Honeycomb Recipe

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ByMelissa March 3, 2023December 9, 2023

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Easy Honeycomb Recipe

What is honeycomb candy? It’s a light and airy candy that’s made with honey and sugar and combined with baking soda. The baking soda creates a reaction that causes it to foam. It’s one of those fun candies that has a plethora of names, sometimes called honeycomb toffee, seafoam, sponge toffee, hokey pokey and beyond. It has a sugary honey flavor with an airy texture that can be broken into random pieces or cut using a sharp knife into more uniform shapes. It naturally crumbles when cutting so random sizes should be expected. How to make Honeycomb Candy: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

Honeycomb Mixture – Add sugar, water, corn syrup, and honey to a medium size heavy bottomed saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Whisk to combine. Heat over medium heat cooking until clear and the the mixture reaches 300°F.
Remove from the heat and whisk in baking soda, vanilla and salt. The mixture will foam up, whisk just until fully incorporated.
Use a rubber spatula to carefully push and pour the mixture into the prepared pan. (Don’t spread or press down the mixture or it will deflate the bubbles.)
Let the candy cool completely then remove it from the pan using the parchment.
Break into individual random pieces by hand or using a sharp knife.

Honeycomb Recipe - melissassouthernstylekitchen.com (2)

How to Make the Best Honeycomb Candy Recipe

Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Honeycomb Candy: Light corn syrup, honey, granulated sugar, water, vanilla extract, salt and baking soda.
Kitchen gadgets you’ll need: A 4 quart heavy bottomed saucepan, measuring cups and spoons, an 8 x 8 inch pan, parchment paper, a whisk, candy thermometer and a rubber spatula.
Choose a heavy bottomed pot that’s deep enough to contain the mixture when it foams up. When in doubt go a bit larger than smaller. You don’t want it to overflow.
When pouring the mixture into the prepared pan don’t be tempted to press down and spread the mixture or it can deflate the bubbles. Try to pour it evenly into the pan, then gently shake the pan to spread.
You can dip or drizzle this honeycomb recipe with melted chocolate. When doing so, the topping shouldn’t be like a sauce but rather something that would be able to dry and is stable at room temperature.
To clean the pan, fill with warm water and let sit. This should dissolve what’s left behind. If it’s still stubborn, place the pot onto the stovetop and bring to a boil. This will soften any drips left behind and clean-up will be a breeze.
To make the optional chocolate topping : In a double boiler over simmering water melt 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips with 1 1/2 teaspoons of solid vegetable shortening (or coconut oil) stirring until completely smooth. Once the honeycomb is completely cooled and set, gently spread the warm chocolate on top and let dry. Then remove from the pan using the parchment paper and use a sharp knife to cut or break into pieces.
Store Honeycomb in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
I don’t recommend freezing or refrigerating honeycomb candy.

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More Easy Candy Recipes to Make

Candy isn’t just limited to the holiday season there’s something sweet and satisfying about making it for gift giving and special occasions. More candy recipes you may also like to try:

Toffee Peanut Clusters are certain to become a family favorite.
Enjoy these Bourbon Pecan Pralines as a decadent sweet Southern treat.
You can tint these Easy Cream Cheese Mints in any color to suit the occasion.
Sweet and Salty Potato Chip Clusters are impossible to resist.
Brown Sugar Walnut Fudge (Penuche) is a creamy delight.
These cute as a button Turtle Pretzels are always a winning option.
Believe It Or Not Candy Bars from Karo Syrup.

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Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Cooling time30 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt OR table salt

Instructions

Line an 8 x 8 baking dish or large pie dish with parchment paper, leaving at least 1 inch overhang.
Add sugar, water, corn syrup, and honey to a medium size heavy bottomed saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Whisk to combine. Heat over medium heat cooking until clear and the the mixture reaches 300°F.
Remove from the heat and whisk in baking soda, vanilla and salt. The mixture will foam up, whisk just until fully incorporated.
Use a rubber spatula to carefully push and pour the mixture into the prepared pan. (Don't spread or press down the mixture or it will deflate the bubbles.)
Let cool completely then remove from the pan using the overhang parchment.
Break into individual random pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. (See the Cook's note for optional chocolate topping instructions.)

