Candied Ginger is a delicious homemade sweet & spicy candy. It's easy to make if you just have the time, and you only need 3 ingredients: ginger, water and sugar. A great snack on its own, and perfect for topping cakes and cupcakes.
Spicy and flavor packed - ginger is the perfect thing to make into candy. The earthy tones of these ginger candies pair so amazingly with the sweet covering, for a surprising treat that starts out oh-so-sweet and ends with a spicy kick.
Candied ginger is a great addition to your candy spread for the holidays, and my favorite thing to use to top cakes and cupcakes.
Why you will love this recipe
- It's easy - it takes a while, but the steps are easy
- Healthier candy - not only do you know what's in it, ginger is so good for you!
- Spicy & sweet & earthy is a great flavor combo
- A few will be enough - this is not a candy you eat by the handful
- The best way to end a big meal - take care of the sweet tooth and that overfull feeling all at once
- Perfect for topping cupcakes and cakes - especially those with orange or lemon flavors
What you need to make it
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Ginger: Smaller and younger ginger roots will soften quicker, but you can use larger ones as well. I recommend peeling it.
- Sugar: I always use white refined sugar, but you can use raw sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar or honey as well. The choice of sugar will impact the final look and flavor slightly.
- Water: amount shown here is for step 2, boiling the ginger with sugar and water. For the first boil of the ginger you will need much more water.
- Change it up by adding additional flavors together with the sugar. Some great options include:
- A few sprigs of fresh mint
- A dash of cinnamon
- A few vanilla beans
- A sprinkle of vanilla extract
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
How to make it
- Cut the ginger into matchsticks about ⅙ inch wide and place in a pot with a lot of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour, until ginger has softened.
- Drain the ginger slices, and place it back in the pot. Add sugar and the amount of water stated in the recipe card.
- Simmer 20-40 minutes, stirring every few minutes. The sugar will first melt, and then after a while start to form sugar crystals again. When this happens, you're done.
- Pour the ginger pieces onto a piece of parchment paper placed on a heat resistant surface. Mix with kitchen tongs or a spoon to avoid the pieces sticking together in the initial cooling phase (generally less than 1 minute).
- Once you see the sugar crystals clearly forming, you can stop mixing. Allow to cool down completely before using.
Tips & tricks
- Adjust the amounts as desired - it's easy to make more servings of this recipe at once, just change the number of servings in the recipe card. 8 servings makes almost a ½ cup of candied ginger.
- Change the size and shape as you like - do matchsticks, slices or cubes, or any shape you like
- Thick slices will take longer to soften and so the longer they will need to boil before adding the sugar
- Larger pieces will take longer to cool down and dry completely
- Thinner pieces will be more crunchy
- Reduce initial boil time by making the pieces thinner or using a smaller and younger ginger root
- Do boil the ginger first to soften it and remove a bit of the sharp bite
- Save the ginger water from boiling the ginger - allow to cool and you have a great ginger shot, just add some lemon and maybe some honey as well
- A wide pot reduces the cook time with the sugar - especially if you're making a big batch
- Be patient while simmering the ginger with the sugar and water - it does take some time, but the result is worth it
Recipe FAQ
What's the difference between candied ginger and crystallized ginger?
In my opinion candied ginger and crystallized ginger are one and the same. Some say crystallized ginger is candied ginger tossed with sugar after cooking, but I've seen recipes for candied ginger that call for this as well. Candied ginger is the easier name, so that's what I stick with.
How do I store candied ginger?
Allow to dry and cool completely before storing. Then store in an airtight container in room temperature for up to 3 months, or in the fridge for up to 6 months.
If it doesn't dry out completely (this can be the case if it hasn't cooked long enough with the sugar) I recommend always storing it in the fridge.
Can I make candied ginger without sugar?
If you want to make this without sugar, a great option is to use honey. If you need it to be entirely sugar-free (so honey is no good either) you can use a sugar-substitute as well. I haven't tried this myself, but this recipe from This Mama Cooks looks great.
What to use it for
There are so many amazing ways to use candied ginger:
- As candy, on its own or coated in chocolate
- Top cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, brownies and truffles, especially if they have lemon or orange flavors. I love it for Orange Ginger Carrot Cupcakes!
- Decorate cocktails and mocktails - especially a Moscow Mule or Kentucky Mule
- Make candied ginger sugar by running it in a food processor until you get a powder, sift and use to top baked goods or cocktails
- Add to homemade trail mix
- Add to homemade granola bars
- Top granola and yogurt with it
- Serve with ice cream
- Bring along a decorated jar of these for a holiday host or hostess gift
- Ginger is also known to ease nausea and upset stomachs. And while candy might not be the first thing on your mind when you feel nauseous, bringing along a bag of candied ginger on your next car ride can really help if you tend to get a bit of motion sickness.
More easy sweet recipes
Love easy recipes for sweets, like this Candied Ginger recipe? Then I think you will love these recipes!
- Butterball Cookies
- Candy Cane Cupcakes
- Lussekatter - Traditional Swedish Saffron Buns
- Puff Pastry Apple Pie
- Strawberry Whipped Cream
Recipe
Candied Ginger
Print RateServings: 8
Calories: 36kcal
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Instructions
- Slice peeled ginger into thin slices. Place in a pan with a lot of water and cook for about an hour, until the ginger has softened.6 inches fresh ginger
- Drain the ginger, then place it back in the pan together with the sugar and water. Mix together and place over medium-high heat.⅓ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon water
- Simmer for 20-40 minutes, stirring often. First the sugar will melt, it's done when almost all the water has evaporated and the sugar has started to form sugar crystals again.
- Pour the ginger on parchment paper placed on a heat resistant surface, and mix them with a spoon or kitchen thongs, so that the pieces don't stick together in the initial cooling phase. The sugar will start cooling off immediately and form crystals, when this happens you can stop stirring.
- Allow to cool down completely before using, then serve as candy or use to top cakes or cupcakes.
Equipment (may contain affiliate links)
- scale (optional
Notes
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Ginger: Smaller and younger ginger roots will soften quicker, but you can use larger ones as well. I recommend peeling it.
- Sugar: I always use white refined sugar, but you can use raw sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar or honey as well. The choice of sugar will impact the final look and flavor slightly.
- Water: amount shown here is for step 2, boiling the ginger with sugar and water. For the first boil of the ginger you will need much more water.
- Change it up by adding additional flavors together with the sugar. Some great options include:
- A few sprigs of fresh mint
- A dash of cinnamon
- A few vanilla beans
- A sprinkle of vanilla extract
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
Tips & tricks
- Adjust the amounts as desired - it's easy to make more servings of this recipe at once, just change the number of servings in the recipe card. 8 servings makes almost a ½ cup of candied ginger.
- Change the size and shape as you like - do matchsticks, slices or cubes, or any shape you like
- Thicker pieces will take longer to soften and so the longer they will need to boil before adding the sugar
- Larger pieces will take longer to cool down and dry completely
- Thinner pieces will be more crunchy
- Reduce initial boil time by making the pieces thinner or using a smaller and younger ginger root
- Do boil the ginger first to soften it and remove a bit of the sharp bite
- Save the water from boiling the ginger - allow to cool and you have a great ginger shot, just add some lemon and maybe some honey as well
- A wide pot reduces the cook time with the sugar - especially if you're making a big batch
- Be patient while simmering the ginger with the sugar and water - it does take some time, but the result is worth it
- Allow to dry and cool completely before using or storing
- Store leftovers in an air tight container in room temperature - it's good for up to 3 months
- Store leftovers in the fridge to keep them for longer
Nutrition
Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 22mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
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