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.
Christy,
I finally got around to reading this post. My computer has been doing its own thing lately … really slowly.
We have a U-pick strawberry patch and I would love to make these to get into the spirit of the season. However, my son is allergic to nuts. I saw where you told someone they could leave the coconut out, so I’m guessing I could keep the coconut and leave the nuts out, right? Do you have any suggestions for what to use for the stem? I’m thinking piece of green fruit roll-up or gum drop(?)
Thanks,
Beverly
Never mind…..went back and saw it on the recipe to store in refrigerator. Sorry!!!
I would also love to know how to best store these.. Thanks for the recipe!!!
Funny, I had thought about clotheslines this week, too. My mother used “pants stretchers,” adjustable metal frames that went inside the legs of pants while they hung on the line to keep them from having wrinkles. We lived so far out in the country that nobody ever saw what we had hanging on the line. After we were married my husband would hang clothes on our line on his day off while I was at work. One of the male neighbors told him he had to stop that — the other wives were getting ideas!
Love your stories as well as your recipes!
Oh, Aunt Charley, I had forgotten those pants stretchers and how very funny they looked hanging on the line to dry. I can remember our hanging out clothes when they froze before you could get them up there and to bring them in you thought they would break before they thawed. Had to bend them over your arm to quickly get yourself back in the house to the heat. I live in Tenn if you are wondering still below the Mason Dixon Line.
Love you site Christy I have never seen or heard of the strawberry candy just wonder how they would store as can’t wait too close to Easter to make them. Airtight or not? Refrigerate or not?
We still have those pants stretchers in our basement, my parents never threw anything out. My dad is 87 and I bet he has a pair of britches on them stretchers right now, he also has a good bit of rope to hold some of his britches up when he works in the garden.
We had a clothesline when I was a kid and I had three younger brothers, two much younger than me. I can’t tell you how many diapers I hung on the line over the years. Our line had three strands and my Mom had a rule; sheets and towels on the first line and underwear in the back so it wouldn’t be seen from the street. Loved your story; it reminded me of all those times I had to hang out the clothes!
Hey Christy,
These look delish!
What can I substitute for chopped nuts? My kids are allergic.
Also, can sugar free jello work?
thanks!
Sugar Free jello will work just fine and I’d just leave the nuts out altogether, you won’t know a difference!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
Bless your heart Christy….this is the first time I’ve heard anybody “swannee” in many many years! Thank you for saying it!
P.S. Reminds me of another “southernism” I still hear people say occasionally….”They lawww!!!!” lol….have you ever heard that one? I’ll be you have…;)