Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (2024)

Homemade Taffy is easy to make and gets the kids involved. Welcome to our Sweet Shoppe! If you are alarmed by red dye, excessive amounts of sugar and underage workers turn away now!

Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (1)

If not, stick around and see how we made loads of homemade taffy!

Related: What kid would not want to make this? How To Make Gummy Candy

Kids love to be involved! They will have a great experience with this hands-on recipe.

Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (2)

Homemade Taffy Ingredients

2 1/2 cups white sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup light corn syrup

1 1/3 cups water

2 tablespoons butter (plus lots extra to butter hands, we probably used over 1/2 of a stick of butter on our hands)

1 teaspoon salt

1 – .21oz (6g) package of unsweetened, fruit-flavored drink mix (like Kool-Aid) (we used cherry)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Steps for making the Homemade Taffy

  • Butter a large jelly roll pan or a cookie sheet with sides really well.
  • In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar and cornstarch.
  • Add corn syrup, water, butter, and salt and stir well until butter is melted.
  • Bring to a boil over medium heat and stop stirring. Cook the mixture until the candy thermometer read 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). This takes some time to get it to 250 degrees. Once the temperature approaches 250 degrees, watch very closely because it cooks quickly at the end.
  • Immediately remove from heat.
  • Carefully stir in vanilla and drink mix.
  • Stir well. We should have stirred ours more– notice some bits of drink mix (dark spots) on our taffy.
  • Pour mixture onto a buttered baking pan.
  • Allow it to cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.

Directions For Pulling The Taffy

  • Once the taffy has cooled enough to handle, butter hands and begin pulling. (It starts kind of translucent)
Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (3)
  • Then pull…and pull…butter hands again…pull…
Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (4)
  • and stretch…pull…more hand buttering…pull…
Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (5)
  • It will become more opaque and lighten in color depending on the attention span of your workers!
  • This takes about 10-15 minutes of pulling.
Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (6)
  • Pull into long ropes and cut with buttered scissors.
Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (7)
  • and cut!
Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (8)
  • Wrap pieces of taffy in pieces of waxed paper
Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (9)
  • and give it a good twist on each end.
Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (10)
  • Finished!
Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (11)

Sweet!!

Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (12)

Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (13)

Homemade Taffy Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Cooling and Pulling Time 30 minutes minutes

Save RecipePrint Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons butter plus lots extra to butter hands, we probably used over 1/2 of a stick of butter on our hands
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 package unsweetened, fruit-flavored drink mix (like Kool-Aid) (We used Cherry)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Butter a large jelly roll pan or a cookie sheet with sides really well.

  • In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar and cornstarch.

  • Add corn syrup, water, butter, and salt and stir well until butter is melted.

  • Bring to a boil over medium heat and stop stirring. Cook the mixture until the candy thermometer read 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). This takes some time to get it to 250 degrees. Once the temperature approaches 250 degrees, watch very closely because it cooks quickly at the end.

  • Immediately remove from heat.

  • Carefully stir in vanilla and drink mix.

  • Stir well. We should have stirred ours more– notice some bits of drink mix (dark spots) on our taffy.

  • Pour mixture onto a buttered baking pan.

  • Allow it to cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.

  • Once the taffy has cooled enough to handle, butter hands, and begin pulling. (It starts kind of translucent)

  • Then pull…and pull…butter hands again…pull… and stretch…pull…more hand buttering…pull…

  • It will become opaquer and lighten in color.

  • This takes about 10-15 minutes of pulling.

  • Pull into long ropes and cut with buttered scissors.

  • Wrap pieces of taffy in pieces of waxed paper and give it a good twist on each end.

Nutrition

Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 0.01g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 1mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.01mg

Servings: 36

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Cindy Hopper

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Are you laughing as you make your taffy?

I would love to keep you fully stocked with creative ideas, yummy recipes, fun crafts, and loads of free printables. Subscribe to Skip to my Lou to get new ideas delivered to your inbox. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram for all my latest updates.

Categories: Recipes, Sweets

About Cindy Hopper

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Homemade Taffy Recipe | Skip To My Lou (2024)

FAQs

What is taffy called in the UK? ›

In the United Kingdom, taffy pieces are known as "chewy sweets", "chews" or "fruit chews"—the term "taffy" is not widely used. Popular brands of chew include Chewits and Starburst.

How long does homemade taffy last? ›

Does salt water taffy expire? Yes, taffy can go bad and generally expires six months after purchase. Homemade taffy expires even sooner and only lasts 3-7 days.

Are toffee and taffy the same? ›

Is toffee the same as taffy? Taffy is in no way, shape, or form toffee. Taffy describes chewy fruit candies, whereas toffee is closer to caramel.

What's the difference between taffy and nougat? ›

There- fore in a chewy, stretchy taffy, there will be less sugar than in a grained nougat type confection. Regular granulated sugar, usually fine, is completely satisfactory for this product family. It provides body and sweetness to the candy and is essential to the product.

Can you get salt water taffy in the UK? ›

American Assorted Salt Water Taffy 1kg Bag (Taffy Town) : Amazon.co.uk: Grocery.

What is the difference between salt water taffy and regular taffy? ›

There was little or no salt added to the candy over 100 years ago or now. Manufacturers of the candy in seaside towns capitalize on the name of salt water taffy, but there is truly no difference between salt water and regular taffy.

Why is my taffy so hard? ›

If our taffy feels hard, it is most likely because it is cold; try holding the taffy snugly in the palm of your hand for a few moments, the warmth should soften it right up!

Is gum allowed in jail? ›

In prisons, chewing gum is considered contraband although it is a candy. That illegal candy is used to make something that is used to escape easily.

Can you make food in jail? ›

Since most often you won't have access to microwaves or other forms to cook, hot water is the best option for jail or prison cooking. If this is not available, then warm water is at least hopefully available. Usually, you can purchase a plastic bowl with a lid from the canteen as well.

Why does taffy turn white? ›

The purpose of pulling the taffy is to add air in to the candy. This allows for millions of air bubbles to form which is how a clear batch of cooked taffy all of a sudden begins to turn bright white. The added air into the product also adds volume, and turns the candy into a much larger piece.

Why is my taffy melting? ›

Saltwater taffy, without a doubt can and will melt if left in the heat for too long. The beauty about the World's Most Famous Taffy™ is that if given time in proper room temperature conditions, it will firm up and get back to where it was originally.

What does glycerin do for taffy? ›

In this taffy recipe, glycerin helps give the candy a soft, creamy consistency. Glycerin can be found in many drugstores, as well as some supermarkets and craft stores in the baking supplies section, or in cake-decorating stores.

What is taffy a nickname for? ›

Taffy is a gender-neutral name of Welsh origin. It's a shortened form of the Welsh name Dafydd, a variant of the Hebrew name David, meaning “beloved” or “friend.” A fitting name for a little one who's sure to be loved by everyone they meet!

Is Laffy Taffy in UK? ›

Laffy Taffy 028000993801 Assorted Candy Jar, 145 pieces : Amazon.co.uk: Grocery.

Is Starburst a taffy? ›

Starburst (originally known as Opal Fruits) is the brand name of a box-shaped, fruit-flavoured soft taffy candy manufactured by The Wrigley Company, which is a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated.

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