This Gumdrop Nougat Candy is the ultimate festive treat. It’s a creamy, taffy-like confection studded with bright, fruity gumdrops. With just 4 simple ingredients, it’s a total showstopper for your Christmas dessert platters or holiday tins.
Do you remember that white, sticky nougat candy made by Brach's with the chewy fruit inside? Wrapped in cellophane, it was sometimes round and sometimes square.
That was one of my favorites when I was a kid. This homemade fruity gumdrop nougat candy recipe comes very close to it in consistency, but it's actually creamier, fruitier, and even more delicious.
Eating a sweet sticky square of this is like a candy mash-up of taffy-meets-nougat-meets-fruit chews all in one fantastic bite.
But let's have a moment of truth here: this homemade nougat candy is super fun to make and eat, but like Classic Peanut Brittle, it can be a little tricky and sticky to work with.
We walk you through how to make this sweet nostalgic recipe without making a total mess, and without your fingers getting totally stuck to it in the process!
The payoff is one super yummy treat that's unique and pretty, and makes the perfect holiday gift.
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🥘Ingredients
- butter- this helps the mixture not stick to the pan and provides a creamy base
- vanilla flavored baking chips- no need for premium baking squares here; chips are just fine
- mini marshmallows- I find this size easier to mix in large quantities on the stove
- fruity gumdrops- I buy 2 movie theatre boxes of Dot's and cut each gumdrop into quarters with kitchen shears (you won't use all the gumdrops in the second box)
See recipe card for quantities.
🔪Instructions
- Step 1: Melt the butter, vanilla chips, and marshmallows over medium heat; stir constantly.
- Step 2: Once mixture is taffy-like and thoroughly melted, remove from heat. Rest for 2 minutes and stir in gumdrops (reserve some for next step).
- Step 3: Pour mixture into 8x8 pan, lined with parchment paper. Press reserved gumdrops on top.
- Step 4: Cover and refrigerate overnight., then slice into 60 squares with a sharp knife.
Hint: You'll want to use a large, nonstick saucepan (at least 6 quart capacity) and a very sturdy spoon (coated with cooking spray) for melting the mixture on the stove. Resist the temptation to turn up the heat, or the vanilla chips will seize up and stiffen. Stir constantly; this process can take up to 10 minutes.
📖Variations
- Christmas Nougat - only use red and green Dots...you'll want to buy extra boxes to sift through them
- Gummy Bear Nougat - instead of gumdrops, use gummy bears...the mini Haribo ones are perfect for this; cute for a kiddie party
- Jelly bean nougat - use jelly beans instead of gumdrops; this is fun for Easter
See Creamy Marshmallow Fudge for another stovetop recipe that uses marshmallows and baking chips!
🍽Equipment
- kitchen shears
- large, nonstick saucepan (6 quart minimum)
- sturdy mixing spoon (greased with cooking spray)
- 8x8 nonstick pan (lined with parchment paper)
- sharp knife (chef's knife is a good choice)
🍶Storage
Store Gumdrop Nougat Candy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Make sure nougat squares aren't touching each other and separate rows with parchment paper. You can also individually wrap pieces in parchment paper, which is a good option for gifting.
Do not freeze.
💭Top tip
This recipe is sticky business! Spray your utensils and even your hands (or a glove!) with cooking spray to keep things moving smoothly.
When transferring the mixture to the square pan, it's helpful to place your hand in a sandwich bag or disposable food prep glove and spray the outside of it with cooking spray. Spread the nougat with your bagged hand or glove (you'll thank me later).
🥄Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🍴Pairing
These are my favorite treats to gift with Gumdrop Nougat Candy during the holidays:
📋Recipe
Gumdrop Nougat Candy
Equipment
- kitchen shears
- large, nonstick saucepan (6 quart minimum)
- sturdy mixing spoon (greased with cooking spray)
- 8x8 nonstick pan (lined with parchment paper)
- sharp knife (chef's knife is a good choice)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 16 oz vanilla flavored baking chips
- 2 (20 oz) bags mini marshmallows
- 1&½ cups fruity gumdrops (almost 2 movie theatre boxes of Dot's) cut each gumdrop into quarters with kitchen shears
Instructions
- Using kitchen shears, quarter gumdrops; set aside.
- Line square pan with parchment paper.
- In large nonstick saucepan, add butter, vanilla chips, and marshmallows. Stir over medium heat until contents are melted and thoroughly mixed (about 10 minutes).
- Remove pan from heat; allow to rest for 2 minutes.
- Stir in 1 cup of the quartered gumdrops; mix well.
- Transfer mixture to square pan (see notes below).
- Press in remaining ½ cup gumdrops on top.
- Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, but best overnight.
- Remove nougat from pan; remove parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, slice candy into 60 squares.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional information is provided by a third party service and is intended for guidance purposes only. KitchenReadyBetty.com makes no claims to its accuracy.
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