Old-Fashioned Christmas Candy: 17 Recipe-Card Treats Grandma Made for Pennies a Piece

Old-fashioned Christmas candy was grandma’s best gift, and it never came from a store. With a bag of sugar, a can of milk and a few nuts, she filled tins for the neighbors, the mailman and the whole church. Homemade candy is still the cheapest holiday gift there is, and many of these recipes cost only pennies a piece. Searches for Christmas candy recipes are climbing again, and old recipe-card candies like butter mints are getting big views online. Here are the classics: divinity, buckeyes, potato candy, pralines, haystacks and more, each with a shopping list and simple steps. Grab a pot and some wax paper..

Old-Fashioned Christmas Candy Starts With Divinity

Before anyone bought candy in a box, grandma made these on the stove, and one batch filled tins for the whole street. Divinity was the star: a snowy white candy made from sugar and egg whites, topped with a pecan. It is the one candy that likes a dry day, so pick a day without rain. A batch of about 36 pieces costs around $4. Ready to fill your first tin?..

You will need: 2 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup light corn syrup, 1/2 cup water, 2 egg whites at room temperature, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, 36 pecan halves

How to make it: 1. Line two sheets with wax paper. 2. Cook the sugar, corn syrup and water to 260 F (hard ball) on a candy thermometer. 3. When the syrup is almost ready, beat the egg whites and salt to stiff peaks. 4. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup in a thin stream into the whites, then add the vanilla. 5. Beat until it loses its shine and holds its shape, then quickly drop spoonfuls and top each with a pecan.

Homemade Butter Mints, the Old-Fashioned Christmas Candy From Every Wedding Table

This old-fashioned Christmas candy is pure nostalgia. Remember the soft pastel mints in a glass dish at grandma’s house? They melt on your tongue and cost about $3 a batch. A “make butter mints with me” video passed 100,000 views in three weeks this fall, so a lot of us remember them too. Tint them pink, green and yellow, roll them into ropes and snip them into little pillows. Let them dry overnight so they get that crisp outside and creamy middle.

You will need: 1/2 cup soft butter, 4 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbsp heavy cream, 1/2 tsp peppermint extract, pinch of salt, a few drops of food coloring

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter, salt and peppermint until creamy. 2. Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time, then the cream, until it forms a soft dough. 3. Split it into 3 parts and knead in a drop of color. 4. Roll into thin ropes and cut into 1/2 inch pieces with scissors. 5. Leave on wax paper overnight to dry, then store airtight.

Potato Candy Pinwheels, the Depression-Era Trick

Yes, this old-fashioned Christmas candy is made with a plain boiled potato. During the Depression, cooks stretched a little sugar by mixing it with mashed potato, and the result tastes like a sweet, creamy candy, not like a vegetable at all. Roll the dough flat, spread peanut butter on top and roll it up like a jelly roll. One potato makes about 40 slices, so a batch costs around $2. Have you ever tried it, or does it sound too strange?

You will need: 1/2 cup plain mashed potato (no butter, milk or salt), 1 tsp vanilla, about 4 to 5 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

How to make it: 1. Mash the cooled potato until very smooth and stir in the vanilla. 2. Add powdered sugar a little at a time until you have a stiff dough. 3. Roll it out on a sugared sheet of wax paper into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. 4. Spread the peanut butter to the edges and roll it up tightly. 5. Chill 1 hour, then slice into 1/4 inch pinwheels.

Chocolate Haystacks, a No-Bake Old-Fashioned Christmas Candy

The crunch in this old-fashioned Christmas candy comes from a can of chow mein noodles, the same ones you put on top of takeout. Grandma melted butterscotch and chocolate chips together, stirred in the noodles and peanuts, and dropped little mounds on wax paper. No candy thermometer, no stove if you use the microwave, and kids can help. A batch makes about 30 haystacks for around $6. Do you make yours with butterscotch, chocolate, or both?

You will need: 1 cup butterscotch chips, 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, one 5 oz can chow mein noodles (about 3 cups), 1 cup salted peanuts

How to make it: 1. Melt the butterscotch and chocolate chips together in 30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring each time. 2. Gently fold in the noodles and peanuts until coated. 3. Drop heaping spoonfuls onto wax paper. 4. Let set 1 hour at room temperature or 15 minutes in the fridge. 5. Store in a tin with wax paper between layers.

