Calling all sweet tooths out there! This peanut sesame candy is a crisp and sweet treat that is super simple to make with your everyday kitchenware. The only ingredients you need are peanuts, sugar, maltose, and sesame seeds.
All About Sesame Candy
If you love Chinese sweets and pastries, sesame candy is a traditional Chinese New Year sweet treat that you should try making at home. Sesame candy has the perfect blend of slightly chewy and satisfyingly crunchy textures. All you need are your favorite peanuts, a sugar and maltose mixture, and black and white sesame seeds.
Basically, the foundation of the candy is made with a mixture of sugar, maltose, and water heated in a pan until it caramelizes. As soon as the sugar and maltose mixture is ready, it is mixed with roasted peanuts and toasted sesame seeds. To make it into small candies, press the mixture in a rectangular container and cut it into small pieces.
And there you have it! It’s that easy and simple, which you can do in 30 minutes or less. You don’t need a candy thermometer to do this, just follow my detailed instructions and recipe tips below:
Are you a candy lover like me? Here are other recipes that you’ll surely love:
- Sugary Homemade Watermelon Rind Candy
- 3-Ingredient Homemade Tanghulu (Candied Fruit)
- Pandan Coconut Jelly
- Crunchy And Sweet Snowflake Crisps
Sesame Candy Ingredient Tips And Alternatives
Here are some of my best tips on how to customize this candy recipe:
- Peanuts: Peanuts are great for a crunchy and nutty bite. I used raw peanuts with the skin on and roasted them in the pan. Then, I removed the skin afterward. Any type of peanut will do, such as boiled, roasted, or salted. You can also use other types of nuts or seeds, like almonds, walnuts, and Brazil nuts. If you don’t have peanuts, you can omit this from the recipe and have an all-sesame seeds candy.
- Sugar Maltose Mixture: This mixture consists of sugar, maltose, and water heated on low heat in a pan. You want it to become syrupy and caramelized. Then, after mixing with peanuts and sesame seeds, it should harden like sweet candy.
- Sugar: I used white sugar, but you can use any type of sweetener, including white sugar, cane sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar. You can also try a combination of half white sugar and half brown sugar for a deep color and caramel taste. Sugar cannot be omitted since making the candy with maltose alone will not make the candy hard and will lose its shape.
- Maltose: Maltose, also called malt sugar, is commonly used for hard candy recipes and pastries. For example, I used maltose to make lotus paste and Chinese soft flour pastry cake. It tastes sweet, but not as sweet as regular sugar. This is typically available in Chinese stores, most Asian grocery stores, or online markets like Amazon. You can use other liquid sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, and corn syrup. However, the taste of the candy may slightly change. Not only will a liquid sweetener add flavor, but to melt sugar faster.
- Water: Water is needed to prevent the sugar from burning when heated in the pan. This also changes how hard the candy becomes. Technically, the more water there is, the softer the candy is. Thus, it is important to cook the mixture until syrupy, which means the water is removed.
- Sesame Seeds: I used both black and white sesame seeds. You can use both or either of the two. The only difference between the two is taste. Although both have a nutty taste, black sesame seeds are just more potent and slightly bitter. You can buy raw or toasted sesame seeds. If you are using raw sesame seeds, you will need to toast them in the pan first before mixing them with the rest of the candy ingredients. Toast raw sesame seeds for about 3 minutes until fragrant. Be careful not to over toast them which can lead to burning, leaving you with a burnt taste. Got some extra seeds left? Here are recipes to try:
- Optional flavoring ingredients: Sprinkle some cinnamon powder if you want to add a woody and citrusy taste. For something peppery and sweet, mix in a bit of ginger powder. Aside from peanuts and sesame seeds, you can also incorporate dried fruits, such as raisins, berries, or cherries.
What You Need To Make Sesame Candy
It is necessary to use a non-stick pan for toasting raw peanuts and sesame seeds, as well as heating the sugar mixture. To shape the candy, prepare a rectangular baking tray, parchment paper, and knife. You do not need a candy thermometer, just follow my water test technique in the recipe steps below.
