Divinity candy is a delicious homemade confection with a billowy cloud like appearance. This southern heirloom Divinity candy recipe is a family holiday tradition and always a special favorite!
Grandmother’s Divinity candy was always a part of our Christmas celebrations. Her billowy, white Divinity tasted a lot like marshmallows, and was always one of my favorite homemade candies. Some years, she’d add a tint of pink or green to it, but she would usually leave this special Divinity pure white.
She’d watch the weather carefully during the week before Christmas. Then she would pick the day with the lowest possible humidity and begin making this delicious confection.
Grandmother’s Divinity Candy Recipe
I always wanted to help my Grandmother as she made her Divinity recipe each Christmas.
Watching her as she worked magic before my eyes, I would get as close as possible for a better look. I was certain to keep my spot beside her while she turned the molten sugar into fluffy, light clouds of confection. I was always so excited to help her drop teaspoons full of Divinity onto the waxed paper.
Since Grandmother had chosen the best day with low to no humidity, her Divinity would dry well. Then she packaged it into waxed paper lined containers used to hold her Christmas candies until she later shared with all of us at Christmas.
When I married, Grandmother gave me a book of her recipes that she’d collected throughout the years. Many of them were taught to her by her own mother and grandmother, some were given to her from friends, but most she’d created herself.
Each year just before Christmas, I carry on the tradition and make Grandmother’s Divinity. I remember her advice and research the weather predictions to pick just the right day – the day with the lowest possible humidity. Then, I carefully pull out my treasured book of Grandmother’s handwritten recipes and turn to the pages of Christmas candies, including her date nut roll recipe and this Divinity recipe, and make them for my own family.
How to Make Divinity Candy
As I mentioned, Divinity is best made on a day with low to no humidity.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious heirloom candy:
Ingredients
- sugar – granulated
- white corn syrup
- cold water
- egg whites – at room temperature
- pinch of salt
- vanilla – if don’t make this, make sure to use good quality pure vanilla
- pecans – chopped (optional)
Step by Step Instructions
Prep. First, lay sheets of waxed paper onto two cooling racks and set aside.
Cook. Heat the sugar, corn syrup and water over medium heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan until mixture reaches hard ball stage, 250 degrees Fahrenheit, checked on a candy thermometer.
Whip. As the syrup is cooking, whip the egg whites, along with a pinch of salt, until stiff peaks have formed.
Remove from heat. When the sugar syrup has reached hard ball stage (250 degrees F), remove it from the heat.
Combine and whip. Slowly pour the sugar syrup into the beaten egg whites, whipping together at a high speed.
Add vanilla. Then add the vanilla and continue whipping the mixture on high speed until it holds its shape and does not fall back onto itself, about 5-6 minutes.
Add pecans (optional). Then very gently stir in the chopped pecans, if using. Barely stir the mixture, only just enough to add in the pecans.
Scoop. Using two teaspoons and working quickly, drop scoops of Divinity onto sheets of waxed paper that has been placed on top of cooling racks. If the Divinity begins to harden while you are scooping it, add a few drops of warm water to help loosen it while working.
Let it set. Allow the Divinity to sit on racks til it’s completely set. This usually takes about 2 hours to overnight.
How to Store Divinity Candy
Store the set Divinity in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
It can be frozen in an airtight container for up to two months.
More Holiday Treat Favorites
Here’s Grandmother’s Divinity Recipe in detail. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!
Divinity Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup white corn syrup
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 2 egg whites, room temperature
- pinch kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans, optional
Instructions
- Lay sheets of waxed paper onto two cooling racks and set aside.
- Heat the sugar, corn syrup and water over medium heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Using a candy thermometer, heat the mixture until it reaches 250º F, a hard ball stage.
- As the syrup is cooking, whip egg whites, along with a pinch of salt, until stiff peaks have formed.