Buckeyes, the Ohio Old-Fashioned Christmas Candy

These peanut butter balls are the old-fashioned Christmas candy of Ohio. They are dipped in chocolate but not all the way, so a little circle of peanut butter shows on top, like the nut of the Ohio buckeye tree. They need no cooking at all, just mixing, rolling and dipping. A double batch fills several gift tins, and they freeze well, so you can make them in early December. Tip: chill the balls well before dipping and use a toothpick to hold each one.

You will need: 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup soft butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 4 cups powdered sugar, 2 cups chocolate chips, 1 tbsp coconut oil or shortening

How to make it: 1. Beat the peanut butter, butter and vanilla, then mix in the powdered sugar. 2. Roll into 1 inch balls and chill 30 minutes. 3. Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil. 4. Push a toothpick into each ball and dip, leaving the top uncovered. 5. Set on wax paper, smooth the toothpick hole with a finger and chill until firm.

Poor Man’s Millionaires (Caramel Pecan Clusters)

Millionaires are little mounds of nuts, soft caramel and chocolate, and the store kind can be pricey. A “poor man’s” home version on YouTube passed 125,000 views in just two weeks this month. The secret is simple: melt plain caramels with a splash of milk, spoon them over nuts and top with chocolate. Use peanuts or walnuts instead of pecans to save even more. Pecans, peanuts or walnuts: which would you pick?

You will need: 1 bag (11 oz) soft caramels, unwrapped, 2 tbsp milk, 2 cups pecan halves (or peanuts or walnuts), 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips, 1 tsp shortening

How to make it: 1. Toast the nuts at 350 F for 6 to 8 minutes and let them cool. 2. Make small piles of 4 or 5 nuts on parchment paper. 3. Melt the caramels with the milk over low heat, stirring until smooth. 4. Spoon caramel over each pile. 5. Melt the chocolate with the shortening, spoon on top and let set.

Homemade Peppermint Patties

Cool and creamy inside, dark chocolate outside, this old-fashioned Christmas candy tastes fresher than anything in a wrapper. The filling is just sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar and peppermint extract, rolled and cut with a small round cutter. Freeze the rounds before dipping, and the chocolate goes on smooth and fast. One batch makes about 40 patties for roughly $7, which is a lot of gifts for the money. Who on your list loves mint?

You will need: One 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract, 5 to 6 cups powdered sugar, 2 cups dark or semi sweet chocolate chips, 1 tbsp coconut oil

How to make it: 1. Mix the condensed milk and peppermint, then add powdered sugar until you have a firm dough. 2. Roll 1/4 inch thick between wax paper and cut 1 1/2 inch rounds. 3. Freeze the rounds for 30 minutes. 4. Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil. 5. Dip each round with a fork, tap off extra and let set on wax paper.

Martha Washington Candy (Coconut Pecan Bonbons)

This old-fashioned Christmas candy shows up in church cookbooks all over the South. It is a rich mix of coconut, pecans and sweetened condensed milk, rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate. Old recipes called for a little paraffin wax in the chocolate for shine; today a spoon of shortening does the same job. The recipe makes a big batch, about 80 pieces, so it is perfect for filling many tins at once. Did your grandma call it Martha Washington candy or something else?

You will need: 1/2 cup butter, melted, one 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 7 cups powdered sugar (about 2 lb), 2 cups finely chopped pecans, one 7 oz bag flaked coconut, 3 cups chocolate chips, 2 tbsp shortening

How to make it: 1. Mix the butter, condensed milk and vanilla. 2. Stir in the powdered sugar, pecans and coconut. 3. Chill 1 hour, then roll into 1 inch balls and freeze 30 minutes. 4. Melt the chocolate with the shortening. 5. Dip each ball, set on wax paper and keep cool.

Homemade Cherry Mash Bars

If you grew up in the Midwest, you know this old-fashioned Christmas candy: a pink cherry center under a coat of chocolate and chopped peanuts. It was born in Missouri more than 100 years ago, and families still copy it at Christmas. This pan version is easy: a soft cherry fudge layer on the bottom and a chocolate peanut topping, cut into squares. Look for cherry chips in the baking aisle around the holidays. Have you ever had one?

