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Make Candy Buttons at home! This is an easy, at-home hard candy recipe for you to easily recreate with just 4 simple ingredients.  Bring the nostalgia back of childhood with this recipe.

blue, pink and yellow buttons on parchment paper


Table of Contents

What are Candy Buttons?

Candy buttons are cute little dot shaped candies that can be made in any color you like! These necco candy buttons are like eating tiny drops of sugar but with all of the colorful fun! These only have 4 ingredients, they are the perfect bulk candy to make and share. 

ingredients in candy buttons

Ingredients Needed

  • Sugar: we’ll be using powdered sugar
  • Meringue powder: or use 1 egg white instead of the water and meringue powder.
  • Water: to help mix the ingredients 
  • Food Coloring: any color or colors you want

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

process shot of candy buttons
process shot of candy buttons
process shot of candy buttons
process shot of candy buttons

How to make Candy Buttons at home

  1. Cut white paper sheets into twelve strips. 
  2. Beat the powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water until thick and smooth. If you are making different colors, divide the icing into separate small bowls and color as desired.
  3. Place each color in a pastry bag or ziploc bag.
  4. Snip the corner off of one bag at a time, and pipe small dots of candy onto the prepared paper. Repeat with the second bag. 
  5. Let dry several hours or overnight. Cut strips into desired lengths and eat.

Expert Tips 

I recommend using white printing paper NOT parchment or wax paper. The candy will slip off if not using regular printing paper. 

blue, pink and yellow buttons on parchment paper

FAQs

Can I use egg whites instead of meringue powder?

Yes you can! Instead of the meringue powder, use 1 egg white. 

Where can I buy meringue powder?

At your local grocery store in the baking isle. 

Can I make other colors?

You can use any food colorings you like for this candy dots recipe. 

How to store homemade candy buttons?

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Why are my candy dots falling off the paper?

The candy buttons are nonstick so they will slip off parchment or wax paper. To avoid this, use regular white printing paper instead. 

blue, pink and yellow buttons on parchment paper

Candy Buttons for Valentine’s Day

5 from 1 vote
A delightful childhood candy, remade at home! Make them any color you want, for any holiday
Prep Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield 10 servings
Serving Size 1 serving
Rate RecipePrint Recipe

Ingredients
 

  • 1 ½ cups (170g) powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons meringue powder (see note)
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • Food Coloring (any color or colors)
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Instructions

  • Cut paper into twelve 2×11” strips. I suggest you use white paper sheets for this. If you use a roll, do it ahead of time and lay something heavy on top of them to flatten them out, so they don’t roll up on you.
  • Beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water until thick and smooth, about 4-5 minutes. If you are making different colors, divide the icing into separate small bowls and color as desired.
  • Place each color in a pastry bag or ziploc bag.
  • Snip the corner off of one bag at a time, and pipe small dots of candy onto the prepared paper. Repeat with the second bag. Let dry several hours or overnight. Cut strips into desired lengths and eat.

Recipe Notes

  • You can use 1 egg white instead of the water and meringue powder.
  • I recommend regular printer paper for this – NOT parchment or wax paper. The buttons will slip right off those two because they’re nonstick.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 2mg | Sugar: 18g | Calcium: 0.3mg | Iron: 0.01mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

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Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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5 from 1 vote

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73 Comments

  1. This is seriously the best idea! I always wondered how they made those things and it’s almost too good to be true I could make them at home. And I LOVE the color choices you used…so pretty & perfect 🙂

    Reply

  2. Whaaaaat? I didn’t realize you could make candy buttons! Well, I mean, obviously you CAN, unless there’s a secret factory where fairies and trolls work to make candy, similar to Wonka but without the oompa loompas because I think they have leprosy or something. Anyways, either you’re a dessert fairy or just super smart because this is awesome!

    Reply

  3. These are just cute as a button! Sorry, couldn’t resist 😀 But really, these are so so so cute! Perfect fun for Valentine’s Day coming up 🙂

    Reply

  4. These are so stinkin cute!!!!! I can see these in school colors, to match birthday party themes, my mind is just going a mile a minute thinking of all the possibilities.

    Reply