Delicious Homemade Cinnamon Rock Candy: An Easy Old-Fashioned Recipe for Sweet & Spicy Holiday Treats
Cinnamon Rock Candy is the ultimate sweet and spicy treat, perfect for adding a touch of old-fashioned charm to your festive holidays this year! This incredibly easy-to-make rock candy recipe brings together the classic, comforting flavors of cinnamon and sugar in a delightful crunchy form that everyone will adore. Get ready to impress your family and friends with this homemade confection that’s as beautiful as it is delicious.
Experience the Magic of Homemade Cinnamon Candy
Ah, the pure joy of homemade cinnamon rock candy! It’s a nostalgic treat that instantly transports you back to simpler times, evoking cherished childhood memories with every satisfying crunch. This particular recipe, crafted with the intense warmth of real cinnamon oil, stands out as one of the best you’ll find for its vibrant flavor and perfect hard crack texture. Whether you’re planning for festive gatherings during the holidays like Christmas, spreading love on Valentine’s Day, or celebrating with a touch of red for the Fourth of July, this old-fashioned candy recipe is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser. Once you taste this exquisite hard rock candy, its sweet heat and crisp texture will create a truly magical experience, reminding you of the first time you fell in love with cinnamon candy.
Making candy at home is a wonderful tradition, and this homemade candy has been enjoyed for generations. I absolutely love making a big batch and breaking the candy into charming little pieces. These can then be beautifully packaged in cute jars or festive bags, making them ideal for cooking or gift exchanges. Imagine presenting a jar of sparkling cinnamon rock candy as the perfect hostess gift, or simply a heartfelt token of love for your dearest friends and family. It’s a gift that truly comes from the heart and brings a smile to anyone who receives it.
A crucial note for aspiring candy makers: please ensure to keep children safely out of the kitchen during the cooking phase of this recipe. Making hard candy involves working with extremely hot sugar mixtures, which can cause severe burns. Safety is paramount! Once the candy has cooled and is ready for its final touch, that’s when the kids can happily join the fun, helping to dust the crunchy pieces with a delicate layer of sweet powdered sugar. It’s a fantastic way to involve them in the culinary process while ensuring their safety.
Are you hungry for more old-fashioned and utterly fun candy recipes to explore? Dive into our collection of 30 Holiday Candy Recipes. You’re sure to discover something delightful for every taste and occasion!
Why This Homemade Cinnamon Hard Candy is Unbeatable
There are countless reasons why this particular cinnamon rock candy recipe deserves a spot in your holiday baking repertoire. It’s not just a treat; it’s an experience!
- Surprisingly Easy: Don’t let the term “hard rock candy” intimidate you. While it may seem like a complex confectionery, this recipe is incredibly straightforward. It calls for simple, readily available ingredients and features very clear, easy-to-follow steps. The primary requirement is a little monitoring and attention to temperature, making it a fantastic project for even novice candy makers. You’ll be amazed at how easily you can create professional-looking hard candy at home.
- Intensely Delicious: Prepare your taste buds for an unforgettable sensation! This cinnamon candy perfectly balances the warm, comforting sweetness of sugar with the invigorating, spicy kick of pure cinnamon oil. Each crystal-clear piece delivers a delightful burst of flavor, leaving you craving more. The intense cinnamon flavor is truly what sets this homemade candy apart from store-bought varieties.
- Perfectly Sweet & Crunchy: As any good candy should be, this hard rock candy is engineered for optimal sweetness and texture. We use a combination of white granulated sugar, light corn syrup, and a final dusting of powdered sugar to ensure a profound sweetness that isn’t cloying. The corn syrup plays a vital role in preventing crystallization, guaranteeing a beautifully smooth, glass-like texture that shatters satisfyingly with every bite. It’s the ideal hard crack candy experience.
- Incredibly Versatile: Beyond being a delicious treat, this cinnamon rock candy is wonderfully versatile. Break it into small shards for snacking, use it to decorate holiday desserts, or crush it into a powder to sprinkle over ice cream or hot beverages. Its vibrant red hue also makes it perfect for themed events throughout the year, from Christmas and Valentine’s Day to summer festivities.
Essential Ingredients for Your Cinnamon Rock Candy
Gathering the right ingredients is the first step to creating this delectable cinnamon candy. Each component plays a crucial role in achieving the perfect flavor and texture.
- Butter or Oil: You’ll need a small amount of butter or neutral oil to generously grease both your parchment paper and the sheet pan. This essential step ensures the hot candy doesn’t stick and allows for easy removal once it’s set. Without proper greasing, you’ll have a sticky mess!
