Lollipops are the perfect sweet treat to share with friends and family. Whether it’s a holiday or just a fun treat, these homemade candy suckers are easy to make and taste delicious!
How to Make Homemade Lollipops
Traditional lollipops require a sugar syrup, a candy thermometer, and a lot of watching. If you’re not careful, your sugar syrup could crystallize and your pops won’t turn out right!
The good news is that you can easily make your own pops with a simple recipe that’s perfect for making large quantities. Plus, you can easily change the flavors of your lollipops by adding extract and food coloring to the mix!
You’ll also want to have some oven-safe silicone lollipop molds on hand. You can buy these at most craft stores or online, but make sure that they’re heat-safe!
Depending on the size of your molds, you can get up to 6-10 suckers per batch. Spraying or lubricating your molds before you pour the mixture in them will help keep them from sticking to the sugar mixture.
Once you’ve prepared your lollipop ingredients, you’ll want to boil the sugar syrup until it reaches 300F (or hard-crack stage based on your candy thermometer). Once the candy has reached this temperature, add flavoring, food coloring, and citric acid. Be sure that you’re using a clear liquid extract so that your candy will maintain its crystal-clear color once it’s set up!
When your lollipop mixture has come to a boil, act quickly and pour a couple Tablespoons on a silicon mat or into your lollipop molds. Be careful to not let the candy harden too quickly on the mat, as you’ll need to work quick to get it setup in your lollipop sticks and sprinkles!
Topping your lollipop with sprinkles is a great way to add extra flair and personality. I like to use edible cookie dough in my lollipop decorations, but you can also use a variety of different candy toppings.
I usually make my lollipop decorations in the same color as the candy so that they’ll blend together nicely and look more attractive. You can also opt for a different food coloring to make the candy more aesthetically appealing.
You can even mix the flavoring and colors before you boil the sugar, so that your candy will be a consistent hue throughout. I recommend a bright red for cinnamon, yellow for vanilla, and green for mint.
Once your lollipop has set up, you’ll want to peel off the silicone mats. Be sure to do so gently or you might break the candy.
If your candy has started to harden on the mats, you can place them in the oven for 30 second intervals until they’re able to loosen up again. This will make it easier to remove the candy from the mats and clean up your kitchen in the process!
After the candy has cooled, you can cut it into pillow-shaped pieces and dust with powdered sugar or simply store in airtight containers. You can also use these hard-candy rounds to decorate your cookies, cakes, and other treats!