How to Bake Hard Candy Shot Glasses

How to Bake Hard Candy Shot Glasses

I know a lot of people who shy away from making hard candy, and I understand why. First, there’s the boiling hot syrup that sticks to skin like napalm (been there, not fun!). And second, clean up isn’t exactly easy. Pots and pans with stuck-on hard candy will sometimes take hours to soak clean.

That’s why I love this little project so much. It’s a no-brainer: no candy thermometer, and no dangerously hot sugar syrup involved. All you need is a bag of hard candy discs and a silicone shot glass mold.

I got the idea for these candy shots a couple of weeks ago when Wilton sent me a box of products to test. Tucked inside, between mini loaf pans and sprinkles, I spotted an 8-cavity silicone shot glass mold. The packaging featured a shot glass made of Starlight mints, and I wondered if any hard candy could be used to bake shot glasses.

Since then, I’ve tried all kinds: butterscotch discs, cinnamon discs, and assorted fruit discs (pictured). They all worked beautifully. My favorite result was with the ones made with assorted fruit discs. They bake into a vibrant rainbow swirl – so fun!

How to Bake Hard Candy Shot Glasses

To get started, you’ll need to buy the silicone mold. You can find it here, or wherever Wilton products are sold (like the baking aisle in the craft store). You’ll also need a big bag of assorted fruit-flavored discs. I used most of a 21 ounce bag (1 lb 5 oz) to make eight shot glasses.

How to Bake Hard Candy Shot Glasses

In the pictures above, you can see how I layer the candies into the cavities evenly.

First, push 5 candies into the bottom of a cavity in this rainbow color order: red, orange, yellow, green, violet. It might be a tight fit to get all the candies in, but be bossy about it. It won’t hurt for the silicone mold to stretch a little. Push another 5 candies into the mold in rainbow order, staggering them so that a candy rests between two bottom pieces. Finally, place four candies of any color on top of the mold to create the bottom of the shot glass. It’s okay if the candies stick up over the top of the shot glass mold. They’ll melt down in the oven.

After baking, use a metal spoon to tamp down the melted candy. This will force out any air bubbles and make sure the candy has no gaps when unmolded.

How to Bake Hard Candy Shot Glasses

Allow the candy to set at room temperature. After the candy is cooled, pop the shot glasses out from the bottom of the silicone mold, and twist the glass so the middle releases. Voilà! Instant candy shot glass.

How to Bake Hard Candy Shot Glasses

Like any hard candy, these should be made on a non-humid day. Humidity can cause the candy to weep and become sticky. Anything you put inside the glasses will take on the flavor of the candy. In just minutes the whipped cream I filled the glasses with was permeated with fruity candy flavor.

Aside from the obvious adult use for the shot glasses, I could see this being fun project for kiddos too. Small hands can unwrap candies and help place them in the cavities. The transformation from hard candy discs to edible cups feels a little like magic, so it’s entertaining, too. I could see juice or orange soda being served in these with stripey straws for a Candyland-themed birthday.

Hard Candy Shot Glasses

[click for printable version]

Prep: 20 minutes, total time 1 hour with cooling

When shopping for mints to use in this recipe, be sure to choose hard candy discs. Avoid crumbly, soft peppermints. Butterscotch discs, and Starlight mints are a good choice for baking.

1 bag (21 oz.) hard candy discs

Wilton 8 cavity Round Shot Glass Silicone Mold

Unwrap candies. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Push 5 candies into the bottom of a shot glass cavity. It might be a tight fit to get all the candies in, but be bossy about it. It won’t hurt for the silicone mold to stretch a little. Push another 5 candies into the mold on top of the first layer, staggering them so that a candy rests between two bottom pieces. Finally, place four candies on top of the mold to create the bottom of the shot glass. It’s okay if the candies stick up over the top of the shot glass mold. They’ll melt down in the oven. Repeat the process with remaining candies.

Place the silicone mold onto a level baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. After baking, use a metal spoon to tamp down the melted candy (and try to make the bottom as even as possible). This will force out any air bubbles and make sure the candy has no gaps when unmolded.

Allow the candy to set at room temperature. After the candy is cooled, pop the shot glasses out from the bottom of the silicone mold, and twist the glass so the middle releases. Voilà! Instant candy shot glass.

Notes: It’s important that the candies bake long enough to become one solid mass. If you remove your glasses and they have holes or gaps in them, then return them to the silicone pan and bake them for 5 to 7 minutes longer.

Any liquid placed inside the glasses will take on the flavor of the candy. If, for some reason, you want to avoid this, you can coat the inside of the shot glasses with a layer of chocolate or melted candy.

Follow:
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
37 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
9 years ago

Ahhhhh this is such a cool idea!! You rock my world!

