Homemade Jolly Rancher Candy is sweet, a bit tart, and easy to make. Choose your own flavours and colours to customize it as you like!
Originally Posted November 3, 2009. Updated 1/18/2021
So, this recipe is very similar to my recipe for Candy Apples... well, aside from the apples and citric acid, anyway!
The ingredients and technique for making the candy syrup are mostly the same - it's the addition of citric acid, and what you do with the molten sugar that makes the difference.
There are two main ways to shape your candies - the easiest way is to pour the candy into a baking sheet that's been prepared with butter or parchment paper, then score it when it's still hot, but cool enough to handle.
The second way is to use silicone hard candy molds, such as those you can find on Amazon.
I like to pour the hot candy mixture into a glass measuring cup to pour into the molds, but some people prefer to spoon it.
Either way, have some fun with it, just not TOO much fun - melted sugar burns are no joke!
Some Notes on The Flavouring
Flavour Extract vs Flavour Oil
The flavouring you use is what makes your candy taste like candy... so it will absolutely affect how true to the source material your homemade Jolly Ranchers turn out.
There are two main types of flavouring you can use for your Candy Apples:
Flavour Extract - This is the stuff you can buy at the grocery store, usually McCormick brand. You can usually find some good basic flavours that’ll work - Cherry, Orange, Lemon, Grape, Banana, etc. These don’t taste exactly like Jolly Ranchers, but can be OK if you can’t get flavour oil.
Flavour Oil - This stuff - Lorann Oil is the gold standard - is a bit harder to come by, but can usually be found at your local cake or candy making supply store. It comes in a LOT more flavours than grocery store extracts do, so you can really have fun with it!
We used raspberry, peach, green apple, and grape oils for this batch, and they were all QUITE accurate to the source material!
Note: Flavour oils are MUCH more concentrated than extracts.
Citric Acid
Citric acid is available from home brewing stores, can sometimes be found in canning sections of grocery stores, and is readily available on Amazon - you can buy some here!
A little citric acid goes a long way, so if you’re buying it specifically for this recipe, expect to have a lot left over.
Never fear, there are other recipes you can use it in, right here on the blog!
Homemade Wine Slush Mix, Fuzzy Peach Cocktail, and Homemade Beep Drink are all great ways to use your citric acid!
Colouring Your Homemade Jolly Ranchers
While you can use grocery store food colouring for this, I prefer to use a nice quality gel based colour, such as Americolor (what I used when I was in the USA), or ChefMaster (Which is the option more readily available here!)
You can use the grocery store liquid food colouring if you like - it’ll just take a bit more of it, and the colours won’t be as flexible / accurate.
How to Make Multiple Flavours in One Batch
If you’d like to get more than one flavour out of the batch, divide the citric acid and flavouring into however many flavours you’re making. I like to mix them right in the measuring cups, so they’re ready to pour immediately.
Keep in mind that you need to work fast, and with every extra flavour you’re working with, that’s valuable time you’re losing.
If you’re doing molded candies in multiple flavours, I recommend having a lined pan ready, as your candy is likely to start setting up before you can get it all poured.
It’s good to have somewhere to dump the setting candy, if it’s not going to make it to the mold!
If you’re looking at doing more than 2 flavours from one batch, I highly recommend skipping the molds altogether, and just doing poured candy.
How to Make Homemade Jolly Rancher Candy
Candy Making Preparation
Before you get started with making the boiling sugar mix, you’ll want to have everything in place.
What this means depends on which way you’re dealing with the candy.
Molded Hard Candy
Arrange your molds on cookie sheets or another supportive work surface.
Mix your flavouring and citric acid together with some food colouring, have the mixture in easy reach.
Have a heat safe measuring cup within easy reach - this will help you get the candy into the molds.
Free Form Hard Candy
Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
Mix your flavouring and citric acid together with some food colouring, have the mixture in easy reach.
Make the Homemade Jolly Ranchers Candy
In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water.
Stir well, bring to a boil on medium or medium-high heat. Affix candy thermometer to pan.
