A Santa decoration near a place of finished cinnamon candy.

The Best Cinnamon Candy Recipe EVER

My mom made this Best Cinnamon Candy Recipe for years and it is a current family favorite. It really is the Best Cinnamon Candy Recipe EVER!

Insert a scene from Elf- “Congratulations, you did it! The Best Cinnamon Candy Recipe EVER!” Ha! It really is a good recipe!

All components and ingredients for cinnamon candy on a counter top with Christmas tree in the background.

Old Fashioned Cinnamon Candy

So, cinnamon candy is probably a childhood comfort food for me. My dad would buy rolls of Reed’s Cinnamon candy and hand them out to those of us that could handle the sweet hot candy. I loved it…or did I just love my dad so much I wanted to be like him? Either way, I now love cinnamon candy.

Homemade Cinnamon Candy

So at Christmas I loved it when mom made this Best Cinnamon Candy Recipe EVER (named by me). It was my mom and my dad and Christmas all wrapped up in one delicious hard candy.

I’m hoping this is a recipe that will become a favorite for you and your family as well.

Come on, let’s make some memories!

Hand pouring cup of sugar into saucepan on the countertop with other components of the cinnamon candy near by.

Cinnamon Hard Candy Recipe

So I need to start with a caution. Making candy involves hot liquids at high temperatures. This isn’t something that littles would be safe doing. I’m thinking older kids would be more helpful and even then, adult supervision and careful action should be used.

That being said, there is something almost magical about making your own candy. Don’t let this caution deter you. Read all the following instructions and explanations first so you understand what to do and are ready with the ingredients and equipment when needed. Things happen fast when making candy!!

This Cinnamon hard Candy is so worth it!

Geek alert- educational stuff coming next

Supersaturated Concentration-

I made this recipe every year when I was teaching home economics (called FACS now). Making hard candy involves making a supersaturated solution. This is done by heating a solution of sugar dissolved in water. The solution becomes more concentrated (more sugar in less and less water) as it cooks to a high temperature. The result in this case will be a hard candy.

Hand pouring corn syrup into a pot of sugar on the counter top.

Different candies need different circumstances

This takes a specific set of circumstances, and they are outlined in the recipe. Primarily the circumstances are a particular ratio of sugar and water, not stirring after a certain point and heating the solution to a specific temperature.

Now I find this info FASCINATING, but if you don’t that's OK, it is still important you know that you can’t wing it and do whatever you want with the recipe and expect it to turn out OK. 🙂

So, how do you make The Best Cinnamon Candy Recipe EVER?

I’m glad you asked!

Prep equipment and ingredients

Get out all the ingredients and equipment BEFORE you begin.

This is very important in candy making as timing is important.

Particular ingredients, methods and temperatures cause the candy solution to react differently. That’s how you get such different types of candy (for example caramel or taffy compared to hard candy).

I digress…back to the cinnamon candy.

Saucepan of bubbling sugar on the stove with a candy thermometer resting in it.

Cinnamon Oil

Cinnamon Oil is a very potent oil. I buy my bottles of cinnamon oil at a pharmacy but have now seen small bottles sold in the baking section of some grocery stores. You only need a teaspoon, so it lasts from year to year. Store it high on a shelf so kids can’t get to it.

Set the cinnamon oil and red food coloring (optional) and a teaspoon to the side to be ready when the candy solution gets to the right temperature.

Note: The candy starts to harden very quickly. Take my advice and have things ready so it doesn’t set up in the pan!

Cookie sheet

Get out a cookie sheet with sides and spray with non-stick cooking spray so it is ready when the candy is cooked.

Sauce pan, sugar solution

Measure out and add the sugar, corn syrup, and water to a two-quart saucepan.

Place the saucepan on a burner, turn the heat on to medium to medium-high heat and stir.

Stir the solution until it dissolves and becomes more clear looking. It will go through kind of a bubbling and even foaming stage first. You can see that in the video.

Tip: I stir with a wooden spoon as it doesn’t get hot like a metal spoon does.

Candy thermometer

Then attach your candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan (bulb end in the candy solution) and DO NOT STIR.

You will see the temperature of the candy solution rise as it boils. Continue to turn up the heat on the burner until the temperature gets to 310 degrees.

Tip: Again, do not stir, that can crystalize the candy. The candy solution is supersaturating as it heats so that it will produce a hard candy as a final product.

NOTE- This is very hot, do not touch or leave unattended.

Cookie sheet of cinnamon candy rests on a counter top with a Santa decoration in the background.

310- the magic number

When the candy thermometer reads 310 degrees, slide the saucepan onto another burner and turn off the heat to the first burner.

Be sure to follow the instructions on the next step for safety.

Adding oil and coloring

Pour in the cinnamon oil and the red food coloring but DO NOT STIR YET.

Place the saucepan under an exhaust fan (if you have one) and lean back as you stir the solution.