Notes

To make a Chocolate Topping : In a double boiler over simmering water melt 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips with 1 1/2 teaspoons of solid vegetable shortening (or coconut oil) stirring until completely smooth. Once the honeycomb is completely cooled and set, gently spread the warm chocolate on top and let dry. Then remove from the pan using the parchment paper and use a sharp knife to cut or break into pieces.
Please note: Nutritional data should always be considered an estimate as it can vary depending on how the finished product is divided.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

Honeycomb Recipe - melissassouthernstylekitchen.com (2024)

FAQs

Why is my honeycomb chewy not crunchy? ›

Chewy honeycomb happens when the mixture hasn't been cooked for long enough. This is most common when you don't use a sugar thermometer. If you don't heat the mixture to 149°C the sugar won't achieve the brittleness required for that crumbly, crunchy texture.

Why does honeycomb fail? ›

Honeycomb is essentially hot toffee blended with a little bicarbonate of soda to make it bubble and foam. The mistake most first timers make is to take the syrup off the heat too soon. This makes the honeycomb sticky and doesn't allow it to set correctly.

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Why is my honeycomb candy not hardening? ›

If your sugar syrup isn't hot enough, it will make your honeycomb very chewy. The best way to make sure your sugar is at the right temperature is to use a sugar thermometer. The mixture should be at the 'hard ball' stage, which is normally between 121-130 degrees Celsius.

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Why add vinegar to honeycomb? ›

White vinegar – one of the things that makes this candy unique is the light and airy texture of the toffee. We have the vinegar, in part, to thank for that! Vinegar reacts with the baking soda in the recipe to form little bubbles of carbon dioxide that give the honeycomb candy its airy, crisp texture.

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Why is my homemade honeycomb chewy? ›

Why Is My Homemade Honeycomb Chewy ? The syrup is taken off the heat too soon, it's a common mistake and one I made! Underheating the sugar makes the honeycomb sticky so it won't set correctly. Keep your eye on the sugar thermometer and make sure the temperature reaches at least 146 degrees C or 295 degrees F.

Why is my honeycomb not setting? ›

The most common mistake that leads to chewy honeycomb is taking the syrup off the heat too soon in fear of burning it. To avoid this we recommend always using a sugar thermometer and make sure you get it to 150°C before removing it from the heat.

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What to do with failed honeycomb? ›

Instead, if it is enjoyable as is, I would suggest just eating it as a toffee like candy. Otherwise, chalk it up to experience and watch the temperature more closely next time. I have a batch of gooey toffee now too. So im just either enjoying it as is or adding bit or chunks of it to my coffee or ice cream.

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Why did my honeycomb turn black? ›

When you leave comb in the hive for months, especially in the brood section, it will start to turn dark brown. This is mostly from propolis. Propolis is plant sap. It is super sticky and usually various shades of dark brown or a reddish brown (but not always).

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How do I fix a failed honeycomb? ›

Fixing an incorrect temperature

Just continue boiling again and this time stop at the correct temperature. Note: If you've overshot the temperature by a lot your sugars might have started to brown and caramelize. You can still use the fix, but, your honeycomb might turn out browner and more bitter.

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Why won't my homemade candy harden? ›

If the sugar mixture is not cooked to the proper temperature (the hard-crack stage 300-310° F {149-154° C.} or if you are working in a kitchen with high humidity, chances are your candy is retaining too much moisture.

Can you eat chewy honeycomb? ›

It is perfectly safe (and delicious) to consume both the honey and the waxy hexagonal containers of the comb. In fact, the added chewy texture of the comb is a bonus.