On Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, there is a tradition of eating apples dipped in honey symbolizing the hope for a sweet New Year. Sparkling Honey Lollipops make beautiful Rosh Hashanah gifts for family and friends. Enjoy them as honey candy or as tea stirrers, adding smooth honey sweetness as they melt into the tea!
Why you'll love this recipe
With this recipe, making Honey Lollipops is super easy, and can even be done without a candy thermometer if you don’t have one.
The internet is full of honey candy recipes with honey as the only ingredient. However, honey by itself burns before it gets hot enough to make hard candy.
Honey Lollipops need added glucose to harden. Honey is 40% fructose, 30% glucose, 1% sucrose, 9% bee spit (tmi, I know!).
Corn syrup is mostly glucose and flavorless. Honey plus corn syrup has the chemistry, when heated, to avoid crystallizing and produce a golden syrup that hardens into honey flavored candy.
At first, I was only thinking of Rosh Hashanah gifts as I made the apple shaped honey candy, but once they were wrapped and glowing like little pieces of amber, I realized that Honey Lollipops are full of gift giving potential.
Solve all of your holiday gift giving troubles right now! Teachers, friends, and family are sure to appreciate a special mug filled with a variety of tea bags and Honey Lollipop stirrers!
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Add sugar to a small saucepan. Carefully pour corn syrup, honey, and 2 tablespoons water on top of the sugar, avoiding splashing or dripping on the sides of the pan.
- Over a medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring gently without splashing, only until sugar dissolves. Boil for about 10 minutes, until a candy thermometer reads 310 degrees.
- Remove the pan from the heat and immerse the bottom of the pan in an ice water bath for about 20 seconds to stop the cooking. Carefully wipe dry all water from the pan before proceeding.
- Pour syrup into candy molds sprayed with nonstick spray. Add sucker sticks and twist the stick so that the tip is coated in syrup.
Storage
Allow honey candy to cool and harden at room temperature. The lollipops should be hard, shiny, and ready to pop out of the molds and wrap in plastic in about 15 minutes. Store lollipops wrapped individually in plastic (bags or wrap) at room temperature in an airtight container or freezer weight ziplock bag for up to 7 days.
Tips
- A candy thermometer indicates when the syrup reaches the “hard ball” stage (310˚F) after about 10 minutes of cooking. Dripping a tiny drop of the syrup into cold water will either harden immediately (ready!) or remain soft (keep cooking a bit). When the syrup is at the hard ball stage, it is ready to be poured into molds or free-form shapes on parchment paper.
- Please don't attempt this recipe without the corn syrup. Honey by itself burns before it gets hot enough to make hard candy. Honey only lollipops will be either soft or burnt.
- This recipe makes the correct amount of syrup for the 4 molds I used. Leftover syrup will harden and cannot be reheated. If you have more molds, you can double the recipe. If you have less molds, make free-form honey candy on parchment paper with any leftover syrup.
- Add these treats to a mug with tea bags for a great gift idea.
- Chilly weather and flu season are around the corner. A care package of cold remedies would be extra special with sore throat soothing Honey Lollipops!
- For beautiful gift toppers and homemade candy for the holiday season, Honey Lollipops can be molded into a wide variety of shapes.
- Circle lollipops morph into a gourmet treat with a quick dip in melted chocolate and a dash of holiday sprinkles.
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Frequently asked questions
Pour free form circles onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Add the lollipop sticks and allow the syrup to cool and harden.
It's important that the honey mixture heats to the hard ball temperature to ensure that sufficient water has been cooked out. If there is too much moisture, the lollipops won't harden.
Stir the mixture gently only until the sugar has dissolved. Stirring too vigorously or too much can cause the sugar to cystalize making the candy grainy.
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Honey Lollipops for Licking, Stirring, and Gifting
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup honey
- ⅓ cup light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Prepare candy molds by spraying lightly with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine ice and water to create an ice water bath and set aside.
- Add sugar to a small saucepan. Carefully pour corn syrup, honey, and 2 tablespoons water on top of the sugar, avoiding splashing or dripping on the sides of the pan.
- Over a medium low heat, bring to a boil, stirring gently without splashing, only until sugar dissolves.
