Halloween is almost upon us and there are many parents who are looking for a gluten-free candy corn made in a facility without gluten and nuts. Can’t find one? Make your own! This recipe is an adaption of the Best Allergy Sites’ Peanut Free Candy Corn – Egg Free Gluten-Free Candy Corn Recipe to also make it dairy-free. I substituted the butter and dry milk powder with other ingredients, and removed the vanilla. Candy corn doesn’t usually contain vanilla, and if you use a dark vanilla it will change the color of the candy. Hope you have some kids to help you make this fun gluten-free Halloween candy! I halved the recipe when I made it, as I had no help with mine. Have fun!
And one piece of advice this Halloween season: Make a deal with your kids the day before and during the consumption of the candy. Have them drink plenty of water the day before and the days of eating a lot of sugar. Drinking plenty of water the day before consumption of sugar creates the enzymes needed to digest the sugar. See more details on
Sugar Damage Control
by Dr. Pepi.
Check out the traditional ingredients in candy corn. I think you’ll feel better knowing you’ve made your own.
Rest easily knowing your child is dairy-free with these gluten free dairy-free egg-free candy corn candies.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup light corn syrup*
- 1/4 cup grape seed oil or other neutral oil such as canola, etc.
- Red and yellow gluten free food coloring or yellow and orange food coloring (Select Tea makes organic gluten-free food coloring.)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup potato starch
Instructions:
- On high heat, in a medium sized sauce pan, add oil, sugar, corn syrup (do not stir); cover; and bring to a boil.
- Uncover and turn down heat to low; cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat; add potato starch, powdered sugar, and salt; and stir.
- Divide dough between 3 bowls; about half of it in one bowl, which you will use for the orange color; 1/4 each in the other 2 bowls. Don't worry if some of the oil has separated from the candy. Just leave it behind in the pan and discard later.
- Start by adding one drop 2 drops of red and 3 drops of yellow to make orange (or add orange drops) in the bowl with the larger amount and knead in. Drop 4 drops of yellow to one bowl and knead in; and leave the other dough white. Add additional drops of each color until it creates the desired colors.
- Roll each piece of dough into a large rope, making the orange dough twice as thick in size as the other two ropes.
- Lay the ropes along side each other with the orange in the center.
- With a rolling pin dusted very lightly with potato starch roll the ropes together, being careful not to roll them too thin.
- Cut each piece diagonally into triangles.
- Set aside to harden.
Tips
Make your strips of dough different widths: orange should be the widest, then yellow and make the white very thin. Assemble them so the orange is in the middle.
If the dough gets too hard, microwave the ropes/pieces of dough in 5 second increments until soft.
Because the candy hardens so quickly, I suggest experimenting by adding a tad bit more oil to the above recipe.
CORN-FREE OPTION: *Thanks to Shannon M in the comments sections:
Substitute for Corn Syrup
For each cup of light corn syrup in a recipe, substitute 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup water. For each cup of dark corn syrup, substitute 1 cup of packed brown sugar and 1/4 cup water.
how can these be corn free when they contain corn syrup?
Hi Mauri,
These are not listed in the Corn-Free category. If it was, it would be listed at the bottom of the page. Perhaps you read this on one of the social media sites, which was immediately corrected with an additional comment. I understand not everyone read every word out there. In addition, someone may have shared it, before the correction was made. If you’re looking for gluten-free corn-free recipes, visit the Corn-Free category which contains 379 corn-free recipes: http://glutenfreerecipebox.com/category/recipes/corn-free. Enjoy!
Carla
“Rest easily knowing your child is corn-free and corn syrup free with these gluten free corn free candy corn candies.”
This is the caption under the picture above.
Not trying to be a pain, just hoping you would have a corn free version that I was missing some how. LOL
Let me explain, I am the mother of a 5year old who has a severe corn allergy. Since starting kindergarten he is more aware of the things everyone else can eat that he can’t. I’m so excited to try some of your recipes and for him to have something that at least LOOKS like what everyone else is eating. So since I’m pretty new to this I wondered do you think coconut nectar or Agave syrup would work?
Mauri, thank you so much for telling me where you saw the corn-free. Sorry for the confusion. With over 500 recipes I get a bit mixed up sometime. I had to update all my recipes with descriptions once I transferred to a new format, and every time I look at the title of the recipe and see a long list of -free’s and see the word “corn” I jump the conclusion that this recipe is corn-free, as well.
Agave and coconut nectar is too soft, however, I’ve had success in using rice syrup as a substitute for corn syrup, so much so that my caramel sauce for my cake almost became as hard as candy. I’d give that a try. I know that Lundenberg brand rice syrup has been tested arsenic is safe to use.
Carla
Thanks Carla!!! I’m so glad to have found people like you who are sharing their knowledge.
Mauri
Mauri, my son also has food allergies, but thankfully corn is safe for him. However, many kids with his particular allergy disorder are allergic to corn and they directed me to this for corn syrup substitute.
Substitute for Corn Syrup
For each cup of light corn syrup in a recipe, substitute 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup water. For each cup of dark corn syrup, substitute 1 cup of packed brown sugar and 1/4 cup water.
Thought this could help you.
Shannon,
Thank you so much! I have had so many requests for this substitute. Your effort is greatly appreciated! I read that on Taste of Home some time ago, and completely forgot about it. Using a simple syrup is a wonderful idea. The only thing you have do is melt them in a sauce pan together, and cover it to prevent crystals from forming. I’ll blast it out to my social media soon, and give you credit.
Thanks again!
Carla