- Purified Water: Just a little bit of purified water is used to dissolve the sugar and corn syrup, forming the base of our candy syrup. It helps all the ingredients combine evenly and allows the mixture to reach the precise temperatures needed for hard candy.
- White Granulated Sugar: This is the star of the show when it comes to sweetness and structure. Granulated sugar provides the classic sweet flavor and is what allows the candy to set into a wonderfully hard, crystalline form. It’s truly a timeless and indispensable ingredient for any rock candy.
- Light Corn Syrup: Using corn syrup in hard candy recipes is a common and highly effective practice. It acts as an inverted sugar, which is crucial for preventing the sugar from crystallizing as it cooks. This results in a smooth, clear, and perfectly hard texture, rather than a grainy or sticky one. It’s key for that beautiful, professional finish.
- Red Food Coloring: While optional, a touch of red food coloring gives this cinnamon candy its iconic festive look. You can find red food coloring in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. The more drops you add, the deeper and more vibrant the red hue will be, allowing you to customize its appearance for any holiday.
- Cinnamon Candy Oil: This is the absolute key ingredient that gives our candy its bold, authentic cinnamon flavor and signature spice. Unlike extracts, candy oils are highly concentrated and can withstand high temperatures without losing their potency. You can adjust the amount of oil to fit your personal palate – use a little less for a milder flavor or more for an extra spicy kick. Look for it in the baking aisle, often near the flavor extracts, or at specialty candy-making stores.
- Powdered Sugar (Confectioners’ Sugar): You’ll need powdered sugar for the finishing touch. It serves two purposes: preventing the broken candy pieces from sticking together and adding a delicate hint of extra sweetness and a lovely matte finish.
How to Craft Your Own Cinnamon Hard Candy
This cinnamon hard rock candy recipe comes together more quickly than you might expect, promising a fun and rewarding experience in the kitchen. Let’s get ready to create some yummy, sweet, and spicy candy that everyone will love!
Important Safety Note: Due to the extremely high temperatures involved in candy making, it is essential to keep a bowl of cool water or ice water near you while preparing the candy. This is a critical precaution in case any of the hot sugar mixture accidentally comes into contact with your skin. Immediate immersion in cold water can help prevent serious burns.
Step One: Prepare Your Baking Pan
First, begin by generously buttering or oiling the bottom and all sides of a 15-inch x 10-inch x 1-inch rimmed metal sheet pan. This creates a non-stick surface. Next, carefully line the greased sheet pan with parchment paper, ensuring it covers the entire bottom and extends up the sides if possible. It’s crucial to then butter the parchment paper thoroughly all the way to its edges. This double layer of protection ensures the molten candy will not seep underneath the paper and stick to the pan, making removal effortless later on.
A critical warning: Do not substitute wax paper for parchment paper! Wax paper has a much lower melting point and will melt into your hot candy mixture, ruining your batch and potentially creating a hazardous situation. Always use parchment paper.
Step Two: Combine and Heat the Candy Base
In a large, deep heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the purified water, granulated sugar, light corn syrup, and red food coloring. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the mixture continuously until the sugar crystals have completely dissolved. The mixture should become clear and uniform before it starts boiling vigorously.
Once the sugar is dissolved, securely attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Ensure the tip of the thermometer is submerged in the sugar mixture but does not touch the bottom of the pan. This positioning is critical for obtaining an accurate temperature reading, which is paramount for hard candy success.
Step Three: Achieve the Hard Crack Stage
Allow the cinnamon sugar mixture to continue boiling without stirring until it reaches precisely 300 degrees Fahrenheit (this is known as the “hard crack stage”). This process typically takes about 20 minutes, but the time can vary based on your stovetop and pan. It’s imperative to watch the thermometer and the mixture very closely during this phase. At the hard crack stage, a drop of the syrup plunged into cold water will form hard, brittle threads that break easily. This is the ideal stage for crisp, hard rock candy.
If the mixture appears to boil too close to the edges of the pan, gently remove it from the heat for a moment. Stir it carefully until the vigorous bubbles subside, then return it to the heat to continue boiling. This helps prevent scorching and ensures even cooking.
Pro Tip: It’s generally better for the candy to be slightly over 300°F (e.g., 301-302°F) rather than under! If it’s even a degree or two under, your candy might turn out chewy or sticky instead of perfectly brittle. Precision is key here!
