Strawberry Candy is a recipe I got from my Grandmother Cornetha. 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…
Recipe Ingredients:
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Strawberry gelatin powder
- Green food coloring
- Red crystal sprinkles (red sugar). If you want to make this yourself you can use Beetroot powder and check out this recipe for DIY Beetroot powder to make the red sugar from
- Sweetened flaked coconut
- Finely chopped nuts (I’m using pecans)
- Slivered Almonds
Pour your sweetened condensed milk into a bowl.
I could just drink a whole can of this if my blood sugar would let me. I swannee, anything with sweetened condensed milk in it is delicious!
Add your coconut and 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 forty eight hours on anything. I didn’t even let my own kids wait til their due dates. I have the patience of a hyperactive gnat on sugar.
So the next day go ahead and take that out (unless you want to follow the original instructions and not be rebel with me, whatever cranks yer tractor).
Spoon up about a teaspoon full like this.
and shape into a strawberry…
and roll around in sugar.
Where Can I Get Red Sugar?
I order mine from Amazon or Target. I usually get this red sugar
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Now do that a whole bunch more times..
Like this.
Now we need to dye our almonds. I place mine in a sandwich baggie
and pour about a tablespoon or so (I use too much so feel free to use less!) of green food coloring in 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.
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 and that works as well.
If you like, you can also put them in a baking dish and put them in the oven on 250 to speed up the drying process.
Stick one in the end of each strawberry.
Like so.
Aren’t they pretty? They taste YUMMY, too!

Ingredients
- 1 Cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 Cup finely chopped nuts I used pecans
- 1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 - 3 ounce boxes strawberry gelatin
- 1-2 jars red sugar crystals you can get by on one, but I used 1 1/2
- 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. Remove and form teaspoonfuls into strawberry shape. Roll in red sugar. Dye almonds green with food coloring and place one in the end of each strawberry as a stem. Store in refrigerator. *Makes about three dozen.
You may also enjoy these candy recipes:
Recipe For Potato Candy A Good Ole Treat!
Candy Cane Cookies (Elf Favorite!)
3 Easy Candy Recipes to make this weekend!
Keep a green tree in your heart
and perhaps a singing bird will come.
-Chinese Proverb Submitted by Leigh. Submit your quote here.
My Mom taught me to make a version of this. No nuts. And after rolling them in red sugar. We dip the tops in green sugar. Yummy!
OMG!! I am sooo excited about this receipe!!! I was just asking my sister a couple of days ago if she remembered mom making these at Christmas time. And then today I decided to google strawberry candy rolled in red sugar crystals with a green sliced almond stem, and BAM, this popped up!!! My mom has been gone for 6 years and I haven’t been able to find her recipe for these. Old Christmas tradition being born again at my house this year!!! Can’t wait to make these!!! Brings tear to my eyes just thinking about all those years ago with my mom. Thank you so much for posting this!!!
Cindi
That just made my day to hear that you are going to make these!! I know your Mom is smiling at the thought as well. I hope that y’all enjoy the candies and have a very blessed holiday season filled with precious memories!
Someone I worked with 40 years ago gave me this recipe and I haven’t made this in years! Thank you for sharing your story and the recipe! I’ll be making some in the near future!
Thank you Sally, I hope it brought back some fond memories for you!!