You will need: Cherry layer: 2 cups sugar, 2/3 cup evaporated milk, 12 large marshmallows, 1/2 cup butter, pinch of salt, one 10 oz bag cherry chips, 1 tsp vanilla. Topping: 2 cups chocolate chips, 3/4 cup peanut butter, 1 1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts

How to make it: 1. Line a 9×13 pan with foil. 2. Boil the sugar, milk, marshmallows, butter and salt for 5 minutes, stirring. 3. Take it off the heat, stir in the cherry chips and vanilla and spread in the pan. 4. Melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stir in the peanuts and spread over the top. 5. Chill until firm and cut into small squares.

Southern Pecan Pralines, an Old-Fashioned Christmas Candy Favorite

In New Orleans and all through the South, pralines are flat, creamy brown sugar candies packed with pecans. The trick is to stir the hot mixture for 2 or 3 minutes after it comes off the heat, until it turns a little cloudy and thick, then drop it fast. This old-fashioned Christmas candy uses only pantry items, and a batch of about 24 costs around $6. Do you like yours creamy or crunchy?

You will need: 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 6 tbsp butter, 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt

How to make it: 1. Line two sheets with wax paper. 2. Cook the sugars, milk, butter and salt in a heavy pot, stirring, until it reaches 238 F (soft ball) on a candy thermometer. 3. Take it off the heat and add the pecans and vanilla. 4. Stir hard for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens and loses some shine. 5. Quickly drop spoonfuls on the wax paper and let set.

Candied Orange Peel, Made From Scraps

Grandma never threw away an orange peel in December, because it turned into old-fashioned Christmas candy. She simmered the peels in sugar syrup until they turned shiny and see-through, then rolled them in sugar. It is the definition of budget candy, since you use the part most people toss. Dip half of each strip in dark chocolate and they look like they came from a fancy shop. Save the leftover orange syrup for tea or cocktails.

You will need: Peels from 3 large oranges, 2 cups sugar plus extra for rolling, 1 cup water, optional: 1 cup dark chocolate chips

How to make it: 1. Cut the peel into 1/4 inch strips, keeping a little white pith. 2. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil and drain; repeat 3 times to remove bitterness. 3. Simmer the strips in the sugar and water for 40 to 45 minutes until translucent. 4. Drain, roll in sugar and dry on a rack overnight. 5. Dip half of each strip in melted chocolate if you like.

Slow Cooker Peanut Clusters for a Crowd

This is the easiest old-fashioned Christmas candy in the whole tin. Dump peanuts and chocolate in the slow cooker, walk away for 2 hours, stir and drop. One batch makes about 80 clusters, which is why it shows up at so many church bake sales and office parties. It is also one of the cheapest: around 15 cents a piece. Looking for more ideas? Try these homemade edible gifts people love more than store-bought. Would you give these to coworkers or keep them at home?

You will need: 24 oz salted dry roasted peanuts, 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips, 12 oz milk chocolate chips, 16 oz white candy coating (almond bark), broken up

How to make it: 1. Put the peanuts in the slow cooker, then the chocolate chips and candy coating on top. Do not stir. 2. Cover and cook on low for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 3. Stir until smooth and every peanut is coated. 4. Drop by spoonfuls into mini paper cups or onto wax paper. 5. Let set 1 hour and store in tins.

Old-Fashioned Christmas Candy: Hard Tack Candy

Cinnamon, cherry or anise, broken into shiny jewel-like pieces and dusted with powdered sugar. Hard tack was in nearly every grandma’s candy dish, and it keeps for weeks, so it is a great one to make first. The only must is a candy thermometer: the syrup has to reach the hard crack stage. The Exploratorium guide to sugar stages explains why. Safety first: hot sugar burns badly, so keep kids back.

