Easy No Cook Divinity Candy Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to making divinity? ›

Cook to hardball stage, (260 degrees), stirring only until sugar dissolves. Meanwhile, as temperature of syrup reaches 250 degrees, beat egg white till stiff peaks form. When syrup reaches 260 degrees, very gradually add the syrup to egg whites, beating at high speed with electric mixer.

But if your divinity fails to harden, you can beat in two tablespoons of powdered sugar and allow the mixture to rest a few minutes; if the candy hardens too much, you can blend in hot water a tablespoon at a time until the perfect, fluffy consistency is reached.

There could be several reasons that your divinity did not turn out fluffy: The syrup was not at the right temperature when it was added to the egg whites. The egg white and syrup mixture was not beaten long enough. The humidity was too high.

Consider this: divinity hates humidity. It's best to make divinity on a cool, dry day. If it's humid (over 50%) or rainy, the candy might end up with a more gooey, or grainy texture.

Humidity equals wet, and wet equals candy that often won't set. Even in the cooler and less humid months, it can be a challenge to make old fashioned divinity - that being a divinity that is purely sugar, corn syrup, water, egg whites, chopped pecans, a little vanilla - and a goodly amount of elbow grease.

Corn Syrup – This is added to stop the sugar from crystalizing giving you a very smooth, chewy texture that's not grainy. Sugar – White granulated sugar is the best for this recipe, avoid brown sugar or it'll affect both the taste and look of the divinity.

The divinity is ready when it holds its shape in a mound on the parchment paper. If it turns into a puddle, continue beating the mixture.

Old fashioned divinity is a vintage recipe for a meringue-based candy that I would describe as somewhere between fudge (even though there is no chocolate in most divinity, it is often even referred to as Divinity Fudge), nougat, and marshmallow.

In a meringue, the sugar syrup is cooked to about 240°F or until the sugar forms a soft, malleable ball when a spoonful is dropped in cold water. For divinity, the sugar is taken a bit further to 250°F (or the firm ball stage) where it can hold more structure.

Now, making divinity comes with all kinds of warnings about humidity and weather. You can't make it if it is "too" humid or if it's raining. The moisture in the air will keep the candy from setting and drying properly.

Why is my divinity runny? ›

And don't try making divinity when the humidity is above 60%. No matter how long you beat the mixture, it will remain too runny to form into mounds.

High humidity hastens the breakdown of sugar as it cools. Once the candy has cooled to the point where it can no longer evaporate moisture, it can actually begin to reabsorb moisture. This produces a softer product than may be desirable.”

Layer fudge pieces or divinity between waxed paper in an airtight container to prevent from quickly drying out. Store at room temperature up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Short-term storage:

Place the cooled candy in the lined container, separating layers with additional sheets of wax paper to prevent them from sticking together. Store the container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat. Divinity candy can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Divinity should be dry and set within two hours, but have patience. It may take a little longer. If you would like to try correcting a thin divinity, beat in a little bit of powdered sugar at a time until the consistency is drier and thicker, before dropping onto sheets of waxed paper again to dry.

If your divinity candy fails to harden, add 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and beat again. Allow it to rest for about 15 minutes. This will absorb more moisture and will allow your sweet treat to harden. If you want your divinity candy to soften up a bit add hot water a tablespoon at a time and beat it again.

The perfect divinity climate has a relative humidity of less than 35 percent. If you live in an area that's hardly ever that dry, you can always run your air conditioner or a dehumidifier for about a day or so before making divinity.