You've got to try this delicious candied fruit recipe! Tanghulu a sweet treat that has a delightful crunch! I've made it a bunch of times, and through much trial and error (I'm not kidding - I messed it up like 8 times), I feel confident I can show you how to make tanghulu at home~
Like anything with sugar work, you have to work quickly and have everything prepped in advance, but it is possible to make crunchy tanghulu recipe.
If you love fruity desserts, try our chocolate dipped bananas and hwachae (Korean fruit punch) as well!
Emily's Notes on Tanghulu
- One of the best things about this recipe are the ingredients are crazy simple - you only need fruit, sugar, and water!
- While this recipe can be a little messy to make (lean into the mess!), it's fun to make as a family or with friends.
- You may have seen tanghulu on TikTok and other social media platforms because it has a super fun crunch sound when you bite into it! They're not lying - if made right, tanghulu has an extremely satisfying crunch.
Tanghulu Ingredients
- Fresh Fruit - strawberries are a common choice for tanghulu, but you can use your favorite fresh fruit! I love the way blueberries taste in the hard sugar. Kiwi, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, and oranges are also delish.
- Granulated Sugar - make sure to use granulated sugar, do not substitute for coarse sugar or honey. I've tried to make this recipe with other types of sugar and it did not work.
- Water - you'll need a little tap water to dissolve the sugar.
See the recipe card for full details.
Equipment You'll Need
- Measuring Cup - you'll need a measuring cup for the sugar and water.
- Wooden Skewers - I recommend a thin wooden skewer, especially if you a using a soft fruit like kiwi or smaller berries like blackberries or blueberries.
- Parchment or Silpat - you'll cool the sugared fruit on a piece of parchment paper or a silpat.
- Rimmed Baking Sheet - use a baking sheet or baking dish that is larger than your pot. You'll use it to cool the bottom of the pot after boiling the sugar.
- Pot - use a stainless steel or enameled pot or pan. I do not recommend using a nonstick pan.
- Candy Thermometer - because the sugar needs to be between 250 and 300 degrees F, it's extremely helpful to have a candy thermometer for this recipe.
If you try this candied fruit recipe, leave me a comment and a star rating below!
Tanghulu Recipe
This delicious candied fruit recipe has a delightful crunch! You're going to love this tasty dessert recipe.
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Servings: 6 skewers
Equipment
- Measuring Cup
- Wooden Skewers
- Parchment Paper or Silpat
- Rimmed Baking Sheet or a large pan
- Stainless Steel or Enameled Pot do not use nonstick pan
- Candy Thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups fresh fruit berries, oranges, grapes, or kiwi
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the fruit. Thread fruit onto skewers. Set the fruit skewers on a piece of parchment paper or a silpat.
- Fill a rimmed baking sheet or a large pan with at least 1 inch of cold water and a few pieces of ice. Set next to the stove.
- Add the sugar to a pot, then pour the water over the sugar making sure every part of the sugar gets wet. DO NOT stir the sugar. Shake the pot if necessary to cover the sugar. Put a candy thermometer on the side of the pot to continuously check the temperature.
- Bring the sugar to a boil over high heat. Once the sugar reaches 250 degrees F on the candy thermometer, check the sugar readiness by dipping a wooden skewer in the sugar and then dipping it immediately into the cold water. If it's hard and immovable, the sugar is ready. If you can still manipulate the sugar, let it continue to boil. The sugar should not go above 300 degrees F or it will burn.
- Once the sugar is ready, turn off the heat and dip the pot in the cold water for one second. Put the pot back on the stovetop.
- Tip the pot so the sugar pools on one side and begin dipping the fruit skewers one by one. Twirl them in the sugar, allow any excess sugar to drip back in the pot, and then place them back on the parchment paper or silpat. Work quickly to dip the rest of the fruit. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Preparation Tip - Make sure to dry your fruit before dipping it in the sugar. If your fruit is not dry, the sugar won't stick.
Cooking Tip - If the sugar is not hard after 1 minute, the sugar either didn't get hot enough or the berries were too wet. They'll still taste good, but unfortunately, there's no way to get them to harden up if the sugar didn't get hot enough.
Recipe Tip - I've found 6 to 7 fruit skewers is the maximum you can fully dip and coat (before the sugar hardens) when using 2 cups of sugar. If you'd like to make more, you'll need to increase the amount of sugar and water you use.
Storage - leftovers can be saved for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but they will lose their crunch. This recipe does not store particularly well in the refrigerator. It can sit on parchment paper for 30 to 40 minutes before it needs to be served. Any longer than that, and the juices in the fruit will break down the sugar coating.
Cleanup Tip - Excess sugar can be removed from the pot just by soaking the pot and tools in water for an hour. Or you can add a few cups of water to the pot and boil it with the tools inside, let the sugar dissolve, and then you can pour it out and clean your pot.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Sodium: 2mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g
Sophie P says
how would you clean the pot after?
Emily says
Great question! It's actually easier than you'd think. When it's rock hard in the pot you can't really scrape it off, so you have to let the pot soak with a few inches of water for an hour or two. The sugar will all dissolve and then you can just pour it out and wash off the pot! Hope this helps.
Katrina says
@Emily, that’s another great way to clean the pot! you can also fill the pot up with water and let it boil on the stove dissolves all the sugar and pour it all out!
Kat says
Is it possible to use powdered sugar as a substitute of regular suger
EW says
I don't think it will work sadly! I tried to make tanghulu with multiple kinds of sugar and none of them worked besides regular granulated sugar.
Gina says
Hi, thank you for the recipe, can you make it ahead of time for a party, and do you keep it in the refrigerator? How long will they keep?
EW says
They really don't keep well in the refrigerator - the sugar coating becomes sticky. If you are serving them at a party, I would make them as close to the event as possible! No more than a few hours before and keep them at room temperature till serving.
Mike says
Great recipe. Strawberry is probably a better idea than hawthorns as you don't need to worry about crunching down on a pip. Thanks!
Dan says
You should adjust the recipe to start testing the sugar above 275 degrees. The sugar needs to get to a hard crack stage otherwise you’ll be pulling out your own fillings.
Stacey says
i love this so much! thank you for this great and easy recipe.
Kam says
I tried to make Tanghulu twice but it didn’t work out and I used granulated sugar and I don’t think my fruits were dry enough