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.
My mother had one of those clotheslines which looked like the metal insides of an umbrella, and the lines were strung in concentric circles. Hanging the laundry was a favorite childhood “chore” for me, and I always hung the undies in the innermost circle, so our neighbors couldn’t see them!! You brought back fond memories, Christy.
I have never seen these candies. I will be making them for my grandkids. I had a clothesline looped between 3 trees until the trees started dying and had to be removed. I miss having a clothes line, sheets smelled so good when I got in bed. I can’t hang clothes out any more due to an injury, but would if I could.
I hope you all enjoy the candies as much as I did growing up!!
i just want to share with you, i was served these at my cousin’s birthday party when i was 5 or 6. when i happened upon this recipe i knew immediately what i was looking at, even after half a century i still remembered it. ( i remember asking if i could have another and her mom telling me only 1 per person, lol) can’t wait to find an excuse to make them.
Oh, my goodness, I was just telling my Arizona born husband about this fantastic strawberry jello candy my grandmother used to make when I was a kid. He didn’t recall the conversation (tuned me out I am sure) and I happened to come upon this post when I was reading through your recipes. You made my day and brought back such fond memories.
🙂 I hope you get the chance to try them out sometime Julie!
Yummy! Another must try recipe. Thanks Christy.
Must give this a try.
I hope you enjoy them Eva!!
Mine isn’t setting up. It’s just goo. What did I do wrong? Is there a way to salvage them? They’re way cute, but too soft still. We refrigerated them a day and a half before shaping them.
Thanks for any advice you can offer! My grandma used to make these and I wanted to surprise my family.
Hmmm, that’s strange. I wonder what happened. My wheels are turning now! I’d start by working in more coconut but consider adding another box of gelatin because it sounds to me like the problem is most likely gonna rest there. Stir in another box and let it sit a few minutes in the freezer and see if it is firm enough go shape then. Keep me posted if you can.
Thank you!! I going to make another batch and if it feels the same way, I’ll add more coconut first, I don’t know why I didn’t think of that! More gelatin. Ok. That’s a thought too.
Awesome! Thanks so much for the advice! It’s been foggy and drizzly here the past week so I’m wondering if there was just too much moisture in the air. Too humid maybe.
Fingers crossed on round 2! I appreciate you!
Did you use evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk?