How to Make Honeycomb – Honeycomb candy, sponge toffee, cinder toffee, hokey pokey… Whatever you call it*, this recipe yields a sweet crunchy candy with hallmark honeycomb-esque bubbles. Today I’ll be walking you through all of my tips for making this Honeycomb recipe in your own kitchen.
Table of Contents
What is honeycomb?
This light-as-air confectionary is made by cooking honey, sugar and golden syrup until it reaches the ‘crack’ stage, then adding enough bicarbonate of soda to ensure it puffs up perfectly. Also called cinder toffee or sponge toffee, this is one of the easiest confectionaries you can make in your kitchen.
Tips for Making Honeycomb Candy
If you’re following along with every recipe this week, I’m going to sound like a broken record with some of these tips. While they may be repetitive, they can make all the difference when you’re making your candy, so they’re worth reading over again (and again)!
Have everything ready before you begin.
You’ll be cooking your honeycomb mixture to 300°, but once it reaches that temperature you need to move fast or your candy will burn as the temperature continues to climb. Have your baking soda nearby and have your pan already prepared, that way once your thermometer reads 300F you are ready to roll.
Stop stirring once your mixture starts boiling
The temptation to keep stirring your syrup once it starts boiling is real, but it’s completely unnecessary with this honeycomb recipe. So long as you’re keeping your stovetop temperature at medium heat, it won’t burn.
However, don’t walk away from your candy! It takes time (more on that in a minute) but as soon as you turn your head for just a single minute to send one single simple text message (with the perfect gifs and all) to your sister, it will rocket up past 300°F and your candy will burn and you’ll have a mess and will have to start all over… ask me how I know.
Good candy takes time
The syrup will boil for a while. How long exactly will vary depending on your stovetop heat and the pan you use, but it does take time and a little patience. Don’t be tempted to turn up your heat past the medium temperature indicated in the recipe, or you’re more likely to scorch and ruin your honeycomb.
Can You Make Honeycomb with Baking Powder?
Unfortunately, no. You will need baking soda to make this honeycomb recipe and to get those signature bubbles.
How Long Can You Store Honeycomb Candy?
Honeycomb can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week. It tends to absorb moisture in the air and become sticky so it will not last as long in a more humid environment. Do not refrigerate your honeycomb.
How do you make honeycomb:
- 150 g caster sugar
- 2 tbs honey
- 60 g golden syrup
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, sifted
- Line a 4 cm deep lamington tray with baking paper and set aside. Mix the caster sugar, honey and golden syrup together in a heavy bottomed pan large enough to accommodate the mix when it starts to bubble and rise up.
- Put the pan over a low heat and, using a wooden spoon, stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Add your sugar thermometer to the pan and allow the temperature to slowly rise to 150°C. Don’t be tempted to quickly increase the temperature, as you risk burning the mix.
- Take the pan off the heat, and sprinkle over the bicarbonate of soda. Stir the mix well, taking care not to burn yourself as it puffs up. Quickly transfer the honeycomb mix into the prepared tin.
- Allow the honeycomb to cool completely in the tin, then break it into large chunks and store in an airtight container.
Why is my homemade honeycomb chewy?
The most common mistake that leads to chewy honeycomb is taking the syrup off the heat too soon in fear of burning it. To avoid this we recommend always using a sugar thermometer and make sure you get it to 150°C before removing it from the heat.
Do I need any special equipment?
To make perfect honeycomb without any guesswork, try using a sugar thermometer. While it’s possible to guess the right stage to take the sugar off the heat, a sugar thermometer will make the job so much easier. Very cheap to buy, this nifty device is a great addition to any kitchen.
How to store honeycomb
It’s absolutely vital that you store your honeycomb in an airtight container, otherwise it will turn soft and sticky. If giving it as a gift, try storing it in an airtight jar.
Can I make it without honey?
Believe it or not, you can easily make honeycomb without honey. Simple replace the honey with extra golden syrup.
How to make chocolate dipped honeycomb:
If you’d like to make the chocolate dipped honeycomb from your childhood, try melting 100 g of your choice of chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmer water (ensuring the base of the bowl doesn’t come in contact with the water). Once almost completely melted, remove the bowl from the heat and stir to completely melt. Dip the chunks of cooled honeycomb into the melted chocolate, then allow them to set on baking paper lined trays.
Where to use honeycomb
Once you’ve perfected your delicious honeycomb, try transforming it into these dishes:
- Honeycomb Snaps
- Honeycomb Cheesecake
- Honeycomb Ice-Cream
- Banana Honeycomb Tea Bread
- Choc Honeycomb Muffins
Why Does My Honeycomb Taste Burnt ?
TOO much heat ! Another common mistake and you guessed it – I made it too !
The syrup becomes burnt and bitter, you can see it starting to smoke.
DON’T leave your pan unattended and keep an eye on the temperature.
Remove from the heat as soon as it reaches temperature and add the bicarbonate of soda.
Conclusion
Stored correctly in an airtight container in a cool dry place honeycomb will last for up to three months or longer.
I’ve stored ours in Le Parfait jars and our honeycomb was still crisp after six months.