5 Christmas Candy Recipes To Make Ahead
Looking to add a little sweetness to your holiday celebrations? These 5 Christmas candy recipes are perfect for making ahead, so you’ll have delicious treats ready for gift-giving, holiday parties, or just cozy nights in. From rich chocolate coconut truffles to soft, buttery homemade caramels, each recipe is simple and bursting with festive flavor. I have even included a 5-Minute Christmas Crack Sweet and Salty Chex Mix for quick, crowd-pleasing bites, as well as slow-cooked candied nuts that fill your kitchen with the aroma of the season. These treats are sure to make your holiday season extra merry and bright!
CHOCOLATE COCONUT TRUFFLES
Three types of coconut product make these truffles the ideal gift for the coconut lover in your life.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 c. coconut cream
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 3 c. confectioners’ sugar
- 1 (14 ounce) bag shredded sweetened coconut, plus more for sprinkling
- 10 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. solid coconut oil
Directions:
- Step 1 Line a baking sheet with parchment. Beat butter, coconut cream, vanilla, and salt with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in sugar until just combined. Beat in shredded sweetened coconut just until combined. Cover and chill, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Step 2 Roll mixture into 43 (1-inch) balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze 30 minutes.
- Step 3 Melt chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl in microwave 30 seconds; stir. Continue to microwave and stir in 10 second intervals until melted and smooth. Place one chilled coconut ball on the tines of a fork and dip into melted chocolate, tapping off excess; return to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining coconut balls. Sprinkle tops lightly with coconut. Chill until set, 10 to 15 minutes. Store truffles, refrigerated, in airtight containers up to 1 week.
Yield: 43
WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT PATTIES
Ingredients:
- 4 c. confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 c. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 c. heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tsp. pure peppermint extract
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- Cooking spray
- 12 oz. white chocolate, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. solid coconut oil
- Crushed peppermints, for garnish
Directions:
- Step 1 Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat confectioners’ sugar, butter, cream, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and salt with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Roll into 30 balls. Place on prepared baking sheets and flatten into 1/4-inch-thick disks using a greased piece of wax paper. Cover and freeze 30 minutes.
- Step 2 Microwave chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl 30 seconds; stir. Continue to microwave and stir in 10-second intervals until melted.
- Step 3 Place 1 chilled peppermint disk on tines of a fork and dip into melted chocolate, tapping off excess; return to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining peppermint disks. Sprinkle tops with crushed peppermints. Chill until set, 15 to 20 minutes. Store, refrigerated, in an airtight container up to 1 week.
Yield: 30
5 Minute Christmas Crack: A Simple Sweet and Salty Chex Mix Snack
Tis the season for sweet and salty, and easy. This simple Christmas Crack recipe, or Christmas Chex Mix, can be made in 5 minutes or less.
Christmas Chex Mix Ingredients:
Specific measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here is a list of what you’ll need:
- Chex cereal
- Pretzel Sticks
- Mini Marshmallows
- Red and Green M&Ms
- White Chocolate for melting
How to Make Christmas Chex Mix
In a large bowl, combine the cereal, pretzels, marshmallows, and M&Ms. Mix them up a bit to evenly distribute.
Step 1: Melt Chocolate
Meanwhile, over a double boiler or bain-marie, melt the white chocolate according to its package instructions.
Step 2: Coat the Chex Mix
Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, drizzle it over the cereal mix and combine it with a spoon or even your hands. Be sure the cereal mixture is evenly coated with chocolate. Melt a little more white chocolate if needed.
Step 3: Let Dry
Spread the mixture onto a large sheet of parchment or wax paper. Let dry for an hour or so until the chocolate is cool and hardened. Break it into pieces and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
How to Store Christmas Chex Mix
Store Christmas Crack in an airtight container at room temperature for several days to a week. Freezer for longer storage!
How to Freeze Christmas Chex Mix
I store it in an airtight plastic bag in the freezer.
Soft, Buttery Homemade Caramels
Soft, buttery homemade caramels! A tried-and-true recipe you’ll want to make every Christmas.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups sugar
- 2 sticks butter 1 cup
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2-12 oz cans evaporated milk
Instructions :
-
-
Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
-
Melt the sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt together in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. (A stainless steel pot works best for these caramels.)
-
Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the evaporated milk a little at a time, taking 10-15 minutes per can and stirring constantly. A labor of love indeed.
-
Once all the milk is added use a candy thermometer and bring the mixture to 238F-240F and not any hotter! Even a few degrees hotter will make them chewy instead of soft. (This will take another 15 minutes or so!) I highly recommend double checking the temperature with an instant read thermometer as it comes to temperature.
-
Immediately pour into the prepared pan and cool completely. (Once the caramels are cool – I recommend freezing them for 20-30 minutes before slicing. Or you can refrigerate them for a few hours. You don’t want them to be frozen solid, but if they’re cold this helps the caramels hold their shape when cutting/wrapping.) Cut and serve. Enjoy!
-
Yield: 80
Slow Cooker Candied Nuts
Ingredients
- 6 cups mixed nuts
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
-
In a medium mixing bowl, add the sugars, egg whites, cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt and whisk together well.¾ cup brown sugar,¾ cup granulated sugar,2 egg whites,1 tablespoon ground cinnamon,1 teaspoon vanilla extract,1 teaspoon salt
-
In a large bowl, add the nuts and pour the sugar mixture over top and gently toss until the nuts are evenly coated.6 cups mixed nuts
-
Spray the crockpot with non-stick cooking spray and place the nuts in.
-
Cook on low 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
-
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the cooked nuts onto it in a single layer to cool.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Use just one type of nut if you’d like such as all pecans or all walnuts.Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little spice.Swap vanilla extract with almond extract.Use maple syrup in place of granulated sugar
These make-ahead Christmas candy recipes are a wonderful way to spread a little holiday cheer. With flavors that capture the essence of the season—rich chocolate, sweet coconut, creamy caramel, and spiced nuts—each treat is perfect for sharing, gifting, or simply enjoying by the fire. Whether you’re planning to fill gift baskets, impress guests, or just satisfy your own sweet tooth, these festive candies are sure to delight. Try one (or all) of these recipes, and let your holiday celebrations be filled with sweetness and joy.
P.S. I was featured at the Senior Salon Pit Stop. Not sure what that is go check it out at the link below.
<img src=”https://esmesalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/I-was-Featured-at-the-Senior-Salon-Pit-Stop.jpg”
You might also like:
Free Christmas Themed SVG Wall Art
As always, thanks for stopping by and being part of this growing community!
Warmly yours,
Wanda, xo ✂️🧶
You can follow me at all these lovely places.
YUM. Anything you can make ahead of time, especially this time of year, worth it.
Hi Wanda. Popping in quickly to let you know that your awesome post will be featured Monday at SSPS 337 https://esmesalon.com/tag/seniorsalonpitstop/
Great ideas, Thank you for sharing and participating at SSPS 336. See you at #337
So delicious! This post is one of my features for this week’s SSPS, thank you for sharing with us! Melynda @scratchmadefood!
Happy to hear you will feature this post – I’m making my ingredient list to start my baking soon 🙂 Wanda @awandafulthing!