Description

Dandelion Candy is a delightful, homemade treat that captures the delicate floral essence of fresh dandelion petals. This sweet candy is made by simmering vibrant yellow dandelion petals to infuse their flavor, then boiling the infused water with sugar and lemon juice to the hard crack stage before setting it into lovely candies. The recipe yields approximately 40 servings and includes optional honey for a richer flavor and powdered sugar for dusting, creating a unique confection that’s perfect for spring or a charming gift.

Ingredients

Scale

Primary Ingredients

1 cup fresh dandelion petals (yellow parts only, no green parts)
1 cup water
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Optional: 1 tablespoon honey (for a richer, golden flavor)

Optional Finishing

Powdered sugar (for dusting)

Equipment

Candy thermometer

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prepare dandelion petals: Rinse and gently pat dry the dandelion petals, making sure to remove all green parts as they are bitter and can affect the taste of the candy.
Simmer petals to extract flavor: In a small saucepan, combine the cup of water and the yellow dandelion petals. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes to allow the floral flavor to infuse into the water.
Strain the infused liquid: Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean saucepan, discarding the spent petals to ensure a smooth syrup.
Add sugar, lemon juice, and honey: Stir in the granulated sugar, lemon juice, and honey if using, into the dandelion-infused liquid.
Dissolve the sugar: Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly until all the sugar has completely dissolved into the liquid.
Cook to hard crack stage: Stop stirring once the sugar dissolves and let the syrup boil while monitoring with a candy thermometer until it reaches 300°F (hard crack stage), which indicates the candy will be hard and brittle when cooled.
Pour syrup into molds: Quickly pour the hot syrup into silicone candy molds or onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, working fast as the mixture sets very quickly as it cools.
Cool and harden: Allow the candy to cool completely until it hardens at room temperature.
Finish candies: Once fully cooled, pop the candies out of the molds or break the sheet into shards. Optionally dust each piece with powdered sugar to prevent sticking.

Notes

Only use the yellow petals of the dandelions; the green parts are bitter and will negatively impact flavor.
Be very careful when boiling sugar syrup as it reaches extremely high temperatures and can cause burns.
If you don’t have candy molds, you can pour syrup onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and break into pieces once cooled.
Dusting with powdered sugar is optional but helps keep candies from sticking together.
Store the candies in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them crisp and fresh.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Candy
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American