- Boil for about 10 minutes, until a candy thermometer reads 310 degrees. (If not using a candy thermometer, drip a bit of the mixture into the ice water. If it forms a hard candy ball it is ready. If the ball is still soft, cook a few moments longer and repeat.)
- Remove the pan from the heat and immerse the bottom of the pan in the ice water bath for about 20 seconds to stop the cooking. Carefully wipe dry all water from the pan before proceeding.
- Pour syrup into candy molds. Add lollipop sticks and twist the stick so that the tip is coated in syrup.
- Allow to cool and harden at room temperature. The lollipops should be hard, shiny, and ready to pop out of the molds and wrap in plastic in about 15 minutes.
- Store lollipops wrapped individually in plastic (bags or wrap) at room temperature in an airtight container or freezer weight ziplock bag for up to 7 days.
Notes
- This recipe makes the correct amount of syrup for the 4 molds I used. Leftover syrup will harden and cannot be reheated. If you have more molds, you can double the recipe. If you have less molds, make free-form candy on parchment paper with any leftover syrup.
- A candy thermometer indicates when the syrup reaches the “hard ball” stage (310˚F) after about 10 minutes of cooking. Dripping a tiny drop of the syrup into cold water will either harden immediately (ready!) or remain soft (keep cooking a bit). When the syrup is at the hard ball stage, it is ready to be poured into molds or free-form shapes on parchment paper.
- Please don't attempt this recipe without the corn syrup. Honey by itself burns before it gets hot enough to make hard candy. Honey only lollipops will be either soft or burnt.
- Pack individually wrapped lollipops securely in a well padded container.
- If the container itself is not airtight, wrap the container in plastic wrap or enclose in a freezer weight ziplock bag.
- The objective is to keep air and humidity from making the candy sticky.
Nutrition
First Published: October 7, 2016. Last Updated: August 23, 2022. Updated for additional information and better reader experience.
Lemongrass
Both of the molds you linked to include instructions that say they're NOT to be used to make hard candy.
Wendy Sondov
The linked molds are the exact brand and shape of mold I used for these lollipops. I believe the information about not using for candy is new and that the type of plastic used may have changed. Loranne makes a plastic lollipop mold that specifically says for use with hard candy https://amzn.to/4cjbY0g
Barb
I'm anxious to try your recipe. In fact, I wish I would have seen it before the recipe that just ended up in the trash! Thank you for your helpful hints, and I'm sure the lollipops will be a success this time!
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Barb. Candy REALLY can be tricky. I hope the tips are helpful in creating beautiful lollipops for you. I did try recipes with all honey in them and the pops just never got solid. Moisture in the air can disrupt candy making also. Try not to make candy on a rainy day and wrap up the candy as soon as possible. I hope your candy making is fun and a huge success. Please let me know if you have any questions I might be able to answer.
VJM
Recipe turned out perfect, though not as beautiful as yours! I just used parchment & toothpicks, made them small to enjoy as a little snack that doesn’t become too sweet. You can really taste the honey. I went about 13 mins vs. the recommended 10 mins for boiling just because I prefer more of a burnt / brulee flavor to balance the sweetness. Nothing stuck to the parchment or silpat I used for cooling my batches. They stored nicely & if they begin to soften before I can consume, I will simply add to a cocktail, bedtime tea, or warm milk as a comforting sweetener! Thank you for posting this amazing yet easy recipe. I was worried about my candy making skills, terrified of crystals forming, but all went well with the precise tips / instructions you provided. As a bonus, entire home smells warm and amazing, like sugar cookies & creme brulee!
Wendy Sondov
Good to hear that you had excellent results with this recipe! The wonderful aroma of sugar cookies and crem brulee sounds WONDERFUL! Someone should turn it into a scented candle. 🙂
S
After the mixture is poured into the milked, how do you remove / clean the remainder of the candy from the pot? Quickly? Or do you throw away the pot?
Asking before I try this recipe! Selling the best candy pot cleaning advice!
Wendy Sondov
What ever is in the pot is just melted sugar like the lollipops. It should melt/disolve in water. Fill the pot with water and let it sit for a little while then it should rinse clean.
Heather
Hi, I'm a beekeeper in Louisiana; I was looking for other ways to use my honey and was very happy with your recipe, it's the third Honey lollipop recipe I have tried and it came out the best, the others came out way to soft and sticky! I added Cherry oil and freeze dried cherry bits to mine for additional flavor. I store mine in the freeze for a longer life span, it's very humid down here!
