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 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 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 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.
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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Ready to bake? Join the free membership group to get new recipes and a newsletter delivered to your inbox! You can also stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’d love to stay in touch!
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.
Meagan
I want to make these and send them to the deployment group my husband is with. They are heading to the Middle East and it will take a minimum of 15 days to arrive there before being sorted and available for pick up. If I wrap them up individually and then placed them in a food saver bag that sucks out all the air. How long would feel these lollipops would be good for? Thank you so much for the help!
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Meagan! Thank you to your whole family and to the group your husband is with for your service! Though most Monday Box recipes are great for military care packages, I am not confident that these lollipops will make it. As air gets to these, they start to soften and sort-of melt. Mine began to soften at 7 days. I know that vacuum sealing prolongs the shelf life by keeping out most of the air, so it is possible that it might work with these, but I haven't tried it. I would hate for you to put all the love, time and money into making these, just to have them arrive a sticky mess. If your husband is in a cool enough location, molded chocolate lollipops, or toffee might be a better idea. Good luck!
Kim
I just made these. Followed the recipe to a tee. They’re burnt. Not sure what happened but I did it on medium low heat and it took along time to reach 310. But I checked regularly for hard ball stage. They are real dark and you can taste the burnt in them.
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Kim. I am sorry that your lollipops burnt. Sugar burns quickly and a sauce pan that isn't heavy or heats unevenly can burn one area of the mixture, ruining the flavor for the entire batch. I've found candy making to be tricky. You have to trust your eyes and nose as well and use recipes as a guide. As the temperature of a hot sugar mixture rises, the lower temperature increase MUCH slower than once it reaches higher temps. Remove a pan from the heat when you think the color looks right. The temperature will continue to go up for a few minutes afterwards.
SHIRLEY
These are super nice but I wonder if it would hurt to add a drop of lemon to the mixture.
Wendy Sondov
Thanks, Shirley. I think a drop of lemon would be lovely. Lemon and honey not only taste good but are especially soothing to a sore throat!
Vee
Sounds like such a lovely idea, but I'm wondering if you've had any success at making with with honey as the only sweetener? I'm wondering if I double the honey and leave out the sugar if it would still come out as a hard candy.
Also have you had any issues with them softening up once they have hardened properly?
Wendy Sondov
Hi Vee. Candy is tricky and I am a beginner at candy making. When I made these, I had to learn from trial and error. In answer to your questions: I found recipes that used only honey but was never able to get them to harden properly. These pops WILL soften up after awhile. I found that when I wrapped them as soon as they cooled to minimize exposure to air/humidity, they stayed hard for up to 1 week. They were fine for mixing a cup of tea after that, but weren't nearly as pretty. I hope this helps!
Pat
Can you freeze them?
. I am thinking ahead to Christmas
Wendy Sondov
Hi Pat. No, unfortunately I think these would not do well in the freezer. I haven't tried, but I think the defrosting process would create moisture that would, at least partially, melt the lollipop. Would cookies on sticks (cookie pops) work for your Christmas idea? Many cookies freeze well. I was thinking that you could even make a log of shortbread, freeze the log until needed, then defrost/slice/ insert sticks/bake. Take a look at this recipe for a versatile dough that freezes beautifully and would make a delicious cookie on a stick! https://themondaybox.com/slice-and-bake-shortbread-one-dough-3-cookie-flavors/
PJ
The apple mold you used says chocolate mold (found it on Amazon). Did you have any problems with it melting? Were you able to reuse it? Thanks!
Wendy Sondov
Hi. I understand your concern. Hot sugar is a much higher temperature than hot chocolate. Happily, there were no problems with either of my plastic molds melting or warping. I used both the lollipop and the apple molds several times for these honey lollipops and other projects later. Good luck with your creations!
Gabbie
Hi there! Can I substitute the light corn syrup with honey?
Thanks!!
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Gabbie. I have never tried, but these are the reasons I think it would not work (or at least would need different timing and candy thermometer readings). When different sugars are heated in candy making, each type of sugar has a different temperature at which it burns, or hardens, or remains soft but firmed. I don't know the correct timing and temperature to turn liquid honey into a hard candy or if it is possible. In recipe testing for this post, my all honey pops were gooey failures. Adding the corn syrup made the difference for me. Good luck!
Gabby
Thanks for the quick response. I’m about to start the recipe and will let you know how they come out, very excited about this so I will follow your recipe!!
Wendy Sondov
No problem, Gabby! I hope your lollipops turn out great!
Lena
Question; Boiling honey takes away all of the healing properties .
"Honey should not be heated rapidly, over direct heat. Basically, the hotter you heat it, the more potential for reducing nutritional value. Excessive heat can have detrimental effects on the nutritional value of honey. Heating up to 37°C (98.6 F) causes loss of nearly 200 components, part of which are antibacterial. Heating up to 40°C (104 F) destroys invertase, an important enzyme.
Heating honey higher than 160 for any time period will cause rapid degradation and caramelization. Generally any larger temperature fluctuation (10°C is ideal for preservation of ripe honey) causes decay." -John Skinner, University of Tennessee
Wendy Sondov
Hi Lena. Thank you for sharing the information about honey. These lollipops are meant as candy. Candy is meant as an occasional treat. These lollipops are in no way intended or inferred to be used for health or healing purposes.
