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12 Healthy Homemade Candy Recipes

October 31, 2011 by KimiHarris 29 Comments

Thanks for stopping by! If you're interested in healthy eating check out my free gifts! and subscribe to get regular email updates. *Some links may be affiliate.*
Thanks for stopping by! If you're interested in healthy eating check out my free gifts! and subscribe to get regular email updates. *Some links may be affiliate.*


In celebration of Halloween, I thought I would share this list of Homemade candy recipes using healthier ingredients. Almost all of these recipes are gluten and dairy free, so they are great for those with allergies. But they taste so good, everyone will want some.

I love that these recipes are so simple to make! Just be careful with the couple of recipes that call for making a sticky syrup out of honey or maple syrup. I use my back burner and make sure all children are out of the kitchen as it can cause serious sugar burns.

1. Mock Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: A sugar-free, protein-rich option!

2. The Easiest, Healthiest, Most Scrumptious Fudge Ever: The title says it all. This fudge is so much easier to make than traditional fudge and much healthier, too. I’ve made it with the more common sweetener, honey, with great results as well.

3. Nature’s Candy Bar (pictured at top): I called these Nature’s Candy Bar because they feature dates, which are rich in natural sugar. A chocolate coating doesn’t hurt either.

4. Candy Bar: This chocolate-covered candy bar looks amazing! I would recommend simply substituting the agave syrup in this recipe and the next with the less refined sweetener, honey.

5. Mock Mounds Bar: Mounds bars used to be my favorite candy bar. Now I can have a a healthier version guilt-free.

6. Cracker Toffee (pictured above): My daughter and I made this super easy recipe last year as part of our Christmas candy platter. They are rich, delicious and so easy.

7. Old-Fashioned Caramel Corn: I adapted my husband’s favorite caramel corn recipe from his younger years to only include unrefined sweeteners (no corn syrup here!) It is a certain favorite at parties.

8. Caramel Apples: This recipe uses cream and honey to create a rich caramel coating for apples. It’s perfect for this time of year.

9. Dairy-Free Caramel Apples: This recipe doesn’t use any dairy but a combination of honey and maple syrup. How delicious does that sound?

10. Honey-Sweetened Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nuts: These make a very special gift, and very yummy snacking.

11. Homemade Almond Roca with Maple Syrup: All you need for this recipe is maple syrup. If you’ve ever had maple syrup candy before, you know how amazing it is.

12. Decadent Chocolate “Larabar” Truffles: (pictured above): These truffles were inspired by Larabars, but morphed into truffles; perfect as an afternoon pick-me-up.

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KimiHarris

I love beautiful and simple food that is nourishing to the body and the soul. I wrote Fresh: Nourishing Salads for All Seasons and Ladled: Nourishing Soups for All Seasons as another outlet of sharing this love of mine. I also love sharing practical tips on how to make a real food diet work on a real life budget. Find me online elsewhere by clicking on the icons below!

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Filed Under: Dairy Free, Desserts, Gluten Free

Previous Post: « 12 tips and recipes for stage 1 of the GAPS intro diet
Next Post: Homemade Cinnamon Ornaments »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ilana

    October 31, 2011 at 8:39 am

    The link for the fudge goes to the peanut butter cups! I’d LOVE the fudge recipe!

    Reply
    • KimiHarris

      October 31, 2011 at 8:48 am

      fixed!

      Reply
  2. Jackie

    October 31, 2011 at 9:03 am

    How wonderful of you to share these great ideas! Our family thanks you!

    Reply
  3. Stephanie

    October 31, 2011 at 9:09 am

    I’m going to be downer and remind everyone that sugar is still sugar, even when in less or unprocessed forms. (I’m slightly disturbed when people post up recipes that call for 3/4 c honey and then claim they are “healthy.” No, they are still dessert/treats. There. Rant done.)

    Now, enjoy your chocolate, nuts, and dates.

    Reply
    • KimiHarris

      October 31, 2011 at 9:28 am

      Stephanie,

      All things in moderation. I don’t think all sugar is equal, if I did, I might as well buy Snickers. I have thought to make disclaimers like “more healthy” etc, but that often can cause more confusion. Perhaps what would help make this more clear is saying “healthier”.

