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You are here: Home / Desserts / Cinnamon Rock Candy

Cinnamon Rock Candy

December 4, 2018 By Jere Cassidy 26 Comments

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It’s fast approaching time to make gifts for the holiday and obviously, my go-to gift is homemade treats from my kitchen.  Normally I go all out and make cookies, bread or rolls. This year I wanted something a bit more simple, but still festive red and bursting with flavor.  I’m making old-fashion Cinnamon Rock Candy (also known as Cinnamon Hard Candy) this year to add some sweetness to my holiday gifts.

Homemade Cinnamon Candy

I’ve been making these candies since I was a teen. I have both a sweet tooth and a fondness for cinnamon, so I love this candy.  The way it looks in a glass jar, bright red and dusted with snow-white powdered sugar, will make you love it too!

A jar of Cinnamon Rock Candy with a red ribbon for gifts

Besides being called rock candy, you may be familiar with these sweet treats being called hard candy, broken glass candy or may sugar candy.  No matter what you call these colorful they are all sweet and delicious.

This page may contain affiliate links, please see my full DISCLOSURE  for policy details.

These pretty little candies look so festive in decorative mason jars or sitting on a buffet table for the holidays. If you manage not to eat them all, they make the perfect gifts for teachers, coworkers, the next-door neighbor, or even the dog walker.  Who wouldn’t love this sweet gift for the holidays?

Can you make other flavors of rock candy?

Why yes, you can! There are endless possibilities.  I recommend using LorAnn’s Flavoring Oils. There are so many flavors to choose from. Make sure to change the food coloring to match the flavor.

  • Orange
  • Strawberry
  • Peppermint
  • Cherry
  • Grape
  • Lemon
  • and more….

You only six ingredients to make this homemade cinnamon hard candy recipe

  1. Granulated Sugar
  2. Water
  3. Light Corn Syrup
  4. Cinnamon Oil
  5. Red Food Color
  6. Powdered Sugar

How to make Cinnamon Rock Candy

Step 1

 You definitely need a candy thermometer to make these treats.  To make the candy you simply add water, sugar and white corn syrup and bring to a hard crack stage which is 300 degrees F.  This does take some time, but make sure you watch your thermometer constantly.  This is not a good time to go put a load of laundry, so hang out in your kitchen while this sugar syrup cooks.  Maybe put on some holiday music?

 

boiling sugar and water for cinnamon rock candy

Step 2

Once your syrup reaches that magic boiling point, turn off the heat and add red food coloring and the cinnamon oil.  Use caution! The sugar syrup and the pans are blazing hot so use a wooden spoon or a heavy-duty spatula to stir in the last two ingredients. Make sure to put the empty pan back on the burner so it can cool. And if you have kids or pets, you might send them out of the kitchen while you’re making candy.

Step 3

Pour your colored and flavored syrup onto a 13 x 9 parchment-lined cookie sheet and spread close to the edge.  Let the candy sit for at least four hours to harden.

A sheet of cinnamon rock candy on parchment paper cooling

Step 4

Once the candy is hardened sprinkle with powdered sugar, then put a piece of parchment or wax paper on top of the powdered sugar layer and flip the hard sheet of candy over.  Remove the parchment paper and sprinkle more powdered sugar on top.

Sprinkling powdered sugar on top of the hardenedcandy

Step 5

Now for the fun part.  Grab a heavy-duty spoon and tap on the candy sheet to break into small pieces.  This is my favorite part of making this candy.

Breaking the rock candy into little pieces with a spoon

Step 6

The final step is packaging up the candies.  My favorite way is to put the candies in decorative mason jars with a red ribbon. These jars look pretty sitting on a holiday table or you can seal with the lid and give them as gifts.

Cinnamon rock candy in mason jars ready for gift giving

The great thing about making this Cinnamon Rock Candy is that it leaves your kitchen smelling like….cinnamon!

