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This Divinity Candy is truly divine! A twist on traditional divinity candy with a little drizzle of chocolate. Perfect for sharing during the holidays!
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This Divinity candy is one of my favorite candy recipes, especially during the holidays! Light and soft, this candy always manages to find a place on the goodie plates we take around to neighbors and friends at Christmas time.
Now, this yummy treat takes some patience and time to make, but every step is totally worth it! Take your time and follow the recipe to make the best divinity candy. Once you make your first batch, you will be a pro and making them all Christmas season!
What is Divinity?
Trying to explain to someone who isn’t familiar with this Southern treat can be tricky. Is it chewy? Fluffy? Or sweet? All of the above. Similar to nougat or marshmallow, this meringue-based candy is made with sugar, corn syrup, and egg whites.
Traditional divinity is made with pecans, but as you can tell with this recipe, I love mine plain with a little drizzle of chocolate. Feel free to use other nuts, or leave it nut free; both ways are delicious! Once the pieces of candy are cooled, you can store them in an airtight container for up to two weeks. One of our favorite Christmas candy recipes.
Ingredients for the Best Divinity Candy
Homemade candy is a fun treat to share with friends and family during the holidays. Combine all the ingredients together to make a sweet, sticky, and melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness!
- Sugar – Adds sweetness to this easy divinity candy!
- Light corn syrup – This helps create that soft, chewy, taffy-like texture.
- Cold water – Helps in making the candy softer as it is heating up and helps avoid making a hard ball.
- Egg whites – Keeps the candy soft and fluffy! Leave your eggs out at room temperature before cracking them open. Whip egg whites long enough to make stiff peaks form out of them.
- Vanilla extract – Blends the flavors together! If you are wanting a more holiday flavor, try peppermint extract, coconut, or almond for a more flavorful divinity candy recipe.
- Optional: Roasted peanuts – Purchase these peanuts roasted and chopped if possible. If not, you can use a food processor and finely chop the peanuts. Chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds will also work too!
- Optional: Mini chocolate chips – Melt your chocolate chips in the microwave. This will be the drizzle over top of the divinity candy.
Tips for Making this Divinity Recipe
Divinity recipes can be a tricky candy to make, but if you follow the directions closely, you can master this Christmas treat. Homemade divinity candy is so yummy and totally worth it. The most important things to having your divinity turn out right are in these tips.
- Stiff peaks – Make sure you beat your egg whites long enough! You definitely want those stiff peaks.
- Candy thermometer – Be sure you have a candy thermometer before attempting to make this. Watch your candy thermometer closely while you boil, you want to pull your pan off the heat right when your candy thermometer hits 255-degrees (hard ball stage).
- Combine – Pour the hot sugar mixture into the egg whites while the beater is running in a super slow, barely stream, drizzle. I’m talking painfully slowly. I think it took me about five minutes to pour it all in.
- Beat together – Be sure to let it beat for a good eight to ten minutes after that. My Kitchen Aid stand mixer was hating me, but you really do have to mix it that long.
- Go fast! – When making dollops of divinity on wax paper, move quickly! It will start to stiffen, which makes it really hard to spoon out. If it really starts to get stiff, add a drop or two of hot water and re-mix what you have left so you can start spooning it out again.
“This recipe so perfect and on theme for Christmas! The colors work and the textures sounds fabulous. Bring on the peanuts!”
-Adrianne
Frequently Asked Questions
The United States is where divinity was created. It also has some Turkish and European roots from the 17th and 18th centuries. The first divinity candy recipe made its appearance in 1915.
Fudge is made with baking ingredients like sugar, butter, milk, and a type of cream, whereas divinity uses sugar, corn syrup, and egg whites. More of a candy substance.
Sometimes the candy doesn’t harden right away. If it is too thin and does not set, you can add a tablespoon at a time of powdered sugar. This should thicken up the candy right away!
If this happens, simply add one tablespoon of very hot water. This should help give it a fluffy consistency.
It does take time to harden. Within a couple of hours, you will start to see and feel that the divinity candy is getting harder and setting up. Candy always has to have a little more patience when making. It may take a little longer but as you can see it forming you know your candy is set up correctly.
How to Store Divinity Candy
Once your divinity candy has cooled and hardened completely, you can start to layer them in an airtight container. Place parchment paper in between the layered candy to avoid them sticking together. They will store for a week in the container. Find a cool dry place so the candy does not soften too much and stick together.
More Sweet Holiday Treats
Along with this delicious Divinity Candy with Peanuts, try some of these family favorites to share with your loved ones this holiday season!
- Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods
- See’s Fudge Recipe
- Homemade Almond Joys
- English Toffee
- Peppermint Bark
- Chocolate Covered Cherries
- Crockpot Peanut Clusters
- Cinnamon Almonds
- Snowball Cookies
- Christmas Crack Candy
How to Make Divinity
Divinity Candy
Equipment
- Candy thermometer
Ingredients
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup cold water
- 3 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional) melted
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts (optional) chopped for topping
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, mix together the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved then add the candy thermometer and stop stirring. Watch for the candy thermometer to reach exactly 255 degrees, then immediately remove it from heat.
- While the sugar mix is heating up, use a stand mixer with a large bowl to beat the egg whites. Beat until the egg whites are super white, fluffy, and form stiff peaks.
- When the sugar mix reaches 255, start to SLOWLY pour into the egg whites while the mixer is still running at a fast speed. You want to do a super slow drizzle, it took me about 5 minutes to pour it all in.
- Once it is all poured in, continue to beat at a high speed for a good 8 to 10 more minutes, then beat in the vanilla.
- Using two spoons, make dollops of the divinity onto wax or parchment paper. Move quickly because the divinity will start to stiffen.
- Optional: Let cool completely then drizzle on some melted chocolate and sprinkle on some chopped peanuts.
I am 80 yrs. Old my Mother made this when I was little ! We never put peanuts in it and sounds easy but be.I’ve me it can be tricky to get it to sit up perfectly! Never make on rainy day or in a draft! You can also tint it red or green and I have crushed peppermint and put in it very yummy that was! Not Christmas without it for me ! Never suppose to be hard when sit up more firm on outside and soft when bite into it! Use a teaspoon want smaller lumps of it not large!sometimes just does not sit up stays too soft never heard of powdered sugar to make it thicker May try but seems would take away the wonderful flavor but everyone to their own! IFamily favorite for years here! But can be touchy but worth it patience for sure!Enjoy🤩
definitely my first time hearing of divinity candy! sounds very tasty and not too hard to make with your instructions.
This recipe so perfect and on theme for Christmas! The colours work and the textures sounds fabulous. Bring on the peanuts!
I have never heard of these before, but I love anything with peanuts.
I’m 74 yrs old. I made divinity many times but never heard of peanuts in it or chocolate drizzled over it. It’s supposed to be a firm candy. But solid white. You bite into it and it’s so soft on the inside. It’s delicious. Those who have never tasted it are probably young people and those who haven’t have a family member make it. Try it. It’s a lot of standing watchin the mixer do its thing. But hurry to get it on the parchment paper..you must be quick. Merry Christmas
How good does this sound! A completely new idea to me but one that I am excited to try!
What an amazing treat! Looks great!