Broken Glass Candy

By
Elizabeth LaBau
Sweet Book of Candy Making Elizabeth LaBau
Elizabeth LaBau
A professional pastry chef, cookbook author, and writer, Elizabeth LaBau has published more than 600 articles on baking and candy making.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/20/23
Tested by
Tracy Wilk
Photo of Tracy Wilk
Tested by Tracy Wilk
Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Broken glass candy in many colors on a white plate

The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Rest Time: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 55 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Yield: 1 pound
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
158 Calories
0g Fat
41g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 158
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 11mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 41g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 3mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 2mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Broken glass candy is a gorgeous hard candy that looks like shards of colorful broken glass. In taste and texture, it's not too different from lollipops or other hard candies, but its distinctive appearance and jagged edges make it special. 

The basic broken glass candy recipe includes sugar, corn syrup, and water, but a variety of flavorings and colors can be added to your liking. Make a rainbow assortment and color coordinate each flavor, with green for apple, red for cherry, yellow for banana, orange for tangerine, blue for blueberry, etc. Or simply make every batch the same color and flavor​.

Remember, when making candy, no kids or pets should be in the kitchen. Use proper protective gear like silicone gloves and a thick apron, and always wear shoes. For this candy-making process, a candy thermometer is advisable, but if you don't have one, you can test your candy without one by using a bowl of cool water. This candy will get to 300 F, which is known as the hard crack stage.

1:40

Click Play to See This Gorgeous Broken Glass Candy Come Together

"This is a really fun way to make candy! I have never made broken glass candy before - but this recipe was very user-friendly and could make so many beautiful colors. I think this would make beautiful stained glass decor for your gingerbread houses!" —Tracy Wilk

Broken glass candy pieces in a bowl
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 3/4 cup light corn syrup

  • 2 cups granulated sugar

  • 2 to 4 teaspoons flavoring extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon gel food coloring

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for broken glass candy gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  2. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick silicone mat or a layer of aluminum foil sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. If you are making more than one color and flavor of candy, grease one pan for each.

    Two baking sheets, one lined with foil and the other, a silicone mat

    The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, corn syrup, and granulated sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

    Water, corn syrup, and sugar in a saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  4. Wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. This prevents the finished product from being grainy and will make for a nice, clear candy.

    Brushing the sugar crystals down the sides of sauce pan with a pastry brush

    The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  5. When the sugar syrup comes to a boil, insert a candy thermometer. Continue to cook the sugar syrup, stirring occasionally, until the thermometer reads 300 F (150 C).

    Sugar syrup in a boiling saucepan with a candy thermometer in it reading 300F

    The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  6. When it has reached 300 F, remove the pan from the heat and let the candy cool off a little until it stops bubbling completely.

    Saucepan of boiled sugar set aside to cool on a wooden cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  7. If you want to make 2 or more different colors and flavors of broken glass candy from a single batch, pour parts of the syrup into separate pans before adding the extracts and food colorings. Working quickly to avoid the candy setting in the pans, add different colors and flavors to the syrups.

    Food coloring added to sugar syrup in different saucepans

    The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  8. Pour the candy out onto the prepared baking sheets and let it spread into a thin layer.

    Colored candy liquid being poured onto a baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  9. Cool the candy completely at room temperature; this can take up to 2 hours. Once it is set, pull the candy up from the sheet and crack it into small pieces by banging it against a cutting board or shattering it with a knife handle.

    Candy liquid cooling and cracking

    The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  10. Place the powdered sugar in a plastic bag and, one at a time, add the shards of each flavored candy. Shake the bag until the candy is coated with the powdered sugar. Remove from the bag and repeat with the other colors.

    Broken glass candy pieces tossed out of a bag and covered in confectioners' sugar

    The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

  11. Serve and enjoy!

    Pieces of broken glass candy in red, yellow, and green

    The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

Tip

  • The strength of extracts varies greatly from brand to brand and flavor to flavor. It may take a little trial and error to determine how much flavoring to add to suit your taste.
  • If you are using flavoring oils, they are much stronger than extracts, so start by adding just 1/2 teaspoon of flavoring oil at a time.

Variations

There are several flavors you can buy at online retailers or specialized candy-making shops. Mix two or more for fun, personalized creations:


  • Banana cream and orange
  • Apple and strawberry
  • Watermelon and lime
  • Coffee and chocolate
  • Cinnamon and anise
  • Apricot and vanilla
  • Blackberry and cherry
  • Amaretto and coffee
  • Almond and orange
  • Coconut and key lime

How to Store Glass Candy

If kept well wrapped in a low-humidity environment, glass candy can last for several months, as high levels of sugar act as a deterrent for bacterial growth. Always keep candy at room temperature. Due to condensation, storing candy in the fridge will make it sweat, and the pieces will stick to one another.