How to Make Cotton Candy Without a Machine Easily! Recipe
This recipe guides you through making fluffy, sweet cotton candy at home without requiring a special machine. Using simple ingredients like sugar, corn syrup, and flavored extracts, you create delicate spun sugar strands by hand, perfect for a fun dessert or party treat.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: About 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp flavored extract (vanilla, strawberry, raspberry, etc.)
- 1–2 drops gel food coloring (optional)
Tools
- Candy thermometer
- Baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Whisk with ends cut off, fork, or 2 long skewers
- Optional: paper cones or lollipop sticks for serving
Instructions
- Gather Ingredients and Tools: Collect all ingredients including granulated sugar, corn syrup, water, flavored extract, and optional food coloring. Prepare your candy thermometer, lined baking sheet, and whisk or skewers for spinning.
- Prepare Sugar Syrup: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir gently until sugar dissolves completely, then stop stirring and heat the syrup to 320°F using the candy thermometer.
- Add Flavor and Color: Once the syrup reaches 320°F, carefully remove it from heat and stir in the flavored extract and food coloring if desired. Mixing now preserves the delicate flavors and vibrant color.
- Spin the Cotton Candy: Quickly dip the whisk with the ends cut off, fork, or skewers into the hot syrup, allowing excess to drip back into the pan. Flick or drizzle the syrup rapidly over the parchment paper-lined baking sheet to form fine cotton candy strands.
- Shape and Serve: Gather the spun sugar strands into mounds or wrap them gently around paper cones or lollipop sticks. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container to keep them fresh and fluffy.
Notes
- Use caution when handling hot sugar syrup to avoid burns.
- Work quickly when spinning the cotton candy, as the sugar cools and hardens rapidly.
- If the syrup hardens on your whisk or forks, dip them in hot water to clean between spins.
- Flavored extracts and gel food coloring are optional but enhance the taste and appearance of your cotton candy.
- Store cotton candy in airtight containers to prevent it from absorbing moisture and becoming sticky.
Keywords: cotton candy homemade, spun sugar, no machine cotton candy, party dessert, sweet treat
