30 Gift-Worthy Christmas Candy Recipes That You'll Want To Keep All for Yourself
Come the holiday season, nothing brings joy to your home and to the faces of your family and friends like a batch of homemade Christmas candy. Whether you choose chocolate toffee, caramel turtles, bourbon balls, or old-school peppermint divinity, these recipes are so magical you’ll want to double up and keep a whole batch of treats for yourself. All of our Southern-favorite ingredients to use during the holidays are on full display, especially pecans, which make for the most delicious pralines, tassies, and pecan logs. Grab your cookie tins or goodie bags and fill them with these 30 gift-worthy Christmas candy recipes for instant holiday cheer.
Peppermint Divinity
Recipe: Peppermint Divinity
We restored this delightful turn-of-the-century heirloom, adding a delicious peppermint-flavored twist.
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Christmas Fudge
Recipe: Christmas Fudge
For the most perfect version of classic Christmas fudge, look no further than this recipe that makes the most of both bittersweet and unsweetened baking chocolate.
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Salty-Sweet Nut Brittle
Recipe: Salty-Sweet Nut Brittle
This isn't your basic peanut brittle. Studded with peanuts, pecans, pistachios, and almonds, this recipe might be our best-ever nut brittle.
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Toffee Candy
Recipe: Toffee Candy
Developed by the super talented and much-loved Test Kitchen Professional Pam Lolley, this recipe is the best basic toffee recipe you'll find anywhere. The secret lies in details like the addition of instant espresso granules and half a teaspoon of cinnamon.
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Fruitcake Bark
Recipe: Fruitcake Bark
Forget peppermint bark—we're going all in with fruitcake bark that's layered with candied fruit, nuts, and white chocolate.
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Homemade Turtles
Recipe: Homemade Turtles
Chewy caramel, crunchy pecans, and smooth chocolate come together in these easy turtles for some of the most indulgent bites you'll have this season.
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Potato Candy
Recipe: Potato Candy
This old-school candy reminds us of divinity and other traditional homemade Southern sweets. The recipe is a testament to the genius of thrifty cooks who based the confection on leftover mashed potatoes.
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Pecan Logs
Recipe: Pecan Logs
This Southern-favorite convenience store snack is made with a sweet nougat base that's rolled in chewy caramel and coated in pecan pieces. And trust us—they're way better homemade.
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Ginger Bourbon Balls
Recipe: Ginger Bourbon Balls
This fresh take on the classic boozy confection features gingersnaps, crystallized ginger, and melted chocolate.
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Pecan Pralines
Recipe: Pecan Pralines
No matter how you make pecan pralines, they are one of the paramount Southern treats. (But we're partial to this recipe.)
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Cracker Toffee
Recipe: Cracker Toffee
Sometimes a rich, bite-sized nibble does the trick, whether enjoyed as a pampering pick-me-up or given as a special holiday gift. This recipe starts with a sleeve of saltine crackers.
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Christmas Buttermints
Recipe: Christmas Buttermints
Traditionally colored in a rainbow of pastel hues, these homemade candies have a crisp, buttery richness and a refreshing minty flavor.
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Easy Fudge
Recipe: Easy Fudge
It's all there in the name: This is our easiest recipe for wonderfully nutty, traditional chocolate fudge.
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Pecan Tassies
Recipe: Pecan Tassies
Like bite-sized pecan pies that travel as well as cookies (thanks to a shortbread-inspired crust), these tassies spotlight a quintessential ingredient in Southern households during the holidays: pecans.
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Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines
Recipe: Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines
Simultaneously crunchy, creamy, fudgy, and sweet, these nutty pralines are a holiday staple.
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Cathedral Window Cookies
Recipe: Cathedral Window Cookies
Part cookie, part marshmallow treat, this recipe gets high marks in both the taste and appearance categories. Not to mention, it feels delightfully nostalgic.
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Coconut Balls
Recipe: Coconut Balls
Consider these a homemade upgrade to your favorite coconut-almond candy—and the recipe starts with a can of condensed milk. So you know it's going to be a winner.
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Mississippi Mud Medallions
Recipe: Mississippi Mud Medallions
You can substitute mini marshmallows for espresso beans in this take on turtles.
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Muddy Buddy Mix
Recipe: Muddy Buddy Mix
With a handful of ingredients and 10 minutes of your time, you can make and start bagging up the most addicting snack mix ever. It's got the perfect mix of crunch and peanut butter, all tossed in a cocoa-infused powdered sugar.
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Red Velvet Fudge
Recipe: Red Velvet Fudge
Find a prettier red-pink treat to give to all your family and friends this Christmas. We'll wait. This recipe is a great option for those who find chocolate fudge too rich or bitter.
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Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls
Recipe: Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls
Ask any Southerner and they'll admit that bourbon balls are their favorite Christmas treat. Sorry, pralines.
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Rice Krispies Christmas Trees
Recipe: Rice Krispies Christmas Trees
Crunchy, chewy, and made in the most festive fashion—these Rice Krispies trees make the most fun treat during the holidays.
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Salty Chocolate-Pecan Candy
Recipe: Salty Chocolate-Pecan Candy
The hardest part about making this salty-sweet swirled candy is waiting for the chocolate to firm up before devouring it.
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Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites
Recipe: Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites
Great things come in small packages! These pecan pie bites are small but full of flavor and just the right size for pass-along party desserts.
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Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
Recipe: Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
Your neighbors and friends are in for a delicious surprise with these cookies that look like packaged peppermints.
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Mamie Eisenhower’s Chocolate Fudge
Recipe: Mamie Eisenhower’s Chocolate Fudge
This vintage recipe has garnered quite the fame over the past few decades. In fact, it was the go-to fudge recipe in the 1950s and 1960s.
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Mrs. Floyd's Divinity
Recipe: Mrs. Floyd's Divinity
What better way to show your appreciation of friends and family than by giving packages of these old-school holiday confections?
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Pecan Toffee
Recipe: Pecan Toffee
The tender-crisp texture of this rich toffee will quickly make it your holiday guilty pleasure.
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Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
Recipe: Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
A good Southerner doesn't let guests leave empty-handed. Give them a sweet send-off with these addicting salty-sweet nibbles.
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Milk Chocolate-Peppermint Bark
Recipe: Milk Chocolate-Peppermint Bark
As if milk chocolate morsels and peppermint candies weren't perfect enough a mixture, we added rich cream-and-mint-filled chocolate sandwich cookies and salty pretzel sticks to our peppermint bark.