These Crack Grapes (Jolly Rancher Candied Grapes) are a fun snack or dessert recipe to make with your kids for any occasion! My colorful grapes dipped in candied syrup, then coated in classic candy flavors, are the hit of any classroom party! I also like making these tasty, rainbow-colored grapes around St. Patrick's Day and Easter!
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What's not to love about these grapes rolled in crushed green apple, purple grape, blue raspberry, and pink watermelon-flavored Jolly Rancher hard candies?!
Try making my candied grapes or Jello grapes, too! You can see all of my candied fruit here!
❔ What Are Crack Grapes?
Crack grapes have been coated in a candy syrup and then rolled in 'cracked' or crushed hard candy like Jolly Ranchers, sour Cry Baby Tears, sour WarHeads, Nerds, or rock candy.
The syrup dries clear on the grapes (it can also be colored using gel food coloring if desired), and the colors of the candies make the candied grapes colorful and fun.
The candy grapes (and other candied fruits) are sold in Atlanta by thecraxkhouse. The store appears to be the original inspiration for the sweet and sour grapes.
🥘 Ingredients
When I make my candied or crack grapes recipe, I prefer to use green grapes. I'm happy with red grapes, too, but I like the tartness of a green grape in contrast to the candy coating and crushed Jolly Rancher shards.
Also, if you have rock candy on hand, it works beautifully for these crack grapes. You may prefer the rock candy over the flavored Jolly Rancher candies. I'm still on the fence! 😋
- Grapes
- Granulated Sugar
- Water
- Light Corn Syrup
- Extract (optional)
- Toothpicks or Skewers
- Candy - Jolly Ranchers, Rock Candy, Warheads, Nerds, etc.
You can use gel food coloring to change the candy coating color if desired, but do not use liquid drops.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Crack Grapes
Some of the equipment needed is shown above with the ingredients. Have a candy thermometer, skewers or toothpicks, measuring utensils, saucepan, spatula, and parchment paper to line baking sheets or a working surface.
This recipe can coat a lot of grapes! One big bunch of green grapes is up to 100 grapes. Each serving is 5 grapes.
Prep the Ingredients & Supplies
Step 1: Prepare your grapes. Rinse and dry the grapes, then insert toothpicks or skewers into the stem end of each grape. Set on a paper towel and allow the grapes to finish air-drying before dipping in the syrup.
Step 2: Prepare your candy. Place candy flavors into heavy-duty freezer storage bags and crush them using a meat mallet/tenderizer (or rolling pin, or heavy unbreakable object). *Place a kitchen towel over the plastic bags to prevent a crushed candy mess on your counters.
Step 3: Set aside. Transfer to a bowl for coating the grapes.
Step 4: Prepare a clean spot to set the grapes. Have parchment paper ready to place coated crack grapes onto to allow them to dry (set).
Heat The Syrup
Step 5: Mix and heat. Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy-bottom saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat without stirring.
Step 6: Keep a steady rolling boil. You should aim for the best rolling boil you can maintain, reducing the temperature as needed, without letting the syrup boil over.
Step 7: Bring to the hard crack stage. Boil for about 5 minutes to reach the right temperature.
You will need a candy thermometer to confirm when the syrup has reached 300-305ºF (148-152ºC). (*See notes) This hard crack stage will allow the syrup to set on the grape.
Step 8: Add optional extract. Remove syrup from heat. Then, stir the vanilla extract into the syrup.
Coat The Crack Grapes
Step 9: Syrup-coat the grapes. Carefully dip each grape into the syrup (the syrup will be hot!!), moving quickly to get the syrup covering the entirety of the grape.
Step 10: Roll in crushed candy. Move next to rolling or sprinkling the syrup-coated grapes with the crushed Jolly Rancher flavors or candy (or roll in a bowl tipped sideways for easy coating).
Dry & Serve
Step 11: Allow to dry. Set your coated grapes on the parchment paper and allow them to dry for about 30 minutes.
Step 12: Serve and enjoy. Carefully remove the toothpicks and serve within a few hours.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Make candy on cool, dry days for best results. The sugar pulls moisture (rain and humidity) from the air.
- Use a fruit wash. You'll want clean grapes, so soak in a fruit wash or a water bath with a capful of vinegar to remove any residue or pesticides.
