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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.
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 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
How to make Candy Buttons at home
- Cut white paper sheets into twelve strips.
- 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.
- 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.
Expert Tips
I recommend using white printing paper NOT parchment or wax paper. The candy will slip off if not using regular printing paper.
FAQs
Yes you can! Instead of the meringue powder, use 1 egg white.
At your local grocery store in the baking isle.
You can use any food colorings you like for this candy dots recipe.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
The candy buttons are nonstick so they will slip off parchment or wax paper. To avoid this, use regular white printing paper instead.
Candy Buttons for Valentine’s Day
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (170g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons meringue powder (see note)
- 2 tablespoons water
- Food Coloring (any color or colors)
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.
How fun are these!?! My daughter’s birthday is next week – these would be perfect for goodie bags! I’d love to have you come and link up at Taste and Tell Thursdays!
Thanks Deborah! They’d be perfect for a party!
So fun! This brings back so many childhood memories!
Thanks Jessica!
I’m thinking the same thing as Jill.
So the raw egg whites are safe to eat once they dry?
I was originally aprehensive in making these for that reason. But, my eggs were fresh and organic, and the recipe only uses 1 egg white. Typically, from what I’ve read, egg whites are less risky than the yolks. Also, the recipe makes a TON of candy buttons, and I felt that the risk was low, as long as we all consumed reasonable amounts of candy. Go with your gut! If using a raw egg white is to risky, you can substitute meringue powder, thus making a royal icing instead. I would say about 2 teaspoons of meringue powder would work. 🙂
Question and no trying to be a downer really want the answer. Does this fall into uncooked eggs and salmonella? Or the whites are safe? I want to try this but dont want a note home that all the kids got sick. 🙂
I was originally aprehensive in making these for that reason. But, my eggs were fresh and organic, and the recipe only uses 1 egg white. Typically, from what I’ve read, egg whites are less risky than the yolks. Also, the recipe makes a TON of candy buttons, and I felt that the risk was low, as long as we all consumed reasonable amounts of candy. Go with your gut! If using a raw egg white is to risky, you can substitute meringue powder, thus making a royal icing instead. I would say about 2 teaspoons of meringue powder would work. 🙂
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