You will need: 2 cups sugar, 2/3 cup light corn syrup, 3/4 cup water, 1 tsp candy flavoring oil (cinnamon, cherry or anise), a few drops food coloring, powdered sugar for dusting

How to make it: 1. Dust a rimmed sheet pan generously with powdered sugar. 2. Cook the sugar, corn syrup and water, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring. 3. Boil to 300 to 310 F (hard crack). 4. Take it off the heat and carefully stir in the flavoring and color. 5. Pour into the pan, let it harden, then break into pieces and toss in more powdered sugar.

Chocolate Cherry Cups, the Easy Chocolate-Covered Cherry

Chocolate-covered cherries are an old-fashioned Christmas candy, the box every grandpa bought at Christmas. Dipping whole cherries takes patience, so here is the shortcut: small chocolate cups with a spoon of creamy filling and a cherry on top. They look elegant on a cookie tray and cost about $8 for 24. Want the classic? Wrap the same filling around well-dried cherries, dip in chocolate and wait a few days for the centers to turn syrupy. Cups or classic?

You will need: 24 maraschino cherries with stems, well drained and patted dry, 2 cups chocolate chips, 24 mini paper cups, filling: 2 tbsp soft butter, 2 tbsp light corn syrup, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp cherry juice

How to make it: 1. Melt the chocolate and brush or spoon it into the mini paper cups, coating the sides. 2. Chill 15 minutes and add a second coat. 3. Beat the butter, corn syrup, powdered sugar and cherry juice into a soft filling. 4. Spoon a little filling into each cup. 5. Press a cherry on top and chill until firm.

Kentucky Bourbon Balls (or Orange Juice Balls)

Bourbon balls are a Kentucky holiday tradition, an old-fashioned Christmas candy and maybe the cheapest grown-up treat there is: crushed vanilla wafers, pecans, cocoa and a little bourbon, rolled in your hands. No cooking at all. They taste best after two or three days in a tin, so make them early. For an alcohol-free version, use orange juice instead. A batch of about 40 costs around $8. Bourbon or orange juice: which would your family pick?

You will need: 2 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers, 1 cup finely chopped pecans, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 3 tbsp light corn syrup, 1/3 cup bourbon or orange juice, extra cocoa or powdered sugar for rolling

How to make it: 1. Mix the crushed wafers, pecans, powdered sugar and cocoa. 2. Stir in the corn syrup and bourbon or juice until it holds together. 3. Roll into 1 inch balls. 4. Roll each ball in cocoa or powdered sugar. 5. Store in a tin for at least 1 day before serving.

Coconut Snowballs, a 4-Ingredient Old-Fashioned Christmas Candy

Four pantry items and ten minutes, and you have a plate of little white snowballs. Sweetened condensed milk holds the coconut together, so there is no cooking. Grandma sometimes hid a candied cherry or an almond in the middle for a surprise. They are soft, chewy and very pretty in a tin next to the dark chocolate candies. Would you add a surprise center?

You will need: One 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut plus 1 cup for rolling, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt. Optional: almonds or candied cherries for the centers

How to make it: 1. Mix the condensed milk, 3 cups coconut, vanilla and salt. 2. Chill 30 minutes so it is easier to shape. 3. Roll into 1 inch balls, tucking a nut or cherry inside if you like. 4. Roll in the extra coconut. 5. Chill on a tray until firm and keep in the fridge.

Homemade Gumdrops With Applesauce

This old-fashioned Christmas candy recipe surprises people: the base is a jar of applesauce and a box of flavored gelatin. Boil, pour, chill, cut into squares and roll in sugar, and you get soft, bright gumdrops for a few dollars. Use two or three flavors for a colorful tin. The final step matters: let the squares dry on a rack for a day so the sugar coating stays sparkly. Finish your candy tin with these, then line every layer with wax paper.

You will need: 2 1/2 cups sugar plus extra for rolling, 1 1/4 cups applesauce, two 3 oz boxes flavored gelatin, 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin, 1 tsp lemon juice

How to make it: 1. Mix the sugar, applesauce, both gelatins and lemon juice in a pot and let stand 1 minute. 2. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute, stirring. 3. Pour into a buttered 8×8 pan and chill 3 hours. 4. Cut into 1 inch squares and roll in sugar. 5. Dry on a rack for 1 day, then store in a tin. Most of these candies keep 2 to 3 weeks in a cool place.