Did you know that you can make homemade Tootsie Rolls out of basic baking ingredients! It’s true! Baking cocoa, powdered sugar, dry milk, vanilla, and corn syrup. They are a fun and easy treat to make with the kids.
If you like making your own candy you NEED to try our homemade butterfingers or homemade marshmallows!
Watch our step by step video!
These homemade Tootsie Rolls are always a hit with kids! Fun and easy to make, and they make a lot! I searched for a recipe that used baking cocoa (because that’s what I had on hand vs. baking chocolate) and also a recipe that needed to be warmed up. I thought it might help create a smooth dough. Couldn’t ever find one. So I used several different recipes to come up with these. The texture was just right. Slightly softer than regular Tootsie Rolls (which have a pretty hard texture), but still smooth and firm. Especially when pulled right out of the refrigerator.
These Tootsie Rolls are SO yummy. My kids say they taste like brownies—-nice and chocolatey.
What people are saying about these tootsie rolls
“Thank you for posting this. I made them last night and everyone that I have given them too, LOVED them.”
“First time making these and we liked them better than the storebought ones!”
Tootsie Roll Ingredients
- baking cocoa
- vanilla
- powdered milk
- butter
- powdered sugar
- corn syrup
How To Make Tootsie Rolls
The ingredients are pretty basic and the process is super simple. If your kids like playing with play-doh they will love making their own Tootsie Rolls! The dough can be formed into fun shapes and is super easy to work with!
- The first thing you’ll do is heat the butter, baking cocoa, and corn syrup in a saucepan. It doesn’t need to boil or simmer, it just needs to come together. The butter will melt and combine with the cocoa and corn syrup to produce a smooth texture.
- Stir in vanilla and powdered milk and remove from heat. I like using a dough whisk for this part, but a wooden spoon works too.
- Then you need to thicken the mixture with powdered sugar. Start with 2 cups and stir it all together. It will be a thick and sticky dough.
- Transfer the dough to the work surface (covered in powdered sugar) and add more powdered sugar (about 1/2 cup) on top of the dough. Knead until the sugar has been mixed in and you have a soft, workable dough. You might need a little more sugar to accomplish this.
- Roll out Tootsie Roll dough into long ropes and cut with a knife or pizza cutter.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper and chill for an hour.
You can let them come to room temperature before eating, but we like ours cold. I wrap mine in parchment paper to keep them from sticking to each other.
Homemade Tootsie Rolls will keep for about 2 weeks if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
3 More Candy Recipes To Make
Homemade Tootsie Roll Recipe
Homemade Tootsie Rolls
Did you know that you can make homemade Tootsie Rolls out of basic baking ingredients! It’s true! Baking cocoa, powdered sugar, dry milk, vanilla and corn syrup. They are a fun and easy treat to make with the kids.
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Servings: 75 pieces
Calories: 28kcal
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp. Baking cocoa
- 1 Tbsp. Vanilla
- 3/4 cup Powdered Milk
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar divided
- 1/2 cup Corn Syrup
Instructions
- In a sauce pan (on med) heat butter, cocoa, and corn syrup until smooth and melted.
- Stir in the powdered milk and the vanilla extract. Remove from heat.
- Add a cup of the powdered sugar and stir until it is incorporated. Once that sugar is mixed in, add a second cup of powdered sugar and stir to mix. At this point the dough will start getting stiff and it might be difficult to stir more powdered sugar into the candy.
- Dust your work surface with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and knead the candy until it is smooth. If it is still very soft, knead in a little more powdered sugar until it is firm but not dry or crumbly.
- The dough might be a little sticky, but it dries as you work with it so I just sprayed my hands with a little cooking spray to keep the dough from sticking and I didn’t have any issues.
- Once the homemade Tootsie Roll candy is smooth and a firm, break off a small piece and roll it into a long, thin rope. Using a sharp knife, cut it into small pieces and place them on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat until you have formed all of the Tootsie Roll dough into small pieces. We ended up with over 75 pieces.
- Refrigerate the tray of Tootsie Rolls until they firm up, for about 1 hour. Wrap the homemade Tootsie Rolls in waxed paper to keep them from sticking to each other.
Notes
Homemade Tootsie Rolls will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. I like them cold, but you can bring them to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 28kcal
These were so delicious and easy. Required a bit more powdered sugar for us but not surprising. Turned out great
Looks great! Will have to test.
