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    Home » Recipes » Desserts » Candy

    Homemade Tootsie Rolls Recipe (Video)

    September 30, 2020 By Brandy 38 Comments

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    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.
    jar of wrapped tootsie rolls with two unwrapped candies next to it
    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

    Tootsie Roll Ingredients

    • baking cocoa
    • vanilla
    • powdered milk
    • butter
    • powdered sugar
    • corn syrup

    tootsie rolls on baking sheet

    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 ½ 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.
    hand holding unwrapped tootsie roll
    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.
    hand holding tootsie roll wrapped in parchment paper

    3 More Candy Recipes To Make

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    Take 5 Toffee
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    Homemade Tootsie Roll Recipe

    tootsie rolls on baking sheet

    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.
    5 from 13 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 minute minute
    chill: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 16 minutes minutes
    Servings: 75 pieces
    Calories: 28kcal

    Ingredients

    • 6 Tbsp. Baking cocoa
    • 1 Tbsp. Vanilla
    • ¾ cup Powdered Milk
    • 2 Tbsp. Butter
    • 3 cups Powdered Sugar divided
    • ½ 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 ½ 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
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    About Brandy

    Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

    Comments

    1. Kaity says

      December 25, 2024 at 3:06 pm

      5 stars
      These were so delicious and easy. Required a bit more powdered sugar for us but not surprising. Turned out great

      Reply
    2. anonymous says

      June 20, 2024 at 1:47 pm

      5 stars
      Looks great! Will have to test.

      Reply
    3. Melis says

      May 01, 2024 at 5:41 pm

      Do you think these would work with regular milk instead of powder?

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        May 02, 2024 at 10:25 pm

        Hi Melis, I haven’t tried using regular milk, but think it would affect the consistency.

        Reply
    4. K-Dawn Bennett says

      April 30, 2024 at 5:16 pm

      Tootsie rolls are my favorite! I cannot wait to make these! Thank you for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        April 30, 2024 at 5:37 pm

        I hope you like them! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Darcy says

      January 27, 2014 at 3:51 am

      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.

      Reply
    6. anon says

      January 21, 2013 at 9:43 pm

      Looks great! Any ideas on a sugar-free version?

      Reply
    7. Eric and Tabitha McCoy says

      September 24, 2012 at 9:09 pm

      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

      Reply
    8. Sarah says

      September 24, 2012 at 8:47 pm

      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

      Reply
    9. Carissa Rasmussen says

      September 24, 2012 at 3:21 pm

      I love tootsie rolls; never thought about making them myself! Thanks for the inspiration

      Reply
    10. Brandy says

      March 05, 2012 at 8:50 pm

      Mooncat: GREAT! I am so glad they turned out for you. Thanks for letting me know!

      Brandy
      Gluesticks

      Reply
    11. MoonCat says

      March 05, 2012 at 7:50 pm

      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!!

      Reply
    12. S says

      January 30, 2012 at 9:44 pm

      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

      Reply
      • Nick says

        November 04, 2023 at 7:18 am

        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?

        Reply
        • Brandy says

          November 04, 2023 at 9:08 am

          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?

          Reply
          • Casey says

            February 17, 2025 at 11:26 pm

            I would probably opt for vanilla bean to amplify the flavor, and use more powdered milk!

            Reply
    13. lovecrafts says

      October 18, 2011 at 7:43 am

      So fun! i love it, thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    14. Karyn - Pint Sized Baker says

      October 17, 2011 at 12:16 am

      Just found you through "Skip to my Lou" and I love the idea of homemade Tootsie Rolls! This is Great!

      Reply
    15. orangepflege says

      October 12, 2011 at 6:48 am

      WoW! that looks very good.. thanks for posting.=D
      Buy WoW Accounts

      Reply
    16. Emily says

      October 12, 2011 at 5:47 am

      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/

      Reply
    17. The Stuff of Success says

      October 11, 2011 at 8:40 pm

      These look great - feel free to share at the Success U - Wednesday Linkup Party at http://www.thestuffofsuccess.com. Who can resist tootsie rolls!

      Reply
    18. Abby says

      October 11, 2011 at 4:58 pm

      mmmmm my mouth is watering!

      Reply
    19. Mao Mao says

      October 11, 2011 at 8:51 am

      They seem yummy 🙂
      maomaocrafts,blogspot.com

      Reply
    20. Christa says

      October 10, 2011 at 1:52 pm

      Thanks for the recipe! I love Tootsie Rolls, but they're still a little hard for my teeth. These should be perfect. 🙂

      Reply
    21. The Answer Is Chocolate says

      October 08, 2011 at 3:17 pm

      Your site is proving very dangerous for me! These are great!!

      Reply
    22. Emily says

      October 06, 2011 at 8:02 pm

      What a fun idea! I'm definitely going to try this soon.

      Reply
    23. Kristens Creations says

      October 06, 2011 at 4:13 am

      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

      Reply
    24. Alexa says

      October 04, 2011 at 7:22 pm

      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

      Reply
    25. Kathryn Michelle Jenkins says

      October 04, 2011 at 6:14 pm

      what a great treat and tutorial! look so fun. take care!

      kathryn
      http://www.thedragonsfairytail.blogspot.com

      Reply
    26. Analog Girl says

      October 04, 2011 at 6:13 am

      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?

      Reply
      • karie says

        February 22, 2014 at 2:51 pm

        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

        Reply
        • Brandy says

          February 24, 2014 at 11:19 am

          That is an awesome tip and would be a great natural substitute, thanks!!

          Reply
    27. Emily says

      October 04, 2011 at 3:53 am

      Wow! Thanks for sharing this! We will definitely be making Homemade Tootsie Rolls this year.

      Reply
    28. Stephanie says

      October 03, 2011 at 3:43 pm

      This is great, I can't wait to give it a try, thanks for the idea.

      Reply
    29. Lindy@Itsy Bitsy Paper says

      October 03, 2011 at 2:21 pm

      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

      Reply
    30. LaVonne @ Long Wait says

      October 03, 2011 at 3:18 am

      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!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. QUICK Halloween Treats says:
      October 4, 2013 at 3:57 pm

      […] Homemade Tootsie Rolls from Gluesticks […]

      Reply
    5 from 13 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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