6. In Sammamish, Washington (near Issaquah, home to the magical Boehm’s) we called this candy sea foam, and I haven’t had it for at least *quiet sob* a decade. Wonderful idea to add the emotions as a heads-up to first timers for this recipe! At least now when I make this – and I plan to – I can assure my mother that my inevitable shrieking and hopping around during the second step is perfectly normal.

  7. As a kid in Wa state my dad would buy it at the Sears candy counter. Yes Sears use to have an awesome bulk candy counter, So did the Bon Marche, Newberrys and Woolworth five and dime. Those were the good old days. It was called Honey Comb. Loved it. Will be making this along with my Christmas baking.

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  9. I wanted to try your recipe as a present for a friend, but something went wrong. I think the cold water cooled the mixture too fast – it went hard immediately, and now I have got about 5 square cm of flat hard candy that is not foamy and crunchy, and a ruined pot.

    Oh, and I put the rest of my corn syrup into it (here in Germany it’s difficult to come by). So I’m afraid I will be looking into other recipes to make honeycomb, perhaps there are some with honey.

  10. I’m just here browsing the interwebz and this is the 3rd reference I’ve seen to honeycomb candy…I think this is a sign! Can’t wait to make some!

    Sherry Tejada

  11. Hello! I write a weekly post on my blog called the Weekend Wrap-Up, where I share some of my favorite web finds from the past week. I loved this post and the recipe so much, that I featured it in this week’s post! I also shared your chocolate covered banana post this week. I wanted to thank you for the original posts and have included the link to the wrap-up in case you’re interested. Enjoy your weekend!

    https://floptimism.blogspot.com/2013/08/weekend-wrap-up.html

  12. Oh Joy! I couldn’t see a pic, flickr said i wasn’t allowed. Hope you can fix it.! BTW I’m trying this recipe tomorrow.

    I bought your book, months ago, every time i use it, i say: let’s see what Mamma Joy has for me today, she never fails!
    You never do! good vibes to you!

  13. Oh for Heavens sake! I haven’t thought of this in years. My Mom used to buy it at Sears every once in awhile and we kids LOVED it! I never thought I could make it, but sure as heck I’m gonna try! Thanks for sharing this recipe and bringing back so many Summer memories!

  14. Hey Joy, major kudos on the awesome science post and the recipe for one of my favorite candies from childhood! Love it! I made it this weekend but have two questions … I’d use a Silpat on a baking sheet next time because I think the greased foil made things a bit sticky – thoughts? Also, I think putting the pan in cold water made the mixture cool too quickly and made it SO hard to stir in the baking soda. I’d rather just take the pot off the heat next time and stir in the soda – thoughts?

  15. haha thanks for that clarifying ps! Now I’m going to add this to my pinterest — I don’t have a wedding to plan (been there, done that), so I can pin recipes to my hearts content and not worry about un-followers. Unless they don’t like sweets. Then people would unfollow like whoa.

  16. We call it ‘honeycomb’ in the UK as we use honey instead of corn syrup in the recipe and so you can get lovely, subtle variations in flavour by using different types of honey.

  17. Hahaha ! I love you joy. No up for this today.. but on my way to buying some sponge candy. Your fault. . I shall attempt it next time. And please write a cookbook with such commentary. Please. Please please please ?

  18. This is fascinating-I don’t think I’ve seen this recipe by any name. It sounds like the old “Mary Jane” candy we used to get at my Aunt’s house!

  19. I usually forget about the chemistry in my cooking/baking until something goes wrong. It’s usually science’s fault. Never mine. This seems much more like an edible science experiment, though. I’ve seen Nigella make it on TV, and it looks a bit frightening. Way to be brave for the sake of deliciousness.

  20. Joy, I think this is my favorite post of yours so far! You should “live-blog” the steps of the recipe process more often, it’s hilarious. (And totally true, BTW. Those are my exact thoughts when I make peanut brittle!)

    And I totally didn’t get an engagement vibe reading your last post. Just sayin’.

  21. My parents made this when I was a kid and now I sometimes make it at Christmas. We coat the chunks entirely in chocolate and always knew it as “angel food candy” Yummmm.

  22. I’ve been reading you from the early days. Like, election cookie days. This? This emotional commentary of honeycomb crazy? My favorite thing you’ve written. Please for the LOVE do that more often.

    Also, if you could do me a solid and incorporate Cheetos into something soon, that’d be awesome. I’d like to pretend like I’m being fancy and on purpose with my Cheetos instead of shoveling them from the well-loved, greasy bag. Thank you much.

  23. Oh Joy. I love the emotional instructions so very much. I laughed so hard and I really needed a laugh today. Although I am not sure I am ready for the emotional rollercoaster of this crack. But thanks for the smile! :-)

  24. This looks absolutely delicious! I can honestly say I have never had this before but someday when I’m in a candy-making mood, I will have to try it. My favorite homemade “candy” that I have made so far has been marshmallows. They were quite tasty!