      As far as 3/4 cup of honey, I feel I can trust my readers to know that if they consume the whole batch of fudge made with 3/4 cup of honey, it is no longer a healthy treat for them. If you eat a small square of it, you will be consuming less sweeter than most people put in their tea.

      Reply
      • KimiHarris

        October 31, 2011 at 9:30 am

        Here is a reply to a previous comment asking why homemade candy recipes are healthier that might be helpful.

        That’s a good question. There are a couple of reasons I consider these “candies” healthier, but still certainly a treat. First, they are lower in sugar (natural or otherwise). Most candies have very high sugar amounts. These, for the most part, do not. In fact, that is something to keep in mind when you make these recipes as several of them are so low in sweeteners, it might be not quite sweet enough for those used to eating regular candy bars.

        Secondly, except for the sugar in the dark chocolate used in the recipes, these use unrefined sugar. While it is still certainly sugar, it still retains its natural minerals and vitamins which can make it less stressful on the body to consume. I just wouldn’t recommend them to diabetics. The sugar is also not bleached, an unnecessary refining process. Third, many conventional candies contain GMOs in the form of GM beet sugar. I personally have chosen to avoid GMOs when possible. Making candy at home with organic sweeteners allows me to do so. And finally, most candies have a lot of dyes, additives, and hydrogenated oils. By making your own, you can avoid these ingredients.
        In the end, in my house, sweets are still a special treat! But I feel much better feeding my child lightly sweetened, dark chocolate covered nuts, than store bought candies. 🙂

        Reply
        • Nutritionist Sarah

          October 31, 2011 at 6:07 pm

          Not to mention that anything with fructose in it that is not the fructose that is present in whole food fruits, whacks the liver directly (that is a scientific term: “whacks” :)). BIG difference in my professional opinion, from, say, a small piece of fudge or other sweet, made from raw honey.

          Reply
    • Joanna

      May 10, 2012 at 11:50 am

      If you are so freaked out by sugar, what the hell are you doing looking up candy recipes for? Just saying.

      Reply
    • Becky

      September 17, 2016 at 6:21 am

      Read up on the health benefits of honey, maple syrup, molasses, etc… Then read about what refined processed sugars do to your health. Know the facts sugar is not equal in all forms.

      Reply
  4. Allison

    October 31, 2011 at 9:31 am

    Oh goodness, these all sound wonderful. I don’t even know where to begin!

    Reply
  5. Cynthia

    October 31, 2011 at 10:51 am

    Wonderful and yummy! Thanks for the roundup, Kimi!

    Reply
  6. Kendahl @ Our Nourishing Roots

    October 31, 2011 at 10:51 am

    I love so many of these recipes that you’ve come up with Kimi, thanks for sharing them again!

    Reply
  7. Jen

    October 31, 2011 at 2:35 pm

    Yum!!! These sound delicious!! I love honey-sweetened candy! Thanks!

    Reply
  8. lawranch

    October 31, 2011 at 2:47 pm

    Sugar is not a bad thing, unless one is a diabetic, and then it should be consumed in measured moderation. Please remember that one of the most important ingredients in breat milk is sugar. It has it’s place. People have made way too much of sugar. It is all of the wax and petrochemical ingrediants added to commercial candy that is worrisome to me. Thank you for sharing these wonderful ideas! A little sugar now and then helps the medicine of life go down all the more smoothly. (It also helps wash down all the fermented cod-liver oil!) Lighten up and LIVE a little!! These sweets will make it all the more worth it!!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      January 13, 2013 at 8:48 am

      It’s not the sugar that is bad, it’s how it is refined. Poppy seeds aren’t bad for you, but it’s refined in the same process sugar cane is refined, and it turns into heroin. The sugar cane turns into an addictive, carcinogenic, chemical-filled sugar.

      Reply
  9. summer

    October 31, 2011 at 3:00 pm

    mmm! what an encouragement on a day like today- not all candies are created equal. 🙂 i love these recipes! kimi, just wanted to say a huge thank you for hosting those fantastic GAPS posts. i am a brand new gaps girl (and nursing mom) as of this weekend! thanks for all the help in getting there.