Keri Ann
Hi!! In super excited about making these tomorrow!! I have a couple of questions. Can I add cinnamon or lemon oils that are used in making candies to flavor them? Any other add in that you have tried and been successful with?
The Monday Box
Hi, Keri Ann! I see no reason why you couldn't add candy making flavor oil. Both cinnamon and lemon sound like great choices! I personally haven't made these with add ins, but I have seen cute pops with some sprinkles inside. I like the clear "amber" look, so I would keep the pops clear and add sprinkles or chocolate on the outside. Please note that these pops (as with all hard candy) are very sensitive to humidity. It is best to make them in dry weather and to wrap them asap. I hope you lollipops are delicious!
Kiwon
Thanks for the instructions. I've attempted to follow a couple of times but they seem to come out burnt, and I can never quite get the golden clearness that you got in the pictures. Always seems to take me a long time too. Are you heating at medium-low and keeping it at that same temperature?
The Monday Box
Hi, Kiwon. I'm sorry your lollipops are causing you trouble! This is the recipe I found the most success with after many failed attempts with other recipes! Of course, I can only guess what may be happening for you, but I will try to make some suggestions based on my experiences. First and most important, are you using exactly the ingredients in the recipe? Each sweetener has different chemical properties which lead to different results. Corn syrup (used in this recipe) has a different burn temperature than golden syrup, for example. Also, when I left out corn syrup, the lollipop syrup never reached the "hard ball" stage without burning and then the lollipops never got hard. Second, are you using a candy thermometer? Even if you are, I would start testing the hot syrup as soon as the sugar is fully dissolved using the test in the recipe. As soon as the drip of syrup hardens in cold water, remove the syrup from the heat. I do use medium-low temperature, adjusting lower only if the syrup was going to boil over. The color and clearness also might be influenced by the honey being used. I hope this helps! Good luck!
Kristin
I tries this recipe and followed the instructions step by step. They turned out beautifully. I looked forward to giving these out as gifts in the future.
The Monday Box
Hi, Kristin! Thank you so much for letting me know your lollipops were a success! 🙂 I hope the gift recipients enjoy them!
AstroArtyst
Hi, I'm wondering about heating up the honey that hot of a temperature. I've seen mixed reviews as to whether honey is helpful or more harmful after being heated past 110 degrees I believe it was. Does heating the honey that hot make it unhealthy at that point as in void of all the enzymes, vitamins and minerals that keep the body healthy. I'd love to make some herb infused lollies, but I'm not sure it's such a good idea.
The Monday Box
Hi. I make no claims about health value of any of the treats I share on The Monday Box. My recipes are for dessert snacks for care packages or home enjoyment. As indicated in this post, I personally use these lollipops as candy or as sweeteners to a cup of tea.
CHRISTINE
WHERE DID YOU GET THE STICKS FOR LOLLIPOPS?
The Monday Box
Hi Christine. The sticks I used are called Rock Candy Sticks. You can find them on Amazon ( https://amzn.to/2RQoiww ) or at Michaels (https://www.michaels.com/food-crafting-rock-candy-sticks-by-celebrate-it/10477813.html#q=rock+candy+sticks&start=1)
Kathy
I wonder if freshly grated ginger could be added to the mixture? Love the idea of honey ginger drops!
The Monday Box
Hi Kathy. I think that you could grate some ginger into the mixture, but I wonder if it would make the candy bumpy and rough? Also I wonder if the fresh ginger would cause the candy to get soft or mold sooner? Without the extra moisture of ginger, my lollipops stays fresh for about a week if protected from humidity.
Lexi
I made the lollipops with the coconut sugar, it worked but it was too sweet for my liking. Do you have any suggestions for making it not so sweet?
Lexi
Would dipping it in dark chocolate maybe make it not so sweet.
The Monday Box
Hi Lexi. I'm not sure whether or not your chocolate idea would work. The combined flavors are a delicious combination, but you would eat most of the chocolate before getting to the sweet lollipop. I think lemon (with or without a chocolate coating) might cut the sweetness of the lollipop itself.
The Monday Box
Hi Lexi. I am glad your coconut sugar lollipops worked! As for sweetness....they are candy made with sugar. Regardless of the kind of sugar used, candy is sweet. You could try adding a bit of lemon flavoring. Honey and lemon go well together and maybe a bit of tartness would make the flavor seem less sweet.
Lexi
I am doing a genius hour, and i was wonder if you could use coconut sugar instead of regular sugar to make it healthier? I was also wondering if you could add flavor to them?
The Monday Box
Hi, Lexi. I have never tried making hard candy with coconut sugar. Candy making is all about chemistry and temperature. When I tried a similar recipe that used only honey, the lollipops never got hard. The liquid amount and kind of sugars are different and resulted in a different finished product. I do not know how this recipe would work with coconut sugar. That said, I suggest researching the minimal advantages of coconut sugar over white sugar. The nutrients are minimal and the percentage of fructose is still high in coconut sugar. Especially when you consider that this a lollipop, not something that will be consumed frequently or in quantity, it seems like the possible health advantages of coconut sugar are negligible. I also have not tried flavoring. These are supposed to taste like honey. However, a few drops of candy flavoring should not effect the lollipop. Good luck with your genius hour.