Anonymous
Anonymous
9 years ago

These look absolutely amazing! I can't wait to try them!

June Burns
June Burns
9 years ago

Wow, those look amazing! I love this idea!

Nazia @ Your Sunny Side Up
Nazia @ Your Sunny Side Up
9 years ago

I've only worked with hard candies once before and absolutely hated it – I burnt way too many fingers! But this idea looks brilliant and has definitely got me tempted 😀

Anonymous
Anonymous
9 years ago

How cool! I love the vibrant colors swirled together. I remember buying a few candy cane shot glasses one Christmas; they were neat but overpriced for what they were…but being able to make my own? Now that's definitely worth it!

Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet
9 years ago

Genius. Absolutely genius.

tat2gurlzrock
tat2gurlzrock
9 years ago

That is SO awesome!

Rosa's Yummy Yums
Rosa's Yummy Yums
9 years ago

So pretty! I really love the idea.

Cheers,

Rosa

Monica
Monica
9 years ago

I'm thinking you should be working with Dominique Ansel. This is so creative!

Anonymous
Anonymous
9 years ago

Peppermint candies with Bailey's? I think I just found my holiday party pot luck item!

molly
molly
9 years ago

amazing!!!!

Liz @ Floating Kitchen
Liz @ Floating Kitchen
9 years ago

These are so adorable. So fun for parties! Can't wait to get my hands on one of these shot glass molds!

thingsforboys
thingsforboys
9 years ago

Awesome! I wonder if you could use it for ice to make frozen shot glasses.

Heather
Heather
9 years ago

So cute and pretty! Love it!

Unknown
Unknown
9 years ago

What about jolly rancher candies?

Veronica LaChance
Veronica LaChance
9 years ago

Oh my gosh I just LOVE this!! What a creative idea… Something sweet you can drink and eat? I'm so there!

Baker ish
Baker ish
9 years ago

GREAT idea!!

Marisela @ Nom Nom Kingdom
Marisela @ Nom Nom Kingdom
9 years ago

These are such a great idea! I may have to use this for a Halloween party this year! 🙂

Unknown
Unknown
9 years ago

I love it!! So original!!

Tracy | Pale Yellow
Tracy | Pale Yellow
9 years ago

These are adorable! I love the idea of butterscotch shot glasses.

Jordan Baker
Jordan Baker
9 years ago

This is a great Idea! i must try this one soon! Great article too!

Альбина Рассеина
Альбина Рассеина
9 years ago

♥ ♥ ♥

Tiffany
Tiffany
8 years ago

How would you recommend storing these after they are made? 🙂

Heather Baird
Heather Baird
8 years ago
Reply to  Tiffany

Store them in a cool dry place. Not in the refrigerator though, because over time moisture will cause them to weep.

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

Where can you get the shot glass molder at?

Heather Baird
Heather Baird
8 years ago
Reply to  Unknown

It looks like the one I used from Wilton is backordered. The one I'm linking looks very similar, if not better than the one I used.

http://amzn.to/1Ym2WYh

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

Hello, I made a few glasses. I cooled them in freezer. Now my glasses are sticky,is that normal ?

Heather Baird
Heather Baird
8 years ago
Reply to  Unknown

Hi Jo,

The moisture from the freezer has made the glasses sticky. They should be allowed to cool at room temperature after they are taken out of the oven. Any refrigeration may cause them to weep. Your glasses may still be salvageable, though. Let them come to room temperature. They may need to stand overnight to dry out. If you have a small table top fan, you could place the glasses in front of it and turn it on low. I hope this helps! Thanks for trying the recipe!

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

Thank you?

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

I finally found the mold at Michaels. I will be making jolly rancher shot glasses for Christmas.

Anonymous
Anonymous
8 years ago

hello, can you used the shot glass ice molds in the oven?

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

Yes you can put them in the oven.

Anonymous
Anonymous
8 years ago

How long do the shot glasses last approximately?

Robbie
Robbie
8 years ago

I found one cant wait to try

Unknown
Unknown
7 years ago

can u use skittles instead?? as soon as i seen this, skittles came to my mind!!

Anonymous
Anonymous
7 years ago

I bought lollipops that were on clearance to use as my mold. I broke them with a hammer while still in the wrapping. Once I unwrapped them I took the broken pieces and filled them into the shot glass mold. I used the end of a wooden spoon to pack the candy in nice and tight pushing it to the very bottom of the mold. This will avoid any big spaces or gapping. I then added extra candies over top so it was covered completely because this will end up being the bottom of your shot glass when done. Next… Read more »

Unknown
Unknown
3 years ago

HOW LONG DO THEY LAST AFTER MADE?