Dalgona candy is a simple 2-ingredient Korean candy that’ll satisfy your sweet tooth in minutes! With just 2 simple pantry ingredients, you’ll be enjoying honeycomb toffee that’s sweet and incredibly easy to make.
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- What Special Tools Do You Need?
- How to Make It
- Tips for Making the Perfect Dalgona
- What is Dalgona?
- Why does my dalgona candy taste bitter?
- How do I keep the ladle clean in between making Dalgona candies?
- How Do You Store the Honeycomb Toffee?
- What does Dalgona mean in Korean?
- What is the candy in Netflix’s Squid Game?
- Dalgona (Sugar Candy)
Dalgona is a traditional Korean candy that’s been getting a lot of attention recently because of its feature in the Nextflix show, Squid Game. Before the sparked interest from the show, many children in Korea would enjoy this honeycomb toffee from street vendors as a sweet treat!
Ingredients
This traditional Korean candy comes together with just two simple ingredients:
- Sugar
- Baking Soda
The key is how to cook them!
What Special Tools Do You Need?
Nowadays, you can find dalgona kits with various tools to make the candy at home, but they’re not necessary. Many of the tools you need are probably already in your kitchen!
- Stainless Steel Ladle: Traditionally, dalgona is cooked with a ladle, however, you can use a small saucepan if that’s all you have on hand.
- Chopstick: This will be used for stirring in the baking soda.
- Parchment Paper: Alternatively, you can use a silicone baking sheet. You just want a non-stick surface to work with when pouring out the hot sugar.
- Rubber Spatula: This spatula helps get every bit of the sugar mixture out so you have more candy and less mess to clean in the ladle!
- Stainless Steel Tool for Flattening: This can be a stainless steel press, bowl, or non-slotted spatula. You just want to make sure it has a flat bottom and is at least 5 inches wide.
- Cookie Cutters: These can be any shape your heart desires!
- Popsicle Sticks or Skewers - Optional: If you’d like to make your candy into a lollipop, grab a few of these to pour your sugar mixture onto.
How to Make It
- Prepare a parchment-lined baking sheet then set it aside. You’ll want this ready ahead of cooking because everything moves quickly!
- Prepare your stainless steel tool (press, bowl, or spatula) by brushing it lightly with oil then dusting the surface with sugar. This will help prevent it from sticking to the candy when flattening it later.
- Add 2 tablespoons of sugar to a stainless steel ladle then place it over the stove on medium-low heat. Allow it to cook without stirring for about 30 seconds, or until the edges begin to melt. Begin stirring the sugar using a chopstick until the sugar is completely melted and there are no lumps. Don’t let the sugar smoke or burn. You can control the heat by bringing the ladle further or closer to the burner.
- Remove ladle from the heat and add the baking soda. Stir vigorously for just a few seconds to combine it with the sugar. Bring the ladle back to the heat for a couple of seconds help mix everything up, but don’t allow the mixture to puff up too much, otherwise, it’ll burn.
- Quickly pour the sugar mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, using a rubber spatula to remove all the mixture. Allow the toffee to cool for about 20 seconds.
- Lightly tap the candy with the stainless steel tool a few times until it reaches your desired consistency. Then firmly press the cookie cutter into the candy, being careful not to press all the way through. Allow it to cool for about 1 minute before enjoying!
Tips for Making the Perfect Dalgona
- Set Up for Success: Before turning on the stove, make sure all your tools and baking soda are ready to go. Everything moves very quickly once cooking begins and you don’t want it to burn!
- How to Avoid Bitter Burnt Candy: Don’t allow the candy to smoke or burn, otherwise, you’ll end up with a bitter dalonga coffee! Control the heat of the ladle by bringing it closer or further away from the stove’s heat.
- What to Do If Your Candy Keep Sticking: The keys are in the cooling and tapping! Allow the candy to cool about 20 seconds before trying to flatten it. Don’t wait too much longer than that, otherwise, the candy will be too firm to indent with your cookie cutter. Then, gently tap the candy with your oil and sugar-coated stainless steel tool a few times. Multiple light taps help prevent sticking compared to one firm press.
What is Dalgona?
Dalgona candy is a traditional Korean sweet treat. The candy puffs up like a honeycomb because of the baking soda and tastes like toffee.
It’s commonly sold by street vendors in Korea for children to enjoy and comes in a variety of intended shapes!
Why does my dalgona candy taste bitter?
If you find that your candy has a bitter taste to it, that means too much baking soda as added. Simply add a little less for the next round.
How do I keep the ladle clean in between making Dalgona candies?
If you’re making multiples of the traditional Korean candy, clean off the ladle in between making each one. You can do this by running the ladle under hot water to melt away the excess sugar.
How Do You Store the Honeycomb Toffee?
Once your candy has cooled, store it in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 3 days. If it gets exposed to moisture, the candy will become sticky!
What does Dalgona mean in Korean?
Dalgona translates to honeycomb toffee, which is a perfect description of this creamy sweet
treat!
What is the candy in Netflix’s Squid Game?
Netflix’s show, Squid Game, features the popular traditional Korean candy called dalgona. Made of two simple ingredients, sugar and baking soda, when combined over heat creates a deliciously sweet honeycomb toffee.
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Dalgona (Sugar Candy)
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons sugar + a little extra for sprinkling
- 1/16 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Prepare a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set aside.
- Lightly brush the bottom of a stainless steel press, bowl, or spatula with a little oil then dust with a little sugar to cover the surface. Tap off any excess sugar then set aside. This will help prevent sticking later on.
- Add 2 tablespoons of sugar to a metal ladle. Alternatively, you can use a small saucepan. Place it over the stove on medium-low to low heat. Once the sugar around the edges begins to melt, stir the sugar using a wooden chopstick. Continuously stir for another 30 seconds, or until the sugar is fully melted. Don’t let the sugar smoke or burn. You can control the heat by bringing the ladle further or closer to the burner.
- Remove the ladle from the heat then sprinkle in the 1/16 teaspoon of baking soda. Stir vigorously until it becomes a smooth creamy caramel color. You can bring the ladle back to the heat for a couple of seconds at a time to make it easier to stir, however, don’t let it puff up too much so it doesn’t burn.
- Turn off the heat then using a rubber spatula, VERY CAREFULLY pour the mixture onto the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow the sugar mixture to cool for about 20 seconds.
- Gently press the stainless steel tool (press, bowl, or spatula) on top of the sugar mixture a few times until it’s to your desired thickness. Then, firmly stamp it with a cookie-cutter, being careful not to press all the way through. Quickly remove the cookie-cutter then allow it to cool for about 1 minute before enjoying.
- If you’re making multiple dalgona, wash the excess sugar from the ladle using hot water in between cooking. Enjoy!
Notes
- The flattening and use of the cookie cutter on the Dalgona is the trickiest part, however, it’s not required if you’re looking to just enjoy the taste!
- If you’d like to create the Dalgona as a lollipop, pour the hot sugar and baking soda mixture onto a popsicle or skewer stick before flattening.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and provided for informational purposes. Nutrition may vary based on product availability, methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients, etc. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
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