This Christmas nougat is a festive and vibrant, easy-to-make, no-bake candy treat that is perfect for the holidays. The brightly colored red and green gumdrops are dotted throughout the classic nougat recipe. Plus, they make a beautiful addition to Christmas gift baskets.
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My easy-to-make Christmas nougat is a fantastic no-bake method to make the popular vintage nougat. The red and green gumdrops are a tasty stir-in, plus they're available in the classic red and green Christmas colors.
Don't worry if you can't find the red and green gumdrop version, in a pinch, you can always sort your desired colors from a large pack of classic gumdrop candies. The stores where I have readily found holiday-colored gumdrops are in the recipe notes below.
Since I've always brought home packs of Brach's nougat candy at Christmastime, I thought it was overdue that I ought to try my hand at these chewy candies.
Traditionally, nougat is made with a combination of honey and egg whites, typically with almonds rather than gumdrops. However, this quick no-bake candy recipe uses butter, white chocolate chips, and marshmallows as the nougat!
Add in your festive gumdrops and you have some really pretty bite-sized nougat candies that are perfect for sharing!
If baking gets you in the Christmas spirit, check out my holiday baking recipes! There are cookies, my fantastic Christmas cake, fruitcake and more cake ideas, pies, fudge, candy, and so much more to try!
🥘 Ingredients
Just 4 ingredients and you can mix up your own batch of festive Christmas nougat candies! Even better, none of these ingredients are hard to find!
- Butter - 2 tablespoons of butter. Salted butter is great for this recipe, if using unsalted be sure to add a pinch of salt.
- Mini Marshmallows - 16 ounces of mini marshmallows (one large 16 oz package or two 8-ounce packages).
- White Chocolate Chips - 16 ounces of white chocolate chips (approximately 2⅔ cups white chocolate chips).
- Gumdrops - 2 cups gumdrops candy (I found Dots brand candies in holiday colors this year, yay!)
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Christmas Nougat
Making this easy homemade nougat only takes a few minutes once you get started. Be sure to have everything ready to go- you'll need a 9x13 baking dish, a microwave-safe bowl, and a rubber spatula.
This recipe will yield about 60 candies, so there is plenty for sharing.
- Prepare. Prepare either a 9x13 baking pan for a thinner layer of nougat or an 8x8 baking pan for taller nougat squares. Line your baking pan with parchment paper.
- Melt the chocolate. For either method, microwave or stovetop, it is best to melt the white chocolate with the butter before adding marshmallows.
- Microwave: In a large microwave-safe bowl combine 16 ounces of white chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of butter. Microwave for 1 minute on high, then stir. Continue heating in 30-second increments and stirring between each heating. Repeat until the milk chocolate is melted.
Add 16 ounces of marshmallows and heat in 30-second increments, stirring each time until you can fully combine the marshmallows and melted white chocolate.
Stovetop (Double Boiler): Use a large glass mixing bowl that will safely set atop your saucepan. Combine 16 ounces of white chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of butter. Bring a saucepan with about an inch of water to a low boil and place the bowl with the butter and white chocolate chips on top of the saucepan. Heat the white chocolate chips until fully melted.
Add 16 ounces of marshmallows in 2-3 portions so that it melts easier with this method. Stir the marshmallows and cook until fully melted before adding the next portion of marshmallows. Continue until fully combined then remove from heat. - Cool. Set the bowl with the nougat base aside for 2-3 minutes to cool before adding the gumdrops. *You can cut the gumdrops into smaller chunks if desired.
- Place gumdrops. Add 2 cups of gumdrops and fold them into the nougat, then transfer it into your prepared baking pan. Use a lightly greased sheet of parchment paper or spatula to spread the nougat to the pan corners in an even layer.
- Chill. Transfer the nougat to your refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight to fully set up.
- Slice and serve. Once set, pop the nougat block out of your pan and slice it into squares for serving.
You can keep these candies for yourself or add them to a tasty gift basket for sharing. Either way, this tasty treat is sure to vanish. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Make sure to use gumdrops and not the sugar-coated spicettes! The flavor is vastly different and minty rather than fruity.
- If all else fails, and you cannot find holiday red and green gumdrops, grab a pack of Dots candies and separate your colors.
- When chopping gumdrops, allow the cut sides to drop onto a plate of granulated sugar to prevent the pieces from sticking together.
🥡 Storing
Place nougat squares in an airtight container with sheets of parchment paper between layers. Store at room temperature for 1-2 weeks.
You can store the packaged nougat in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Be sure to place the chilled squares out at room temperature before serving.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
A nougat candy is very similar to fudge, except with more sugar! It also happens to have a softer consistency and is chewier.
Make sure to always prepare this candy using parchment paper or wax paper. Also, you need to give your nougat enough time to completely set up. If it is not fully set, it will stick.
Nougat is easiest to cut out of the pan, so use your parchment paper to lift it out. Additionally, it's best to cut it when it is cold. If you are having trouble with your nougat sticking to the knife, you can lightly grease your knife with a little oil or non-stick cooking spray. Then, slice the nougat into small cubes.
🎄 More No-Bake Christmas Treats
- Chocolate Peppermint No-Bake Cookie - This cookie is another easy holiday treat! It's a great flavor combination that everyone loves!
- Christmas Crack - This treat combines crunchy saltines with toffee and chocolate for an addictively delicious shareable treat!
- Microwave Peanut Butter Fudge - This rich fudge is a well-loved addition to your Christmas cookie trays!
- No Bake Pumpkin Pie - Enjoy some delicious pumpkin pie without having to heat up the oven!
