Classic Candy

When you start seeing bags of candy corn lining store shelves, it’s a clear sign that fall has arrived. Whether you love these tooth-achingly sweet triangular confections or not, candy corn has become one of the most recognizable treats of the season.

The Wunderle Candy Company in Pennsylvania invented candy corn around 140 years ago. The kernels’ bright multicolored design made them stand out, and they quickly became a hit. Candy corn started as “penny candy” that kids could buy for very little money. In the 1950s, more and more households started handing out candy at Halloween—since then, candy corn has been marketed specifically for the holiday.

To make candy corn, manufacturers start with a soft, marshmallow-like base known as frappé (frah-PAY). It consists of water, gelatin, and sucrose—the chemical name for sugar. Molecules of the protein in gelatin create a scaffold to support air bubbles whipped into the mixture. Next, thick fondant is added. It’s made of sugar crystals—solids whose molecules are organized in a pattern—and corn syrup. The final ingredients are vanilla flavoring and dyes in the three distinctive colors.

In the early 1900s, workers poured this mixture into triangular molds by hand. Today, the process is automated, or done by machines. Moving nozzles squirt out the warmed gooey concoction—first the white layer at the narrow end, followed by orange, and finally yellow.

Richard Hartel, professor of food engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, explains that crystallization takes place as the candies cool. “Sucrose molecules dissolved in water migrate to the surface of existing sugar crystals, causing them to grow larger,” he says. That helps create candy corn’s distinctive texture: firm on the outside and tender on the inside.

Bags of candy corn on store shelves mean that fall has arrived. Maybe you love these sweet triangular confections. Or maybe you don’t. But candy corn has become one of the most recognizable treats of the season.

The Wunderle Candy Company in Pennsylvania invented candy corn. They first sold it around 140 years ago. The kernels’ bright multicolored design made them stand out. They quickly became a hit. Candy corn started as “penny candy.” Kids could buy it for very little money. In the 1950s, more and more households started handing out candy at Halloween. Since then, candy corn has been marketed for the holiday.

To make candy corn, candy makers start with a soft base known as frappé (frah-PAY). It’s a bit like marshmallow. It’s made of water, gelatin, and sucrose. That’s the chemical name for sugar. Gelatin contains molecules of protein. They support air bubbles whipped into the mixture. Next, thick fondant is added. It’s made of sugar crystals and corn syrup. Crystals are solids whose molecules are organized in a pattern. Finally, vanilla flavoring and three colors of dye are added.

In the early 1900s, workers poured this mixture into triangular molds by hand. Today, the process is automated. It’s done by machines. Moving nozzles squirt out the warmed mixture. First, they pipe out the white layer at the narrow end. Next comes orange, and lastly yellow.

Richard Hartel is a professor of food engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He explains that crystallization takes place as the candies cool. “Sucrose molecules dissolved in water migrate to the surface of existing sugar crystals, causing them to grow larger,” he says. That helps create candy corn’s distinctive texture. It’s firm on the outside and tender on the inside.