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There’s very little you can do with leftover hard candy besides eat it, but like most other sugary treats, there’s more than meets the eye — especially with just a little bit of childlike wonder. Those Jolly Ranchers, Life Savers, butterscotch discs, or other types of candy sitting in your pantry can actually transform into something totally different: cotton candy (or fairy floss, as it was once affectionately called), that fluffy, cloud-like treat you usually only find at carnivals. All you need is a cotton candy machine (and the knowledge of how to use it) plus a little imagination.
Cotton candy machines turn melted sugar around so fast that it sprays out in threads. These threads harden in the air and form those stringy, addictive strands we all adore. Usually, that sugar is plain old granulated sugar. But as it turns out, you can do the same thing with disintegrated hard candy. Why? Because at the end of the day, hard candy is really just flavoring and sugar that’s been boiled to a high temperature and then hardened. If you break it down into a powder, you’re essentially reversing the process, making it easy for the machine to melt and spin it back out again as cotton candy.
How to make cotton candy out of hard candy
To transform candies into cotton candy, simply unwrap your hard candies and crush them into a fine powder using a food processor or a sturdy plastic bag and rolling pin for a more old-school method. The bottom line is you want the pieces to be small enough to melt evenly without clumping. Load the powder into your cotton candy machine like you would regular sugar. Turn it on, and watch the magic happen. The flavors get spun into sweet little strands that taste exactly like the original candy but with a totally new texture.
If you want to get even fancier, try mixing two kinds of candy together. Watermelon and cherry make a solid combo, or peppermint and vanilla offer a winter twist. Just make sure the candies don’t contain fillings or oils (like gooey chocolate or caramel centers), which could mess with your machine. In addition, some cotton candy makers, such as the Nostalgia Classic Countertop Cotton Candy Machine, state in their instructions to also avoid using sugar-pressed candies (like those little Valentine’s Day conversation hearts) or powdered instant drink mixes containing citric acid; so sticking to basic hard candies is your safest bet.
In the end, turning hard candy into cotton candy isn’t just a fun trick. It’s also a cool way to get more out of treats you already have. Furthermore, it’s a neat DIY project for parties, birthdays, or even lazy weekends when you just want to try something different. And making your own cotton candy from scratch feels a lot more impressive than just unwrapping another sweet.
