This delightful recipe for homemade Conversation Hearts Candy is perfect for any occasion where sweet messages and delicious treats are in order. If you love the Brach's tiny conversation hearts that come out in the stores with the Valentine's Day candy, then you will love these homemade candy hearts.
As a child, my sweet tooth loved the mini boxes of Brach Conversation hearts and they were the perfect gift box with cute sayings to give friends and your secret crush on classroom Valentine's Day exchange. Now you can make these classic candies right at home as the perfect addition to your Valentine's Day celebrations.
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❤️ Why You'll Love Conversation Hearts Candy
Customization: Share love and personalize these candy hearts with your favorite flavors, colors and messages.
Homemade Goodness: Heart-shaped candies are the perfect sweet treat made from scratch for your next special occasion.
Heartfelt Messages: These little hearts are a perfect way to add a personal touch by writing a short message on each candy.
Season/Holiday/Theme: While these conversation hearts are a classic candy for Valentine's Day, they are versatile enough for any celebration throughout the year. Customize the colors and messages to fit the occasion, making them perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, or just to show someone you care.
🥘 Ingredients
Unflavored gelatin powder: provides the perfect chewy texture to the candies.
Light corn syrup: adds sweetness and helps achieve the desired consistency.
Vanilla extract: enhances the overall flavor profile.
Salt
Powdered sugar: ensures a smooth and sweet finish.
Assorted food coloring, choose a variety of pastel colors for tinting the candies
Assorted extracts, for flavoring
Cooking spray
Food decorating pens, for writing
🔪 Instructions
Prep time: 1-2 hours Drying time: 24 hours
- Whisk the gelatin, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and ½ cup boiling water in a stand mixer bowl until the gelatin dissolves.
- Using the paddle attachment, beat in the confectioner's sugar, one cup at at time, on medium low speed, to make a stiff, sticky dough.
- Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding more confectioner's sugar as needed (up to 1 cup), until the dough is smooth, pliable and slightly tacky.
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Flatten 1 piece into a disk. Cover the rest with plastic wrap. Add a few drops food coloring and extracts to the flattened disc. Fold in the sides and pinch closed, then knead until the color is distributed.
- Lightly coat a large piece of parchment paper with cooking spray. Roll out the colored dough on the parchment until ⅛ to ¼ inch thick.
- Cut into hearts using 1-inch cookie cutters. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough using different colors and extracts.
- Let the cut hearts sit at room temperature, uncovered, until dry and hard, about 24 hours, flipping them about halfway through.
- Once dried, write messages on the hearts using food decorating pens.
- Store in an air-tight container up to 1 week.
🥄 Equipment
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Stand mixer
Cookie cutters (heart-shaped): you will want tiny heart cutouts, this cookie cutter set has the perfect sized heart cutter for these candies.
Rolling pin
Parchment paper
Baking sheets
🥫Storage
Store conversation hearts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
📖 Variations
- Add edible glitter for a sparkly finish.
- Dip the hearts in chocolate for an extra indulgence.
- Mix in crushed nuts or sprinkles for added texture.
- Play with the flavored extracts and use almond, lemon, raspberry, strawberry and mint flavors. You can also make a chocolate version with chocolate extract, and knead in some cocoa powder in place of some of the powdered sugar.
💭 Tips
- Dust your work surface and rolling pin with confectioners sugar to prevent sticking.
- Work quickly when using food coloring to achieve vibrant hues.
- Make this a vegan recipe by substituting agar agar powder for the unflavored gelatin.
- Make a sugar free candy version by substitution powdered monkfruit for the powdered sugar.
🙋 FAQ's
No, gelatin is made from an animal, and is also called beef gelatin.
Drying times vary but aim for at least a few hours or overnight for best results.
📚 Related Recipes
If you loved minty creamy milk chocolates, these homemade Mint Chocolate Truffles are the most delicious candies!
Jello Poke Cake is a classic retro recipe the whole family will love.
Are you looking for gift ideas for the ones you love? Check out these Valentine's Day Recipes - 12 best food gift ideas.
There is nothing more romantic than a pasta dinner on Valentine's day, choose any one of these 20 Romantic Date-Night Pasta Dishes for Valentines Day for your next celebration.
Looking for some non-food valentine's gifts?
🍽 Serve with..
Place plenty of conversation hearts in small decorative bags or jars for a charming gift. Scatter them on candy buffets or use them to decorate cupcakes and cakes.
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When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Conversation Hearts Candy
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 1¼ ounce packet unflavored gelatin powder
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- assorted food coloring , for tinting
- assorted extracts , for flavoring
- cooking spray
- food decorating pens , for writing
Instructions
- Whisk the gelatin, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and ½ cup boiling water in a stand mixer bowl until the gelatin dissolves.
- Using the paddle attachment, beat in the powdered sugar, one cup at at time, on medium low speed, to make a stiff, sticky dough.
- Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding more confectioner's sugar as needed (up to 1 cup), until the dough is smooth, pliable and slightly tacky.
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Flatten 1 piece into a disk. Cover the rest with plastic wrap. Add a few drops food coloring and extracts to the flattened disc. Fold in the sides and pinch closed, then knead until the color is distributed.
- Lightly coat a large piece of parchment paper with cooking spray. Roll out the colored dough on the parchment until ⅛ to ¼ inch thick.
- Cut into hearts using 1-inch cookie cutters. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough using different colors and extracts.
- Let the cut hearts sit at room temperature, uncovered, until dry and hard, about 24 hours, flipping them about halfway through.
- Once dried, write messages on the hearts using food decorating pens.
- Store in an air-tight container up to 1 week.
honeyb
How fun. I'm glad it is a cat named Chubby, when I saw that one I thought you were calling someone else Chubby. 😉
I would love to make these. Though my husband HATES the candy. He calls them chalk candy. Same with Necco wafers, butter mints, all the same family. Silly guy.
My boys would like them though.