I really like the idea of glass you can eat. Not really, but Sugar Glass is pretty cool and you can make some adorable things with it. And seriously, who doesn’t love candy glass sticking out of a cupcake?! Because they DO go together. I seriously have the best recipe for how to make sugar glass.
Candy Glass or Sugar Glass
Candy Glass is a really cool treat. Not ACTUALLY cool–because it’s like room temperature, unless you’ve had it in the fridge (which you shouldn’t do because it gets sticky…but I digress).
Sugar glass is cool because it can BE so many things.
What is Candy Glass Used For?
Glass candy can be made into decorative pieces for cakes, cupcakes, and doughnuts; it is used during Halloween as a piece of broken glass candy in a Murdered Cupcake with a few drops (ok a lot of drops) of edible fake blood.
Use some to make mirror surfaces or frosting on cakes or cupcakes; it is also used during holidays like Easter to make edible decorations.
Ice from Elsa’s Castle? Yep. Smashed glass for a trick scaring your parents? Yep.
Basically, it’s like the fun tool for Halloween dessert decorating that I never thought I’d be able to make…Frankly, I love it.
Can You Eat Candy Glass?
Absolutely! It’s just a simplified form of lollipop. I’ve even made lollipops with a mold and it works GREAT. The only thing is, you can’t eat it all, because then you won’t have any to decorate your cupcakes. Sad day.
I have gotten asked before if it’s sharp – and while the points CAN be sharp, the edges aren’t. It’s about like eating a lollipop on a stick, so if you bite into it and it leaves an edge, that’s not going to cut your tongue or anything.
But the pointy bits are, obviously, pointy, so maybe don’t hand it to children if you wouldn’t hand them a lollipop.
How to Store Sugar Glass
So, if you shouldn’t put it in the fridge, what can you do to store this awesome edible glass?! I’ve got you there. Not only can you stash it in the freezer in an airtight zipper-top bag or container, you can store it at room temperature in the same airtight facility.
I’ve had a batch of broken glass candy in my freezer in a zipper-top bag for about 4 years now and have not noticed any damage – other than the fact that the kids keep sneaking a bite.
Glass sugar works just like a lollipop, so you can even wrap it in parchment paper to store it – but if it gets wet, it will start to get sticky and melt.
Tips to Make Broken Glass Candy
A few tried-and-true things can really make whipping up a batch of broken glass candy easy.
- First, having a candy thermometer is nice – and I have one. BUT, I found that having one of the handy aim-and-point touchless thermometers you use without putting it into the pot is epic. You can see me use it in the video above – it makes for one less thing to clean!
- Second, if you have parchment paper, that’s a definite must to line your baking sheet with. The candy ice won’t stick to the parchment paper and you don’t have to do anything to the parchment paper. The cooled candy just slides right off. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use wax paper and lightly coat it in non-stick cooking spray to keep the candy from sticking.
Variations to Candy Ice
Just as there’s a ton of ways to use candy glass, there’s a ton of ways to make variations. The two primary ways to make your batch of glass candy different are to:
- Flavor It – As far as flavoring candy glass, to keep from coloring when you’re just trying to flavor it, I recommend using flavoring oils. Colorless, they are absolutely NOT flavorless. The scent and flavor comes across really well with just a drop or two.
- Color It – When you’re wanting to color your broken glass candy, you will want to use a gel food coloring, so that you’re not adding a ton to get a bold color. It only took a few drops of red to make the candy glass in the video above a bright, bright red.
More Halloween Recipes You’ll Love
Speaking of…I totally wrote this Spectacularly Spooky Halloween Recipes book with my friend Stephanie. We worked hard to come up with over 50 recipes that are sure to spook-ify you to your bones, so if you have a minute to check it out…it’s awesome.
Now, ON TO THE EDIBLE GLASS!
Alright, so pin this to your favorite dessert recipes board so you can find the recipe for Edible Glass later.
You know, in case you need it closer to Halloween–or maybe for some fun stained-glass action over the holidays…you know, because broken glass makes so much sense suddenly for Christmas and New Years…LOL!
How To Make Candy Glass
Edible Sugar Glass Recipe
You can't make a Murdered Cupcake without some Edible Glass and a few drops (ok a lot of drops) of edible fake blood.
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 3/4 cups of water
- 2/3 cups light corn syrup
- flavoring oil, if desired
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan add in the sugar, corn syrup, and water.
- Insert the candy thermometer and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until the thermometer reaches 300 degrees.
- Once at 300 degrees, remove from heat and transfer immediately to a baking pan (lined with parchment paper).
- Allow it to sit until hardened (about 2 hours on the counter or 30 min in the freezer). Make sure to cover it while it sits.
- Once hardened lift the pan up and drop straight down to crack the glass. Repeat until you have fragments at a desired size.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 13mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 0gSugar: 48gProtein: 0g
And do NOT forget to check out my new book, Spectuacularly Spooky Halloween Recipes–there’s over 50 awesomesauce, creeptacular recipes that you just CAN’T MISS! So, go, click. LOOK…
Table of Contents
I made this recipe to use as shards of glass for Halloween cupcakes. The recipe was easy but the “glass” has a tinge of yellow to it. What can I do to make it clear?
That has everything to do with the sugar. Try using a higher quality sugar for less of a yellow color. Or it could be that it cooked for a little too long. Pull the mixture off the stove and get it out of the pot as soon as it hits that hard crack state.
Why did mine take 45 min to get to 300? And why does it always come out yellowish?
I don’t know why it would have taken 45 minutes to get that hot. I’ve never had it take more than 15. Maybe you were doing a larger batch? Or just had the heat on lower than my stove goes?
Sometimes that yellowish cast can come from the sugar itself. Try using a higher quality sugar or coloring the mixture…I’m sorry.
Hi there !!
How do you keep the glass from getting floppy and bending?
At first it was HARD, strong and shattered..I mean really behaving like glass at first. I even cut my finger on a piece accidentally. But after a while even in the fridge, the glass began to droop and bend until they were no longer standing upright on the cake but laid down flat 🥴 what do you think was done wrong?
I am not sure – I’ve never had that happen. You might just need to keep it out of moist environments…I keep mine in the freezer until I’m ready to eat it.