- You need a thermometer. If you do not have a candy thermometer, you can use a digital meat thermometer as long as it will read up to 300°F (148°C).
- Do not heat over 330°F (165°C). This will turn the candy coating brown and caramelized in color.
- Test the temperature without a thermometer. To know that your syrup has reached the hard crack stage, use a spoon or spatula to drop the molten hot syrup into a bowl or cup of cold water. It should form hard threads that break and do not bend.
- Coat quickly. To move through the candy coating process quickly, while the syrup is soft and workable, you can place two or more grapes on each skewer to coat simultaneously.
- To clean your saucepan easily, add hot water and bring to a simmer. The residual candy will soften and peel away from your pan.
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🥡 Storing
Keep candy grapes in an airtight container at room temperature away from hot or cold sources. This is how I usually store my grapes for short-term use. It also depends on the candy type that was used.
To refrigerate the grapes, transfer them to an airtight container and store for up to 2-3 days.
Freezing
Do use a paper towel with your freezer grapes to soak up moisture. Enjoy within 1 week of freezing.
Testing For Best Storage
I tested my candy grapes at room temperature, in the refrigerator, and in the freezer (all in airtight containers):
- Room temperature - The rock candy grapes did great! The Jolly Rancher candy-coated crack grapes were gummy.
- Refrigerated - Both types turned out good, but the rock candy coated grapes were better and less sticky.
- Freezer - Not bad, but they needed to be eaten as soon as thawed. The candy coating on both wasn't looking too good after only about two hours of being thawed.
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📖 Recipe Card
Crack Grapes Recipe (Jolly Rancher Candied Grapes)
Ingredients
- 100 toothpicks or skewers
- 2-3 lbs grapes
- 2 cups sugar
- ⅔ cup water
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- food coloring (optional, use food coloring gels not drops)
- assorted candies (crushed Jolly Ranchers, rock candy, Warheads, or use Nerds)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Prep the Ingredients & Supplies
- Prepare your grapes. Rinse and dry the grapes, then insert toothpicks or skewers into the stem end of each grape. Set on a paper towel and allow the grapes to finish air-drying before dipping in the syrup.
- Prepare your candy. Place candy flavors into heavy-duty freezer storage bags and crush them using a meat mallet/tenderizer (or rolling pin, or heavy unbreakable object). *Place a kitchen towel over the plastic bags to prevent a crushed candy mess on your counters.
- Transfer to a bowl for coating the grapes.
- Have parchment paper ready to place coated crack grapes onto to allow them to dry (set).
Heat The Syrup
- Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy-bottom saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat without stirring.
- You should aim for the best rolling boil you can maintain, reducing the temperature as needed, without letting the syrup boil over.
- Bring to the hard crack stage. Boil for about 5 minutes to reach the right temperature.
- You will need a candy thermometer to confirm when the syrup has reached 300-305ºF (148-152ºC). (*See notes) This hard crack stage will allow the syrup to set on the grape.
- Remove syrup from heat. Then, stir the vanilla extract into the syrup.
Coat The Crack Grapes
- Carefully dip each grape into the syrup (the syrup will be hot!!), moving quickly to get the syrup covering the entirety of the grape.
- Move next to rolling or sprinkling the syrup-coated grapes with the crushed Jolly Rancher flavors or candy (or roll in a bowl tipped sideways for easy coating).
Dry & Serve
- Set your coated grapes on the parchment paper and allow them to dry for about 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove the toothpicks and serve within a few hours. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Make candy on cool, dry days for best results. The sugar pulls moisture (rain and humidity) from the air.
- Use a fruit wash. You'll want clean grapes, so soak in a fruit wash or a water bath with a capful of vinegar to remove any residue or pesticides.
- You need a thermometer. If you do not have a candy thermometer, you can use a digital meat thermometer as long as it will read up to 300°F (148°C).
- Do not heat over 330°F (165°C). This will turn the candy coating brown and caramelized in color.
- Test the temperature without a thermometer. To know that your syrup has reached the hard crack stage, use a spoon or spatula to drop the molten hot syrup into a bowl or cup of cold water. It should form hard threads that break and do not bend.
- Coat quickly. To move through the candy coating process quickly, while the syrup is soft and workable, you can place two or more grapes on each skewer to coat simultaneously.