Here is your pin to save this cinnamon candy recipe to your favorite Pinterest Board

This is Cinnamon Rock Candy in mason jars with red ribbons to give a gifts

Here is your Cinnamon Candy Recipe

A jar of Cinnamon Rock Candy with a red ribbon for gifts
Print Pin
4.91 from 20 votes

Cinnamon Rock Candy

Sweet and a little spicy this Cinnamon Rock Candy is a classic treat for the holiday. These candies are pretty set on a buffet table or wrapped for gift giving with a big red bow. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine Candy
Keyword cinnamon, rock candy
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Hardening Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
Servings 1 pound
Calories 25kcal
Author Jere @One Hot Oven

Equipment

  • Candy Thermometer
  • Mason Jars
  • Cookie Sheets
  • Parchment Paper

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon oil
  • 1/2 tsp. liquid red food coloring

Instructions

  • Prepare a 13" x 9" cookie sheet.  Grease the pan then put a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom and then grease the top of the parchment paper.  Can use cooking spray.
  • In a heavy saucepan combine the sugar, water and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once this mixture boils cover and cook for 3 minutes.  
  • Insert a candy thermometer to the pan and bring this mixture to 300 to 310 degrees F. This is the candy hard crack stage. This step will take around 30 minutes, but make sure you are watching the pan.
  • Once the temperature is reached, turn off the heat, remove the thermometer (it will be very hot.)  Add the cinnamon oil and red food coloring.  Stir to combine.
  • Pour the hot syrup onto the cookie sheet and spread close to the edges. Allow to cool for 4 hours.
  • NOTE:  the saucepan will be very hot.  It is best to put the pan back on the stove burner to cool off.  
  • Sprinkle the candy with powdered sugar then lay a piece of parchment on top, flip over, remove the wax paper and sprinkle with more powdered sugar.  
  • With a heavy spoon, hit the candy to break into small pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Alternative for sprinkling with powdered sugar

  • Break up the hardened candy sheet into desired sized pieces.  Place in a plastic bag, add powdered sugar and shake to coat.  

Notes

This is important to know, that sugar syrup and the pans are blazing hot so use a wooden spoon, or a heavy-duty spatula to stir in the cinnamon oil and food coloring. 
When the pan is empty put it back on the stove burner so it can cool.
It is better to use parchment paper to pour the candy on.
Note: The nutrition calculations are based on roughly making 60 pieces of candy.  

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece of candy | Calories: 25kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.7g

Broken Cinnamon Candy 

They are hard to resist 

 It’s time for a cup of tea with some candy.  A perfect afternoon treat.

Cinnamon Rock Candy and Tea

Here are some essential items you might need for candy making.


I will also include the link for the other flavors of LorAnn’s Oils and  Americolor food coloring.

Wishing you a glorious holiday filled with all things sweet.

Blessings

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Filed Under: Desserts, Recipe Index Tagged With: cinnamon, rock candy

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nicky

    December 18, 2020 at 6:31 pm

    Does the candy have to be removed and cracked at 4 hours? I chose creme de menthe with green food coloring. This is going to be so much fun to taste.

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      December 18, 2020 at 7:08 pm

      You just need to wait for it to be totally cooled. It doesn’t necessarily need four hours, it does depend on the humidity and heat of the kitchen. I have sprinkled the powdered sugar on the candy sheet before and thought it was done only to find the center was still to soft to crack.

      Reply
  2. Barbara

    December 15, 2020 at 4:00 pm

    5 stars
    It was so easy to make. I had an aunt that use to make this candy in all kinds of flavors for Xmas gifts. She somehow use to let it cool some and take pieces and roll it like a snake and then cut with scissors. I will definitely make more.

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      December 16, 2020 at 5:30 pm

      That’s a fun aunt making different flavors, and rolling the candy up like a snake is fun too!

      Reply
  3. Jenni LeBaron

    December 10, 2019 at 9:21 am

    5 stars
    This cinnamon rock candy is so fun! I can imagine that these are tremendous to add to a gift basket for friends and family and even better to keep on hand for snacking!

