Divinity Candy Recipe

Divinity Fudge – Sea Foam Candy

Divinity Candy melts in your mouth as it is so light and fluffy.  My mother was known for her divinty and this recipe always came out perfectly.  This old fashioned candy is also know as Divinity Fudge, and Sea foam Candy.  This candy is great for gift giving during the Christmas holiday season – that is if your family does not eat all of these delicious candies before you can wrap them.

This candy is not hard to make but it does take a little time and patience.  Only two things are required for success: (1) a dry day and (2) a calibrated Candy or Cooking Thermometer allowing you to cook the syrup to its proper temperature.  If you do not have a candy or cooking thermometer, please purchase one!

The delicious looking photo was shared with me by my sister, Carol Arroyo, and her website called The Baking Pan.

More wonderful Candy Recipes.

Divinity Candy in a blue polka dot bowl on top of red tissue paper

Divinity Candy Recipe:
Prep Time
30 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Divinity Candy Recipe
Servings: 4 dozen
Ingredients
  • 2 2/3 cups granulated sugar of your choice
  • 2/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup water*
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup nuts of your choice, coarsely chopped
Instructions
  1. IMPORTANT:  Do not even attempt to make Divinity Candy unless the humidity level is less than 50 to 60%.  The humidity level can make or break your Divinity Candy.

  2. Line a large Cookie Sheet with wax paper.  Set aside.

  3. In a large heavy saucepan over low heat, add sugar, corn syrup, and water, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved.  Continue to cook, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 260 degrees F. on your cooking thermometer or until a small amount of candy mixture dropped into very cold water forms a hard ball.  Remove sugar mixture from heat.

  4. In a large bowl using your electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Learn how to Make Perfect Meringue.  Continue beating and add the hot sugar mixture to the egg whites in a slow, steady, thin stream until well mixed in.  Once you begin to pour the hot sugar mixture, do NOT stop and do not scrape the mixing bowl.  When all the syrup has been combined, continue to beat the mixture until it begins to lose its gloss and holds its shape in stiff peaks.  This takes about 10 minutes of solid beating.

  5. Making DivinityTesting the divinity:  The first and most important test occurs when you lift the beaters.  If the candy falls back in ribbons that immediately merge back into the batter, it is not done.  Eventually, a stationary column will form between the beaters and the bowl.  Candy will lose its sheen/gloss and stop being sticky; a teaspoonful dropped onto wax paper will hold its shape, even a peak.  If you machine is laboring and the candy is not quite there yet, you have two choices:  Pour anyway and put into a frost-free freezer to set up, or finish mixing by hand.

  6. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and fold in the vanilla extract, nuts and/or optional add-ins of your choice.  If the candy becomes too stiff, add a few drops of hot water.

  7. Using two large spoons (using 1 spoon to push the candy off the other spoon), drop spoonfuls of the divinity mixture into mounds onto the waxed paper.  Allow to rest undisturbed for 2 hours, or until the mounds are at room temperature.

  8. Carefully peel from the waxed paper and store on layers of waxed paper in an airtight container for up to two weeks.  Divinity also freezes exceptionally well for longer storage.

  9. If you choose to spread the divinity in a pan, you will have to wait up to 24 hours before it is set and ready.

  10. Divinity Candy

  11. Optional Add-Ins:

  12. Traditional Divinity - 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

  13. Cranberry Divinity - 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped and 1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

  14. Christmas Divinity - 1/2 cup red or green candied cherries, coarsely chopped

  15. Halloween Divinity - 1/2 cup orange gumdrops, coarsely chopped and 5 drops orange food coloring

  16. Valentine Divinity - 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies with 2 drops red food coloring

  17. Makes about 4 dozen candies.

Recipe Notes

* Use 1 tablespoon less water on humid days.

Thermapen Internal Temperature Cooking ChartI get many readers asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the Thermapen Thermometer. Originally designed for professional use, the Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is used by chefs all over the world.  I only endorse a few products, on my web site, that I like and use regularly.

You can learn more or buy yours at: Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer.

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Source:  I adapted this wonderful divinity candy recipe from my old stand by cookbook, Betty Crocker’s Cookbook from the 1950s.

Categories:

Christmas    Egg Recipes    Fudge Recipes    Heirloom Recipes   

Comments and Reviews

14 Responses to “Divinity Candy Recipe”

  1. Marilyn Castiner

    Does it matter whether you use a glass bowl or a metal bowl for making divinity

    Reply
    • Linda Stradley

      I do not think it makes a difference. Maybe someone will respond on this question.