    FashionEdible Blog

  25. No one around me knows what honeycomb candy is….so sad. I remember getting it in Easton PA at holidays at my grandma’s house. Holidays + grandparents + unlimited honeycomb candy = BLISS. Boiling sugar counts as being daring, in my book. Like skydiving but with less street cred. I always start out convinced that my pot holders really aren’t long enough. Shouldn’t they cover your WHOLE arm just in case? Thanks so much for this recipe!

  26. I have made these before, from a Martha Stewart recipe. YUM. Yesterday, I spent $10 buying crunchy bars for my girls… they love them. So, I suppose I need to get busy in the kitchen!

    Is there a video in this post? If so, it is not working!
    Thanks for this recipe!!

  27. Lady, you always write wonderfully, but this post is a cracker! If you haven’t got your next cook book ideas solidified, then I think the “emotional instructions” might be the way to go.

  28. This is my hubs’ favorite candy (‘crunchie’ when we’re in London, now ‘violet crumble’ in Sydney). I like it best when it’s not too hard, I guess that has something to do with how long you wait as it’s boiling down? I’ll experiment with your recipe– it looks divine.

  29. That’s so funny that you posted about Honeycomb candy because I was craving chocolate, extremely indecisive with what kind of chocolate mood walking the aisles of my organic market when I found this sugar rush covered in dark chocolate and knew I just had to try it. I totally get what you mean by sugar fever, it’s definitely possible!!

  30. I make pounds & pounds of this for Christmas every year. Did it once & then it kept growing. My recipe is a little bit different & I use dark corn syrup. Have never tried with light. Maybe this year. But here we call it sponge candy!

  31. I’VE NEVER HEARD OR TASTED THIS BEFORE AND NOW I WANT TO GO BACK 27 YEARS TO WHEN I STARTED EATING SOLID FOODS AND RELIVE MY LIFE. hashtag caps lock living slash I’m really excited to try this

  32. You really should write a cookbook with all the emotions to go along with the directions. That would be great if you did that.

    This candy looks awesome. I tried making honeycomb candy once and it turned into tar. I probably could have used it to repair the road outside my house.

  33. You really should write a cookbook with all the emotions to go along with the directions. That would be great if you did that.

    This candy looks awesome. I tried making honeycomb candy once and it turned into tar. I probably could have used it to repair the road outside my house.

  34. Joy, you are absolutely hilarious! I go through the same emotions when I take a day off of exercising by telling myself that I’ll eat healthier that day…then for dinner, I devour a bowl of cereal, homemade loaded nachos, and some insanely decadent dessert while watching Pretty Little Liars. Yeah, don’t judge.
    I love reading about how you go through a recipe, emotions and all. It helps to have a preview before I go make it myself!

  35. My husband loves this stuff but you can’t find it anywhere in NC. his dad ships it to us from Wisconsin. He’s totally going to freak when I make this for him!

  36. I think I scared people who saw me cry-laughing (craughing? craffing? anyway…). Your blog makes me happy.

  37. Joy, not only are you my favorite blogger, you are one of my all-time favorite writers in general. Your voice is amazing, and you add so much energy, humor, and delight to even the simplest of sentences. I look as forward to your posts as I do to making and sampling your recipes, and I seriously think that an emotional cookbook is pure genius!!!! If you don’t write one, I will!

  38. I now know what I’m taking on the plane with me this weekend! Yum! I wonder what my chances are of it making through security at LAX…

  39. What’s the opposite of gorilla pants? Girl you’ve crossed into crazy awesome, totally rocking it, being an utter bad ass cooking wiz and tonight I shall be too while following this recipe. You know I love you too, right?

  40. Fold some of it into softened vanilla ice cream and refreeze. I’d say I’m sorry, but it’s too amazing to be sorry. :)

  41. I have so much respect for you successfully making honeycomb. I’ve tried it twice, and both attempts have ended in either burning (sugar or um, skin) and/or tears. Yours looks amazing!

  42. Oh PLEASE write emotional instructions in your cookbook! They’re pretty much exactly how I think!
    Oh, the popcorn and cayenne…? Yeah, did that.
    But I’ve been dying to make this ever since Nigella made it for her friend and ate most of it during the cab ride over there. Anything Nigella makes is immediately elevated to “amazing please god yes I have to make it now because she said it” status.

  43. Hooray for sponge candy! After visits to my parents in Buffalo, I like to treat my coworkers to a box. Now they don’t have to wait until I make a trip… but I still love an excuse to visit Wegman’s bulk candy aisle :-)

  44. Oh this brought back memories!

    My grandmother would make this for Christmas, she always added at least a cup (or more), of chopped black walnuts on top of the candy before she cracked it.

    Oh Yummmmmmmmmmmm

  45. this is insane. it is my most favorite candy and i thought you needed a stainless steal kitchen counter, white apron and hat and a BMI of 50 to make this. this is thrilling. i’m all over it. thank you!!!!

