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Everything you need to make your own candy floss at home
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Creating cotton candy in large quantities is virtually impossible without a machine designed specifically for doing so. However, you can make your own beautiful creations from threads of spun or pulled sugar, if you have some patience, know-how, and a few common household tools.
How to Make DIY Cotton Candy
Combine the ingredients and heat them in a large saucepan to 320°F (160°C). Add flavoring and food coloring. Cut the top off a whisk and dip it into the sugar syrup. Swing it back and forth over parchment paper to make thin sugar strands. Then, wrap it around a lollipop stick and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 cups/800 grams sugar
- 1 cup/40 ml corn syrup
- 1 cup/40 ml water
- 1/4 tsp./1.5 g salt
- 1 tsp/5 ml raspberry extract
- 2 drops pink food coloring
- 4 1/3 cups (1 kg; 2 lb 3.3 oz) sugar
- 2 cups (500 ml; 1.1 pints) water
- 1 tsp. vinegar
- 1/2 cup (150 g; 5.3 oz) corn syrup
- 1 drop food coloring (optional)
- Cornstarch
Steps
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Combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Place 4 cups of sugar, 1 cup of corn syrup, 1 cup of water, and 1/4 tsp. of salt into the saucepan and stir the ingredients together until the sugar is melted. Use a pastry brush to wipe down the sides of the pan to keep sugar crystals from forming. -
Clip on a candy thermometer and heat the mixture to 320°F (160°C). Then, pour the hot liquid into a shallow and heatproof container. Then, add the extract and food coloring that you're using and stir the ingredients well. Though this recipe calls for raspberry extract and pink food coloring, you can use any extract or food coloring you want.Advertisement -
Line parchment over your work table. You can also spread it on the floor so it will catch any bits of falling sugar that may go over the table. -
Spin the sugar. Dip the decapitated whisk into the sugar syrup. Hold it over the pot and allow the sugar to drip back into the container for just a second. Hold it about one foot (30 cm) above the parchment and swing it back and forth so that very thin strands of sugar begin to fall on the paper. Keep going a few more times until you've got a nice looking nest of spun sugar. Know that it won't look like the machine cotton candy you're used to. -
Wrap the cotton candy around lollipop sticks. You should do this right away, or the sugar will get brittle and would bend around the sticks. -
Serve. This is a dish best enjoyed immediately, but you can also seal it in air-tight containers to keep the moisture away from the cotton candy.
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Combine the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Place 4 1/3 cups of sugar, 2 cups of water, 1 tsp. of vinegar, 1/2 cup of corn syrup and 1 drop of food coloring in the pan. Stir them together very gently so you don't end up forming any sugar crystals on the side of the pan. [1] X Research source -
Bring the mixture to a boil. Use a candy thermometer and watch it closely until it reaches 268°F (131°C). Then, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool until it gets down to 212°F (100°C). -
Divide the candy evenly into four 1-quart plastic containers. -
Remove it from the containers once it reaches room temperature. Do this by squeezing it gently while you carefully turn the container. -
Sprinkle a generous amount of cornstarch on a baking sheet. The baking sheet should have sides. -
Roll the candy in the cornstarch. Rub off any excess that you see. -
Prepare the candy for pulling. Make a hole in the center of the candy. Use your thumb and forefingers to burrow a hole in the center of the candy. Then, use pressure to make the circle bigger, while the candy remains the same thickness around the rope you've made. Once the rope is long enough, twist it into a figure eight and bring both of the halves together. -
Pull the candy. Hold the candy in both fists. Keep your front hand stable while your back hand pulls back gently. Rotate your hands around the candy and keep on pulling until the strands are nice and long. Keep pulling the candy at least 10-14 times. -
Serve. Enjoy this delicious pulled candy while it's in good shape.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionDo I have to use food coloring?Community AnswerNo, but if you want to make it more visually appealing, add food coloring.
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QuestionWill this work if I do not have corn syrup?Community AnswerYou can make a perfect substitute if you dissolve 1 1/4 cup of granulated sugar in 1/4 cup of hot water. Stir until it dissolves, and use in place of corn syrup.
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QuestionWill the pulled candy stay soft or become hard?Kennedy AgnewCommunity AnswerIf you cover the cotton candy with cellophane or aluminum, it will stay soft.
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Tips
- Keep cold water nearby (or work near a sink) in case of burns.Thanks
- Surround work area with waxed paper, parchment, or newspaper, for easy clean up.Thanks
- A few drops of essential oils stirred in at the last minute can be used to flavor your creations.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Clean the leftover mix in the bowl by scrubbing the inside with dish soap immediately, or it will get hard and be harder to clean.
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Warnings
- Remember to wear an apron, it can be very messy.Thanks
- Use extra caution when making spun sugar "cotton candy" by hand as it may be a dangerous activity. Failure to watch your pan could result in a fire.Thanks
- Do not make spun sugar "cotton candy" by hand when children or pets are nearby.Thanks
- Heated sugar can cause serious burns. Use caution. Temperatures are similar to those of oil used for deep frying, but unlike oil, the hot sugar will not run off of your skin as readily, instead coating it and continuing to burn until it is cooled. This means that you could get third degree burns if you're not careful. Third degree burns may require hospitalization and may be painful.Thanks
- Candy making is simple but precise work. Even a few degrees above or below the recommended will prevent threads from forming.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Medium-sized pot
- Candy thermometer
- Non-stick cooking spray
References
About This Article
Article Summary
X
To make your own cotton candy, combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture to 320°F, stirring frequently, then pour the hot liquid into a shallow, heat-proof container and add flavoring extract and food coloring, if desired. Dip a decapitated whisk into the melted sugar, then swing the whisk back and forth over a sheet of parchment paper so very thin strands of sugar fall down, then wrap the strands of sugar around lollipop sticks while they are still soft. Keep reading to learn how to make pulled cotton candy!
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 537,475 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "I think the information and what to do helped a lot.It was very easy to make both versions of Cotton Candy. It was surprisingly like fair Cotton Candy. It tasted delicious.Thanks so much for all the help. I couldn't have asked for a better explanation of it all." ..." more
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"I think the information and what to do helped a lot.It was very easy to make both versions of Cotton Candy. It was surprisingly like fair Cotton Candy. It tasted delicious.Thanks so much for all the help. I couldn't have asked for a better explanation of it all."
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"This looks awesome! I haven't tried this yet but I look forward to making it! I have my own machine at my home for my business, but it would be cool to hand make the cotton candy!"
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"The video was most helpful, especially the tip about the spoons held by the heavy book. Great idea! Thanks."
"I don't know how you guys do this, but it really helps me. Thank you for the information."
"Not only did it work but it tastes pretty sweet and it was good!"
