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25 Old-Fashioned Christmas Candy Recipes from Grandma's Kitchen

Published: by themoderngram · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

My old fashioned Christmas candy list is full of the treats Grandma set out every December: creamy fudge, crunchy peanut brittle, buttery toffee and chocolate-dipped buckeyes. These 25 homemade Christmas candy recipes will fill a candy dish, a cookie tray or a tin to give away, and most need nothing more than a heavy pot and a candy thermometer.

A Candy Dish in Every Corner

Every year we had a huge Christmas party at Grandma's house. Anywhere you could sit in her living room or family room, there was a bowl of homemade candy or her homemade Chex mix within reach. While we waited for dinner, your hand was never far from a treat.

These are the candies I think of when I picture those bowls. If you love old-time sweets all year long, my vintage candy recipes have even more, and my retro holiday desserts and old fashioned Christmas cookies round out the dessert table.

Old-Fashioned Christmas Fudge and Creamy Candy

1
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge- Better Than the Marshmallow Gunk
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge- Better Than the Marshmallow Gunk
This is real cooked fudge, made with sugar, milk and chocolate boiled to the soft ball stage and beaten until thick, with no marshmallow creme. No thermometer? Drop a little into cold water, and if it forms a soft ball, it's ready.
Check out this recipe
2
Fantasy Fudge From the Back of the Marshmallow Jar
Fantasy Fudge From the Back of the Marshmallow Jar
Fantasy Fudge is the creamy chocolate fudge from the back of the marshmallow creme jar, and it's about as close to foolproof as fudge gets. Start the five-minute timer only once the mixture is at a full rolling boil that keeps bubbling while you stir.
Check out this recipe
3
grandma's famous peanut butter fudge
grandma's famous peanut butter fudge
Sweet, soft and full of peanut butter flavor, this grandma's recipe takes just five ingredients. Measure everything before you start, because it comes together fast once the sugar and milk reach 235°F.
Check out this recipe
4
Eggnog Fudge
Eggnog Fudge
Eggnog, white chocolate and a pinch of nutmeg turn this fudge into Christmas in a square. Keep the chocolate and marshmallow creme right by the stove, since it starts to set the second it comes off the heat.
Check out this recipe
5
Easy Old-Fashioned Brown Sugar Fudge - also known as Penuche
Easy Old-Fashioned Brown Sugar Fudge - also known as Penuche
Penuche is old fashioned brown sugar fudge with a rich, caramel-like flavor, and it's the name many New Englanders know it by. This recipe comes from a 1930s cookbook. Use a wooden spoon, and don't stir at all while it cools so it stays smooth instead of grainy.
Check out this recipe
6
Old-Fashioned Divinity
Divinity is a fluffy, snow-white candy made by beating hot sugar syrup into whipped egg whites, then topping each piece with a pecan half. Make it on a dry day, because humid air keeps it from setting.
Check out this recipe
7
Grandmother's Date Nut Roll
Grandmother's date nut roll is a cooked candy of dates, milk, sugar and pecans, shaped into a log and sliced into rounds. Stir it the whole time it cooks to 235°F so the dates don't scorch.
Check out this recipe

Homemade Christmas Toffee, Brittle and Caramels

8
Easy English Toffee
Buttery, crunchy English toffee covered in milk chocolate and chopped nuts is the candy I most love to find in a holiday tin. Stir constantly and watch the pan closely, because toffee can scorch quickly.
Check out this recipe
9
Christmas Crack (Saltine Cracker Toffee)
Saltine cracker toffee, better known as Christmas crack, is a layer of crackers under brown sugar toffee, melted chocolate and pecans. It bakes at 400°F for just 5 minutes, then sets up while you clean the kitchen.
Check out this recipe
10
Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle
Old fashioned peanut brittle is cooked to 300°F, then stirred with a little baking soda right off the heat. That baking soda makes tiny bubbles, which give the brittle its light, snappy texture.
Check out this recipe
11
Old-Fashioned Soft Caramels
These soft, chewy caramels are made with brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated) cooked to 236°F. Wrap each piece in wax paper, and they'll keep at room temperature for about two weeks.
Check out this recipe
12
Southern Pecan Pralines
Southern pecan pralines are creamy, sugary candy patties loaded with pecans, like the ones sold in candy shops in New Orleans, Savannah and Charleston. Set out your parchment and scoop before you start, since the mixture thickens fast once it hits 250°F.
Check out this recipe
13
Homemade Turtles Candy
Turtles are little clusters of toasted pecans under homemade caramel and a cap of chocolate. Use parchment paper, not wax paper, because hot caramel sticks to wax paper.
Check out this recipe

