15 Vintage Christmas Candy Recipes to Make This Holiday Season (2024)

Making old-fashioned Christmas candy is a time-honored holiday tradition, and let's be honest — homemade fudge, caramels, brittle, and bark are gifts from the kitchen anyone would be happy to receive. Whether you give them as presents to friends or enjoy them with your loved ones, these vintage Christmas candies will add some extra happiness and old-school fun to your holidays.

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Stained Glass Candy II

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Multicolored miniature marshmallows give the otherwise ordinary mixture of chocolate, coconut, and walnuts a dose of pizzazz. This classic candy recipe only requires five ingredients and 30 minutes of your time, and it's simple enough for the kids to get involved.

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Chocolate Covered Cherries

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Instead of purchasing a box of chocolate covered cherries this December, make your own — the process is easy, and the candy is so delicious you'll never want store-bought again. You can enjoy them as-is, right after you're finished making them, or let them "ripen" for 1-2 weeks for a softer interior. To prevent leakage, double dip the bottoms.

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Saltine Toffee Cookies

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Saltine toffee cookies are one of those treats that everyone loves, which makes them a great gift. This recipe is super simple and quick, but these crunchy treats taste so delicious people will think you got them at a candy shop.

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Candied Lemon Peel

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Candied lemon peel is delicious on its own, but it also makes a nice garnish for frosted cookies and cakes, or a flavorful mix-in for quick breads. This simple technique works with other citrus peels, so if you want to switch things up, try it with orange and grapefruit as well.

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Divinity

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"I tried your recipe last night and it turned out great! I had no problem with it setting up and getting the right firmness," says community member MROSSON. "It tastes great also. It was the first time that I had ever attempted to make divinity I had always heard that it was very difficult but your recipe worked great for me."

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Chewy Caramel

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This simple recipe yields buttery and rich caramel that's delicious as-is or incorporated into other candies or baked goods. For a firmer candy, chill before wrapping and refrigerate overnight.

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Candy Strawberries

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In addition to being adorable, these easy candy strawberries are super sweet and have a lovely texture thanks to the inclusion of ground nuts. Feel free to use this technique with other flavors of gelatin and roll the candy into whatever shape you want.

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Mom's Best Peanut Brittle

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"I'd give this ten stars if I could! I made many batches of this and gave out for Christmas gifts and received RAVE reviews," says community member PAULABASKET. "You definitely have to have the ingredients ready to go while you are making this, but don't let that scare you off. Once you have done one or two batches, you definitely get a "feel" for the process."

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Aunt Teen's Creamy Chocolate Fudge

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This super creamy and chocolatey fudge comes together in just half an hour, and the process is so simple you'll never need another fudge recipe. Microwave the marshmallow creme for about 15 seconds before adding it to the pan. This way, it will mix in with the other ingredients much more easily and is less likely to stick to the pan.

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5-Ingredient Peppermint Bark

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This homemade peppermint bark is just as fun to make and give as it is to receive. You can also play around with this recipe and use candy canes or different types of chocolate.

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Best Toffee Ever - Super Easy

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Just like its name promises, this knockout toffee is easy and delicious. The toffee's thickness will depend on what size baking sheet you use — for thinner toffee, use a larger sheet, but if you prefer your toffee thicker, size down.

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World's Best Peanut Butter Fudge

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In the words of recipe creator Debby, this peanut butter fudge is too good to only make at Christmas. It tastes like peanut butter cookie dough or the inside of a peanut butter cup, but smoother. Let it refrigerate before cutting for firmer fudge.

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Christmas Turtles® Candies

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These 4-ingredient candies are so easy to assemble! Reviewers suggest melting the caramels with a tablespoon of milk or water to make them softer and easier to chew when they set up.

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Torrone (Italian Nut and Nougat Confection)

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This traditional Italian candy looks impressive, but it's actually quite simple to make. Be sure to factor in plenty of time for standing at the stove stirring.

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Luscious Chocolate Truffles

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These simple truffles only require three ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry: chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract. "The only problem with this recipe was the fact that i could not stop eating them," says community member *Lisa*. "They were so addicting!"

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15 Vintage Christmas Candy Recipes to Make This Holiday Season (16)

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15 Vintage Christmas Candy Recipes to Make This Holiday Season (2024)

FAQs

What is the oldest Christmas candy? ›

One of the oldest traditional candies eaten for special occasions like Christmas is marzipan. This almond-based confection dates back centuries, with origins in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Each region has its own uses for the sweet.

