Strawberry Candy Recipe
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This old-fashioned homemade strawberry candy recipe is made with a scrumptiously sweet combination of strawberry gelatin, sweetened condensed milk, chopped pecans, and sweetened coconut flakes. Rolled in red sugar with a dyed-green slivered almond on top, they look nearly too cute to eat (nearly…).
I have my Grandmother Cornetha to thank for this homemade strawberry candy recipe. She and my Papa Reed (mama’s daddy) got married when my mother was fourteen, adding a whole other branch to our family tree. Honestly, at this point, we got one of those HUGE oak trees with all of the branches jutting out all over the place!
But let’s get to the recipe. This deliciously sweet strawberry-flavored hard candy recipe will make your tastebuds sing! They’re also known as Christmas strawberries as back in the day they were often only made around the holidays. I’ll often wrap up these fun candy berries and give a bag as a gift nowadays. But whether you treat yourself or someone you care about to these little gems, just promise me you’ll give this candy strawberry recipe a go.
Fortunately, they’re easy candies to make. Plus, one of the steps is to let the mixture chill for up to 48 hours. They also have such a unique texture: a combination of chopped nuts and coconut flakes with creamy condensed milk and sweet strawberry gelatin powder. Add the red sugar and these totally sweet treats are so addictive! I love how we shape them to resemble , although there is no fresh in sight.
Alright, who’s ready to make some strawberry candies?
Recipe Ingredients
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Strawberry gelatin powder
- Green food coloring
- Red crystal sprinkles (red sugar)
- Sweetened flaked coconut
- Finely chopped nuts (I’m using pecans)
- Slivered almonds
How to Make Strawberry Candy
Pour your sweetened condensed milk into a large bowl.
I could just drink a whole can of this if my blood sugar would let me. I swear, anything with sweetened condensed milk in it is delicious!
Add your coconut and chopped nuts.
And gelatin powder.
Stir and stir and stir and stir and stir until it looks like this.
(It won’t take long, I just felt like being dramatic).
Cover with foil and let sit in the refrigerator for 48 hours.
24 hours later…
Oh, who are we kidding? Like I’m gonna wait 48 hours on anything. I didn’t even let my own kids wait until their due dates. I have the patience of a hyperactive gnat on sugar.
So the next day, go ahead and take out your strawberry candy mixture (unless you want to follow the original instructions and not be a rebel with me, whatever cranks yer tractor).
Spoon up about a teaspoonful like this.
Shape into a strawberry…
And then roll it around in the sugar mixture.
Now add the a whole bunch more times.
Like this.
Now we need to dye our almonds.
I place mine in a sandwich bag and pour about a tablespoon or so (I use too much so feel free to use less) of green food coloring into the bag.
Seal that and move them around to give them a good coating.
Then pour them out onto a paper towel-lined plate to dry.
If you like, you can also put them on a and bake them in the oven at 250 to speed up the drying process.
Stick one at the end of each of your berries.
Like so.
And that’s it! Aren’t they pretty? They taste YUMMY, too!
Storage
Store leftover candy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe Notes
- If you want, you can make red sugar yourself using beetroot powder. Check out this recipe for DIY Beetroot powder or Kale powder.
- Swap the chopped pecans for chopped walnuts or omit them completely if you prefer.
Recipe FAQs
Where can I get red sugar?
I order mine from Amazon or Target. I usually get this red sanding sugar. If you choose to purchase from this link, Southern Plate will receive a small commission to put toward updating recipes, providing new ones as well as videos, and more. Another option is to roll each in strawberry gelatin powder if you’re in a pinch, but I definitely prefer the red sugar coating.
What else can I use to make the tops green?
You can also use green sugar crystals and just dip the tops of these candies in those crystals. That works as well. You can also add a green toothpick to the top to make for easy eating.
You may also enjoy these bite-sized treats:
Homemade Fudge With Variations
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup finely chopped nuts I used pecans
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 oz
- 3 boxes strawberry gelatin 3 oz boxes
- 1-2 jars red sugar crystals you can get by on one, but I used 1 1/2
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds you just need about three dozen pieces, 1/2 a cup is more than enough
- green food coloring
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine milk, coconut, nuts, and gelatin powder, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate for 48 hours.1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, 1 cup finely chopped nuts, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 3 boxes strawberry gelatin
- Remove and form teaspoonfuls into a strawberry shape and then roll them in red sugar.1-2 jars red sugar crystals
- Dye almonds green with food coloring and once dry, place one at the end of each strawberry as a stem. Store in refrigerator.1/2 cup slivered almonds, green food coloring
Keep a green tree in your heart
and perhaps a singing bird will come.
Chinese Proverb submitted by Leigh. Submit your quote here.
Wow – blast from the past!! I remember my neighbor invited me over many years ago and she showed me how to make these. I always wanted the recipe and now I do thanks to Southern Plate!! Love ya Christy!!!!