  46. I’m beyond ecstatic when I saw your post!!! I’ve tried making honeycomb several times already and an unending frustrations and to no success and more disappointments. Some recipes were so bitter some so hard that it will break your teeth and some are like taffy following several recipes I got from the web. I know that you’ll never post anything that isn’t great and I’m trying this one ASAP. Thank you.

  47. I recently bought 3 pieces of dark chocolate honeycomb at Sprouts and I felt soooo guilty. But now I think I will make my own. Somehow it’s not so bad if you make it yourself…..Thanks Joy!

  48. HA! I would SO buy a cookbook with instructions written like these….those are the things you really need to know. :)

  49. Um…you’re so totally right. Boiling sugar does bring out crazy emotions, usually expressed in yells. I also accompany mine with frantic am-I-going-to-burn-myself-or-ruin-this dancing. And I completely know what you mean when you have to ask yourself “should this be taking this long?” I swear candy thermometers have agreed to mess with us on that…

  50. Please please please write a cookbook with emotional instructions! It would make my world.

    And loving the chocolate coated honeycomb, obviously…

  51. Um, my teeth hurt just reading the ingredients, but your emotional instructions are so amazing that I might have to make this. And immediately give it away, because I totally feel you on eating the entire batch. Dangerous.

  52. and this is why you’re my all time favorite…”my pot holder’s on fire. pfffft” joy, thank you for posting this BRILLIANT recipe. this is my go to candy and now maybe I’ll be brave enough to try making it on my own. and the sea salt addition? genius. so glad you ate the whole batch. now I won’t feel as guilty when I do the same.

    xo, W

  53. Oh yes. This looks delicious. And the emotional commentary…yes! I can hear myself saying (screaming) all of that. First time I made caramel I totally had a very similar conversation with myself. ;-)

  54. Once again you make me want to run to my kitchen and make this! But alas, I am stuck in my office and have to work all day – hmmm, but I know what treat my girls and I are going to make tonight!

  55. i was SO excited to see this recipe! this was my great-grandma’s favorite candy, and she gave all her great-grandkids a bag for christmas every year. my grandma still keeps up the tradition, and i’m hoping to continue it one day with my kids and grandkids. maybe i will even make it homemade.

  56. You are so hilarious! And adorable. Love the emotional instructions!! Ever since I’ve started reading your blog (some months ago), I’ve tried lots of the recipes you post and I must say that you’re a cooking genius. My tastebuds and yours are like twins. And the photos, wow. Looking forward to buying your book!! Best wishes from southern Germany,
    Nina

  57. No, really, you’re going to write the emotional cookbook, right? I mean, it must be done. If not, release creative rights to me. Have your people call my people. (Haha, people. I don’t have people. I’ve got a husband who can pretend to be people though. Yeah, that could work.) have your people call my husband-pretending-to-be-people.

  58. As much as I love your recipes and photos, I have to say I love your sense of humour even more. Keep it up :)

    PS – I can’t make this… I will, too, eat the entire batch :(

  59. Aaaahhhhh! Thank you for posting this. I used to buy Violet Crumble bars from a local store and they stopped selling them. Fast forward to now, years later, and I’d forgotten about them. Until this post. I must acquire a candy thermometer and the necessary groceries immediately!

  60. When I received this as an email this morning the next email in-line was a diet program. How is that for luck?

  61. OK, I seriously laughed out loud at this post and my kids were like, “what’s so funny??” Your writing is so fabulous! Love your blog, cookbook, recipes, and podcast but somehow haven’t commented till now. Sorry! I can’t wait to make this candy. I love that I have all the ingredients in my kitchen right now. Thanks!
    Oh, and I totally thought you got engaged.

  62. I’ve been wanting to make this for quite some time. I love Violet Crumble bars! So good!

    Yes, the emotions in the kitchen are unbeatable. But we feel so alive in there, don’t we? :)

  63. “It’s just like stabbing” really got me going. Thinking I’m gonna have to make this. If it turns out well I’m thinking it’s gonna be packaged up given out as favors at a wedding shower.

  64. I so love the emotional instructions too. The recipe I followed for caramels had emotional instructions too and I actually found that just as helpful b/c melted sugar is a bit scary. Can’t wait to try this recipe!

  65. you just summarized my exact emotions when i attempt to make honeycomb candy. except yours is beautiful and isn’t on the ceiling like mine typically is. I’ll be trying your recipe the next time i feel brave enough to attempt it.

  66. Oh man. I used to make this when I was a kid! We used to get forks and pull out globs of it when it was still just warm and eat them. Sounds so dangerous, but I loved it!

  67. I need this candy in my life! I love the idea of writing emotional instructions along with technical stuff – it makes sense really:)

  68. Joy this looks awesome. I love honeycomb candy and I love that you DIY’ed it! My post tomorrow is chocolate covered peanut brittle! It’s got so many similarities to this! I love candy like this! And good call on dipping it in chocolate!

  69. “Oh! It’s fun to crack this candy! It’s just like stabbing.” That may just be my fav line of your blog EVER. This looks both tasty AND stress relieving.

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