Looking for easy, inexpensive and fun wedding DIY wedding favors that will put a big, happy smile on your guests’ faces? Make your own sea glass candy! You can make any flavor you want. Place them inside a pretty tin, tie with a ribbon – and you have a wonderful thank-you treat for your wedding guests.
To be honest, this was my first attempt EVER at making candy – and it was a breeze!
These candies aren’t only easy – they’re super tasty too. My husband and kids gobbled down the rootbeer candies so fast I didn’t even have time place them inside a favor tin to snap a photo!
These would be perfect for a beach wedding – or any wedding near the water.
(Sidenote: I have a serious, ever-deepening obsession with sea glass … the kind you collect from the beach, not the kind you eat - although that could become a habit. Come on over and check out my sea glass collecting blog.)
DIY Wedding Favors: Sea Glass Candy Recipe
Ingredients
Step One
Grease a cookie sheet or cake pan with butter.
Step Two
Measure ingredients.
Step Three
Pour granulated sugar, corn syrup and water in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves.
Step Four
Without stirring, boil the mixture until a candy thermometer reads between 300 and 310 degrees. (This will take about 30 minutes.) Drop a small amount into ice water. If it separates into brittle strands its ready.
Step Five
Remove from heat and let boiling subside.
Step Six
Measure flavoring oil and pour into candy mixture. Also add food coloring if desired. Blend with a wooden spoon. (You’ll notice that it will get really steamy for a few seconds.)
Step Seven
Pour onto greased cookie sheet or cake pan. Let cool. (I put mine in the fridge)
Step Eight
Cover hardened candy with parchment paper and tap with a mallet to shatter candy into small pieces.
Step Nine
Use a basting brush and coat candy pieces with icing sugar.
Step Ten
Place into favor tins. (I lined the inside with a cupcake liner.) Tie with ribbon and adhere labels.
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Great tutorial! I will be filing this one away for Christmas instead.
ummm yum! I am trying it tomorrow!
My mom used to make this candy in many flavors at Christmas time. I never thought of it looking like sea glass but it certainly does. What a great idea for personal favors, especially for a beach wedding.
such a cute favor!
These look great!
I'm a little confused on step 9. What is icing sugar, and how do you get it to stick?
Icing sugar is confectioner's sugar (the powdery white stuff that looks like flour.)It will stick to the candy.
Does this recipe make one batch? Or did you split it up to make the raspberry and the rootbeer?
These look like such a fun treat to try! I can't wait!
Hi Andi,
I made one batch and split it. I don't recommend doing it this way though. It sets quite fast, so it's difficult to divide. I suggest making individual batches for each flavor.
Thanks for the idea and recipe! I LOVE IT!!! I've made a couple of batches but the only thing that I'm having problems with is the colors. I wanted to make blue and red but when I added the food coloring, the blue come out green and the red orange... Any suggestions on how to get the color right? What type of food coloring did you use?
Hmmm.... I haven't tried blue, but I could see how that could happen given the fact that the base is an amber colour. Maybe try ClubHouse food colouring.. that's what I used for the red and it came out really nice. I plan on trying to make blue in the near future.. Blueberry... I hope I can get it a nice cobalt blue.
Where do you get the root beer flavoring/extract? I've looked several places and have not been able to locate any.
Kristen,
I got the flavouring at Bulk Barn. I'm in Canada. The brand is Lorann Gourmet... www.lorannoils.com
I love this stuff! We made it for Christmas gifts, and I blogged about it here:
http://aspiringartistry.typepad.com/aspiring_artistry/2009/12/sea-glass-candy.html
Very cool Laura. Glad you like it!
I made this for my wedding favors in different shades of blue, white and green. It looked great and tasted good too - everyone LOVED it!
I'd love to see photos Lisa!
Where did you find those cute little tins?
I tried making a batch tonight and had the same issue as "MyLittleBirdie" with the colors. I was trying to make blue candy for my daughter's birthday party next week (but it ended up green). I noticed in the comment from Lisa that she made some blue candy. Someone Please tell me how this is done!!! Party in a week!