Boil mixture, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 310 degrees.
Remove from heat, quickly stir in food coloring, flavoring, and citric acid.
Stir mixture until it stops boiling, and most of the “bubbles” disappear – this will minimize texture in your finished candies.
If Making Molded Jolly Ranchers
Pour your candy into a heat safe measuring cup.
Carefully pour molten candy into mold cavities.
Allow to fully cool and harden before unmolding.
If Making Free Form Jolly Rancher Candy
Carefully pour molten candy into prepared cookie sheet. Allow to cool until still very warm to the touch, slightly malleable, and firm (not brittle).
Turn slab of candy out onto a cutting board, taking care not to stretch it.
Using a large knife, score candy slab into rows about 1″ apart. Turn slab 90 degrees, and score again – ½″ for long skinny candies, 1″ for square ones.
Working quickly, cut all the way through the candy slab along the score lines, separating candies into rows, then individual candies.
You will need to have all of your cutting done while the candy is still fairly warm and malleable, or it could shatter when you attempt to cut it.
A Note on Cleanup
The candy will harden much faster than you can deal with it, so expect some cleanup. It’s fun, it makes tasty Candy... but it’s a big mess, also!
Moisture and heat are your friends. Soak everything in the hottest water you can, before washing. This will dissolve the sugar out, and makes it a lot easier to clean up!
A Note on Storage
Hard candy is very hydrophilic – it pulls moisture out of the air, and absorbs it.
This will result in sticky or “sweaty” candy – you’ll want to either wrap them individually, or keep them sealed in an airtight container
More Candy Making Recipes
In the mood to melt some sugar, make some gummies, or play with chocolate? I've got you!
Bananas Foster Pralines
Banana Walnut Brittle
Candy Apples
Clodhoppers
Dill Pickle Gummy Worms
Festive Easy Fudge
Ginger Molasses Sponge Toffee
Homemade BCAA Gummies
Homemade Crunchie Bars
Hop Flavoured Beer Lollipops (LolliHOPS!)
How to Make Marshmallow Cones
Jalapeno Beer Peanut Brittle
Milk Chocolate Chai Truffles
Peppermint Patties Recipe
Pistachio Brittle
Sponge Toffee
Ube White Chocolate Fudge
White Chocolate Almond Amaretto Truffles
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Homemade Jolly Rancher Candy
Equipment
- Candy Thermometer
- Square Candy Mold
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 3 cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 ½ cups Corn Syrup
- ¾ cup Water
- Several drops food coloring*
- 1 tablespoon LorAnn Flavour Oils or 2 tablespoon flavour extract of choice)
- 2 teaspoon Citric Acid Powder
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, if you're not using a mold. Set aside.
- In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir well, bring to a boil on medium or medium-high heat. Affix candy thermometer to pan.
- Boil mixture, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 310 degrees.
- Remove from heat, quickly stir in food coloring, flavoring, and citric acid. Stir mixture until it stops boiling, and most of the “bubbles” disappear – this will minimize texture in your finished candies.
If using a Mold:
- Carefully pour molten candy into into mold cavities.
- Allow to fully cool and harden.
If using a Cookie Sheet:
- Carefully pour molten candy into prepared cookie sheet.Allow to cool until still very warm to the touch, slightly malleable, and firm (not brittle).
- Turn slab of candy out onto a cutting board, taking care not to stretch it. Using a large knife, score candy slab into rows about 1″ apart. Turn slab 90 degrees, and score again – ½″ for long skinny candies, 1″ for square ones.
- Working quickly, cut all the way through the candy slab along the score lines, separating candies into rows, then individual candies. You will need to have all of your cutting done while the candy is still fairly warm and malleable, or it could shatter when you attempt to cut it.
