Mama Lin is known for making sesame candy and peanut candy and giving it away to friends. Every Christmas, my husband and I lug a big tub these candies to England for my in-laws. Everyone loves eating these candies!
My mother’s candy is popular because they have a good crunch and they are not overly sweet. I have eaten so many store-bought candies that are so sweet that they practically make my teeth fall off. That’s why I never buy them. However, I can eat Mama Lin’s candy any day.
I finally learned Mama Lin’s sesame candy recipe, and I am excited to share it with you! It is so easy to make, you definitely need to try it!
COOKING NOTES FOR THE SESAME CANDY
COOKING NOTES FOR THE SESAME CANDY- You do not need a candy thermometer: All you need to do is melt the sugar with the honey and oil for a few minutes. Once the sugar dissolves completely and the melted sugar mixture is like the consistency of maple syrup, turn off the heat. Toss the sesame seeds into the syrup.
- Work quickly: The sugar mixture hardens quite quickly, so you want to work quickly to transfer the mixed sesame seeds onto a silicone mat and roll it out. Otherwise, you will not be able to roll out the sesame candy into a thin layer.
CAN I MAKE THIS CANDY WITH HONEY ALONE?
I would advise against making the candy with just honey because the candy will not harden. In a day or two, all of the sesame candy will lose its shape and you’ll be left with a mass of sesame seeds. Mama Lin tested a batch of sesame candy using only 2 tablespoons of sugar and 3 tablespoons of honey. Although it tasted fine, but the candy could not hold the shape (see photo below).
The reason for the honey in the recipe (besides adding flavor to the sesame candy) is to help the sugar melt faster. Also, the honey buys you a little more time when you roll out the candy and slice it. Mama Lin used corn syrup in place of honey before, and the candy tastes fine too.
LOOKING FOR MORE SWEET RECIPES?
- Black Sesame and Almond Cookies
- Cantonese Sweet Fried Dumplings (Gok Zai, 角仔)
- Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao, 菠蘿包)
Easy Sesame Candy
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup black sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/3 cup sugar
Additional equipment
- 2 silicone mats
- rolling pin
Instructions
- Lay a silicone mat on your work surface. You will use this for rolling out the sesame candy.
- Pour the black sesame seeds into a large pan and toast them on medium-high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Because of their black color, it may be difficult to tell when the sesame seeds are done toasting. The sesame seeds usually release a faint aroma when they are ready. You can also see wisps of smoke coming from the sides of the pan. Turn off the heat and transfer the sesame seeds to a bowl.
- Next, toast the plain sesame seeds for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the toasted seeds to the bowl with the black sesame seeds. Mix the two types of seeds together.
- In a large stainless steel pan, add the oil, honey, and sugar over medium heat. Stir everything together and wait for the sugar to dissolve completely. This will take several minutes, and the syrup should be runny. Make sure to stir frequently to keep the sugar from burning.
- Once the sugar dissolves, turn off the heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir to coat the seeds with the syrup.
- Working quickly, pour the sesame seeds onto the silicone mat. Try to pile all the seeds into one mass. Lay the other silicone mat over the seeds and press down gently. Use a rolling pin to roll out the sesame candy. You want to make sure to be quick here so that you can roll out the candy into a thin layer.
- Lift up the top silicone mat. Lay a chopping board over the candy. Carefully flip the candy onto the chopping board. Remove the silicone mat.
- Use a sharp knife to trim the sides of the sheet of sesame candy so that you get straight edges. Cut the candy sheet into 1-inch strips of candy. Cut each strip into candies about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. Don’t worry if your candy isn’t uniform in size. Mine are never perfect.
- You can enjoy the candy immediately. The candy will continue to harden as it cools to room temperature. Once cooled, store the candy in an airtight container for several weeks.
Maria says
Perfection!
I mixed the black and white seam seeds before toasting. Then its easy to see when they are done.
I also added a little sea salt to the seam mixture. Yummi!!
