Making candy and packaged snacks from scratch is one of the most satisfying things you can do in a kitchen. You end up with something that looks just like the original, tastes better, and cost you a fraction of the price. I have been making homemade Reese’s cups, Twix bars, and Milky Ways for years, and these are the recipes I pull out for every party, classroom treat, and holiday basket.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups facebook

The biggest thing I have learned from testing candy recipes: patience with the chocolate. Rushing the melting or the cooling step is what causes blooming, soft layers, and bars that fall apart when you cut them. Take the extra ten minutes on the chocolate and everything else falls into place.

If you want to go beyond candy, my copycat dessert recipes page has restaurant and bakery sweets that are just as fun to make.

Homemade Chocolate Candy Bars

These are the ones that disappear fastest at any gathering. I usually make a double batch because they never last.

Packaged Snack Copycats

Tips for Making Homemade Candy

  • Melt chocolate low and slow. Overheated chocolate seizes up and gets grainy. Use a double boiler or short 20-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each. Stop when there are just a few lumps left and stir them out with the residual heat.
  • Chill the layers completely before adding the next one. Whether it is the peanut butter filling in a Reese’s cup or the caramel layer in a Twix bar, each layer needs to be fully set before you add what goes on top. Rushing this is what causes the layers to smear together.
  • Line your pan well. Use parchment with overhang so you can lift the whole batch out cleanly. Running a knife around the edges before lifting helps too.

More Homemade Candy to Try

  • Cool Whip Candy: a light, chocolatey candy that tastes just like a homemade 3 Musketeers bar
  • Homemade Peppermint Patties: four ingredients, no butter, no corn syrup, and they taste exactly right
  • Homemade Reese’s Eggs: peanut butter and chocolate in the Easter shape that disappears faster than any other candy I make
  • Hard Candy: colorful, glossy homemade candy in any flavor, great for gifting and parties