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Heather. I tried a number of recipe before this one too, and was happiest with this one. I believe that the corn syrup is essential to keeping the candy from being too soft. Your cherry additions sound delicious! Thanks for the freezer tip!
Claudia
This will be my recipe going forward!
Thank you so much and God Bless♥️
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Claudia. I am delighted that you are so happy with these lollipops! Thanks for the 5 star rating!
Jennifer
Hi there!!!!
Im going to try your recipe, it looks great!!!!
Just a question though....
I've made Honey Lollipops before and wrapped them in a small cello baggie, and after about 2 weeks, you couldn't unwrap the pops without tearing the wrapper, and some of the wrapper was stuck like glue to the lollipop!!!!!!
Have you had this happen to yours?
I even stored them in an airtight container with multiple dessicants and yet this happened!!! maybe the cello is too thin? When I wrapped the pops they were completely perfect! Not tacky at all, and hard as they should be!
Thanks in advance!!!!!
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Jennifer. I experienced the same thing as you, which is why the recipe says up to 7 days. It's the moisture in the air that makes them melt. Sugars are like sponges for moisture even if you don't think the air is humid! The only thing I can think of is vacuum sealing the cellophane wrapped lollipops, maybe 6 or 12 in a pack. I haven't tried this but it may be worth a go. Good luck!
Gloria T
They turned out perfect, even at high altitude 7,300 ft. I followed your instructions to the letter. Thanks so much!
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Gloria! Wow! I know that candy making and baking can be tricky at high altitude. I'm delighted to hear that your lollipop turned out perfect! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. Enjoy.
Jules Fern
Hi. I bought a glass cooking pot with a small nozzle for easy pouring. Any suggestions on what to use for stirring the syrup? Eg rubber spatula, metal spoon or wooden spoon?
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Jules. Your glass cooking pot sounds so helpful, especially with the pouring spout! I think any non metal utensil would be fine. I'm not sure why candy making instructions say to use a non metal utensil when usually the pot is metal, but those are the instructions I followed for this recipe. I usually use a silicone spatula, but a wooden spoon would work too. Good luck with your candy making!
Whitney
How do you prevent the honey mixture from flowing down to the stick part of the mold?
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Whitney. If you take a look at the photo of my circle lollipops in the mold, you will see that some of mine slowed down to the stick part of the mold too. I have two suggestions. First, it's a matter of pouring less in the mold. Second, the extra will often break off easily once the candy is hard or just leave it there.
Teresa A. Kesterson
Where in the world can I get the apple shaped mold that you used ? I tried to find them and cannot.
Wendy Sondov
Hi Teresa. I got my molds from a candy and cake store, however they are also available online from candy supply companies and from Amazon (https://amzn.to/3wCy490)
Phyllis Thornton
This was a Pintrest fail. I ordered the molds to make these lollipops for company. They would have been a cute addition to my coffee bar. I made them following the directions exactly. I even had a candy thermometer. They never hardened. They were so soft and sticky I couldn't even put them in the little bag. I was so disappointed
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Phyllis. I am sorry to hear that your lollipops didn't harden! I find that candy is tricky and have had my own disappointing failures and which I think can be caused by both too much moisture in the air (never make candy on a rainy day!), the candy being exposed to the air for too long before wrapping, and sometimes the slightest variation in the candy temperature. I always check the accuracy of my thermometer by sticking it in boiling water which should read 212° F.
Linda
I would like to make pomegranate flavored honey lollipops. My daughter buys them to use in her tea and I'd like to try making them at home for her instead. How and when would I add flavoring? Also, why do those honey tea lollipops purchased in the store (Home Goods, TJ Maxx, tea stores) last so long compared to home made?
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Linda. First please note that I removed your last name as you requested. I would try mixing in the flavoring right before pouring, after you remove the cooked syrup from the heat. As far as the shelf life goes, I'm not an expert. However, my guess is that it's the honey that makes these lollipops go soft. When you make plain homemade lollipops with just sugar and corn syrup, they stay hard for a very long time. It's likely that the store bought candies have little to no honey in them and instead add honey flavoring to a sugar syrup mixture.