Lisa Lin says
Oh, LOVE that you added sea salt to it!
Lorene L says
Your sesame candy recipe turned out great and was so easy to make. I plan to make more for Christmas gifts this year. Thank you Lisa and Mama Lin!
Lisa Lin says
Thank you, Lorene!! Glad you enjoyed it!!
Jen says
Just watched and look forward to making this recipe. Well done video. I was thinking I could add flax seed when I try it. Thanks
Katie says
Can I use parchment if I don’t have silicone sheets?
Lisa Lin says
Absolutely, Katie!
Cyndi says
I used wax paper. It STUCK! Spent about 30 minutes microwaving and picking it off. But….this is an amazing recipe. Delicious, better than the store bought delights we’ve been buying since we were kids. Will definitely be picking up a second silicone mat so I can do this the right way!
Lisa Lin says
THANK YOU for the feedback! I always use silicone mats, so I never actually tried the wax paper myself.
Sandy says
This was so easy, and quick! I’ve been searching for a recipe that did not require cooking till it reached soft or hard ball stage. Every now and then I crave sesame candy. So happy with this recipe! Thanks a million!
Lisa Lin says
Sandy, thank you so much for trying the recipe! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Rebecca says
This is a fantastic recipe and a great alternative to the toffee recipes with butter! So quick and easy to make, I’m going to have to keep this recipe in my regular snack rotation! Thank you so much. Just made a big batch for little treats at a party!
Lisa Lin says
Rebecca, thank you so much for making this recipe! And yes, I grew up eating this kind of brittle, so I find brittle/toffee made with butter to be a little too rich for my taste. Anyway, thanks again for making the recipe!
Amy Chai says
It look delicious and health.
Shali says
Is there a way to make this chewy? I can’t find a single recipe for chewy sesame candy. I know if I want it to be chewy I should add maltose but I do not know the quantity I need to add. I want it to be the same thin candy you have in your picture but for it to be chewy instead of crunchy when it sets.
Lisa Lin says
One thing you can do is use more honey and less granulated sugar. The candy will be stickier.
Egle says
Hi , if you want chewy look into Paleo versions of sesame cookies 🥰
Em says
Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil? Don’t have the latter in my pantry!
Lisa Lin says
Yes, it’ll work. You’ll probably taste the olive oil in the candy, but it definitely can be used as a substitute.
Lynn Ceteras Huerta says
Thank you for your recipe! It gives me the satisfaction of my childhood treat.
Tami says
Hi Lisa,
I just found your site and watched the video (your mom is so cute!). I have a question: for this sesame candy, if it is rolled out thicker, is it chewier? I’m looking more for a chewy sesame candy as opposed to a crispy one. I bet this would be good with peanuts and sesame!
Lisa Lin says
No, it shouldn’t be chewier if you roll them out thicker. My mom likes to roll them out thinly because it’s easier for her to bite into.
Tim says
I make this every year for lunar New Year!!! I switch it up and use different nuts like chopped walnuts or pecans to make them candied.
Cindy says
Thanks for the recipe! I’m going to give it a try! Can you find out where your mom bought her wok? It looks very nice.
Laura says
Lisa, I recently discovered your Instagram and blog – loving it! It brings back so many childhood memories. I would love to learn mama Lin’s peanut candy recipe one.
Jeanette says
Easy to make and super tasty! Thank you, Lisa and Mama Lin!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks, Jeanette.
Patricia Raymond MD says
Spectacular recipe– thank you! I decided to eat more sesame seeds due to osteoarthritis of my knees (https://nutritionfacts.org/video/flashback-friday-sesame-seeds-for-knee-osteoarthritis/) , and tried several store-bought versions of the candy from my local asian market. I agree that many are too sweet. Your recipe was flavorful, crisp, and simple, as advertised.
Only change I made was that my asian market had white, tan and black seeds. I mixed them together in an airtight container, and toasted 1 cup of the mix for 4 minutes.
