Homemade Kool-Aid Taffy
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Homemade taffy is a fun candy to make at home. This Kool-Aid Taffy recipe uses powered drink mix to give the taffy its delicious flavor. The sweet taffy tastes like Starburst candies!
I love homemade taffy, but I have a confession to make. I hate pulling it.. or wrapping all these little pieces for that matter. Nonetheless, this Kool-Aid taffy recipe is amazing. Pulled or not pulled, it’s still absolutely delish.
I’m sure you don’t know this, but I’ll with you a little bit about me. I love youtube. I watch videos all the time thanks to my little iphone. We’re the best of friends. I found this recipe from yoyomax12. She called it homemade starburst.
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Difference between Kool-Aid Taffy and Salt Water Taffy
This Kool-Aid taffy recipe is not salt water taffy. The difference between taffy and salt water taffy is as simple as the name. Salt water taffy recipes use some form of sea water or salted water. The Kool-Aid taffy recipe uses water, but no salt.
The kool-aid gives the taffy a big burst of flavor and color. Even through the parchment paper, the colors are vibrant. If you pull the taffy, the color will lighten up. I’m lazy and just rolled mine up. I figured my teeth could do the pulling, until a filling gets pulled out. I’m sure then I’ll have a different point of view. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.
Kool-Aid Taffy (Homemade Taffy)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 envelopes kool-aid drink mix unsweetened (any flavor)
Instructions
- Line a 17x11x1 jelly roll pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Grease with cooking spray.
- In a large saucepan, add in sugar and cornstarch. Mix until there are no lumps of cornstarch.
- Add in corn syrup, water, and butter. Heat over medium/high heat to 250 degrees. Stir occasionally until the mixture comes up to a boil. As soon as the mixture is boiling, don't stir anymore.
- Remove from heat once the mixture is up to 250 degrees. Add in the vanilla and kool-aid mix and stir. I divided the mixture in half and used two different kinds of kool-aid drink mix.
- Spread onto the jelly roll pan and let cool for 20 minutes. I let the two different flavors run into each other.
- After it's cooled, rip off pieces of the taffy and pull it until it lightens in color. I skipped this process and cut mine into squares with a pizza cutter. I rolled mine up and flattened the ends. Cut small squares of parchment paper and rolled the taffy inside.
- Store in an air-tight container.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
Enjoy the kool-aid taffy!
This recipe is great! But, I do feel like you should know salt water taffy is just a name and doesn’t contain any saltwater.
I can’t rate this recipe yet because I have yet to make it! Im really excited and anxious to do so though but even though I have all of the ingredients I’m missing probably the most important thing of all… the candy thermometer! I’ve heard that candy can be made by checking the stage with a hard ball or soft ball stage method. Does this hold true for this candy as well? I sure hope so because there’s no telling when or if you might answer my question and I really don’t want to wait until I can get to town and buy one. So wish me luck! I’ll let you know how things either did or didn’t turn out! 😊
Hey Beverly. Yes, you can check the hard and soft stage without a candy thermometer. You just will run the risk if it isn’t quite hot enough or too hot it will affect the texture of the end result.
Hey Kelsey,
Thank you so much for replying and answering my question! It’s not that I am reporting disastrous results it’s just that I simply forgot I had even asked😳🥴 I did take the risk and make my first batch of this yummy candy with wonderful results! 😁 I must say though that I worried through the whole process about how it was going to turn out thus taking away most of the fun involved… I’ve since purchased my handy, dandy, candy thermometer and now making candy is fun again! 😊Thanks again for your help
Hahaha I totally get it Beverly! I am so glad you had success. I am the worst at knowing without having a thermometer. I always get anxious and pull things early LOL.
Can coconut oil be substitute for butter?
Yes! Coconut oil should work!
Hi! I only have *sweetened* kool aid mix…would you recommend I follow the recipe as is, or would you recommend adjusting the sugar or anything?
It is tricky to adjust the sugar in this recipe as the texture will change. I would not recommend changing the sugar or corn syrup quantities. If you cannot find unsweetened koolaid, just make the taffy as directed in the recipe. It will be a little sweeter, but this is candy, right!
I’ve tried the yoyomax recipe as well and I can’t keep them from melting at room temperature. Hs that been the case for you? Any tips?
It wasn’t, but it sounds like it isn’t reaching 250 degrees F to get to the hard ball stage. I would check to make sure your candy thermometer is accurate.
I am going to try this recipie when I have all the ingredients here I am sooooo exited
makes great medibles!
Did you use medicated butter in these? I was thinking of trying it out. Any tips are appreciated!
Hi Tiaana! I’m not sure what medicated butter is. However, most kinds of butter should work in this recipe. Enjoy!
I actually found a recipe for “medicated” butter taffy. I will post the link if OP doesn’t mind. Your talking about canna butter right?
I have a confession I don’t think I have ever had taffy before, I think it must be an American candy. I have heard of salt water taffy before but these look and sound far more appealing they look lovely 🙂
It’s delicious. Normally it’s less of a clear color from pulling it. It’s super chewy. I’m lazy and my taffy isn’t pulled, but it was still great.