- Nutter Butter Snowmen - Adorable and perfect for kids, this tasty treat is super simple to whip up!
- Christmas Fudge - Incredibly rich and decadent fudge is super easy to prepare!
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe Card
Christmas Nougat
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 16 oz mini marshmallows (one large 16 oz package or two 8 ounce packages)
- 16 oz white chocolate chips (approximately 2 ⅔ cups white chocolate chips)
- 2 cups gumdrops
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Prepare either a 9x13 baking pan for a thinner layer of nougat or an 8x8 baking pan for taller nougat squares. Line your baking pan with parchment paper.
- For either method, microwave or stovetop, it is best to melt the white chocolate with the butter before adding marshmallows.
- Microwave: In a large microwave-safe bowl combine the white chocolate chips and butter. Microwave for 1 minute on high, then stir. Continue heating in 30-second increments and stirring between each heating. Repeat until the milk chocolate is melted. Add the marshmallows and heat in 30-second increments, stirring each time until you can fully combine the marshmallows and melted white chocolate.
- Stovetop (Double Boiler): Use a large glass mixing bowl that will safely set atop your saucepan. Combine the white chocolate chips and butter. Bring a saucepan with about an inch of water to a low boil and place the bowl with the butter and white chocolate chips on top of the saucepan. Heat the white chocolate chips until fully melted. Add the marshmallows in 2-3 portions so that it melts easier with this method. Stir the marshmallows and cook until fully melted before adding the next portion of marshmallows. Continue until fully combined then remove from heat.
- Set the bowl with the nougat base aside for 2-3 minutes to cool before adding the gumdrops. *You can cut the gumdrops into smaller chunks if desired.
- Add the gumdrops and fold them into the nougat, then transfer it into your prepared baking pan. Use a lightly greased sheet of parchment paper or spatula to spread the nougat to the pan corners in an even layer.
- Transfer the nougat to your refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight to fully setup.
Gail says
My mom made them many many years ago and didn’t find them in her recipe box i’am going to make for grand and great grand kids thanks for sharing the recipe happy holiday to you and family
Shona says
I make these every Christmas. They are a bit of work (hard to work with the melted mixture) but well worth it. I always deviate from the recipe, ever so slightly. I use Finnish/ Swedish berry candies (cut in half) and a green gummy candy, like a jube or something similar in texture to a gummy bear. (Just work quickly to combine as they can melt a little. 😉) Delish!
Shirley marina Bickerstaff says
Why did mine come out yellowish?
Angela Latimer says
This is a candy that you need to work quickly when making it. Sounds like your candy colors melted a bit, adding the yellowish appearance. Hope that helps!
Jan says
Do you wrap these separately after cutting into squares? (I usually wrap caramels after you cut them into squares). I cut them and layered into a Tupperware container separating the layers with waxed paper. If they should be wrapped separately please advise. Thank you. Love the recipe…so pretty and delicious!
Angela Latimer says
You don't need to wrap these, however, dusting them with some confectioners sugar will keep them from sticking together when storing. I usually add a sheet of parchment paper between layers when I store them in containers, or dust them then place into cellophane treat bags for gifting. Thanks for asking!
Tracey says
These are SO quick and easy to make! They are now a Christmas favourite!! Thank you so much!
Word to the wise: once you eat one, it’s hard to stop!
Bethany says
Hi Angela,
I just made this tonight I was a little concerned because it seems super super thick. So I started to panic. It did come out wonderful. I remember as a kid my grandma always had them and I loved them. So thank you very very much for sharing this wonderful recipe. I cannot wait to make more
Peggy says
Oh my!!! I have made this twice in two weeks, it's excellent! I have been looking for a gumdrop nougat candy recipe, it was my favorite for over 50 years. It's very difficult to find in my town these days. I was so glad to find your recipe. Easy and tastes a lot better than the individually wrapped ones from the stores, even if I could find them.Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Elyce says
Hi Angela, I am excited to make these non-Christmas nougats for a wedding cookie table. I thought I read they could be frozen easily once cut, for about 5 weeks, your thoughts?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
The best way to freeze your homemade nougat is to cut it into bite-sized pieces and freeze them in a single, spaced out layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen (an hour or two) wrap in a piece of rice paper or parchment paper and then wrap again with aluminum foil. transfer into an airtight freezer storage container. I like to line the container with aluminum foil for an extra layer of insulation too. When stored like this, your nougat can freeze for up to 12 months. You can even refreeze the nougat. 🙂 Hope that helps!
Anonymous says
Thank you, thank you
Elyce says
I made these, they are wonderful but next time I need a bigger double boiler as it took a long time to melt , but turned out well, not so sweet either. Will freeze for wedding next month.
gail teed says
Made it this morning!!!Very easy. Looks perfect. On one pan made swirl with the chocolate, and one all white. going to make every year.
Troy says
I made it exactly as written. It was so sticky I couldn't spread it around the pan before putting in thr refrigerator so I left it as is, any suggestions?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I use butter or shortening on my hands or spatula to quickly press the nougat into place. It is sticky, so I try to work fast when handling it. Thanks for asking and I hope that helps!
Dana says
Mine was so sticky it barely made it out of the bowl lol but I used parchment paper to pat the mixture into my dish, worked perfectly! Mine is currently setting up overnight but from what I licked off the spoon, it is Divine!! And not overly sweet like some recipes I’ve seen that call for 3 added cups of sugar; yikes! This was so easy, it’s a keeper!!
Anonymous says
I tried this recipe. And it is awesome! Thanks!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Thank you! So glad that you enjoyed this fun holiday candy!