- When the sugar syrup has reached hard ball stage (250º F), remove it from the heat and begin to slowly pour it into the beaten egg whites, whipping together at a high speed.
- Add the vanilla and continue whipping the mixture on high until it holds its shape and does not fall back onto itself, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in chopped pecans, if using.
- Using two teaspoons and working quickly, drop scoops of divinity onto sheets of waxed paper that has been placed on top of cooling racks. If the divinity begins to harden, add a few drops of warm water to help loosen it while working.
- Allow the divinity to dry and harden. This usually takes a couple of hours to overnight. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Merry Christmas!
Robyn xo
I have been making this recipe for many, many years with both failure and success-humidity is a huge factor in failure. BUT I heard in 2020 that the white corn syrup has changed from high fructose to 0% high fructose causing the divinity not to harden. Is this true that the 0% fructose syrup will not work in this recipe? My Mom made this recipe every Christmas and I have followed in her footsteps. This is an excellent recipe with details that are important to a beginner. Thanks.
Humidity is a big factor for a success with this recipe, Leslie. I use white Karo corn syrup to make my divinity and have not had a problem with it not hardening. I don’t even try to make this on days with high humidity because I know it will be an issue. Karo company has stated their corn syrup has never been made with high fructose corn syrup.
Managed to make this work this morning with 85 percent humidity. Of course, I was certainly glad I used a stand mixer, ended up beating it for around 30 minutes before stirring in the pecans. Had almost given up and poured it in a pan and called it “divinity soup”, it would have been good anyway.
Kelyn, I’m glad you found a way to make this recipe work in that high humidity. I haven’t had divinity soup but I’m sure the flavor is the same. Thanks for your tip and and a new “type” of divinity.
Thank you for bringing back wonderful childhood memories
Stephen, every time I make this I think of Christmas at my grandmother’s house. She always made this for us at Christmas. I’m so glad it brought back great memories for you, too.
Is the cooking temperature for sea level? I am at a high altitude and I know the cooking temperature needs to be adjusted for this if the 250 degree is for making this at sea level.
Kathy, I live at 1000 feet so you would need to make adjustments for high altitude. The best site I have found is the Colorado State University Extension for high altitude cooking.
I grew up with my mom making the fluffy divinity. LOVED IT!!! Been doing a lot of cookie baking lately and thought I would give this a try. Didn’t work out so well. Outside in my city at 7 in the morning the humidity was in the high 70’s, but, inside the house the temp was in the high 60’s. Did everything according to directions. But, did the last mixing all the way up to eight minutes and it kept folding over. I stopped mixing anymore, thinking I would make things worse. Well, dropped it on the wax paper and after awhile, they flattened out. Very disappointed. Another point, read the earlier comments, the one about leaving it out for a period of time. That sounded good, but then it will have cooled off and be harder to spoon out if it can be done at all.
Looks so good! But, what is 8 servings? 8 divinities total?
I really want to make these for my brother and uncle this Christmas! But I also want to make sure that I make enough.
It makes about 24 candies, Amanda.
My grandmother & Aunt made divinity! They used a hand mixer or probably just a whip way back! The only way I can make it is with a kitchenaid stand mixer. Kitchenaid has this exact recipe in the recipe booklet that came with my mixer. Its called Kitchenaid Divinity.
I exchanged the nut for pistachio. A top-notch recipe my daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thanks, Matt. I haven’t tried the divinity with pistachios. I may have to try that.
Love this recipe going to make it for a friend will make sure that I comment after it’s made and he tries it he loves pecan divinity fingers crossed! Love that it’s made homemade in 45 minutes compared to other recipes that take hours
Hope your friend loves the divinity, Brooke!
This worked beautifully for me. It’s 48 degrees and 30% humidity and it still set great. Delicious.
I used my stand mixer and added the hot candy 1/4 cup at a time to temper the eggs.
Definitely would use this method again.
Thanks, Charissa. I’m so glad this worked so well for you.