- To clean your saucepan easily, add hot water and bring to a simmer. The residual candy will soften and peel away from your pan.
- At Room Temperature: Keep candy grapes in an airtight container at room temperature away from hot or cold sources. This is how I usually store my grapes for short-term use. It also depends on the candy type that was used.
- In The Refrigerator: Transfer crack grapes to an airtight container and store for up to 2-3 days.
- To Freeze: Do use a paper towel with your freezer grapes to soak up moisture. Enjoy within 1 week of freezing.
Susie says
These were amazing and the kids loved them, can't wait to make them again. Looking forward to trying other candies for coating the grapes too!
Mikayla says
Can you use a different flavor instead of the vanilla flavoring? I also infused mine with tequila, do you think that would be okay to do these same steps? Thank you!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, you most certainly can use any flavor desired. I have not made any other additions to the candy coating, so cannot speak to the specific directions or results. We'd love to hear back if you do try it out (and I would suggest adding when you add the flavoring). Thanks!
Renee says
Do you think the candied grapes can be shipped if so how would you ship it? I really want to try them
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I have never tried shipping them and wouldn't recommend it. The sugar coating would be difficult to maintain. Thanks for asking!
Sunny says
I attempted this three times tonight and every single time the hard candy melted off the grapes after about an hour and I’m not sure what exactly I’m doing wrong, I checked the candy to be at the right temp and everything
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hi Sunny! The first thing I would check is that your candy thermometer is calibrated. The temperature is a really important part of the candy coating setting correctly. Use a bit of hot water and measure the temp with both your candy thermometer and a digital thermometer for comparison.
Ashley says
Are your grapes at room temperature & dry? You cannot dip a cold or wet grape. It’s vital they’re room temp and dry before dipping.
Jessie says
I used parchment paper to let my stuff to dry on and it all stuck to the parchment paper
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I'm very sorry to hear that it stuck! You may have had too much of the candy coating still on the grapes, try again and let more excess run off and give your fruit a second of cooling before setting aside.
Ashley says
Spray a tiny bit of vegetable spray on the parchment before laying your grapes on it. They won’t stick
Del says
Cheaper parchment paper will not work. Use a silicone mat for 100% sure way they wont stick.
Tierra says
how do you clean the pot after you are done? i ran water in mine and it instantly harden
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Ah! I mentioned that in the video and thought I had added it in the post as well. Add hot water to your saucepan and heat it on the stovetop, a simmer will loosen up the candy coating in your pan.
LeighAnneAlvis says
If you thaw them on an uncovered plate w/parchment paper in the refrigerator wouldn't that help reduce the condensation problem?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Most of the stickiness that the grapes get is throughout the candy coating, so I am unsure if that would help much. However, with my next batch, I will certainly test it out and add an update! Thanks for the suggestion!
Alaina says
I used pixie sticks & nerds to candy mine ! Turned out so yummy.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
OMGosh sounds awesome! Gotta try it too I LOVE pixie sticks!
Andrea says
Hi! I left the grapes on the counter in air tight container and the grapes shrank and candy melted. Help!!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hello Andrea, I have never had an issue with the grapes shrinking although I do know that these are temperamental with storage. If you are somewhere with humidity, try placing your grapes in an airtight container and freezing them (make sure to have parchment paper between). They may be a little tacky to the touch when served, but still very 'intact'.
Ashley says
So once the crack has really thickened you cannot reheat to make more? Thank you so much for the recipe
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Unfortunately, no it cannot be reheated to achieve the same result. It is just a matter of working quickly, although you could cut the recipe in half and do it in two batches.
So after working with several batches of the crack grapes and adding batches of tanghulu, this is what I do to give me a few minutes more coating time: 1) don't stir while bringing the sugar syrup to a boil, and then reduce the heat slightly once you reach 300F while you work with coating the grapes. I use most of my syrup with this method, then make a second batch.
Thanks for asking!
Nichelle Maloy says
Yes I was able to and it did get a little tint but it was just fine and I kept it on 5 while I costed the grapes given me more time to do more grapes
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Thanks for adding to this!!
Mo says
You can reheat the candy and use it to finish out the batch. Just use a rubber spatula to test it out if it hardens once dipped in water it’s ready to be reused.
