30+ Homemade Christmas Candy Recipes (2024)

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Credit: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Jennifer Wendorf, Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Christina Daley

It doesn't get much sweeter than cookie butter topped with white chocolate—and that's what we adore about these buckeyes. Best of all, the easy balls come together quickly in one bowl: Just beat all the ingredients, scoop, and dip in chocolate. You can get as creative as you want with the drizzle, too, so this would be a perfect baking activity to do with the kids.

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Credit: Jeffery Cross; Styling: Kelly Allen

Melt chocolate, spread it out, and add your favorite toppings--that's almost all there is to making bark. We added one important step, though: tempering the chocolate (carefully melting and cooling it to specific temperatures while adding large chunks of unmelted chocolate) so the bark stays shiny and snappy. For other flavor options, try White Chocolate, Pistachio, and Apricot Bark or Nutella Bark.

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Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

This boozy confection headlines many a list of classic Christmas candies, but not everyone knows that it comes in three distinct styles. Chocolate, pecans, and a splash of bourbon figure in each of them, but variations commence from there. We guarantee you'll earn compliments throughout the holiday season with this dessert, no matter how your bourbon balls roll.

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Credit: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Zapalowski

The term "Buckeye Balls" is code for delicious chocolate-and-peanut butter candy goodies.

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Credit: Oxmoor House

Make the easiest candy ever for this holiday season's gifts. You only need three ingredients and a loaf pan.

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Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Buffy Hargett

The hot caramel mixture needs to be poured immediately after stirring in vanilla, so be sure to butter your pan ahead of time.

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Covered in butter, brown sugar and pecans, Graham Pralines are a decadent, sweet treat.

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Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Traditionally colored in a rainbow of pastel hues, butter mints are light and crisp with a buttery richness, a refreshing minty flavor, and a texture that melts in your mouth. The classic recipe is a little tricky and requires expert candy making skills. But with our simplified Christmas Butter Mints, which require no cooking and only a few kitchen staples, you can whip up a batch in no time.

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Credit: Aaron Kirk; Prop Stylist: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

This gingerbread fudge is the perfect "something different" to add to your holiday confections spread. Offering all of the toasty, familiar flavors of gingerbread and the creamy-rich texture of your favorite fudge, it's the perfect mash-up of two holiday favorites. Plus, in keeping with the classic marshmallow fluff base, we've also kept this homemade holiday candy as easy as can be to mix up.

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Credit: Annabelle Breakey

An extra-crisp toffee with a spark of salt makes a perfect afternoon snack or food gift. This candy keeps well, so feel free to double the recipe.

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Credit: Linda Pugliese; Styling: Kaitlyn Du Ross Walker

When cooking sugar to a high temperature, things move very quickly in the last few minutes or even seconds. To avoid burned sugar syrup, be sure to have the almonds toasted and ready to go before starting. A significant amount of vinegar in this brittle adds complex flavor.

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Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

A gift of Homemade Caramel Taffy will be a sure hit for the caramel connoisseur on your list.

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Credit: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Zapalowski

Make a batch of coconut balls and give them as gifts. As the title says, there is no baking involved and with less than 7 ingredients, it couldn't be any easier to make these treats.

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Credit: Oxmoor House

Spooning this cookie-and-candy filled fudge into a homemade ring mold makes a fun project that the kids will want to take part in.

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This buttery almond toffee is easy and delicious and can make the perfect homemade holiday gift.

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This old-school candy reminds us of divinity and other traditional homemade Southern sweets. The recipe is a testament to the genius of thrifty cooks who based the confection on leftover mashed potatoes.

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Credit: Beth Branch

Oreo Truffles are an easy way to impress guests at your nextget-together. Guests will never have to know they only require four ingredients!

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Credit: Oxmoor House

This holiday snack mix is the perfect blend of salty and sweet flavors. It's made with pretzels, peanuts, cereal, and white chocolate chips, making it a favorite of children and reindeer everywhere!

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Credit: Marcus Nilsson; Styling: Robyn Glaser

Pistachio and Pine Nut Brittle is a sweet spin on the traditional peanut brittle. This nut candy also includes dried cranberries, giving the brittle a festive color of red and green (from the pistachios) for the holidays.

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Credit: Ryan Benyi; Styling: Stephana Bottom

These homemade caramels make for a delightful Christmas gift for those on your list with a sweet tooth. Wrap in holiday-themed cellophane for a festive touch.

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Christmas isn't complete without a dose of eggnog. Try your favorite holiday drink in a candy recipe. Eggnog fudge incorporates the rich flavor of eggnog in an already classic holidaydessert recipe.

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Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

How could a plump, snowball-shaped confection with the celestial name "divinity" fall completely out of favor, losing its prized spot on the Christmas dessert table in a few decades' time? Traditionally studded with pecans and swiftly made from a few simple ingredients, divinity is a delightful turn-of-the-century heirloom worth restoring to its former lofty place. We've tweaked our usual old fashioned divinity recipe by swapping out the nuts for crushed peppermint candies.

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Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Think a bourbon ball is a bourbon ball is a bourbon ball? Think again. Try coating them in spiced toasted pecans for a sweet-salty variation and you'll be a convert for life.

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Requiring a mere 2 ingredients (both of which are likely already in your pantry), this is the fudge you can make with one only one hand. Packing an intensely chocolatey flavor, this easy fudge recipe is sure to please.

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Sweet, salty and crunchy all combine in this easy 4-ingredient chocolate candy recipe that's perfect for gift-giving and entertaining. Note that this candy will soften slightly while at room temperature if you're planning to give some as a gift.

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Credit: Oxmoor House

Six simple ingredients are all you need to create this easy snack. Share this favorite family recipe.

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Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr

A candy thermometer is a must for preparing this rich, buttery treat. The syrup mixture bubbles up when you sprinkle it with baking soda, so use a long-handled spoon for stirring. Because the toffee holds well at room temperature, it also makes a good gift.

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Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

These decadent candies get their mocha kick from coffee liqueur, unsweetened cocoa powder, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

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Credit: Jeffery Cross; Styling: Kelly Allen

Addictive chocolate-hazelnut spread stars in our two-tone version of chocolate bark. Making bark is easy--just melt chocolate, spread it out, and add your favorite toppings. We added one important step, though: tempering the chocolate (carefully melting and cooling it to specific temperatures while adding large chunks of unmelted chocolate) so the bark stays shiny and snappy.

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Credit: Oxmoor House

Savor the best of both salty and sweet in each bite of these unique candies.

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Credit: Oxmoor House

Salty pretzel nuggets are coated in white chocolate and combined with peppermints for an irresistible confection.

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Credit: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Randy Mon

There are few treats in this world better than a smooth, chocolatey, decadent morsel of fudge, and this recipe is one of the best we've tried.

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