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These candy grapes are coated in sugar and lemon juice for a sweet and sour treat both adults and the kids will love! I love how quick and easy they are to make!
Looking for more homemade candy recipes? Try Turkish delight, peanut brittle, and almond roca.
Candied grapes (also known as Jolly Rancher grapes and Jello grapes) are similar to my tanghulu recipe (candied fruit). Green grapes are coated in lemon juice and then tossed in granulated sugar. After a quick trip in the freezer, the tart, sugary fruit is ready to enjoy! Every bite is sweet, sour, and tart and will remind you of Jolly Ranchers or a sour hard candy.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Quick and easy kid-friendly snack. This is the kind of snack you can feel good about snacking on.
- Only 3 ingredients. All you need are green grapes, granulated sugar, and lemon juice to make this easy recipe.
- Fun to play with! Have fun with this recipe by swapping the grapes for another fruit you love or add extra flavor with Jello packets. Head to the Flavor Variations section for even more ideas.
Ingredients needed
- Green grapes. These are my favorite grapes, but you can use red grapes or cotton candy grapes if that’s what you already have on hand. Remember: choose seedless grapes.
- Sugar. Extra fine granulated sugar is best here. You can also use a granulated sugar substitute, like allulose.
- Lemon juice. To help the sugar stick to the grapes. The acidity and tartness in lemon juice also help balance the sweetness of the sugared grapes.
How to make candy grapes
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 – Coat the grapes. Once the grapes are cleaned and stems removed, add them to a bowl along with the lemon juice. Toss to coat.
Step 2 – Add the sugar. Pour the sugar onto a plate. Roll each grape in the sugar until coated on all sides. Transfer to a parchment-lined plate.
Step 3 – Freeze. Put the plate in the freezer for at least 1 hour or until the sugar-coated grapes are frozen solid.
Recipe tips and variations
- The best way to clean grapes and remove the natural waxy coating is to wash them with a 3:1 mix of water and white vinegar. Rinse with water, then pat dry with paper towels to remove all moisture.
- For less mess, use toothpicks to coat the grapes in the sugar mixture.
- Feel free to swap the lemon juice for lime juice.
- For sugar free grapes, coat the grapes in allulose or a brown sugar substitute instead of white sugar.
- Try other flavors by rolling the grapes in fun jello flavors, kool-aid, or any flavored sugar mixture.
Storage instructions
To store. Keep candy grapes in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
To freeze. Store the sugared grapes in the freezer in freezer-safe bags for up to 3. months. Any longer, and the candy coating hardens.
Frequently Asked Questions
This might happen if the grapes are too dry. Remember to intermittently toss the grapes in the lemon juice to ensure that they’re well coated before they’re placed in the sugar.
Any small, bite-sized fruit with a thin skin can be sugared. Instead of grapes, make this recipe with raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, or kiwi slices.
More simple snacks to try
Candy Grapes (3 Ingredients)
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups grapes seedless
- 1/2 cup sugar * See notes
- 1 whole lemon juiced
Instructions
- Clean the grapes and pat them dry completely.
- Add them to a mixing bowl then drizzle the lemon juice over them, ensuring each grape is coated. Add the sugar or sugar substitute on a plate and roll each grape in them on all sides, ensuring that the sugar is sticking to them.
- Place the sugar coated grapes on a plate lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer for at least an hour to firm up.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published April 2023, updated and republished March 2024
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