Use edible dandelion blossoms to make homemade dandelion candy! This recipe includes foraged dandelions, wholesome honey, turmeric, lemon, and herbs. If you’ve never made candy before, never fear! The article includes lots of troubleshooting and tips for candy making. This is probably the healthiest candy you’ll ever eat!
This article has been updated from it’s original publication in 2015. Enjoy! 
Can You Eat Wild Dandelions?
Yes, dandelions are edible! Here are a few things to know:
- For this dandelion candy recipe you will use only the blooms, but the roots and leaves are also edible for both humans and livestock.
- Be sure you collect your dandelions in areas that have not been sprayed with herbicides or other poisons.
- You should also shy away from collecting dandelions that grow near heavy auto traffic to avoid ingesting contaminants from exhaust.
These special tips are part of the basic rules of foraging. Foraging, or wildcrafting, has become popular among those who love fresh, free foods that can be found in nature. Dandelions are just such a food!
More Dandelion Recipes for Later
Homemade Dandelion Gelatin Dessert
—>>>If you’d like to learn more about foraging, please read the next paragraph about the course I’m currently taking – you might want to take it, too.<<<—
The Botany and Wildcrafting Course
The Herbal Academy has created a fabulous online course for learning about foraging – The Botany and Wildcrafting Course! The kids and I have been watching the videos for the course, printing the course material and even getting the special botany coloring book the Herbal Academy has created just for this class. Just click on the picture of the herbs below to learn more and determine if the course is for you.
Homemade Dandelion Candy Recipe
While this is technically dandelion candy, you could actually use it as a cough drop, if you needed to! This dandelion candy contains honey, raw sugar, dandelion, turmeric, lemon and ginger.
Great tasting and naturally good for you! Or, at least, better for you than commercial candy with corn syrup and chemical dyes.
Dandelion Candy
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Dandelion Tea* Instructions in Notes section.
- 2 Cups Raw Sugar
- 1 Cup Honey
- ½ tsp Powdered Ginger
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- 1 Lemon Squeeze and strain out the seeds.
- 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients in a medium to large, heavy-bottomed pot with handles. Stir once to combine.
- Place on a burner over medium heat.
- Using the handles, gently swish the contents of the pot as the mixture heats to prevent scorching. You may also use a whisk but keep the syrup low in the pot. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, use a silicone pastry brush with a little water to gently swipe them back down into the pot.
- Using a candy thermometer, heat to 300°F/149°C until hard crack stage. Watch carefully for signs of the sugar scorching or burning. Remove from heat for a few seconds to cool a bit, if necessary. If you have a gas stovetop, it’s easier to control the flame and prevent burning.
- Once the syrup has reached temperature, remove immediately from heat and begin to place by spoonful onto a silicone mat or buttered glass dish. You can also pour mixture into heat-proof silicone molds for fun shapes and sizes.
- Cool completely and remove the dandelion candy by carefully popping them up off the mat or out of the molds.
- Coat in organic powdered sugar to prevent the dandelion candy from sticking together. Alternatively, you can use stevia powder mixed with cassava flour. You could use arrowroot powder, if you prefer, but I think it’s too bitter. This is candy, after all.
Notes
- Gather about three cups of dandelion blooms.
- Snip the green ends off and compost them.
- Place the blooms into a heat-safe bowl and cover with at least 4 cups of boiling water.
- Let it sit for at least 4-6 hours. The longer you leave it, the darker and stronger the tea will get. Strain and compost the spent dandelion.
- The mixture will start to bubble (boil) and separate when it’s hot enough.
Make Dandelion Tea
- Gather about three cups of dandelion blooms.
- Snip the green ends off and compost them.
- Place the blooms into a heat-safe bowl and cover with at least 4 cups of boiling water.
- Let it sit for at least 4-6 hours. The longer you leave it, the darker and stronger the tea will get. Strain and compost the spent dandelion.
No Candy Thermometer?
If you don’t have a candy thermometer, heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves. It takes roughly another half hour to get the heated mixture to 300°F/149°C.
- The mixture will start to bubble (boil) and separate when it’s hot enough.
You can drop a bit of the mixture into a glass of cold water; if it hardens quickly, it’s ready.
- Fill a medium bowl or wide mouth cup with ice water.
- Spoon in 1/2 tsp. of the sugar syrup and let it form a shape.
Use the following chart to see the range of temperature the sugar syrup has achieved.
Visit Leonors if want more great ideas of how to test candy temperature without a thermometer.
Dandelion Candy Tips
As stated in the recipe, to shape the dandelion candy you simply drop about 1/2 teaspoon of the hot mixture onto a silicone mat. 
You can also drop it onto a buttered platter or a cookie tray lined with parchment paper.
Pouring the mixture carefully into heat-proof silicone molds will provide you with unique shapes and sizes. These are especially great if you want to make a gift of your dandelion candy. Roll these in powdered sugar once they’re completely cooled.
