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
If you choose to purchase from the link above Southern Plate will receive a small commission to put toward updating recipes, providing new ones as well as videos and more :).
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.
P.S. – In the rainy weather or freezing weather, we hung our laundry in the attic!!
This recipe was one given to me by my grandmother too. I still have her handwritten copy which I treasure. It is absolutely wonderful. I’ve never been brave enough to dye the almonds because I am quite the messy cook so I usually just dip the tops in green sugar crystals. Thanks for reminding me of such special memories of my Southern Grandmother!
These candies are so cute and yummy looking. Thank you for the new recipe.
Thank you Christy for this recipe. I made them in the 70’s but no longer have the recipe. My sister in NC is having her 80th birthday party and she wants a tea party. I think they will look and taste wonderful for her special day. I’m lactose intolerant so will use coconut sweetened condensed milk and I say this so anyone with that same issue can make and enjoy them. I’m not suppose to have a clothes line in my yard BUT this Southern girl can’t resist so I have a retractable line in the back yard, hidden from view and hang out my bed pillows ever Saturday. It helps to rid the pillows of mites that all pillows get from our dead skin cells. My husbands allergies have disappeared. Sleeping on sheets that have been dried in the sun are the closest thing to smelling like Heaven to me. Love your conversation so freely shared with us. God bless.
Coconut, pecans, eagle brand condensed milk, and strawberry flavoring where could you go wrong with that combination of ingredients.
It was my job to gather eggs and chickens frightened me to death! To this day, I’ll buy eggs but not have chickens. Mainly because in about 5 years, there’s a really difficult decision to make.
I completely understand. We are blessed to have chicken readily available in the grocers but I’m also grateful to be able to dispatch and prepare my own if need be as well. It’s a great skill to have if needed. 🙂 Maybe you could find a neighboring farmer and trade out the “duties” for eggs?
Hey Christy!
I can remember my momma and Aunt taking DAYS to make homemade candies. It would be everything from Butterscotch Haystacks to these Strawberry beauties! They would purchase paper candy boxes and have a list of how many they needed to put together and once they got their items all purchased THEY WERE OFF!! They would have folding tables lined up in the kitchen and dining room and these tables would be COVERED in all types of candies. Our house would smell so good. But here’s the really sweet thing. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 3 (that was almost 49 years ago) and my mom and Aunt would make me special boxes. They would contain less sugar filled things and smalled Starwberries. And I would have a box that I could eat in one day. Needless to say they were REALLY small boxes but it made me feel so special. Seeing this recipe posted just brought back a flood of the sweetest and dearest memories. My momma is still with us and we are so blessed and my Aunt is sitting at the feet of Jesus. What a day that will be when we are all together again!!
Thank you for the trip down memory lane!!
🙂 What wonderful memories, thank you so much for sharing them with me Michelle!! Yes, what a wonderful day of rejoicing it will be when we get to see all those precious loved ones!!
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!!
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!