Notes
Nutrition
Marie Porter
Received an email question from a read, figured I should answer it here as well:
> I was trying to find a way to make liquor infused hard candy and came
> across your recipe so my question is do you think that adding alcohol to
> the recipe will affect the hardening of the candy itself? Any help is
> appreciated ..thanks for your time! 🙂
No, it shouldn't affect the hardening, but it may affect how long it takes
to reach the candy stage - and there will be no alcohol left in there by
that point. Also, depending on what you're using, some ingredients may
scorch (certain liqueurs, etc)
Best thing to do is experiment!
Random Person
How long does it take to harden?
Marie Porter
Not long, but depends on how thick you pour it, etc
Aaliyah
Can you make jolly rancher Popsicles out of jolly ranchers or a warm jolly rancher drink and also can you make jolly rancher fondant or icing or cupcakes if so please post recipies
Bad Candy Cook
How much candy does this make?
joy
Yes how much does this yeild I'm making 6 different colors I'm trying not to make more then 2 pounds of candy this is for St.Patty's day
lesley
Does this actually have the same jolly rancher taste or does it taste just like regular flavoured hard candies?
Jeremiah
I would think that naming it homemade jolly rancher candy would answer that question. Why would you name it that if it just tasted like regular sugar candy?
Jodie
Hi, I wanted to make a jolly rancher flavor pink lemonade.
I wondering if I should use sour pink lemonade
Or add malic acid. To get a similar outcome?
Marie Porter
Well, actual lemonade would scorch and probably turn brown, and I doubt it would impact enough flavour. I know you can buy pink lemonade flavour oil, is there a reason not to just use that?
AmyG
I love the idea of making your own candy. This recipe for homemade jolly ranchers really brings me back to my early years. Can't wait to try this and share with my grand-kids. Thanks for sharing.
Rachel Massie
How much Candy does this make approximately? I would like to make several different flavors but I don't want to end up with a huge quantity of candy. Thanks so much!
Marie Porter
I think about a baking sheet worth? It's been so long since I've made them!
nan
Too bad you forgot to add when to put in the flavoring.
Marie Porter
Nope, it's in there.
Jeremiah
They didn't forget that at all. If you read the steps in the recipe it says literally after you take it of the stove and stir until bubbles are gone. quickly add flavoring, color and citric acid.
Colleen
I've never tried a Jolly Rancher candy, but these look like they would really satisfy my sweet tooth. Saving this for a fun winter project, thank you!
Sabrina
What a fun tasty recipe. Thanks for your honesty on the mess. Awesome!
NANCY
oh i haven't had a Jolly Rancher candy since high school! These sounds too good!
D
Maybe this is a dumb question, but since Jolly Ranchers discontinued their cinnamon fire flavor I'm going to try making my own. Would you still use the citric acid for cinnamon ones? Has anyone tried?
Marie Porter
I haven't tried the cinnamon ones - do they have that sour taste, or is it just a cinnamon candy? Sour cinnamon sounds weird to me!
If it isn't a sour candy, I'd just skip the citric acid and see how close it is!
Lynda
I've read that using malic acid instead of, or in addition to, citric acid can add a more well-rounded and longer lasting sour flavor than citric acid, which has more of a sharp, sour bite to it. It's also supposed to be better for bringing out various fruit flavors in candies.
If substituting or adding malic acid to this recipe, what proportions would you recommend?
Marie Porter
No idea, I've never used it.
Lynda
Has anyone had an issue with their candy coming out bitter? So far I've made Tangerine, Peach and Plum but everything except the tangerine has come out bitter. The tangerine and peach were from the same batch of candy but poured into 2 different measuring cups that I'd added the color, flavor and acid to beforehand.
The only difference I can think of is that the Tangerine says it's "100% Tangerine Oil" while the others say "Flavoring". I'm using LorAnn concentrated flavorings.
k
I can't vouch for this as I haven't done it, but I saw on another recipe if you add the acid too soon it turns out bitter. The candy temp should be cooled down to 265 degrees iirc (pretty sure this happens fairly quick so you might just be a tad too speedy with the mixing?). Hope this helps; good luck!
Random dude
Great recipie, but I'd suggest doubling-tripling the citric acid.