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      December 16, 2019 at 12:07 pm

      We packaged up four jars and nibbled on candy the whole time.

      Reply
  4. Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness

    December 8, 2019 at 3:11 pm

    5 stars
    I have never tried making my own candy, but I am definitely thinking about doing it now! This looks so perfect!!

    Reply
  5. Amy

    December 8, 2019 at 8:55 am

    5 stars
    I’ve made a version of this years back when doing a cake project. It’s so fun and amazing how the candy comes together! Love your flavors that are perfect for the season.

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      December 8, 2019 at 10:51 am

      It is fun making this candy. It’s hard to believe how easy it is to make.

      Reply
  6. Deborah

    December 8, 2019 at 12:38 am

    5 stars
    OMG< if you use vegan sugar it's vegan, yay! I used to love this stuff when I was a kid. I never dreamed you could actually make it from home. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      December 8, 2019 at 10:50 am

      Hi Deborah, vegan sugar is new to me and I just googled it to read about it. Very, very interesting.

      Reply
  7. Stine Mari

    December 7, 2019 at 11:07 pm

    5 stars
    I love how simple this is, but still looking super fancy. Adding cinnamon makes it extra festive for the Holidays.

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      December 8, 2019 at 10:45 am

      This candy really is super simple to make. This year I’m making it green and minty.

      Reply
  8. Constance Smith

    December 7, 2019 at 12:49 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness! I haven’t made or had rock candy since I was a kid. This brought back some great memories!

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      December 8, 2019 at 10:44 am

      I made it all the time when I was in school then stopped for years, then realized how much fun it is to make so this candy is now a yearly treat.

      Reply
  9. Jacqui Debono

    December 7, 2019 at 12:15 pm

    5 stars
    Such a good idea for gifts! Anything that is fun to do with the kids and that they can give to relatives and neighbours is a winner!

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      December 7, 2019 at 12:21 pm

      My kids grew up making this candy for there teachers for so many years. Everyone loved them.

      Reply
  10. Amanda

    December 6, 2019 at 1:33 pm

    5 stars
    I love the idea of giving this as a gift for Christmas! You see all other types of candy gifts, but rock candy is such a unique idea. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      December 7, 2019 at 12:23 pm

      This is such a unique candy and can be made in so many different flavors.

      Reply
  11. Cat | Curly's Cooking

    December 6, 2018 at 6:41 am

    5 stars
    So colourful and I love the idea of the cinnamon flavour. The perfect gift 🙂

    Reply
  12. Lucy Parissi

    December 6, 2018 at 6:16 am

    5 stars
    This is fantastic. I love the colour and the flavour – a great option for grown-up palates.

    Reply
  13. Lathiya

    December 5, 2018 at 3:01 pm

    5 stars
    Cinnamon rock candy sounds great flavorful candy…perfect for the festive season…your candy got gorgeous color

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      December 5, 2018 at 9:44 pm

      This is perfect for the holidays, everyone loves the bright red color.

      Reply
  14. Mandy

    December 5, 2018 at 1:44 pm

    5 stars
    Such a lovely special treat to make as Christmas gifts. I know my kids would love to do this.

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      December 5, 2018 at 9:45 pm

      I actually started making this when I was a kid.

      Reply
  15. Mayuri Patel

    December 5, 2018 at 11:45 am

    5 stars
    So festive, anyone would be tempted to try a couple of the sweet cinnamon flavored candy. I had no idea that one could buy cinnamon oil.

    Reply

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Welcome, I am Jerè

the baker at One Hot Oven. I love sharing recipes both sweet and savory that inspire you to bake at home. Food has a way of bringing us all together, from a simple batch of cookies to a three-tier cake. It is important to gather your family and friends around the table over delicious food, great conversation, joy, and laughter. Let’s bake something wonderful.

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