    Reply
  10. Tina

    October 31, 2011 at 5:19 pm

    Kimi,
    You can make a slightly more healthful chocolate option by making your own chocolate as an option. I use unsweetened Dagoba baking chocolate, a little coconut oil and let that melt over warm water until blended, and then add a small bit of raw honey, mix well and
    then let cool to set. I use about a tablespoon of honey max for an entire unsweetened dagoba bar, if even that much. I use this for chocolate chips, baking chocolate, Halloween candy etc.

    Reply
    • KimiHarris

      October 31, 2011 at 6:10 pm

      Hi Tina!

      Thanks for sharing! I’ve done that too, however every once in a while adding honey has caused my chocolate to sieze. Have you ever had that happen? My 5 year old and I even like unsweetened chocolate, though. Yum!

      Reply
      • Tina

        November 5, 2011 at 10:11 am

        HI Kimi,
        I haven’t had problems with siezing, but I don’t heat it much at all, just enough to melt the coconut oil and chocolate together, then stir the honey in to blend.

        Reply
  11. jamie

    October 31, 2011 at 5:44 pm

    Thanks for the reminder Stephanie. It is easy to read “healthy” and think that we can eat all we desire which for some of us is a major “no-no”.

    Reply
  12. jamie

    October 31, 2011 at 5:45 pm

    excellent collection!

    Reply
  13. Paula

    October 31, 2011 at 6:34 pm

    Kimi,
    Thank you for all these delicious-sounding recipes! I’m supposed to be doing GAPS Intro, but ended up cheating this evening with the Halloween candy. I think next year, I’d better have a healthier, homemade option ready, so I won’t be so tempted. 🙂

    Reply
  14. Alex@Spoonful of Sugar Free

    November 1, 2011 at 5:11 am

    They ll look amazing! I need to try my hand at making homemade healthy candy! I’ve already made a sugar-free peanut butter cup (divine!) and andes mints……now I need to try some others!

    Reply
  15. France @ Beyond The Peel

    November 1, 2011 at 9:24 am

    Great round up! I love the naturally sweetened candy. I’ll definitely be giving the fudge, lara bar inspired truffles and the cracker toffee. There’s some great Christmas baking in this post too!

    Reply
  16. Tina Kalvelage

    May 16, 2012 at 12:43 pm

    Honey is a monosaccharide meaning bees have digested it. Sugar and other sweeteners are di/polysaccharides and they cause havoc on the digestive tract because the bad bacteria that digest them form mucous which inhibits nutrient absorption. I follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and honey and saccharine are the only sweeteners allowed because they are digested by the good bacteria. Anyone have a recipe for just honey candy they would like to share? I’m trying to find a honey breath mint I can make.

    Thank you,
    Tina

    Reply
  17. Elana

    October 10, 2012 at 12:25 pm

    Such a great list,
    FYI Caramel apples, I made just caramel chewy NON DAIRY candies with
    1 cup honey
    1 Cup almond milk
    1/2 cup coconut oil
    followed the heating instructions and stirred in
    1 tsp vanilla once removed from the heat
    poured into 9 inch square pan over baking paper to set, cut into squares with a greased knife and dipped in melted nondairy 72% chocolate
    yum

    Reply
  18. charlotte

    March 29, 2013 at 10:01 am

    the third candy looked like meatballs which are so disgusting. i hate meatballs, but i loved the first one because it was chocolate. i love chocolate………………………..

    Reply
  19. Janeen

    December 24, 2021 at 3:46 am

    The mock peanut butter cup link takes me to Why Do Dogs Love Peanut Butter? Yuck not what I wanted to know.

    Reply
    • KimiHarris

      January 27, 2022 at 11:16 am

      Thanks for letting me know. It looks like that website changed their landing page, unfortunately. It used to go to my recipe.

      Reply

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The information you find here at The Nourishing Gourmet is meant to help you become a better cook! This site is primarily for sharing family friendly recipes. It's not meant to give medical advice or to make any health claims on the prevention or curing of diseases.This site is only for informational and educational purposes. Please discuss with your own, qualified health care provider before adding in supplements or making any changes in your diet. Also, any links to sponsors or affiliates (including Amazon) may give me a percentage of the sale or a pay per click. Thank you for supporting this site.

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