Honeycomb Recipe - melissassouthernstylekitchen.com (2024)

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This crisp and airy Honeycomb Recipe is a deliciously simple candy to make. The honey toffee-like flavor and spongy texture melts in your mouth. You can enjoy it with or without melted chocolate on top or straight from the pan broken into random pieces.

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Easy Honeycomb Recipe

What is honeycomb candy? It’s a light and airy candy that’s made with honey and sugar and combined with baking soda. The baking soda creates a reaction that causes it to foam. It’s one of those fun candies that has a plethora of names, sometimes called honeycomb toffee, seafoam, sponge toffee, hokey pokey and beyond. It has a sugary honey flavor with an airy texture that can be broken into random pieces or cut using a sharp knife into more uniform shapes. It naturally crumbles when cutting so random sizes should be expected. How to make Honeycomb Candy: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

  • Honeycomb Mixture – Add sugar, water, corn syrup, and honey to a medium size heavy bottomed saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Whisk to combine. Heat over medium heat cooking until clear and the the mixture reaches 300°F.
  • Remove from the heat and whisk in baking soda, vanilla and salt. The mixture will foam up, whisk just until fully incorporated.
  • Use a rubber spatula to carefully push and pour the mixture into the prepared pan. (Don’t spread or press down the mixture or it will deflate the bubbles.)
  • Let the candy cool completely then remove it from the pan using the parchment.
  • Break into individual random pieces by hand or using a sharp knife.
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How to Make the Best Honeycomb Candy Recipe

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Honeycomb Candy: Light corn syrup, honey, granulated sugar, water, vanilla extract, salt and baking soda.
  • Kitchen gadgets you’ll need: A 4 quart heavy bottomed saucepan, measuring cups and spoons, an 8 x 8 inch pan, parchment paper, a whisk, candy thermometer and a rubber spatula.
  • Choose a heavy bottomed pot that’s deep enough to contain the mixture when it foams up. When in doubt go a bit larger than smaller. You don’t want it to overflow.
  • When pouring the mixture into the prepared pan don’t be tempted to press down and spread the mixture or it can deflate the bubbles. Try to pour it evenly into the pan, then gently shake the pan to spread.
  • You can dip or drizzle this honeycomb recipe with melted chocolate. When doing so, the topping shouldn’t be like a sauce but rather something that would be able to dry and is stable at room temperature.
  • To clean the pan, fill with warm water and let sit. This should dissolve what’s left behind. If it’s still stubborn, place the pot onto the stovetop and bring to a boil. This will soften any drips left behind and clean-up will be a breeze.
  • To make the optional chocolate topping : In a double boiler over simmering water melt 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips with 1 1/2 teaspoons of solid vegetable shortening (or coconut oil) stirring until completely smooth. Once the honeycomb is completely cooled and set, gently spread the warm chocolate on top and let dry. Then remove from the pan using the parchment paper and use a sharp knife to cut or break into pieces.
  • Store Honeycomb in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
  • I don’t recommend freezing or refrigerating honeycomb candy.
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More Easy Candy Recipes to Make

Candy isn’t just limited to the holiday season there’s something sweet and satisfying about making it for gift giving and special occasions. More candy recipes you may also like to try:

  • Toffee Peanut Clusters are certain to become a family favorite.
  • Enjoy these Bourbon Pecan Pralines as a decadent sweet Southern treat.
  • You can tint these Easy Cream Cheese Mints in any color to suit the occasion.
  • Sweet and Salty Potato Chip Clusters are impossible to resist.
  • Brown Sugar Walnut Fudge (Penuche) is a creamy delight.
  • These cute as a button Turtle Pretzels are always a winning option.
  • Believe It Or Not Candy Bars from Karo Syrup.
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Honeycomb Recipe

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Cooling time30 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Candy, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy-honeycomb-candy, honeycomb-candy

Servings: 12 servings (may vary)

Calories: 95kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt OR table salt

Instructions

  • Line an 8 x 8 baking dish or large pie dish with parchment paper, leaving at least 1 inch overhang.

  • Add sugar, water, corn syrup, and honey to a medium size heavy bottomed saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Whisk to combine. Heat over medium heat cooking until clear and the the mixture reaches 300°F.

  • Remove from the heat and whisk in baking soda, vanilla and salt. The mixture will foam up, whisk just until fully incorporated.

  • Use a rubber spatula to carefully push and pour the mixture into the prepared pan. (Don't spread or press down the mixture or it will deflate the bubbles.)

  • Let cool completely then remove from the pan using the overhang parchment.

  • Break into individual random pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. (See the Cook's note for optional chocolate topping instructions.)

