How to Use Candy Melt

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff | Video Team Tested

Updated: May 4, 2019 | Video Team Tested

If you'd like to make your own candies but don't want to mess with tempering chocolate, start by heating candy melts. You can easily make your own confections, such as lollipops, bark, truffles, or candy clusters. If you'd like to use the candy melt as an accent for desserts, try drizzling, dipping, or frosting tasty fruit, cookies, or cake with the colorful candy melt.

Method 1 of 2:
Making Confectionery

  1. 1
    Fill molds to create detailed candies. Buy a candy mold from a craft store or online and put your melted candy melt into a clean squeeze bottle. Slowly squeeze the candy melt into the center of each cavity and stop filling once it's 3/4 full. Once you've filled all of the cavities, gently tap the mold on the counter to release air bubbles and help the candy melt spread to the edges of the cavities. Set it aside so the candies harden and then turn them out.[1]
    • If you overfill the cavities, the candy melt will create a circle behind the candy detail.
    • To speed up the hardening time put the mold into the freezer and chill the candies for 10 minutes.

    Tip: If you're making candy, you'll need to buy at a few bags of candy melt from the grocery store, craft supply store, or online.

  2. 2
    Spread candy melt over melted chocolate to make bark. Although you don't have to use melted chocolate or white chocolate as a base, your bark will have better flavor. Spread melted chocolate or candy melts over waxed paper and spread it thinly. Then scatter your choice of sprinkles, chocolate chips, dried fruit, or chopped nuts over top. Once the bark hardens, break it into rough pieces.[2]
    • Experiment with different flavors. For example, use birthday cake melts and scatter mini-marshmallows along with sprinkles over the top. For festive bark, spread chocolate mint melts and scatter chopped candy canes on top.

    Did You Know? You may be able to find flavored candy melts, such as salted caramel, chocolate mint, or birthday cake.

  3. 3
    Combine candy melts with nuts to create nut clusters. Melt 2 packages (680 g) of candy melts in a small pot or slow cooker. Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups (125 to 190 g) of chopped nuts or pretzels and then scoop the mixture onto a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Let the clusters harden completely before you serve them. Try using any of these nuts for your clusters:[3]
    • Peanuts
    • Walnuts
    • Pecans
    • Cashews
  4. 4
    Make truffles with candy melt or roll your truffles in candy melt coating. Decide if you'd like to make chocolate ganache truffles or if you want to use the candy melt. If you use the candy melt, pour the melt into a shallow pan and refrigerate it until it hardens. Then use a small scoop to roll the mixture into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls. To coat the truffles, dip them into the candy melt and set them on waxed paper to harden.[4]
    • For an extra special look, drizzle your truffles with a different color of candy melt. For example, drizzle white over the chocolate coating or pink over the white.
    • If you prefer, roll the dipped truffles in finely chopped nuts, sprinkles, or shredded coconut.
  5. 5
    Fill molds to make candy melt lollipops. Purchase a lollipop mold from a craft supply store or online. Then fill a pastry bag with melted candy melt. Slowly pipe the candy melt into the lollipop cavities and tap the mold on the counter to release trapped air bubbles. Set lollipop sticks into each cavity and set the mold aside so the lollipops harden.[5]
    • Once you become more experienced at working with candy melt, use different colors to make bright lollipops.
    • Look for lollipop molds in unique shapes. For example, use heart, star, or flower-shaped molds to create lollipops for special occasions.

Method 2 of 2:
Using Candy Melt in Desserts

  1. 1
    Dip cake pops into candy melt. Stir 2 tablespoons (25 g) of shortening into a bowl of melted candy melts until the shortening is incorporated. Then take a cake pop with the stick attached and dip the pop into the mixture until it's completely coated. Lift it up and let the excess melt drip back into the bowl. Then set the cake pop upright in a drying stand until they harden.[6]
    • If you don't mind having a slightly flat side, you can lay the dipped cake pops on a sheet of waxed paper to harden.
  2. 2
    Make candy shards to decorate a cake. Spoon your choice of candy melt colors onto parchment paper and use a new paintbrush to spread the candy melt in a single direction so you see the brushstrokes. Make the candy melt shard as long as you like and let it harden before you take it off of the parchment paper. Then squirt a little frosting on the base of the shard and attach it to your frosted cake.[7]
    • Try making small shards to decorate the tops of cupcakes.
    • Avoid using a paintbrush that you've dipped in real paint before. Only use a new, clean paintbrush.

    Variation: Instead of melting the candy melt, stick the candy melt buttons to an already frosted cake to create some texture.

  3. 3
    Spread or pipe candy melt over cookies. Instead of making frosting or icing for sugar cookies, melt a few different colors of candy melt in separate bowls. Then use an offset spatula or knife to spread the melt over the tops of the cookies. If you'd like more control over decorating the cookies, put the candy melt into a piping bag and pipe it onto the cookies.[8]
    • You can also put the candy melt into squeeze bottles. Apply gentle pressure to squirt the candy melt onto your cookies.
  4. 4
    Drizzle candy melt over brownies. Make a tray of brownies, bar cookies, or rice krispies treats even more special by decorating them with candy melt. Cut the brownies or treats into bars and set them on a wire rack. Then drizzle your choice of candy melt over them or dip half of each bar in the candy melt. Place it back on the wire rack to set up completely.[9]
    • Consider shaking festive sprinkles over the bars after you've drizzled or dunked them in the candy melt. For example, drizzle green and red candy melt over the brownies and shake snowflake sprinkles over them for a holiday dessert.
  5. 5
    Dip fruit, cookies, or crackers in the candy melt. For a quick party treat, melt a few kinds of candy melt and dip whole fruit, such as strawberries, cherries, or dried fruit into it. You can also dip pretzel sticks, buttery crackers, or sandwich cookies in the candy melt. Set the dipped food on a piece of waxed paper and let it harden.[10]
    • For even fancier dipped strawberries, try coating whole strawberries in white or chocolate candy melt. Then drizzle a different color of candy melt over it for a pop of color.

Community Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left



      • Remember that candy melt doesn't usually have a strong flavor although some candy melts may have a faint chocolate or vanilla flavor.

      About This Article

      Co-Authored By:
      wikiHow Staff Editor
      3 votes - 67%
      Co-authors: 2
      Updated: May 4, 2019
      Views: 1,991
      Categories: Chocolate and Candy
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,991 times.

      Did this article help you?