Step Four: Incorporate Flavor and Pour
Once your sugar mixture registers 300°F on the candy thermometer, immediately remove the pan from the heat. Working very quickly, carefully stir in the cinnamon oil. You must work fast because the mixture will begin to harden rapidly as it cools. Stir just enough to fully incorporate the oil.
Important Safety Reminder: Keep your face well away from the mixture while stirring in the cinnamon oil, and always work in a very well-ventilated area. Cinnamon oil is extremely potent, and the fumes can be quite strong and irritating. Opening windows or turning on an exhaust fan is highly recommended.
Immediately after stirring in the oil, pour the hot cinnamon mixture evenly into your prepared pan. Do not scrape the bottom of the pan, as this can introduce crystallization. Allow the candy to cool undisturbed for at least four hours, or ideally overnight, until it is completely hard and brittle.
Step Five: Dust with Powdered Sugar
Once the candy has fully cooled and hardened (after at least four hours), it’s time for a sweet finish. Evenly sprinkle a generous amount of powdered sugar over the cooled candy. You can add more or less powdered sugar according to your preference; it helps prevent sticking and adds an extra touch of sweetness.
Step Six: Remove Paper and Break into Pieces
Carefully flip the entire sheet of hardened candy over onto a large, sturdy cutting board or another clean cookie sheet. Gently and slowly peel away the parchment paper from the back of the candy. If the paper sticks, it indicates the candy might need a bit more cooling time. Once the paper is removed, carefully return the candy sheet back to its original pan.
Step Seven: Break and Store
Now for the fun part! Using the tip of a sharp, sturdy knife, or even a small hammer (gently!), carefully break the large sheet of candy into desired bite-sized pieces. You can make them as small or as large as you like. After breaking, if desired, dust the newly exposed surfaces with a bit more powdered sugar to prevent any stickiness and ensure each piece is coated beautifully. Finally, store your delicious homemade cinnamon rock candy in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain its crispness and fresh flavor.
Enjoy this delightful hard rock candy any time of the year! It’s the perfect treat whenever you find yourself with a craving for something wonderfully sweet, intensely spicy, and satisfyingly crunchy. Share it, gift it, or keep it all to yourself – the choice is yours!
Love This Festive Cinnamon Rock Candy Recipe? Pin It for Later!
Whenever you’re searching for an easy, impressive, and utterly delicious homemade candy recipe, be sure to save this old-fashioned cinnamon rock candy recipe to your Pinterest board. It’s perfect for holiday baking, special occasions, or just a sweet treat for yourself. Pin it now so you can easily find it for your next candy-making adventure!
Expert Tips for Perfect Cinnamon Rock Candy
Achieving perfect hard candy is all about precision and attention to detail. Here are some extra tips to ensure your cinnamon rock candy turns out perfectly every time:
- Prioritize Safety: As mentioned, preparing this recipe involves very high temperatures. Always practice extreme caution. Wear long sleeves and even oven mitts to protect your arms, and keep a clear workspace. Having that bowl of ice water nearby is non-negotiable for immediate treatment in case of splashes.
- Parchment Paper is a Must: We cannot stress this enough – I heavily recommend using parchment paper. It’s the secret to easily transferring the candy out of the pan and prevents frustrating sticking. Do not skip this step, and definitely do not substitute wax paper.
- Adjust Spice Levels: For an extra spicy cinnamon hard candy, don’t hesitate to increase the cinnamon oil. Using two teaspoons will provide a much more intense, fiery kick that true cinnamon lovers will appreciate. Start with one teaspoon for a balanced flavor, then adjust next time if you prefer more heat.
- Beware of Humidity: Humidity can be the enemy of hard candy! Sometimes the humidity levels in your kitchen can significantly affect the results of hard candy, making it sticky or soft even after cooling. For best results, try to make candy on a dry day. If your climate is consistently humid, consider reducing the amount of water slightly (e.g., by 1-2 tablespoons) or simply ensure your candy is stored in an airtight container immediately after cooling and breaking.
- Proper Storage for Longevity: Once cooled and broken, store your cinnamon rock candy in an airtight container at room temperature. Avoid refrigerating, as condensation can make it sticky. Stored correctly, it can last for several weeks, making it ideal for advance holiday preparation.
- Gifting Ideas: This candy makes an exquisite gift! Package the broken pieces in decorative glass jars, cellophane bags tied with festive ribbons, or small tins. Add a personalized tag for a thoughtful touch.
- Cleaning Up: Don’t try to scrape hardened sugar from your saucepan. Instead, fill the pot with water and bring it to a boil over medium heat. The hot water will dissolve the residual sugar, making cleanup effortless.