The ingredients and kitchenware to prepare are the following:
Kitchenware:
- Non-stick pan
- Spatula
- Rectangular baking tray (with at least 1-inch sidewalls)
- Parchment paper
- Knife
- small bowl for a water test
Ingredients:
- 300g of peanuts
- 200g of white sugar
- 200g of maltose
- 100ml of water
- 200g of black and white sesame seeds, comprising 100g of black sesame seeds and 100g of white sesame seeds
How To Make Sesame Candy
I know making candy can be quite a task for some recipes, but not for this super easy sesame candy recipe. You just need to prepare the peanuts and sesame seeds by toasting them in the pan, heating the sugar mixture, and combining them. The best part for me is the last step, which involves molding the candy to your desired shape and size.
Check out my 26-second tutorial video on Instagram or TikTok to learn more about the steps. When you are done making this recipe, remember to share your candy creations by tagging me @kitchenmisadventures. Post a comment to let us know how you tweaked the recipe ingredients.
- Roast the raw peanuts in the pan over low heat until fragrant. When done, rub the peanut skins with your hands to remove them.
- If using raw sesame seeds, toast them in the pan as well until fragrant. You will know they are ready when it feels hollow and smells fragrant.
- In a non-stick pan, combine sugar, maltose, and water.
- Heat over low heat until the mixture turns into a caramel color. During this step, keep stirring to prevent the sugar from forming crystals, which can become small clumps. You want to make a syrupy, caramelized mixture.
- Test the sugar mixture by performing a water test. Pour a small amount of sugar mixture into a bowl of cold water. The syrup can form threads or form a soft ball. These are the first two stages of heating candy, and you want to make sure you do not go past the soft ball stage. Otherwise, the sesame candy will be too hard to bite.
- When you have achieved your desired consistency, mix in the roasted peanuts and black and white sesame seeds. Quickly stir until well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Place parchment paper on top of the candy. Flatten the top and compress the candy onto the tray to take its shape. Make sure to compress well to prevent the ingredients from falling apart.
- Take out the candy and cut it into smaller rectangular pieces while it is still warm. From steps 6 to 9, make sure to do them as quickly as possible before the sugar mixture hardens. Otherwise, you won’t be able to shape and compress the candy as soon as the sugar hardens.
- Let the candies cool at room temperature and wait for them to harden completely. Store the sesame candies in an airtight container at room temperature. I don’t recommend storing them in the fridge since they will become too hard like a rock.
How To Make Sesame Candy
Ingredients
- 300 g of peanuts
- 200 g of white sugar
- 200 g of maltose
- 100 ml of water
- 200 g of black and white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Roast the raw peanuts in the pan over low heat until fragrant. When done, rub the peanut skins with your hands to remove them.
- If using raw sesame seeds, toast them in the pan as well until fragrant. You will know they are ready when it feels hollow and smells fragrant.
- In a non-stick pan, combine sugar, maltose, and water.
- Heat over low heat until the mixture turns into a caramel color. During this step, keep stirring to prevent the sugar from forming crystals, which can become small clumps. You want to make a syrupy, caramelized mixture.
- Test the sugar mixture by performing a water test. Pour a small amount of sugar mixture into a bowl of cold water. The syrup can form threads or form a soft ball. These are the first two stages of heating candy, and you want to make sure you do not go past the soft ball stage. Otherwise, the sesame candy will be too hard to bite.
- When you have achieved your desired consistency, mix in the roasted peanuts and black and white sesame seeds. Quickly stir until well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Place parchment paper on top of the candy. Flatten the top and compress the candy onto the tray to take its shape. Make sure to compress well to prevent the ingredients from falling apart.
- Take out the candy and cut it into smaller rectangular pieces while it is still warm. From steps 6 to 9, make sure to do them as quickly as possible before the sugar mixture hardens. Otherwise, you won't be able to shape and compress the candy as soon as the sugar hardens.
- Let the candies cool at room temperature and wait for them to harden completely. Store the sesame candies in an airtight container at room temperature. I don't recommend storing them in the fridge since they will become too hard like a rock.
