You've got to try this delicious candied fruit recipe, tanghulu. It's a sweet treat that has a delightful crunch!
Like anything with sugar work, you have to work quickly and have everything prepped in advance, but it is possible to make a perfect tanghulu recipe.
You'll make a sugar candy coating for your fruit that has a wonderful, sweet crunch! It's so fun to eat.
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Why You'll Love Tanghulu
- Made with just three simple ingredients!
- A fun recipe to make with family or kids (even though it can get a little messy)!
- Tanghulu has gone super viral on TikTok and other social media because it has a super fun crunch sound when you bite into it!
What is Tanghulu?
Tanghulu, also called bingtang hulu, is a popular street food in Northern China that's made with Hawthorn fruit and sugar. Multiple berries are placed on long bamboo sticks and dipped in a sugar syrup that hardens into a sweet treat.
Tanghulu has been a popular treat for hundreds of years (especially with Chinese royalty) as it originated in the Song Dynasty.
Now, tanghulu is made with more than just hawthorn berries - you might find it made from kiwis, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, pineapples, bananas, and grapes. They're a fun treat to make for Chinese New Year! When I studied abroad in China I loved enjoying tanghulu from the street vendor near my dorm - it's been so fun to learn to make it at home.
While it's originally from China, tanghulu is popular in China and South Korea as well!
Tanghulu Ingredients
- Fresh Fruit - strawberries are a common choice for tanghulu, but you can use your favorite fresh fruit! I love the way bluberries taste in the hard sugar. Kiwi, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, oranges,
- 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.
I've found 6 to 7 fruit skewers is the maximum you can fully dip and coat 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. You will end up with some excess syrup, but cleaning up is easy (see below for cleanup tips).
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.
How to Make Candied Fruit
This recipe doesn't call for many ingredients, but it can be a little tricky to make. When you're heating sugar, it can quickly go from a perfect consistency to burnt. I highly recommend using a candy thermometer.
Step 1 - Prep your berries
Wash and dry your fruit. Push them onto a long bamboo skewer. Place the berries on a silpat or parchment paper near your stovetop.
Step 2 - Combine Sugar & Water
Pour the water into a pot or pan and then pour the sugar on top. Do not stir!
Step 3 - Heat the Sugar
Heat on high heat until the sugar mixture is boiling and at a temperature of at least 250 degrees F. Test the sugar water mixture readiness by dipping a wooden skewer into the sugar and then immediately into the cold water bath. If the sugar is hard and immovable, it's ready. If the sugar doesn't harden, it will not hit the right temperature. Keep heating it and try again in another minute. The sugar should not go above 300 degrees, or it will burn.
Step 4 - Cool the Sugar
Dip the pot with the sugar into the ice bath for a few seconds and then remove and set back on the stovetop.
Step 5 - Dip the berries
Working quickly, tip the pot to the side so the sugar is deeper. Dip the fruit skewers in and twirl them to coat the fruit fully. Remove them, allow excess sugar to drip off, and then place them on the parchment or silpat. Repeat until you run out of fruit or the sugar becomes too hard.
Tips for Making Tanghulu
- Make sure to dry your fruit before dipping it in the sugar. If your fruit is not dry, the sugar won't stick.
- Have your fruit prepped and on skewers before heating the sugar. The sugar has a very short window between being ready to dip and burning.
- I would highly recommend using a candy thermometer when making this recipe. If you'd like to make this recipe without a candy thermometer, please see my notes under "Frequently Asked Questions about Tanghulu."
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 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 (especially high-water-content fruit like strawberries).
Tanghulu FAQs
You need to use fresh fruit for tanghulu. Fresh strawberries, blueberries, orange segments, kiwi, blackberries, raspberries, and grapes all work well.
The most likely reason your tanghulu is sticky is that the sugar didn't get hot enough. Ensure your sugar is at least 250 degrees F before testing to see if it's ready.
The second issue could be that you got too much moisture in the sugar by not drying off your fruit before dipping it.
The candied tanghulu will only last for about 30 to 45 minutes before it starts to get too juicy and break down the sugar. Tanghulu is best served immediately.
Unfortunately, tanghulu does not last well in the refrigerator. The fruit tends to release juice, and the sugar breaks down and becomes sticky. The best way to eat tanghulu is immediately after you make it!
You can make tanghulu without a thermometer, but you need to be vigilant about watching the sugar. The sugar must be at a roiling boil. You can check to see if it's ready by dipping a wooden skewer in the sugar and then immediately dipping the skewer into a bowl of ice water. If the sugar is hard and immovable, it's ready. If you can squeeze or move the sugar, it's not ready.
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.
Tanghulu tastes a bit like a jolly rancher. It's fruity with a delicious sugar crunch, similar to the texture of hard fruit candies.
sweet treats!
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If you try this candied fruit recipe, leave a comment and a star rating below!
Tanghulu Recipe
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.
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