BTW, the studies on osteoarthritis pain were of 1/4 cup of sesame seeds per day; so eat 1/4 of the recipe as a snack daily. Not a hardship!
(Blood pressure and cholesterol improves too, with lower ‘doses’ of sesame seeds- bonus!)
Tyler says
I absolutely love this recipe. I usually use amazon bought roasted blacks sesame seeds (only black) and love it. The only question I have, in the 3 times I have made this (in under a month, with last two double batches), one of the times it came out more chewy, like a granola bar instead of hard like peanut brittle. I actually prefer the chewy version, but have no idea how I got it like that and wondering if there is a way to keep it more chewy. My 2 year old loves this, and since it is fairly healthy, I don’t mind sharing this with her (I swear I would eat the double batch in one day if I didn’t spread it out).
Lisa Lin says
I wonder if the sugar wasn’t heated as much for the batch that came our chewier. When I tested this recipe with my mom, and used more honey than sugar, the brittle actually came out chewier. Feel free to play with the proportions of the honey and white sugar!
Guest says
You probably forgot to add the sugar. For chewy, just skip the sugar.
John says
I make them with honey only! And they never lose texture after for days!!!! Gotta heat your honey for at least a few minutes until it loses it’s water! You’re welcome!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for letting me know!
Olivia Francis says
What can you use besides silicone mats because I am making this for a school project and don’t want to have to buy silicone mats
Alison says
I used wax paper greased w/ a bit of toasted sesame oil and had no issues with sticking.
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for letting me know, Alison!
Karen says
I wouldn’t use wax paper, as the wax can melt into the candy. I use oiled parchment paper to line the pan. Works great, and no leaching into your finished product.
Karen says
Great recipe, it turned out perfectly! I loved the video of your mother, too – it made me smile. I was reminded of some filming I did with my own Mom, making one of her family dishes, several years before she developed Alzheimers. I love it when family traditions get passed along.
Alison says
Turned out great! I used wax paper greased w/ a bit of toasted sesame oil and had no issues with sticking. I may have cooked the syrup a bit longer than you did; it came out crispy and delicious. I used only roasted black sesame seeds w/ a few sunflower seeds which was I had on hand. Added a tiny bit of sea salt suggested by another reviewer.
Thank you!
Elena Ulev says
These were delicious, however they didn’t harden as they cooled. They’re good chewy too but I wonder how to get them harden.
The sea salt was a nice addition, as someone suggested.
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Elena! Did you add sugar to the mix, or did you use honey only?
Dana says
I don’t do much sugar so I made this with Allulose. Turned out great after I rebaked at 319 in my combi oven after spreading in a pan. The Allulose needed longer to caramelize and harden.
Karen says
Dana, mine doesn’t seem to be setting up as much as I’d like. How long and at what temp should I bake it to harden it up? Thanks in advance.
E.C. says
I love the speed and ease of this recipe. I was craving sesame candy and most recipes I found were more involved. However, mine didn’t hold its shape At All. I substituted brown sugar; could that be it? I used the same sugar-honey ratio—but by volume, so maybe if it wasn’t packed into the cup, I was actually using less sugar? Hard to imagine it any sweeter!
Had to give it 5 stars bc I assume the failure was due to my swap (and it still tastes great). Curious if you have any insights!
P.s. other comments asked about parchment. I liked both sheets first and it worked perfectly.
Karen says
Loved the video! The sesame candy I buy at local stores have tapioca syrup in the ingredients list. I bought tapioca starch to mix with water (to make “syrup”) and am wondering how to incorporate it into this recipe. I made sesame candy once, but it came out way too hard and I like mine a little softer. I use both sugar and honey.
Lisa Lin says
I don’t know if tapioca syrup is made with the starch and water. If anything, you might get this flavorless gooey substance. I’ve never really cooked with tapioca syrup, so I don’t know what the solution would be!
Lisa Lin says
I haven’t tried this with brown sugar, but it might be it? If anything, I’d tweak the ratio a bit and use more brown sugar and reduce the honey, if that makes sense!