Cotton Candy Recipe

Measure and combine

Lightly grease a small heatproof bowl or a shallow tray with nonstick spray (for resting spun sugar later). In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup and 2 teaspoons water. Stir briefly just to moisten the sugar; do not pulverize or overmix.

Dissolve and boil

Place the saucepan over medium heat. Attach a candy thermometer clipped to the side of the pan if you have one. Stir occasionally until sugar dissolves and mixture becomes clear. Once boiling, stop stirring and allow the mixture to reach the hard-crack stage (300–310°F / 149–154°C) — this usually takes 6–10 minutes depending on your stove. Watch carefully for color change or burning.

Add flavor and color

When the syrup reaches 300°F (149°C), remove the pan from heat immediately. Let the bubbling subside for 10–20 seconds, then stir in 1 teaspoon flavor extract and 6 drops food coloring until evenly incorporated. Work quickly but carefully: hot sugar is extremely hot and sticky.

Allow the sugar syrup to cool slightly for 1–2 minutes until it thickens a bit but is still pourable (it should still flow in a thin stream). Place a shallow heatproof bowl nearby for pouring small amounts for hand-spinning, or pour into a heatproof squeeze bottle (optional) for better control. If using a cotton candy machine, follow manufacturer instructions for pouring hot sugar into the machine’s reservoir; typically, you fill the reservoir with the warm liquid sugar and turn the machine on after warming.

If you are making multiple colors, divide the hot syrup into separate heatproof containers and stir different food colorings and/or extracts into each portion now (work quickly and carefully).

Prepare a metal whisk with the rounded edge cut off (be careful — edges will be sharp) or use two forks or a long-handled whisk. Heat the whisk briefly over the stove or with a torch so retained heat keeps sugar flowing (optional). Dip the whisk into the warm sugar syrup so thin threads form across the tines. Hold a cone or stick vertically and flick the whisk back and forth while slowly rotating the cone to catch the fine sugar strands. Continue dipping and spinning until you have a fluffy bundle of cotton candy. If strands become too thick, let the syrup cool a bit more.

Rest spun cotton candy on the lightly greased shallow tray or serve immediately on cones. If using two colors, layer by spinning two colored syrups in alternating passes to create a striped effect.

Preheat your cotton candy machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions (typically 5 minutes). If the machine has separate flavor cups, add a small amount of sugar syrup to the center spinner head reservoir (follow machine guidelines — overfilling can clog). Turn the machine on. Using a cone or paper stick, rotate and gather the emerging sugar threads at the rim of the bowl toward the center, building up layers to form a cloud. Continue turning the cone and making passes until the desired size is reached. Refill with syrup as needed.

Turn off the machine and let it cool before cleaning according to the manufacturer’s directions.

If desired, dust the finished cotton candy very lightly with a pinch of powdered dye for a deeper color. Serve immediately for best texture; cotton candy will collapse and become sticky if exposed to humidity or stored for more than a few hours. Keep in airtight containers if you must store it, but expect loss of loft and crispness.

Yield: about 8 regular-sized cones, depending on how large you spin each serving.