Creative Serving Suggestions for Your Rock Candy
This versatile cinnamon rock candy isn’t just for snacking! Its vibrant flavor and beautiful color make it a fantastic addition to various sweet and savory spreads. Consider these delicious and flavorful serving suggestions:
- Holiday Candy Platters: Arrange it alongside other festive treats like fudge, chocolates, and cookies for an eye-catching and delicious holiday dessert platter.
- Garnish for Desserts: Crush some pieces finely and sprinkle over ice cream, cupcakes, or even a classic apple pie for an extra layer of crunch and spicy-sweet flavor.
- Hot Beverage Stirrers: While this candy is typically broken into pieces, a larger shard could be used as an edible stirrer for hot chocolate or coffee, slowly infusing your drink with cinnamon goodness.
- Edible Gift Toppers: Use a few pieces to adorn wrapped gifts, adding a personalized and delicious touch.
- Party Favors: Individual bags of this candy make delightful party favors for any gathering, leaving guests with a sweet memory.
- Pair with Cheese: For a sophisticated twist, serve alongside mild cheeses and fruit for a unique sweet and savory combination.
Whenever you’re baking holiday desserts or exploring holiday candy recipes, this cinnamon rock candy will undoubtedly add a spectacular touch to the mix!
Other Sweet Recipes You Will Love
If you enjoyed making this classic cinnamon rock candy, you’ll surely love these other delightful recipes from our kitchen. They’re perfect for expanding your candy-making skills or simply indulging your sweet tooth!
- Never Fail Fudge: A truly reliable recipe that lives up to its name, promising rich, creamy fudge every single time.
- Chocolate Peppermint Stirring Spoons: Festive and fun, these make perfect edible gifts or additions to hot cocoa.
- Fresh Strawberry Pie: A vibrant, fresh, and irresistibly sweet pie that’s perfect for spring and summer.
- Eggnog Fudge: Capture the essence of the holidays in a rich, smooth fudge with this seasonal favorite.
- Three Ingredient Peanut Clusters: Incredibly easy and satisfyingly crunchy, these clusters are a quick go-to treat.
- Bittersweet Chocolate Bourbon Balls: A sophisticated and flavorful no-bake treat for adults.
- Candy Bar Fudge: Turn your favorite candy bars into a decadent fudge with this creative recipe.
- Rocky Road Brownies: A classic combination of rich brownies, marshmallows, and nuts for ultimate indulgence.
- Oreo Truffles: Simple, elegant, and addictively delicious, these truffles are always a hit.
Ready to whip up some delightful old-fashioned cinnamon candy? Let’s get cooking! 
LIKE THIS RECIPE?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and
leave a comment below the recipe!
Print Recipe
Cinnamon Rock Candy
Equipment
-
Thermapen Mk4 Instant-read Thermometer
-
ThermoPop by ThermoWorks
-
Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Nonstick 1-Quart Saucepan with Lid
-
13×18 Half Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 3 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon candy oil (if you prefer it extra spicy, use 2 teaspoons)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
-
Butter the bottom and the sides of a 15-inch x 10-inch x 1-inch rimmed metal sheet pan. Then line with parchment paper, and butter the parchment paper all the way to the edges to prevent the candy from seeping underneath and sticking.
-
Over medium-high heat, in a large deep pan mix water, sugar, corn syrup, and food coloring until the sugar begins to dissolve. Use a candy thermometer attached to the side of the pan to get an accurate temperature. (take care not to let the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan)
-
Boil until the sugar mixture reaches 300 degrees (hard crack stage) This should take about 20 minutes. Make sure to watch it closely. If the mixture begins to boil too close to the edge of the pan, remove it from the heat, give it a stir, and when the bubbles calm down, return it to the heat.
-
Once the mixture reaches 300 degrees (or a little over) remove from heat and stir in the cinnamon oil, working quickly. Try to keep your face away from the hot mixture as it is strong. Make sure to work in a well-ventilated area. Pour the candy into the prepared sheet pan immediately. Then allow it to cool for 4 hours.
-
After 4 hours dust the top of the candy with powdered sugar. Next, flip candy over onto a cutting board or another cookie sheet, and remove parchment paper. Return candy back to the original cookie sheet, and use the tip of a sharp knife to break the candy into bite-size pieces.
-
Dust with more powdered sugar and store in an airtight container.
Notes
Make sure to keep a bowl of ice-cold water nearby. The candy is extremely hot and will cause burns. If it comes in contact with your skin, submerge it in cold water immediately.
Do not use wax paper in place of parchment paper. It cannot withstand the high temperature of the candy.