      Reply
    • Bella

      Yes, I always use a glass bowl for fluffier candy. Using a metal bowl doesn’t seem to “set up” as good and candy seems to be “heavier”

      Reply
    • Stacie

      My mom, who has been making divinity for 60 years or more, says hers only turns out well when she uses a glass bowl. It’s something to do with how well it holds the heat.
      I bought an old Sunbeam mixer at a yard sale just for making divinity!

      Reply
    • Jen

      You can beat the egg whites and candy in a glass, metal (or I’ve used my plastic Bosch bowl, changing to cookie paddles after beating whites ). What is important to know when beating egg whites for meringue, divinity, royal icing/gingerbread icing, marshmallow icing, 7 minute icing, or to fold into sponge cake, is that….you start with a really well washed bowl, beaters, rubber spatula or any other equipment that will touch the egg whites. Also do not use egg whites that have had any amount of the yolk break into them. Even a trace amount of grease, oil or yolk can cause the egg whites not to properly whip. Often these types of whipped egg white type recipes call for salt or cream of tartar, which help the whites achieve a greater volume and hold shape better, so do not skip if called for.

      Reply
  2. Mildred ulmer

    I used a glass bowl. I had absolutely no problems and my divinity came out perfect.

    Reply
  3. Mary Lou

    Thanks for the instructions. This year it worked! I’ve tried the recipe out of the Betty Crocker Cookbook (probably the same one) for years and it’s never set up like this year. I’m so happy with your directions. I’ve never brought my eggs to room temperature before I started. Next year I’ll try the glass bowl but this year I used the metal bowl from my mixer. It worked great. My son is happy he can remember his grandmother’s best candy and share with his son the taste. Thanks for the memories!

    Reply
  4. patrick johnson

    its not rocket science its way easier doesnt matter how it turns out if its not right to fix it try this even after it sets up put it all back in a microwavable bowl put in microwave and nuke it watch until it starts swelling up big take it out put about half cup powdered sugar in it stir it up with a wooden spoon then put it in freezer for about 5 to 10 min get it out start scooping it out on wax paper this process will fix any divinity doesnt matter how it turned out to start this will fix it

    Reply
  5. Alyssa

    I’m so amazed at how well your suggestion worked!!
    This was my first attempt at making divinity, and I just knew I had completely screwed it up. Because it turned out like Taffy…so I decided to just throw it in the freezer until I found something to fix it. As I’m scrolling through page after page of suggestions, I don’t know why, but this one sounded right.
    So I got my “divinity” out of the freezer, put it in the microwave for 1:30, folded in 1 cup of powdered sugar, put it back in the freezer for exactly 10 minutes, and wouldn’t ya know? It was perfect!!!

    Reply
  6. Shari martin

    I looked for advice on making divinity in 84% humidity.
    Couldn’t find anything, this page really just me me lose hope.
    We had a 1st batch that was awful then we used half the water and increased the temp by 10 degrees. I’m proud to say our second attempt was a success!
    I made amazing divinity in Oregon’s winter humidity, 84% humidity.
    The texture is perfect 😁 so your advice at the top of this page is misleading, discouraging, incorrect.
    You can make divinity in high humidity, you just gotta be smart enough to do some simple math.

    Reply
  7. Arlene Baker

    I have made rain while raining outside I have heard that so many years about the humitity thing, it has never made a difference the real difference is having your syrup just right, I do mine at 255 and always turns out,people have said for years that I make the best divinity they have ever had, so must work.sometimes it has got to where I do not like to spoon it out sets up very very fast and I have added a drop of water to it and stirred and came out fine I could make the pretty dollops
    .I hates when it sets up to fast, as I like pretty dollops lol

    Reply
  8. Tia R.

    Thank you for leaving your adjustments for higher humidity. My Grandmother was well known in multiple states (Navy Wife) for her Divinity but sadly she passed before I was born. I live in Georgia and we have 100% humidity in the summer and it drops to about 85% in the winter so your recipe gives me hope I will be able to make it come winter!

    Reply
  9. RAnn

    Humidity doesn’t make a difference. I use 3 cups sugar, 1/2 water and 1/2 cup corn syrup. cook to soft ball (I prefer testing the syrup), add half to the two beaten egg whites. Put the rest back on the stove and cook to hard ball. The main trick is cooking it long enough and beating it long enough–as you said, no gloss.

    Reply
  10. laurie

    thank you Patrick Johnson for the fix. I looked like I had marshmallow cream. I did your fix and now I have divinity.

    Reply

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