Tanghulu Recipe Candied Fruit

Love fun, kid-friendly snacks? Try my fruit leather, apricot delight, and candy grapes next. Coming from a half-Chinese background, Tangulu was and still is a nostalgic dessert. Thanks to the popularity of social media and EVERYONE traveling the globe, it’s become quite the famous treat, and today, I’m sharing my family’s not-so-secret recipe for it…and it’s so easy.

Why I love this recipe

Simple ingredients. All you need is water, fruit, and other pantry staples. Quick and easy. Honestly, the hard part is waiting for the candy to firm up, but even then, it’s just a few minutes. They are easy to customize: You can use any berries, fruits, or other sweet bites (I used to see cherry tomatoes in some parts of China, too). Perfect to get the family involved. This is such a fun dessert to get the little ones involved in, from the skewering of the fruits to the dipping into the candy syrup.

Ingredients needed

Fruits. I always use strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries (mostly for aesthetics) and two or three other fruits. This time, I used kiwi fruit, green grapes, and purple grapes. Granulated sugar. It’s the primary base for sugar syrup. Brown sugar and coconut sugar also work. Water. To help make the syrup. Light corn syrup and honey. You need some syrup to bind with the sugar and create the hard candy shell. I found maple syrup too finicky and brown rice syrup too stodgy. A combination of these two liquid sweeteners is the perfect ratio of sugar to achieve the perfect consistency.

How to make tanghulu

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Tanghulu is a popular street food in China and other Asian countries. Essentially a candy fruit snack, it features bite-sized fruit coated in sugar syrup that hardens once dry and forms a crunchy shell. It’s similar to candied fruit but crisp and crunchy on the outside and with a burst of juicy fruit in the middle.

Arman’s recipe tips

Use fresh and firm fruit. The key to making perfect tanghulu is to use firm fruit that is not overly ripe. This will ensure that the fruit holds its shape and doesn’t become mushy when coated with the syrup. Choose firm, wooden skewers. Use sturdy bamboo skewers long enough to hold several pieces of fruit without breaking. I like to soak my skewers for about 30 minutes in a bowl of ice water beforehand to make them a little more sturdy. Work quickly. Once the syrup is ready, move quickly to coat the fruit with the hot mixture before it hardens. This will ensure the syrup doesn’t cool down and become too thick, which makes coating the fruit easier. Use a candy thermometer. Sure, you can gauge by sight, but I find a candy thermometer to be a lifesaver when testing hot sugar syrup (we don’t want hardened sugar syrup!). Fruit ideas. As mentioned earlier, any fruit typically works. Some ideas include pineapple, hawthorn berries, apples, and clementines.

Storage instructions

To store: Leftovers must be in the refrigerator, covered in an airtight container. They will keep well for up to two weeks. Let them sit at room temperature before enjoying them. To freeze: Place the skewers in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.