Create Your Own Candy Sushi Using Our Easy Recipe

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Sushi is great as a savory meal, but with some creativity, it can work as a sweet treat, too. Developer Miriam Hahn brings us this fun and simple candy sushi recipe to add a bright and colorful touch to the dessert table. It uses Fruit Roll-Ups as the nori, puffed rice cereal treats as the sushi rice, and chewy candy for the filling. This playful spin on sushi brings out the fun at birthday parties, play dates, or a normal afternoon. It doesn’t involve the oven and is just right for little hands to get creative in the kitchen. 

Hahn says, “I love involving kids in the kitchen, and because the ingredients are shelf stable, it’s perfect for a spontaneous activity when boredom strikes. The fact that no special tools or appliances are needed makes it extra easy, and other than sticky hands, cleanup is a breeze also.” Little ones will enjoy rolling up their sleeves at their very own sushi-making station equipped with colorful fillings, different color Fruit Roll-Ups, and chewy candies.

To make this recipe, you only need six ingredients. Start in the candy aisle and pick up Swedish Fish, gummy worms, and Fruit Roll-Ups. Then head over to the cereal aisle and grab some puffed rice cereal. You’ll also need mini marshmallows and butter. 

If you’d like to make this recipe dairy-free, vegan butter will work just fine. If you’d like to incorporate additional vegan components into the sushi candy, vegan marshmallows and plant-based gummy worms are also available on the market. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large pot, fully melt the butter over low heat.

Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted, about 8 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and mix in the rice cereal.

Transfer the pot’s contents onto the lined baking sheet. Use a flat surface to press the mixture into an even layer, about ¼ inch thick, on the prepared baking sheet.

Unroll 2 Fruit Roll-Ups. Join them together to create an elongated sheet by overlapping the edges and pinching. Repeat with the remaining Fruit Roll-Ups.

Cut out pieces of the pressed rice mixture to layer atop each Fruit Roll-Up, leaving a thin border of about ½ inch.

Add 4 gummy worms or Swedish Fish to the lower center of each rice cereal layer.

For each assembled sheet, roll tightly in an upward motion to create a long roll.

Slice each roll into 3 pieces and serve.

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Let your creativity go wild with this fun and simple candy sushi recipe by adding other ingredients. For the wrapper layer, you can swap out the Fruit Roll-Ups with fruit leather, which is slightly firmer, or make your own Fruit Roll-Ups with only two ingredients. For the crispy rice layer, you can go for chocolate-flavored puffed rice cereal for a chocolatey twist. Or, perhaps puffed quinoa or puffed millet is more up your alley. 

The “fish” filling is where you can bring in the most variety, and it’s easy to incorporate candy you might already have on hand. Any type of gummy candy will work. Gummy bears work well because of their small size and pretty colors. You’ll want to slice them in half lengthwise and place three to four on top of the rice layer. Mini licorice pieces can be used as well. Leave them as is, or peel them to be thinner if needed. Rainbow twists will add more color and just need to be trimmed down to fit. Try using nerds or other small candies as a stand-in for masago, the fish roe commonly used as a sushi garnish. If you want to add a “soy sauce” dip to carry out the sushi theme, melt chocolate in small bowls and serve with chopsticks for dipping.

If you’re going to be serving candy sushi for a party, you can easily make it ahead of time. One option is to store the rolls prior to cutting them. Place them in an airtight container and leave them on the counter until you are ready to serve. You want to avoid putting the rolls in the refrigerator because the cold air will harden the crispy rice layer and the gummy candies. Keeping the sushi in roll form will ensure it stays intact, and you can slice and plate it right before serving or adding to a dessert table.

If you’re stacking the rolls, it’s important to place parchment paper in between the rolls so they don’t stick. If you don’t want to take the time to slice the rolls right before taking them out, you can slice them ahead of time. When doing that, if the pieces seem too firm, give them a quick blast in the microwave to soften them up. Usually, 10 seconds will do the trick.

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