It's Harder Than It Looks To Make The Viral Jolly Rancher Cotton Candy

Making cotton candy at home doesn't require a machine, though it's much easier with one. However, while they don't carry too hefty a price tag, they do take up a chunk of counter space. And be honest: You're probably going to use it ... infrequently. But making cotton candy the old way without a machine is time-consuming, difficult, and requires a large collection of ingredients and gear to accomplish.

Instead, you should try the Jolly Rancher method, which works because the famous hard candy is mostly sugar and corn syrup – the same basic ingredients used to make cotton candy with a machine. In fact, most hard candies can be used this way, including Werther's or those strawberry candies only your grandparents ever seemed to have.

@chefgenevieve

Easy Homemade Cotton Candy. Tips Below ⬇️ #cottoncandy #summerrecipes #poolsidesnacks #candytok 1. Only use 3 jolly ranchers at a time. Melt in a small glass bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds 2. Use plastic straws cut in half. You can use a metal straw but if making more than 1 batch, it is recommended to use disposable as the candy will harden on the straws and you will need to clean the metal straw between each batch. 3. If the candy hardens in the bowl, reheat in the microwave for 10 seconds 4. Do NOT touch the melted candy. 5. Blow candy over parchment paper for easy cleanup 6. To cleans bowl, run under hot tap water 7. Enjoy! 🍬

♬ Closer (Instrumental) – Saweetie

You don't even need complicated equipment or have to clip the ends off of a whisk. All you need is a small dish, a microwave, some straws, and a bit of parchment paper to make clean-up easier. Just know that it's going to take some practice to get right.

Before I discuss my experiences with this process, here are some notes on turning Jolly Ranchers into cotton candy. Start by selecting a flavor and toss two or three of those in a small dish. If you want to use multiple flavors, keep them all in their own bowls; the flavors and colors don't mix well. Then, nuke each bowl of three Jolly Ranchers for about 30 seconds in the microwave. If the Jolly Ranchers start solidifying at any point, reheat them for about 10 seconds.

Here's where it gets a little dangerous. The melted Jolly Ranchers are hot enough to burn, and you do not want that liquid candy drying on your skin. So always be cautious when moving it to and from the microwave. With the candies melted, dip a plastic straw into the mix and blow it out across a sheet of parchment paper like you're blowing glass. Larger mouth straws work better than narrow ones. Quickly wrap what you've blown around the straw and enjoy, perhaps with a side of cotton candy grapes.

I happen to love Jolly Ranchers and had some on hand, so I gave this a try. Right away, I had issues. My microwave wasn't powerful enough to melt the Jolly Ranchers in 30 seconds, so I had to do some trial and error to get the candies melty enough. Once I solved that issue, I quickly realized my plastic straws were too narrow, which wasn't letting me get those big fluffy clouds of sugar you can see in skillful videos of the process. It also took me a few tries to find the right amount of force in breathing out, with gentler exhalations working better than forceful ones.

These issues held me back from getting the full experience, but I did manage to, very briefly, get it right (even though, as you can see from the image above, it did NOT look social media ready). And honestly, it really was just like cotton candy at the fair. It melted in my mouth immediately but still had a strong Jolly Rancher taste, with more flavor than I was expecting it to have. With some practice (and larger straws), this is easily something I'd do with my niece and nephew.