Notes

  • To make a Chocolate Topping : In a double boiler over simmering water melt 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips with 1 1/2 teaspoons of solid vegetable shortening (or coconut oil) stirring until completely smooth. Once the honeycomb is completely cooled and set, gently spread the warm chocolate on top and let dry. Then remove from the pan using the parchment paper and use a sharp knife to cut or break into pieces.
  • Please note: Nutritional data should always be considered an estimate as it can vary depending on how the finished product is divided.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 0.01g | Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 2mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.02mg

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Honeycomb Recipe - melissassouthernstylekitchen.com (2024)

FAQs

Why is my homemade honeycomb not crunchy? ›

Chewy honeycomb happens when the mixture hasn't been cooked for long enough. This is most common when you don't use a sugar thermometer. If you don't heat the mixture to 149°C the sugar won't achieve the brittleness required for that crumbly, crunchy texture.

Why is my homemade honeycomb chewy? ›

If your sugar syrup isn't hot enough, it will make your honeycomb very chewy. The best way to make sure your sugar is at the right temperature is to use a sugar thermometer. The mixture should be at the 'hard ball' stage, which is normally between 121-130 degrees Celsius.

Why add vinegar to honeycomb? ›

White vinegar – one of the things that makes this candy unique is the light and airy texture of the toffee. We have the vinegar, in part, to thank for that! Vinegar reacts with the baking soda in the recipe to form little bubbles of carbon dioxide that give the honeycomb candy its airy, crisp texture.

What to do with failed honeycomb candy? ›

Instead, if it is enjoyable as is, I would suggest just eating it as a toffee like candy. Otherwise, chalk it up to experience and watch the temperature more closely next time. I have a batch of gooey toffee now too. So im just either enjoying it as is or adding bit or chunks of it to my coffee or ice cream.

What happens if you overcook honeycomb? ›

Choose the best honeycomb

It's all good unless the melted sugar is cooked for too long, when it will burn and the bitterness detracts from the acid-sweet pleasures expected. If you undercook it, it will not set properly.

Why does baking soda make honeycomb? ›

The Science

The heat causes the bicarbonate of soda (NaHCO3) to break down and release the gas, carbon dioxide (CO2). The gas gets trapped within the sugar, this results in the bubbles in your honeycomb.

How to fix sticky honeycomb? ›

Underheating the sugar makes the honeycomb sticky so it won't set correctly. Keep your eye on the sugar thermometer and make sure the temperature reaches at least 146 degrees C or 295 degrees F. This is known as the hard crack stage which is 146 to 155 degrees C or 295 to 310 degrees F.

Is honeycomb supposed to be chewy? ›

The light wax combs are 100% edible and filled to bursting with fresh, delicious honey that you can eat with a spoon. The wax combs are typically chewy and will ball up in your mouth similar to gum, some people spit out the comb but most will swallow it whole as it is completely safe to eat.

Can you eat chewy honeycomb? ›

Honeycomb is nature's great delicacy. It is perfectly safe (and delicious) to consume both the honey and the waxy hexagonal containers of the comb. In fact, the added chewy texture of the comb is a bonus.

What is honeycomb called in America? ›

Regionally it may be referred to as sponge candy, sea foam, fairy food candy, or old fashioned puff in the US, and in Britain, it is often called Cinder Toffee with variances of puff candy in Scotland, Yellowman in Northern Ireland and Sponge Toffee in Canada.

Can you eat the white stuff on honeycomb? ›

You can eat the whole honeycomb, including the honey and waxy cells surrounding it. The raw honey has a more textured consistency than filtered honey. In addition, the waxy cells can be chewed as a gum.

Is cinder toffee the same as honeycomb? ›

One of the simplest and most fun confectioneries to make at home is cinder toffee, also known as honeycomb or sponge toffee.

Why is my honeycomb chewy not crunchy? ›

If your homemade honeycomb candy is chewy, it is usually due to the mixture not cooking for long enough or hasn't reached 305°F. A candy thermometer is key for the recipe to ensure your honeycomb gets a crumbly, crunchy texture.

Does honeycomb ever expire? ›

Honeycomb can last for years. It is simply pure honey inside beeswax cells, which means it generally doesn't expire. However, if honeycomb is stored incorrectly and exposed to moisture then it can potentially crystallise or go a little gooey.

Can you cool honeycomb in the fridge? ›

Store in a sealed container somewhere cool and dry – not the fridge. The honeycomb will keep for a week. Try dipping the pieces of honeycomb in melted chocolate - they will keep for longer, about 1 month.

Can you eat soft honeycomb? ›

It is perfectly safe (and delicious) to consume both the honey and the waxy hexagonal containers of the comb. In fact, the added chewy texture of the comb is a bonus. Honeycomb varies in taste (just like honey) depending on the environment and which flowers the bees predominantly pollinated to produce nectar.

Is natural honeycomb crunchy? ›

It also has a soft yet crunchy texture, making it perfect for spreading on toast or crackers.

How long does it take for honeycomb to dry? ›

The mixture will continue bubbling in the tin, simply leave it and in about 1 hr-1 hr 30 mins the honeycomb will be hard and ready to crumble or snap into chunks.

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