Dandelion Candy Trouble Shooting
If you’re having a hard time getting your candy to set up and/or you’re struggling with the syrup burning, here are a few things to try:
- Do not be tempted to heat your syrup on high heat or it will simply burn. Medium heat will get you to hard crack, but it does take time.
- Double check that your thermometer is working correctly; better yet, use two when making candy. You can check the accuracy of your candy thermometer by putting it in water and bringing the water to a boil. The thermometer should read 212°F/100°C; if the reading is higher or lower, take the difference into account when testing the temperature of your sugar syrup.
- If you don’t have a heavy bottomed pan that will evenly distribute heat on its own, see if you can find a cast iron pan. Place that on the stove-top and put your candy pan inside it. Heat the two together and the cast iron should push the heat around evenly.
- As you heat the syrup, you’re cooking out the water but the kitchen can get hot and humid. Run a fan or air conditioner nearby to dry out the ambient air.
- If you still can’t get it to set without burning, start with a little less of the dandelion tea.
- Also, you can remove the syrup from the heat once the thermometer registers 290°F. Let the temperature rise on its own for the last 10 degrees. I often have to do this on my electric stove.
Dandelion Candy Mistakes
You’re going to make some mistakes making dandelion candy the first few times. It happen, no worries! Here are two things to do with your goof batches. 
Dandelion Candy Mixture Too Cool = Dandelion Syrup
Sometimes the kids come running in with a cut, or the phone rings, or you realize you’re late for an appointment. You just don’t have time to finish cooking your batch but you don’t want to waste the dandelion candy mixture!
You won’t waste it. You’re going to use it on your next batch of pancakes and tell everyone how tasty this dandelion syrup is that you just made! With the lemon and the honey this is just a delectable syrup.
Dandelion Candy Mixture Too Hot = Dandelion Kefir Food
So, you burned a batch of dandelion candy. Sugar heats fast and all it wants to do it burn! Grrr.
Forgeddaboudit! Go ahead and make candy – little bits and pieces – and save it to feed your water kefir.
- Nourished Kitchen can teach you how to keep and use water kefir.
Herbal Cough Drops to Dandelion Candy
The kids and I forage so many dandelions every spring and were always looking for more things to do with them. Making dandelion candy was a natural leap from making our own herbal cough drops. Have you ever made your own cough drops?
Here are a few recipes you might like to try:
Herbal Candy and Cough Drop Resources
The process for making dandelion candy is pretty much the same as for any of these herbal cough drops.
DIY Black Cherry Cough Drops for That Niggling Cough
Homemade Cough Drops and Cough Drop Lollipops
Honey Lemon Homemade Cough Drops
How To Make Deliciously Healthy Ginger Chews
–>>Pin This Recipe for Later<<–
Nice post
Thanks for sharing this yummy candy
You bet- thanks for stopping by, Sophie!
Wow, this is something I will need to try.
It makes the dandelions less of a foe and more of a friend.
I have tried this Recipe and the candies are super yummy but I was wondering if they are supposed to be really hard? I never got to the crack stage on my candy thermometer as I had the feeling that would have burned the syrup.
Thanks for stopping by, Laila! This is THE hardest part about making hard candy and the solution isn’t straightforward, I’m afraid. Yes, you can get them to set up firm but you do have to get the syrup up to hard crack stage. The first thing to do is make sure the thermometer is new and working – I always try to have two on hand, just to be sure. In heating the syrup, you’re trying to remove the water but kitchens are hot, humid places (in fact, I don’t even try making candy during the summers here because of this). So, you can try running a fan overhead or nearby to clear out wet air. You can also remove the pot from the heat source a minute or two before you reach hard crack stage and let the sugar finish heating on its own to avoid burning.
I’m glad you asked – I’ll add these tips to the post for others. You will get the hang of it but it does take practice. Slightly soft candies can be individually wrapped in parchment paper bits and refrigerated until given as a gift or eaten.
Did that help? Still struggling? Let me know!
Laila, you’re a life-saver! I went back to add in those tips and saw that I totally forgot to mention using a heavy-bottomed pan. What a dope – I’m so sorry! The heat has to be evenly distributed for candy, and the correct pan is key. Hate me forever? At least you saved other dandelion candy makers from soggy candy. Thank you!
No worries! I will give it another go with all these tips. I go to markets with my produce and products and I made these candies for people to try out and I already had some orders for next time so even though mine weren’t perfect the taste was still amazing. My candy themometer is not new and to be honest I am not happy with it, same problems with jam making really, never get to the stage that needs to be. So will defo shop for a new one.
That’s so exciting, Laila!!
I need to buy about ten thermometers and stash them for when mine punk out. Actually, more often than not, they end up in the candle making box covered in wax. Sigh.
Good luck with these and let me know if you’re still having trouble – we’ll see what we can figure out.
Did you know there was A Dandelion Appreciation Society?
http://www.thedandelionappreciationsociety.org/
oooo, I have pinned this so I can try it later.
I hope you enjoy it!