Note: The cinnamon oil causes fumes as it is stirred in. The fumes smell strongly of cinnamon and contain some of the oil which can burn the skin and hurt the lungs. Once these fumes are done that lessons significantly.

Pour the solution out on the greased cookie sheet with sides. Set this where it can be as flat as possible and can cool.

Tip: Immediately put water in the saucepan and soak it and the spoons you used. The hard candy will dissolve in the water, so it is easy to clean up.

Hand holding large piece of broken homemade cinnamon candy with a Santa decoration in the background.

Break into pieces

When the candy has cooled, you are going to break it into bite sized pieces.

Tip: I use a food safe glove on the hand that holds the candy as I break it. The oil can hurt the skin and the breaking can make little sharp pieces.

Lift the sheet of candy up and use the back of a spoon to gently tap it and get it to break. Continue to break up the pieces until you have bite sized pieces.

Coat with powdered sugar

Place about ¼-⅓ cup of powdered sugar in a 1-gallon sized freezer bag.

Put the candy in the freezer bag and give it a gentle shake until the candy is coated by the powdered sugar.

NOTE- This keeps the candy from sticking together and soaks up the cinnamon oil that may be on the surface of the candy pieces.

You can’t see it, but at the end of the video when I lifted one piece of candy out of the bag to show you- I immediately popped it in my mouth!! I couldn’t wait to have some!

Keep the candy in the bag and it lasts for a couple weeks. If you don’t eat it all first!

Hand placing broken pieces of homemade cinnamon candies in a ziplock bag.

Cinnamon Christmas Candy for Gifts

A dear friend used this recipe and made bags of candy for teacher gifts each Christmas. It was a big hit with her kid's teachers and is a very inexpensive (but showy) Christmas gift!

Mom and dad, I’m thinking of you as I make my candy. I’m excited for the grands to have some when they are here.

Go ahead, let’s make some memories!

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A Santa decoration and plate of cinnamon candies sitting on a festive hand towel

More Cinnamon Recipes and Crafts!

Can't get enough cinnamon? I get it! Try these other spiced, cinnamon-y ideas from around the site!

Merry Christmas!!

Enjoy!

If you try this craft, let me know! Go ahead and leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo with #WelcometoNanas wherever you post.

Come join the fun at https://welcometonanas.com

Best Cinnamon Candy Recipe

Shelly

We have made this Best Cinnamon Candy Recipe for years and it is a family favorite. This classic DIY cinnamon candy is perfect for Christmas gifts or holiday parties!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Course Dessert

Cuisine Dessert

Servings 50 pieces or more

Calories 132 kcal

Equipment

2 quart saucepan
Wooden spoon
Candy thermometer
Cookie sheet with sides
Measuring cups and measuring spoons

Ingredients

Non-stick cooking spray
2 cups sugar
⅔ cups white syrup
½ cup water
Several drops of liquid Red Food Coloring (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon oil
Powdered sugar
One gallon freezer bag
Food safe plastic glove (optional)

Instructions

Set the cinnamon oil and red food coloring (optional) and a teaspoon to the side to be ready when the candy solution gets to the right temperature.
Get out a cookie sheet with sides and spray with non-stick cooking spray so it is ready when the candy is cooked.
Measure out and add the sugar, corn syrup, and water to a two-quart saucepan.
Place the saucepan on a burner, turn the heat on to medium to medium-high heat and stir.
Stir the solution until it dissolves and becomes more clear looking. It will go through kind of a bubbling and even foaming stage first. You can see that in the video.
Then attach your candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan (bulb end in the candy solution) and DO NOT STIR.
You will see the temperature of the candy solution rise as it boils. Continue to turn up the heat on the burner until the temperature gets to 310 degrees.
NOTE- This is very hot, do not touch or leave unattended.
When the candy thermometer reads 310 degrees, slide the saucepan onto another burner and turn off the heat to the first burner.
Be sure to follow the instructions on the next step for safety.
Pour in the cinnamon oil and the red food coloring but DO NOT STIR YET.
Place the saucepan under an exhaust fan (if you have one) and lean back as you stir the solution.
Note: The cinnamon oil causes fumes as it is stirred in. The fumes smell strongly of cinnamon and contain some of the oil which can burn the skin and hurt the lungs. Once these fumes are done that lessons significantly.
Pour the solution out on the greased cookie sheet with sides. Set this where it can be as flat as possible and can cool.
When the candy has cooled, you are going to break it into bite sized pieces.
Tip: I use a food safe glove on the hand that holds the candy as I break it. The oil can hurt the skin and the breaking can make little sharp pieces.
Lift the sheet of candy up and use the back of a spoon to gently tap it and get it to break. Continue to break up the pieces until you have bite sized pieces.
Place about ¼-⅓ cup of powdered sugar in a 1-gallon sized freezer bag.
Put the candy in the freezer bag and give it a gentle shake until the candy is coated by the powdered sugar.

Video

Notes