Jeanette
Thanks for the memories! I remember helping my Grandma gather eggs! I also remember helping wring their necks!! Oh what a fun day that was LOL
Thank you so much for this! My mother passed away suddenly when I was 5. This is the only thing I remember making with her. It took me years to get a recipe for them. We would dip the tops in green sugar and stick green toothpicks in for the stem.
Hey Sal,
Your mother sounds like a wonderful woman. I’m so glad you can carry on her recipes!
This comment warmed my heart more than I can say.
Gratefully,
Christy
These look interesting I have never seen anything like them before, unfortunately I don’t eat coconut. I do love the stories that come with all your recipes though, I love to see clothes lines to this day.
You can just leave the coconut out, no problem! I need a clothesline, feel the same way you do!
Gratefully,
Christy
WOW WEE WOW WOW! Those look great! I can’t wait to try them! Its like faux food you can still eat! HA!
Oh my goodness, these are fantastic! My daughter is turning 3 in April and has told me that she wants a “strawberry cake with candles and sparkles” for it. These candy strawberries are going to look awesome as decorations on and around the cake! Thank you so much!!!
Great idea Emily! So much better than using more frosting!!!
Thank you so very very much. I cannot tell you how much this recipe means to me. My Granny, my cousin and I used to make these ALL the time. My Granny passed about 4 years ago and we were very very close. But noone could remember this recipe. You just made my day, heck, my year. Maybe this was Granny’s way of telling me Hi. 🙂 I wish you could see me crying at work. Thank you so so so very much.
Love,
Elizabeth
Elizabeth,
I cannot thank you enough for your comment. This is what it is all about. I’ve had so many dear, dear people in my life that aren’t with me anymore and when I can make one of their recipes or happen upon one that I thought was lost forever, it brings them back so vividly.
I can guarantee you that this is your Granny’s way of saying hi to you, I bet you can even feel her giving you a hug if you close your eyes.
Please tell her thank you for me :).
I’m sharing your tears on this one.
Love and Gratitude,
Christy
We (Granny) called it “making memories”. The reason it was so touching for me is that we did this when we were elementary school age, but up until the day Granny passed talked about the “strawberry memory” constantly. I am going to make these with MY daughters who never got to make them with Granny and “make a memory”…
And just because of this post I want to buy your cookbook instead of just printing recipes off the internet. I am your faithful supporter.
xoxo
Elizabeth
Elizabeth, you are the gift that keeps on giving today!
My cheeks hurt from smiling now. Thank you thank you thank you!
That is so dear, too, about the strawberry memory. I remember the one time Daddy made cookies with us, it was the only time he ever even attempted it. Mama hardly ever went anywhere but she wanted to learn to cross stitch and found a little single evening class. I honestly don’t remember being left with just Daddy any other time than that one! Anyway, Daddy burned the cookies but we ate them anyway. The amazing thing is how vivid the memory is, even though we only did it that one time.
It sounds to me like all of you knew that was going to be a special memory as you were making it, and Granny wanted you to hold onto it even now.
Is it okay if I love your Granny, too?
Gratefully
Christy
Gee ladies, you’ve both succeeded in making me cry at work. Reading Christy’s info about today’s quote and reading this really IS what it’s all about. 🙂
Also, I just got my giveaway Veggie Tales DVD today (via mail from my office being mailed UPS to my house, lol) along with a handwritten note from Christy. Made me smile and I know we have lots of fun family memories about to be made with the Silly Songs that my children will always remember……….when they are old enough to realize this blog is how their Mama learned to cook, they’re going to be thanking Christy themselves in some fashion too I reckon!
Hey Lisa!
I just gotta apologize for that note. I really enjoy handwriting notes to people but feel everyone should come with an apology because my handwriting is so incredibly horrendous. Here are my list of excuses:
1. I’ve gotten so used to typing that I seldom write anymore
2. I’ve always had bad handwriting
3. I actually have arthritis in my hands (this is the one that is incredibly true but I count on it to win me understanding based on sympathy when I write REALLY horribly).
I tell you, all of today’s comments have just given me so much personal affirmation. I just feel like I’m in the right place at the right time, and surrounded by some of the most wonderful people in the entire universe. I sure do hope I get to meet all of y’all someday.
I hope you enjoy that DVD. As I type this the Larry Boy theme song is floating into my room from the den. Katy and I were just singing the Yodeling Veterinarian Of The Alps in the car a while ago, too. The kids want a DVD player in the car but it dawned on me a few days back that if we had that, they’d sit there and watch tv whenever we went places. We’d miss out on singing silly songs and telling silly jokes and all of the other fun things that come from family car trips – even short ones.
I’m not telling Bradybug, but I sure do hope we never have a DVD player in the car 🙂
Gratefully,
Christy
Christy~
You can love Granny TOO! She was the ultimate Southern Woman. She could still stand on her head at the age of 70 something! Had boxed wine in the fridge, Kahlua on the counter, and would cuss like a sailor as she whipped up dinner! 🙂 And as she would say…ROLL TIDE.
xoxo
Elizabeth
How funny we both had Granny’s who made these, and lots of memories, with us!!