Chocolate Sponge Candy — 🍯🍫🧽 A classic homemade Christmas candy that’s light and airy candy inside and chocolate-dipped on the outside. Easy to make! Great for cookie exchanges and hostess gifts because it keeps fresh for a long time!
Table of Contents
What Is Sponge Candy?
I remember going to my grandma’s house over Christmas and raiding her enormous selection of homemade Christmas candy, cookies, and treats.
Both my mother and grandmother are people who love to bake anything and everything Christmas-related. They take their Christmas sweets very seriously!
You might know sponge candy as sponge toffee, honeycomb candy, honey candy, angel food candy, Buffalo candy, fairy food, or chocolate sponge Christmas candy. I’m sure there are even more plays on the name, but I’ve always known it as just sponge candy.
If you’ve never had this classic Christmas candy recipe, the way I would describe sponge candy is that underneath the milk chocolate exterior, there’s a light, airy, delicate interior.
It almost disintegrates when you bite into it. The unique texture paired with the sweet chocolate flavor makes it truly delicious. Apart from being a very nostalgic recipe, as a bonus, this Christmas candy is no-bake and gluten-free!
Ingredients in Chocolate Sponge Candy
For everyone’s favorite chocolate Christmas candy, you’ll need the following basic pantry ingredients:
- Granulated sugar (white sugar)
- Dark corn syrup
- Honey – I have seen this recipe made with vinegar in place of the 1 tablespoon of water. Both vinegar and water work. However, with the vinegar, a hint of tang is left behind and that’s not something I like in candy
- Water
- Baking soda
- Milk chocolate candy melting wafers
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Sponge Candy
To make this easy holiday favorite candy, you’ll follow these straightforward steps:
Step 1: Line a pan with parchment paper and spray well with cooking spray.
Step 2: Combine the sugar, corn syrup, honey, and water in a stockpot or large saucepan, and cook until the sugar dissovles.
Step 3: Do not stir or whisk after it dissolves! Stirring can cause crystallization in candy, which will result in a weird texture. Just let the mixture cook until it reaches 300 F when measured with a candy thermometer.
Step 4: Stir in the baking soda, allowing the mixture to start foaming, and pour into the prepared baking pan to cool.
Step 5: Break the candy into pieces. Dip it into melted chocolate, and allow it to set up.
Storage
Store: Transfer leftover candy to an airtight container or ziptop storage bag, and store it at room temperature for at least 2 weeks or up to 1 month.
Freezing: I don’t recommend refrigerating or freezing honeycomb sponge candy! The delicate airy crunchy texture will change when introduced to the cold.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you do need a candy thermometer for this homemade chocolate sponge candy. Preferably, select a thermometer with a pot clip. You’re going to be boiling sugar and water to exactly 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and there is simply no way to guess.
No, if you are averse to using corn syrup, then this recipe isn’t for you because it is required, no way around it. Make sure to select dark-colored corn syrup rather than light.
No, it can’t be substituted whatsoever. Remember that this homemade Christmas candy is also called honeycomb candy, which refers both to its appearance and its delicate honey flavor.
I used milk chocolate as opposed to dark for this chocolate-dipped candy because milk is more traditional. My recommendation is to use chocolate melting wafers such as the Ghirardelli Chocolate Melting Wafers. They are round discs that are a cinch to melt and are intended for dipping projects.
Melting actual milk chocolate chips isn’t my favorite way to go because chips are resistant to melting. They have stabilizers in them which makes them great for putting into cookies so that the chocolate chips don’t melt everywhere all over the cookie dough. However, when you want them to actually melt, they can be temperamental.
Yes! A festive way to jazz up your honey sponge candy is to decorate it with some sprinkles or even a sprinkle of sea salt over the chocolate after you’ve dipped it, but before they set up. Anything red, green, or white would look so sharp!
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Chocolate Covered Sponge Candy
Equipment
- 1 (9×13 inch) Pan
- 1 High-Sided Medium Stockpot
- 1 Candy Thermometer
- 1 Microwave-Safe Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark corn syrup
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda, sifted
- 2 cups milk chocolate melting wafers, such as Ghirardelli
Instructions
- Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper, and spray it very well with cooking spray; set aside.
- To a high-sided medium stockpot* (See Notes), add the sugar, dark corn syrup, honey, water and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally to encourage the sugar to melt.
- After the sugar has melted, clip a candy thermometer to the side of your stockpot, and do not touch it. Don't stir, move the pot, just let it be and leave it alone, until the mixture reaches 300F exactly. Do not overcook! It will take about 20 minutes to come up to 300F, give or take. The mixture will start looking increasingly thick, opaque, and yellow; this is normal.
- Remove the pot from the heat, and immediately add the baking soda.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan and allow it cool to set up, about 1 hour.
- After it has cooled, either break it into pieces or slice it with a knife. It’s crumbly and won’t slice evenly or perfectly so don’t worry about that.
- To a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate melting wafers** (See Notes) according to the package directions.
- Dip the candy into the chocolate to coat it. I find this easiest by balancing the candy on a wide-tined fork and letting the excess chocolate run through.
- Place dipped candies on a large sheet of parchment paper and allow chocolate to set up, about 1 hours. Optionally, add festive-colored holiday sprinkles at this point before the chocolate sets up, if desired.
- Candy will keep airtight at room temp for at least 2 weeks (probably at least 1 month); I don’t recommend refrigerating or freezing it because the texture will change.*** (See Notes)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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great
Hi! I can’t find dark corn syrup where I live. But I have a bottle of light corn syrup in my cupboard that I brought back from Canada. Will it work ?
Thanks :)
Yes that will be fine I think. Taste may be a bit different and the color but overall should work out.
great