What are honey balls?

Honey balls are small, hard, sugar-dusted candies made from sugar, water, honey, and fresh lemon or lime juice. They are intensely sweet, so small pieces work best, and they are meant to be hard and crunchy rather than soft or gooey. A light coating of powdered sugar helps keep the finished pieces from sticking together.

How do you make honey balls at home?

Dissolve 3/4 cup white granulated sugar in 1/2 cup water over medium-low heat, then add 1/4 cup fresh lemon or lime juice and 1/4 cup honey. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook until the mixture reaches about 300°F. Let it cool for a minute or two, pour it into silicone molds, and let the candies set completely for about 2 hours before dusting them with powdered sugar.

What temperature should honey balls reach?

Honey balls should reach the hard crack stage, about 300°F, measured with a candy thermometer clipped to the pan. At this stage, almost all the water has boiled away, so the cooled syrup turns glassy and brittle instead of soft or chewy. If the syrup is undercooked, the candies will stay soft and tacky, and if it is cooked too hot, it can taste slightly burned.

Why are my honey balls sticky?

Stickiness is most often caused by undercooking, damp air, or storage in a container that is not fully sealed. Cook the syrup to about 300°F, let the candies cool and set completely for about 2 hours, and dust them with powdered sugar before storing them. Keep them in a fully airtight container in a cool, dry place and keep the container closed between servings.

Honey Balls: A Sweet Citrus Hard Candy to Make at Home

Ingredients

Scale

Ingredients
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon or lime juice, fresh
1/4 cup honey
Powdered sugar, for dusting

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Instructions

Instructions
1-In a medium saucepan, add sugar and: In a medium saucepan, add sugar and water. Set over medium low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves, then add lemon or lime juice and honey.
2-Fit pan with a candy thermometer and: Fit pan with a candy thermometer and increase heat to medium high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches Hard Crack stage, about 300F. Mixture will look bubbly and foamy.
3-Remove pan from heat and let cool: Remove pan from heat and let cool for just a minute or two, stirring to let the bubbles calm down. Use a tablespoon or 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour hot mixture into candy molds. Let set up completely, about 2 hours.
4-Dust with powdered sugar to keep the: Dust with powdered sugar to keep the candy from sticking together. They will continue to be sticky after sitting out for a while, so store leftovers in the refrigerator to keep them nice and neat.

Author: Camille Hayes
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Method: stovetop