With just a few ingredients, you can make Candy Dots at home. Not only will you be re-creating a childhood favorite, but you'll also place a smile on your kid's face with these Homemade Candy Dots.
Kind of like how I can't seem to keep a box of Cheez-Its in my house for more than two days. (Ben...?)
I've provided a free printable for the sleeves. Click on the image below for the Homemade Candy Dots sleeves template:
Homemade Candy Dots
Ingredients
- Candy dots template print-out (see below for free printable)
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 4 cups (1 lb) powdered sugar
- 6 + tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon cherry extract (or vanilla extract)
- Gel food coloring
Instructions
- Print out one page of the candy dots template. Place another white sheet of paper on top of the print-out and trace the two rectangles. Cut out the rectangles, set aside and repeat with how many candy dot sheets you plan to make. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the meringue powder, powdered sugar, water and extract until stiff peaks form and icing loses its sheen (about 10 minutes). Divide into separate containers, depending on how many colors you plan to use. Mix in food coloring with rubber spatulas. Add more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to thin each color out so that when it drops off the spatula it quickly dissolves back into the remaining icing within 10 seconds. (But, thick enough to pipe and hold it's dot, or heart, shape.) Add powdered sugar if need to thicken. Keep covered until ready to use.
- Prepare piping bags with small round tips. Place each color of icing into one bag each. Place two rectangle cut-outs over top the print-out sheet so you can see the dots through the white paper. Pipe dots onto the two triangles, following the dot pattern. Let stand for 2 minutes, then carefully remove and set aside to dry completely. Repeat with remaining rectangle cut-outs. Allow dots to dry overnight in the open air.
Lauren Teperman says
hi! what kind of paper is food grade for these?
Anonymous says
Print the template on regular paper. Then lay parchment paper over the template paper. Make sure your parchment paper is see through so you can use that template.
Nicole says
Hi! When I made these they tasted very odd and not flavorful- at all?! Can you please help me with what I am doing wrong? I used strawberry extract.
Emily says
Just wondering how you make the hearts....they look so uniform...
Nikki Gladd says
Hi Emily, I piped them with a small tip. It's hard to tell, but I piped each side starting from top to bottom then met in the middle. Because it's a royal icing, when it dries you can't tell I did it in two separate sections.
Joanne says
Oh my gosh. So. I found your recipe. Thank goodness. Because I didn't want to use eggs. I just made them. Pink, Blue,Yellow. I flavored the pink cherry. The blue strawberry. The yellow, banana. I used printer paper as well. Oh my gosh. I was making dots for an hour. At first I was so careful to make them so round and uniform. By the umpteenth sheet they were big,fat,long,you name it. But they look just like the ones I used to buy the kids when they were little. I can't wait to taste them. Thanks for the great recipe.
Nikki Gladd says
Thanks, Joanne! Glad this recipe turned out well for you, even if they're not all perfectly uniform dots. 🙂
Scole says
How long will these last. If I made a huge batch and gave kids a little a day would they still be good in like 2-3 months. I would prefer to make large quantities and not have to make every few weeks
Nikki Gladd says
Hi Scole,
We've only kept them for about a week, so any longer than that I can't attest. It's a royal icing recipe, which when on cookies I always say will last for a week.
Umme Amara says
In case if meringue powder is not available, beaten egg white with pinch of salt can be use as an alternate? If yes, please do tell quantity. If no, is there any other alternate? These look so good. Want to try them out soon. 🙂 TIA
Nikki says
Hi Umme,
This is basically a recipe for royal icing and, yes, you can use egg whites instead. Here is a recipe that uses egg whites. Hope this helps!! https://www.joyofbaking.com/RoyalIcing.html
🙂
Karin says
Where can I get meringue powder?
Nikki says
Hi Karin,
Walmart sells it where they have their Wilton baking products. Or you can get it at Michael's, JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby or any other craft type store. I heard William-Sonoma carries it, too.
KATHY says
I PROBABLY OVERLOOKED BUT I AM GOING TO ASK...... WHAT KIND OF PAPER DO YOU PIPE THE DOTS ONTO.
THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL IDEA
Nikki says
Hi Kathy,
I just use printer paper from my printer. Many may have issues with this and say there are toxins or whatever, but that's what I used. 🙂
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
You are so cute and crafty I can't stand it!!! Also rich is obsessed with cheese it's!!!
Nikki says
HAHA! Glad my hubby's not the only one! 🙂
Karly says
These are SO FUN! I've been waiting for the recipe since I saw Ben devouring them on IG. My daughter is a big fan of the candy dots too. 🙂
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says
Such a cute idea! I used to love those growing up.