Do you think these would work with regular milk instead of powder?
Hi Melis, I haven’t tried using regular milk, but think it would affect the consistency.
Tootsie rolls are my favorite! I cannot wait to make these! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I hope you like them! 🙂
I had success making tootsie like things by using chocolate chip and Karo- basically chocolate chips in a modeling chocolate recipe (which usually uses white chocolate).
You might be able to make modeling chocolate (candy clay) with white chocolate and fruit flavor/color it for a fruity version.
Looks great! Any ideas on a sugar-free version?
Thank you for posting this. I made them last night and everyone that I have given them too, LOVED them. My husband wants me to make some fruit flavored ones now. Not sure how to do it. So if anyone has a recipe to do them, please let me know. Thanks,
Tabitha
This could be a dangerous recipe, they wouldn’t last very long in my house but what a fantastic idea. If you get a chance I would love for you to link up at my Pin Party.
http://sarahdawndesigns.blogspot.com/2012/09/pintastic-monday-link-party-10.html#.UGC99K4-WnA
I love tootsie rolls; never thought about making them myself! Thanks for the inspiration
Mooncat: GREAT! I am so glad they turned out for you. Thanks for letting me know!
Brandy
Gluesticks
Absolutely delicious – I found it easier to maneuver the candy when mixing in the second cup of powdered sugar with my hands, and next time will probably use a little less as they seem a little tiny bit ‘grainy’ this time – but I will most definitely make them again!!
Found you on Pinterest. Cannot believe how easy and delish these were. Regular Tootsies are loaded with hydrogenated gook and don’t even resemble what they once were. May even attempt Tootsie Pops!
A one, a two….. lol
Do you have a suggestion if I want to make the vanilla flavored Tootsie rolls? Perhaps replace cocoa powder with milk powder to keep the same amount of powder?
Oh, that’s a great question. The vanilla ones are delicious. The powder would work for the consistency, but I’m wondering about the flavor. The cocoa powder gives a ton of flavor to the chocolate ones, I’m wondering what to add (besides vanilla extract) to boost the vanilla flavoring. Do you think the extract would be enough?
I would probably opt for vanilla bean to amplify the flavor, and use more powdered milk!
So fun! i love it, thanks for sharing.
Just found you through “Skip to my Lou” and I love the idea of homemade Tootsie Rolls! This is Great!
WoW! that looks very good.. thanks for posting.=D
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oh yum!!! Looks so delicious! Would love for you to come over and link up to my Tasty Tuesday party. http://nap-timecreations.blogspot.com/
These look great – feel free to share at the Success U – Wednesday Linkup Party at http://www.thestuffofsuccess.com. Who can resist tootsie rolls!
mmmmm my mouth is watering!
They seem yummy 🙂
maomaocrafts,blogspot.com
Thanks for the recipe! I love Tootsie Rolls, but they’re still a little hard for my teeth. These should be perfect. 🙂
Your site is proving very dangerous for me! These are great!!
What a fun idea! I’m definitely going to try this soon.
So glad you posted this recipe! I didn’t even know there was a recipe on how to make tootsie rolls…good to know! So glad you joined the party! Kristen
This is genius! I have to send the recipe to my nephew. This is the only candy he likes! Now he can make his own!!!
I’d love it if you linked up to my blog hop Terrorific Tuesdays!
http://swelldesigner.blogspot.com/2011/10/terrorific-tuesday-blog-hop-time.html
what a great treat and tutorial! look so fun. take care!
kathryn
http://www.thedragonsfairytail.blogspot.com
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I have Pinned this so that I can make these. My husband loves the fruit flavored versions of Tootsie Rolls. Do you have any ideas on how to make those?
Take dehydrated fruit and grind it to flour consistency. Replace cocoa with it. Might have to play around with the amounts for the flavor.could also add a little fruit flavorings for baking/candy making. I made apple this way
That is an awesome tip and would be a great natural substitute, thanks!!
Wow! Thanks for sharing this! We will definitely be making Homemade Tootsie Rolls this year.
This is great, I can’t wait to give it a try, thanks for the idea.
Oh my goodness these are awesome! I hope you will link up this recipe to my Wickedly Creative Halloween Ideas Party.
http://www.itsybitsypaperblog.com
Thanks for sharing this one. I love it. I pinned it to my “Foods to Die For” board on Pinterest and tweeted it on Twitter.
Happy Week!