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Give your kids a sweet treat without any refined sugar or artificial dyes and flavors! These homemade healthy lollipops are sweetened with honey and coconut sugar, making a fun sugar-free candy option.
My kids and I recently came up with a healthy popsicle recipe. Now with Easter just around the corner, we have been busy in the kitchen trying to perfect a healthy sucker recipe.
We tried several different variations of natural sugars, liquid, and cook time. Finally, we got one that looked like a lollipop, and the kids totally approved!
Because of the upcoming Easter holiday, I wanted to come up with a sucker that I felt good about my kids eating.
I have always filled my kids’ Easter baskets with healthy snacks and stickers instead of chocolate bunnies and jelly beans (get my non-candy Easter basket ideas here!). As they get older, they are more aware of the candy.
My solution for this is to recreate all the sugary, dye-filled treats with healthy ingredients. Cooking and baking with natural sugars can be tough, but once we nailed down this recipe, it was really quite simple!
Why You’ll Love Homemade Healthy Lollipops
- These lollipops are just like your favorite store-bought suckers but with healthier ingredients! If you want your kids to enjoy candy without any refined sugar or artificial dyes and flavors, this is the recipe for you.
- With a variety of whimsical mold options and different juice flavors, you can customize these lollipops as much as you like! Your kids will love choosing different lollipops each time.
- As long as you have a trusty candy thermometer, this recipe is so easy. You’ll be able to whip up a batch of healthy lollipops in no time.
What You’ll Need
- Apple juice: This adds sweetness and an apple flavor. You can substitute other juices or even make them with homemade elderberry syrup!
- Coconut sugar: Coconut sugar is a palm sugar produced from the sap of the flower stem of the coconut palm. It has more nutrients and a lower glycemic index than regular cane sugar, which is why I opt for coconut sugar whenever possible.
- Honey: Honey adds a delightful flavor and acts as a healthier substitute for the corn syrup typically found in hard candy.
- Lollipop molds: I use silicone lollipop molds with reusable sticks. I’ll dive into this more below.
- Candy thermometer: This is essential for making lollipops, as a precise temperature is necessary to get the candy to set. I recommend an instant-read thermometer.
How to Make Homemade Lollipops
Step 1. Place a sucker stick in each of the sucker molds and set aside.
Step 2. Pour all the ingredients into a medium-size saucepan and stir well.
Step 3. Bring to a boil and leave on the heat until the liquid reaches 300 degrees. Stir constantly to prevent burning.
Step 4. Once the mixture reaches 300 degrees, remove the pan from the heat and allow the bubbles to deflate. Spoon the mixture into the lollipop molds.
Step 5. Allow the lollipops to sit for 30 minutes or until hardened.
Step 6. Pop the lollipops out of the molds and enjoy.
Tips for Making Lollipops
As I said earlier, we have been busy perfecting this recipe. We tried 7 different recipes before we popped a beautiful sucker out of the mold. Some were too hard, and some were too soft. Some were way too sweet, and some weren’t sweet enough. Along the way, I came up with a little list of must-dos when you go to make suckers!
- The ratio of sugar to juice that you use is very important. If this is off just a little bit, the suckers won’t turn out.
- The honey is crucial. In store-bought suckers, you will find corn syrup on the ingredients list. The honey replaces the corn syrup, and it helps the sucker hold its shape.
- Don’t rush the cooking time. The liquid must reach 300 degrees, known as the hard crack stage, or it won’t solidify!
- Don’t overcook either. The sugars can burn easily, and if the temperature goes over 300 degrees, your sucker can taste burnt. Again, trust me on this one! I’m telling you, I made all the mistakes, and my poor children were the guinea pigs along the way.
- Be sure to stir the entire time you’re heating the mixture. It can very quickly burn on the bottom of the saucepan.
Where to Get Lollipop Molds
I found the best molds on Amazon! I love them because they come with reusable sticks and several different shapes. Each time we make suckers, the kids like to look through all the options, and usually, we make a few suckers in each shape because they all chose different ones.
These molds come with smiley faces, stars, hearts, swirl circles, and flower molds.
Once you have the molds, you’ll be ready to make all kinds of homemade lollipops! Try my homemade strawberry lollipops next.
Recipe FAQs
Store the lollipops in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. You want to prevent any moisture from getting to them and making them sticky.
Homemade lollipops should last around a year if stored properly. Of course, they never last that long in my house!
More Sugar-Free Sweets
- Sugar Free Jello Recipe
- Paleo Peppermint Hot Chocolate
- Healthy Strawberry Shortcake
- Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream
If you tried this Homemade Healthy Lollipops Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Homemade Healthy Lollipops
Equipment
- saucepan
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tbsp apple juice
Instructions
- Place a sucker stick in each of the sucker molds and set aside.
- Pour all the ingredients into a medium-size saucepan and stir well.
- Bring to a boil and leave on the heat until the liquid reaches 300 degrees. Use an instant read candy thermometer to check the temp. Stir constantly to prevent burning.
- Once the mixture reaches 300 degrees, remove the pan from the heat and allow the bubbles to deflate. Spoon the mixture into the lollipop molds.
- Allow the lollipops to sit for 30 minutes or until hardened.
- Pop the lollipops out of the molds and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- The ratio of sugar to juice that you use is very important. If this is off just a little bit, the suckers won’t turn out.
- The honey is crucial. In store-bought suckers, you will find corn syrup on the ingredients list. The honey replaces the corn syrup, and it helps the sucker hold its shape.
- Don’t rush the cooking time. The liquid must reach 300 degrees, known as the hard crack stage, or it won’t solidify!
- Don’t overcook either. The sugars can burn easily, and if the temperature goes over 300 degrees, your sucker can taste burnt. Again, trust me on this one! I’m telling you, I made all the mistakes, and my poor children were the guinea pigs along the way.
- Be sure to stir the entire time you’re heating the mixture. It can very quickly burn on the bottom of the saucepan.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello! Could you tell me the best storage for these suckers… counter top or refrigerator? Thanks!
Store the lollipops in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. You want to prevent any moisture from getting to them and making them sticky.