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two pieces of pecan divinity candy with Christmas tin in background.
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Old-Fashioned Divinity Candy

Old-fashioned divinity candy is a holiday classic — fluffy meringue swirled with crunchy pecans, every bite is melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword candy
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Set up time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 282kcal
Author Sara Garska
Cost $6

Equipment

  • hand-mixer or stand mixer
  • 8X8 heat proof pan
  • large heat proof bowl
  • Candy Thermometer
  • medium saucepan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • If you are adding pecans or cherries prepare them ahead of time. The cherries need to be drained and then put on top of paper towels to get them as dry as possible.
  • Measure the sugar, corn syrup, and water directly into a medium saucepan and stir thoroughly to combine ingredients.
  • Place the saucepan on medium heat and do not stir again.
  • As the sugar mixture heats, it will begin to bubble. It takes about 10 minutes or so for it to reach 265 degrees.
  • While the sugar mixture is bubbling, prepare your egg whites in a heat proof bowl. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
  • Chop pecans or cherries if using.
  • Prepare a place to put your finished divinity. My favorite and easier way, was to line an 8X8 pan with parchment paper and give it a light spray of non-stick spray. .
  • When the sugar mixture reaches 265, turn off heat and remove the pan.
  • Holding the hot sugar mixture pan in one hand and your mixer in your other, carefully pour the hot sugar into the egg whites as you beat the egg whites and sugar on low speed.
  • Once all the sugar is mixed into the egg whites, continue beating the divinity for about five minutes. The mixture will thicken and lose its gloss.
  • Stir in the chopped pecans.
  • Pour onto your prepared surface and let set up for a few hours.
  • Remove from pan by lifting carefully the sides of the parchment paper. Cut into small squares.
  • Store in an airtight container.

Notes

You will need an accurate candy thermometer for this recipe. Success depends on heating the sugar mixture to the correct temperature.
While the finished candy is soft and fluffy, the sugar corn syrup mixture is an extremely hot substance. I recommend making a small batch such as this while you are learning to make divinity.
While I used a hand mixer, I believe that a stand mixer would make the process easier since it would free up a hand and make it easier to pour the hot sugar mixture into the egg whites. It doesn’t affect the finished divinity though.
The hot candy mixture is also extremely sticky. When it touches anything, it turns into hard candy. So, expect your spoons, candy thermometer, and everything else to have hard candy stuck to it.
Every recipe I looked at said to not make it on raining days.

Nutrition

Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.3mg