Tina says
Really fun to make I appreciate the video as well.
Theresa says
Is it possible to make these without the added sugar in the corn syrup?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
It is the sugar in the combined syrup that will make the 'hard crack' coating on the grapes. I have not experimented enough with alternatives to say anything else will work well. Sorry!
Jessica says
I tried making these & my syrup was very dark colored not clear. I did use a candy thermometer & let it reach hard crack stage. Not sure what happened.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hello Jessica, I just added video on this I hope you get a chance to watch it! Was your syrup very deeply amber in color? Try going just shy of 300 degrees F. It will still set nicely on your grapes and give you a few extra seconds to get them all coated too. Let me know any more specifics to help troubleshoot if you need me, ok?
Anonymous says
I have made these per your recipe. The first couple of times was ok. Now I am a pro lol practice makes perfect. I also have used life savers instead of jolly ranchers. I also found that I will blend the jolly ranchers up like 10 at a time to prevent sticking. Also found that they have to stay cool and air tight . thank you for sharing.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Thank you for sharing your experience with these crack grapes! I have used all sorts of candies too, and really love the way rock candy looks (but prefer a sour candy for flavor).
Anonymous says
So when making the crack grape I tried with strawberries and pineapple to. The only thing that I can see within like 20 minutes the candy start to melt of it. Why does this happens.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hi there! Strawberries have a very soft, thin skin that does not hold up to being candied for long. This would prevent the candy from staying in place as well as it does with the grapes. The high liquid content of the pineapple would cause the candy coating to melt away too. I totally get it, they're fun to make and look great...but other fruits have to be ready to eat ASAP 🙂
Gwendolyn A WILLIAMS says
We have tried blending the jolly ranchers and it clumped up we also tried doing them in a food processor and it did the same thing. What am I doing wrong? Should I put the jolly ranchers in the fridge or freezer before trying to blend them? Help please and thank you.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Place each Jolly Rancher flavor into a heavy duty plastic storage bag and use the flat side of a wooden meat mallet or a rolling pin to crush the candies. Transfer the crushed jolly ranchers to a bowl that you can roll each coated grape into. I'll go update the post with more specifics too. Thanks for asking!
Zariah Brown says
Can you store them in the freezer perhaps?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Someone else has suggested that, but I would suspect that once thawing the crack grapes would melt their coating off due to condensation. I will try it out soon for a positive answer one way or the other! Thanks for asking!
Arna says
Hello, I made these and stored them in the fridge. They loss the crispness and “melted”. What else do you suggest?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hello Arna, I'm sorry to hear that you stored them in the refrigerator! Step 6 in the instructions says do not refrigerate, I will add to keep these at room temperature in an air tight container. Just store them on the counter and they will be fine. Hope that helps!!
Anonymous says
You placed them in the freezer love that’s how they stay fresh hard and good
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Did you have luck with that? Seems like they would melt once thawed? Let us know! Thanks!
Ari says
Hi. I’ve tried to make these but before I could dip my grapes the crushed jolly ranchers stick together to one chunk how can I prevent this from happening so I can dip the grapes in them ? Would you suggest cornstarch ? Not sure what I’m doing wrong.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hello Ari, I would suspect that perhaps humidity is partly to blame. If you are crushing your jolly ranchers in a bag, I would keep them sealed until just before using. Otherwise keep something handy to crush the formed clumps back down again when you're ready to roll the grapes in your broken candy. Let me know more about what's going on if this doesn't help!
Wanda says
How do you store the grapes.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I store mine at room temperature initially while they are setting up, or the day they are made. They don't usually last beyond the day I intend them for 🙂 However, to store them for use beyond the first day I would place a sheet of parchment paper in an air tight container, and a sheet of parchment paper between each layer, then store in the refrigerator. You risk the candy losing it's crispness by storing beyond day one or two. Just my thoughts on it, and I will make a batch here soon to test out the max number of days I would recommend storing the crack grapes.
Thanks for asking! And I hope that helps!
Tonya says
Did this work? I’m making these for a pop up sell. I’m trying to figure out how to keep them from melting
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
To date, my best results have been at room temp and frozen. Thanks for asking!
Nikki says
Can I just buy some from you lol
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
If you lived nearby I would happily share! Sorry, I don't offer shipping at this point 🙂