What are the top 10 Christmas candies? ›

Top 12 Best Christmas Candies!
  • Haribo Giant Trees.
  • Fort Knox Gold Ingots.
  • Peeps Candy Cane Marshmallow Chicks.
  • Terry's Chocolate Orange Minis White Chocolate UK.
  • Christmas Hot Chocolate Bomb.
  • Maltesers Mini Mint Reindeers UK.
  • Kool-Aid Candy Canes.
  • Bailey's Salted Caramel Truffle Bar.
Nov 20, 2023

What candy sells the most during Christmas? ›

(WHNT) – Peppermint bark, mini Reese's cups, and Starburst, oh my! Those are just a few of the most popular Christmas candies, according to a new report from CandyStore.com. However — the top candy varies from state to state.

How long is homemade Christmas candy good for? ›

Most candies will keep 2 to 3 weeks (if not longer) if stored tightly covered in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator. It's best to avoid storing different types of candy together in the same container because hard candies will become soft and sticky, and soft candies will dry out.

What was the most popular candy in the 1920s? ›

1920s. The 1920s featured a continued focus on chocolate as O'Henry Bars, Zero bars, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Baby Ruth, Mounds, Milky Way, and Mr. Goodbar all entered the scene. The 1920s introduced dextrose, a corn syrup, as a new cheap ingredient to replace sugar.

What candy was invented in 1977? ›

Though Reese's Pieces came out in 1977, they weren't wildly popular until 1982, when “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” hit movie theaters. The titular character in that film is crazy about Reese's Pieces and helped the then-struggling candy to become the hit it is today.

What is the number 1 candy of all time? ›

Top-selling chocolates and sweets. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the No. 1 selling candy brand in the United States, consisting of white fudge, milk, or dark chocolate cups filled with peanut butter. They were invented by H.B. Reese after he founded the H. B. Reese Candy Company in 1923.

What is the most uncommon candy? ›

10 Weird Candy Flavors You Won't Believe Exist
  • Pickle Taffy. That's right; it wasn't a typo. ...
  • Maple Bacon Taffy. ...
  • Shaved Ice Taffy. ...
  • Spumoni Taffy. ...
  • Buttered Popcorn Taffy. ...
  • Chili Mango Taffy. ...
  • Coconut Curry Taffy. ...
  • Fruity Cereal Taffy.

What are traditional Christmas candies? ›

From peanut brittle to chocolate Santas, the holiday season is a time for sweets and celebration. Hundreds of millions of candy canes, chocolate Santas, and tins of peanut brittle are made each year, and millions of candy gifts are given each year.

What is the most bought item during Christmas? ›

These items have consistently performed well on the web and are likely to continue to be among the most sold items during Christmas 2023-2024:
  • Christmas ornaments and decorations.
  • Christmas lights and outdoor decorations.
  • Artificial Christmas trees.
  • Christmas stockings and tree skirts.
  • Clothing and accessories.
Nov 10, 2023

What was the first Christmas candy? ›

The first candy cane most likely took shape in 17th century Europe when people were enjoying pulled sugars, the parent to today's candy sticks. At that time, somewhere in Germany, an unknown person added a hook to the stick.

Which candy has the longest shelf life? ›

Hard candy like Jolly Ranchers, lollipops and other individually wrapped candies can essentially last forever if they're stored right and kept away from moisture. Dark chocolate can last one to two years in a cool, dark, dry place. Milk and white chocolate will last up to 10 months.

Why is it called Christmas crack? ›

So right about now you may be wondering, what exactly is Christmas crack? It's saltine toffee. I think the name relates to the fact that it's made with crackers and is also super addicting. This salty sweet combo is SUPER easy to make, and it's a unique treat that will have all of your guests begging for the recipe.

What is the hard crack in candy making? ›

300° F–310° F

The hard-crack stage is the highest temperature you are likely to see specified in a candy recipe. At these temperatures, there is almost no water left in the syrup. Drop a little of the molten syrup in cold water and it will form hard, brittle threads that break when bent.

What is the oldest candy to exist? ›

The first candy was used by the Ancient Egyptians for cult purposes. In ancient times, Egyptians, Arabs, and Chinese made candies with fruits and nuts that caramelized with honey. The two oldest candy types are licorice and ginger. The historical roots of licorice are found in the early years of man's appearance.

What is the oldest Christmas tradition? ›

For the Christian celebration of Christmas, the viewing of the Nativity play is one of the oldest Christmastime traditions, with the first reenactment of the Nativity of Jesus taking place in A.D. 1223 in the Italian town of Greccio.

What is the oldest Christmas song in the world? ›

Reportedly, one of the first known Christmas hymns is "Jesus Refulsit Omnium" ("Jesus, Light of All the Nations"), written by St. Hilary of Poitier in the fourth century.

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