Oh my goodness. This sounds wonderful! Once I have dandelions in the yard I am totally making this with MAPLE SYRUP in place of the sugar! Can’t wait! Thank you for sharing this jem!
Let me know how that turns out, Maple Syrup Queen! When is your book due out?
Hi! Two questions:
1. I’ve never collected dandelions for anything before. What’s the best stage to collect them at? Full bloom, buds, etc?
2. Have you taken classes from the Herbal Academy before? I’ve been wanting to for the past year and more but finances/time just haven’t made that possible yet. Do you have a more thorough review of their classes somewhere on your site?
Thanks!
Great questions! First, you want the dandelions to be in full bloom – they’ll be full of pollen then and extra tasty.
Second, yes, I have taken classes from HA before. They are a financial investment, to be sure. I’ve been meaning to write a review of the classes I’ve taken, but haven’t made time for that article yet. I took the introductory course first. The kids and I are finishing up the Botany and Foraging course and have REALLY enjoyed it. We also bought the coloring book to go with it (I homeschool five kids and it has certainly been used.) HA courses are professionally produced, the material is thorough and very well presented. There are lots of printable, videos and instruction. They aren’t what I’d call simple – you should be prepared to take notes and concentrate. I advertise for them because I really believe that what they have to offer is worthwhile.
My one beef with them is that the access to courses is NOT lifetime. You have a year to complete the course once you start it and then you lose access. You can get access back for $50, but it chaps my hide to pay so much the first time and then have to pay again. A lot of the affiliates and students have given them feedback about that and I hope someday they’ll listen. It’s a big turn off for me – almost enough for me to stop using them personally. My life is hectic – HECTIC! Our school year goes up and down and all around and I need the flexibility of lifetime access to any course I take. Not to mention that our crazy, rural internet fluctuates all year round. Sometimes I simply CAN’T use the courses.
The courses I’m creating myself will have lifetime access because of how strongly I personally feel about it as an online student. Having said that, however, I find great value in their work and what they have to offer. They have a FREE starter course here, if you’re interested. Free Herbal Materia Medica Course by Herbal Academy
Also, my friend Susan at Learning and Yearning is running a new course on very basic foraging information. I think this is her first course, but I’ve read her blog and books before and know her personally – I can vouch for her awesomeness. Her new foraging course is here.
Hope that helps!
Thank you for the information!!!
You’re quite welcome!
Thanks for the recipe and other information. Wish I’d had this in the spring. Now I know what to do with all those dandelions next year.
So glad it was helpful! If your dandelions are dumb blooming for the summer, there should be another bloom in the fall.
High temperature would cook all the healing benefits out of the dandelion and honey.
Very true, Brandi. If you’re going to eat candy, though, may as well eat it crafted from dandelions and honey rather than commercial dye and HFCS.
How long do these stay good?
Great question, Kinley! Like any candy, they’re best consumed within a year. They’ll last best and hold their shape better in the fridge, especially if you didn’t get the temperature quite up to where it needed to be to set well. If you individually wrap them in wax paper, that will prevent them from sticking long term. Or, you can re-roll them in powdered sugar if they’re getting tacky to the touch.
Hope that helps!
Hi. I’ve been fruit foraging for quite some time and recently started foraging wild herbs. I was wondering if i was to remove all of the grenn from the dandelion flowers (stem and green around the flower) before i made the tea. Because i left the green on that holds the flower when I poured boiling water over them and let them set covered for 24 hours (longer than your recipe calls for). Did I do the flowers correctly in order to make the tea.
I’m so sorry I’m just now seeing this – we’re in the middle of moving!
Let’s see, to answer your question, you can absolutely brew your tea with the greens still attached. It’s quicker than snipping of the green backs of every single dandelion and the greens add a bit of nutrition. However, they also taste a bit plant-y and make the color more brown. When I’m making dandelion gelatin, this matters a great deal more to me because I’m using way less sugar and can taste the “green” more. When I’m making candy, I don’t notice the flavor or the color as much.
Bottom line, it’s personal preference and whatever you have time for! Using big, pollen-rich blooms will result in delicious candies either way.
Again, so sorry I was tardy answering this for you but let me know if you have any other questions. I’m happy to help!
I’m diabetic, but would like to make candies. Can I use Bocha Sweet or Allulose instead of honey/maple syrup/sugar?
Thank you
It’s a similar process but slightly different. We made a bunch of Keto Halloween candy last year using this recipe from Keto Focus. She provides a really good tutorial on the process.
The candy is different than sugar or honey candy but still candy. I will say that I’ve never tried to make dandelion candy with this method, so I’m not sure who it would turn out but I see no reason not to try!
how long can I keep the tea before making my candy
It should last about a week in the fridge before it starts to ferment. You could also freeze it in ice cube trays until you’re ready to use it.
Do you have to use a candy thermometer
Great question, Cantell, and I’m so glad you asked! I added a section to answer your question below the recipe with a chart that should help you find your syrup temperature without a candy thermometer.
Let me know if you have any further questions, I’m happy to help!