Go Back
–+ servings
pink, purple and orange salt water taffy wrapped in wax paper
Print Recipe
5 from 12 votes

Homemade Saltwater Taffy

Homemade saltwater taffy is fun to make and a nostalgic treat! Fill a candy jar up with a rainbow of flavors and colors.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
cool and pull30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 35 pieces
Calories: 30kcal
Author: Brandy Nelson

Equipment

  • saucepan
  • candy thermometer
  • wooden spoon or rubber spatula
  • baking sheet
  • scissors
  • wax paper
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • gloves

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. corn starch
  • ½ teaspoon salt sea salt or kosher
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • ¾ cup light corn syrup
  • ⅔ cup water
  • food coloring
  • ½ teaspoon concentrated flavoring oil (1 teaspoon extract)
  • butter for greasing pan and hands

Instructions

  • Butter a baking sheet. Set baking sheet aside.
  • Combine sugar, corn starch, salt, butter, corn syrup and water in medium saucepan.
    pan of salt water taffy ingredients
  • Heat on medium heat, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil.
  • Add candy thermometer to pan and cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 250-253 degrees (see notes about cooking temp).
    pan on the stove with candy thermometer
  • Pull pan off of heat and add 3-4 drops of food coloring and flavoring oil. Stir.
    taffy mixture simmering in pan
  • Imediately pour mixture onto buttered baking sheet. Allow to cool until you can handle it. Mixture should be warm when you begin to pull the taffy, not hot.
    hot taffy poured into buttered baking sheet
  • Spread a small amount of butter onto your hands, or onto your food gloves (I like using gloves) then remove taffy from baking sheet, form into a ball and begin to pull taffy.
    cooled taffy on baking sheet
  • Taffy will start out looking glassy and darker in color, but will change to a satin texture and lighter in color.
    gloved hands holding warm taffy
  • It will change from soft and stringy to stiff and smooth.
    orange taffy being pulled
  • This can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes.
    pulled taffy in a ball on a work surface
  • Roll taffy into a rope.
    salt water taffy pulled into ropes
  • Cut taffy, with buttered scissors, into bite sized pieces.
    orange salt water taffy sliced using scissors
  • Wrap taffy in small squares of wax paper.
    balls of salt water taffy on wax paper
  • This recipe makes 30-40 pieces of taffy, depending on the size you cut the pieces.
    hand holding wrapped piece of homemade taffy

Video

Notes

  1. You can use salted or unsalted butter. 
  2. Flavoring oils are much stronger than extracts. If using flavoring oils use ½ teaspoon (½ a dram). If using extracts use 1 teaspoon.
  3. The perfect taffy temperature can fluctuate depending on altitude. You'll find suggestions from 246 degrees all the way up to 256 degrees. I've made many batches of taffy and have found 252 to be the right temp for my taffy. I live close to sea level. Higher altitudes may want to reduce the temp to 246. I believe the rule is to subtract 2 degrees for every 1000 feet above sea level.
  4. If your taffy hardens quickly and looks like hard candy/glass you cooked it too long. If the taffy is runny and a slimy mess it wasn't cooked long enough. A good candy thermometer is essential to ensure the proper temp. 
  5. If taffy is slightly sticky after cutting it into pieces, let it stand 15-20 minutes before wrapping. This will allow it to dry on the ends and it won't stick to the wax paper.

Nutrition

Calories: 30kcal
QR Code linking back to recipe