I can image it would be difficult to make blue because the mixture itself (before you add colour) is golden. Add blue to yellow and you get green. Perhaps there are some more intense food colourings on the market that will overtake the golden hue?
I used white/clear corn syrup so the Blue dye took well, didn't turn green :-)
I just gave a question about storage, I am using favour boxes and did a 'test' box and after just one day the candies became sticky and absorbed all of the powered sugar.
I am thinking of using to cellophane to wrap the candies in then, placing them in the box.
Thoughts???
The candy I have in a sealed container (for 2 weeks now) is perfectly fine, I just dont want to have to buy new boxes/tins.
Hi Katie,
Thanks for the tip on the clear corn syrup.
Re: storage, I would try putting the candies in a cellophane or sealable plastic bag, then placing them in the box.
Hi!
I just stumbled across this and I definitely want to try this. The thing is that I am pretty sure that you can't get corn syrup here in Austria. I have neither heard of it nor seen it anywhere. Do you have a tip of what to use instead?
Sandy
This is a great idea, perfect for a beach themed wedding. I collect sea glass, never realised you could make your own! Thanks for the info.
I made the candy and it looks just like sea glass!! I am making it to give as wedding favors for my "sea glass" colored wedding. However, I find the candy to be very sharp. Any suggestions on making it so it isn't as sharp around the edges?
Hi Amanda. Were they about the same size as the ones I show in the photo? I think the key is to keep them fairly small. They still won't be as rounded as well worn sea glass though.
I too tried to make blue and had some troubles. But, my bigger issue is that it is extremely sticky. I have made two batches now and both came out that way. No matter how much icing sugar I use it is still sticky! Anyone else have this issue/how how to fix my problem? Thanks!
I have no idea why it would be sticky. Maybe the type of corn syrup? Maybe a candy making forum might help solve this riddle.
I see that some of you girls are having trouble getting the colors you want. I used an extract I got at Micheal's craft store that tones down the base color and helps the food coloring show. I made Pink, Orange and Lime green colored candy! Turned out great!
Thanks so much for the great tip!! Glad it turned out for you!
What did you use to make the labels? These are awesome! I am going to attempt to do them and use them as my tropical themed wedding favors =)
I realise most of the comments I'm replying to are quite old, but in case anyone else has these same troubles: if you live in a humid place, this toffee will be sticky, it's a fact of life and nothing you do will prevent it! Keeping it in an air-tight container in the fridge will help prevent stickiness in humid places. But also, if you do not cook it for long enough, it will remain soft and pliable once it 'sets' which may also contribute to stickiness. Re: the colour problem - if you take the mixture off the heat before it turns amber your colour will be truer to the original colouring. However the less you cook it the more likely it will not set rock-hard and may remain soft and pliable as I mentioned above. I don't see that clear corn syrup would necessarily help because this mixture will turn amber regardless (I make it without any syrup).
Also, for people who live in countries that do not have corn syrup: I have heard others suggest golden syrup as an appropriate replacement for corn syrup.
I tried this. I wanted to make it in advance to use as wedding favors. It got REALLY sticky really fast, is there any way to keep that from happening? If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them. I'd really like to do this for the wedding but I don't want it to be sticky and yucky!! :) Thanks!!
Erin, did you brush them with icing sugar?
This is a fabulous idea! How long ahead (e.g., days, weeks) can I make this so the candy is still in good condition for the event? Thanks
Not sure Bianca. Our candy got gobbled up soon after it was made.
What size tins did you use? I am shopping for tins to do this for my wedding. They have the choices of 2 oz. and 4oz.
When making candy don't try when it's humid. When removing the pan from the fridge condensation happens , therefor sticky product. Be sure to bag the candy in cello,looks better than plastic.
Love this!!!
What is icing sugar
This recipe was so easy and so good! It is a keeper for sure! Thank you!
Thanks for the feedback Lyssy.... Glad it worked out for you!
Hi Christina...do not know if you will get this message, but I had to ask.... How far in advance can you make the sea glass candy?
Thanks,
Debbie