Vintage Christmas Hard Candy and Mints

14
Candy Ribbon (Ribbon Candy)
Ribbon candy is the folded, glassy candy that sat in Christmas candy dishes for generations. This version from pastry chef Jacques Torres is a real weekend project, since the hot sugar is pulled until glossy before it's shaped, so save it for when you want a challenge.
Check out this recipe
15
Old-Fashioned Christmas Hard Tack Candy
Hard tack is a glassy cinnamon or peppermint candy cooked to the hard crack stage, broken into pieces and tossed in powdered sugar. Pour it fast and move the pan as you go, because it starts to set almost right away.
Check out this recipe
16
Homemade Candy Canes
Yes, you can make candy canes at home, and they're pulled and twisted by hand just like they were before a Chicago candy company patented a candy cane machine in 1921. Make a practice batch first, and keep the candy warm in a 170°F oven while you shape it.
Check out this recipe
17
Homemade Peppermint Bark
Dark and white chocolate layered with crushed candy canes is the easiest Christmas candy to make for a crowd. Spread the white chocolate in one even pass so it doesn't melt into the dark layer underneath.
Check out this recipe
18
Old-Fashioned Butter Mints
These melt-in-your-mouth butter mints are the kind you'd find in a little glass dish at holiday parties and showers. Add the peppermint extract a little at a time, since it's strong and you can't take it back out.
Check out this recipe
19
Homemade Peppermint Patties
Cool, creamy peppermint centers dipped in semi-sweet chocolate taste so much fresher than anything in a wrapper. If the dough is too soft to cut, pop it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes first.
Check out this recipe

No-Bake Old Fashioned Christmas Candy

20
Buckeyes
Buckeyes are peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate with a little circle left bare, so they look like the nut from Ohio's state tree. Rinse your hands now and then while rolling so the dough doesn't stick.
Check out this recipe
21
Bourbon Balls
Bourbon balls are a classic Southern no-bake candy, and this version uses gingersnap crumbs, toasted pecans and cocoa. Let the mixture rest for an hour before rolling so the crumbs soak up the bourbon.
Check out this recipe
22
Old Fashioned Rum Balls
Old fashioned rum balls are made with crushed vanilla wafers, cocoa, pecans and spiced rum, with no oven needed. Dust your hands with powdered sugar before rolling, because the dough is sticky.
Check out this recipe
23
Homemade Chocolate Cherry Cordials
Homemade chocolate covered cherries wrap a maraschino cherry in a sweet fondant and dip it in dark chocolate. Dry the drained cherries well on paper towels so the fondant seals around them.
Check out this recipe
24
Cathedral Window Candy
Cathedral window candy is a chocolate log studded with colored mini marshmallows, so every slice looks like stained glass. Slice it with a serrated knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between cuts.
Check out this recipe
25
Christmas Popcorn Balls with Marshmallows
Popcorn balls held together with melted marshmallow are an old fashioned Christmas treat the kids can help make. Butter your hands before shaping, and work while the popcorn is still warm.
Check out this recipe

Old Fashioned Christmas Candy FAQs

What are the most popular old fashioned Christmas candies?

Fudge, peanut brittle, divinity, English toffee, pecan pralines, peppermint bark, buckeyes and chocolate covered cherries are the classics. Most families also have one or two candies that only show up at Christmas, like ribbon candy, hard tack or a date nut roll.

Do I need a candy thermometer?

For cooked candy, yes, because a few degrees decide whether it turns out soft or brittle. Fudge, penuche and caramels cook to the soft ball stage (about 234 to 240°F), and brittle and hard candy cook to the hard crack stage (about 300 to 310°F). If you don't have one, the cold water test works: drop a bit of syrup into cold water and check whether it forms a soft ball or snaps.

How far ahead can I make Christmas candy?

Most fudge, toffee, brittle and caramels keep for 1 to 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature, so you can start in early December. Store hard candy and brittle away from humidity so they don't turn sticky, and check each recipe for its exact storage time.

What is the easiest Christmas candy for beginners?

Start with the no-bake candies: buckeyes, rum or bourbon balls, cathedral window candy, peppermint bark and butter mints don't need a thermometer at all. Saltine cracker toffee is a good next step, since it bakes for just 5 minutes.

More Old Fashioned Holiday Recipes

More Holiday Recipes

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