10 Uses for Candy Corn

I love Halloween and I love candy corn. I snatch up a bag (or two) as soon as I see them make their debut, which seems to get earlier and earlier each year. Then I anxiously await for the day after Halloween when I can get bags for as little as 25 cents. Now that’s a deal. Grab an extra bag to freeze in an airtight container. Frozen candy corn works wonders in baked goods, pancakes, and waffles, or just for snacking. Candy corn is also great melted….yes, melted candy corn can do magic in the kitchen and bring out the mad scientist in you.

10 Uses for CANDY CORN:

Melted Candy Corn Liquid Base:

2 TBSP candy corn (about 16 pieces)

1 TBSP water

Add to glass container, heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth.

Use the beautiful orange liquid to make these treats:

1-Stir in 1 TBSP butter to top popcorn for Candy Corn Popcorn.

2-Stir in 1 TBSP maple syrup to top waffles, pancakes, or French toast. Bonus points for topping candy corn pancakes!

3-Stir in 1 TBSP rum or bourbon. Whisk in powdered sugar 1 TBSP at a time until desired consistency and pour over hot bread pudding or omit alcohol and use as a glaze for hot cinnamon rolls.

4-Stir into softened vanilla ice cream. Freeze for candy corn ice cream!

5-Let cool and add to cream for a candy corn coffee creamer (move over pumpkin spice!) or add to hot chocolate!

Melted Candy Corn Base:

Preheat oven to 300. Put some candy corn on parchment paper or silicone mat. Bake for 15 minutes. A little goes a long way, this was 18 pieces.

Comes out looking like beautiful stained glass, and will crack like it, too, when cool. Be Careful.

6-While hot, add your favorite nuts (I love honey roasted peanuts) and stir with a silicone spatula. Let cool

7-While hot, use silicone spatula to make small piles, insert lollipop stick or popsicle stick. Let cool for Halloween suckers. Add edible bugs as it cools for extra effect!

Let mixture cool slightly until just pliable to make these treats: If it hardens too quickly as you work and begins to break, just put back into oven for a minute.

8- Use sheets to wrap frozen treat size candy bars. Candy corn coated Twix and Snickers are my favorites!

9-Roll sheet around a toothpick for a swizzle stick. Let it harden. Use in a glass of sprite for a candy corn soda or vodka for a candy corn martini… guess which one I chose?!!

10-Let sheets fully cool. “Crack” it into pieces. Use as tasty decorations for brownies, cupcakes, iced cookies, or add extra flavor to brittle.

Put your TO COOK IS TO CREATE thinking cap on: What ideas sparked in your mind with the idea of melted candy corn? (Besides the thought of that’s crazy!) Think of what other candy or treat you enjoy with candy corn and fuse the flavors, like caramel ice cream instead of vanilla. Use all the pumpkin spice flavored products to inspire you. What candy corn creation would you love to make? For instance, next time instead of nuts, I’m going to add granola to the hot oven melted mosaic and candy corn coated Oreos are tempting my taste buds.

FOOD FUN: 

It’s a special treat for me to share my leftover ideas on the BIG XTRA HOUR each month. Here’s the Halloween Edition showcasing some of these recipes.