How To Thin Candy Melts, And Common Mistakes To Avoid

Candy melts are a great introduction to candy-making for novices. Candy melts are used for countless sweet projects, from making candy shapes to coating all kinds of delicious treats. While they are more approachable than standard chocolate and tend to be a little easier to work with, they can still take some getting used to. And sometimes the candy needs a bit of help reaching the consistency it needs to be.

Candy-making, in general, can be nerve-wracking. It is notoriously difficult and, in some cases, can even be dangerous. The good news is that candy melts are generally more accessible and safer than sugar work. The temperature is lower, and there is more margin for error, which makes this a great introductory project for someone. That said, there are still some important dos and don'ts for candy melts. We will walk you through the basic process of preparing your candy melts and show you how to thin them without causing a mess and ruining your hard work.

At this point, you may be still wondering, "what are candy melts?" and "how are they different from chocolate chips?" Rest assured, the two are very different. Candy melts are made with sugar and oils. The extra oils and ingredients already in them help the candy to melt smoothly and evenly and stay smooth and luxurious longer. Even the chocolate-colored ones are not just chocolate.

Take Ghiradelli's milk chocolate flavored melting wafers, for example. The first hint that these are not just chocolate discs is the "flavored" portion in the name. Now, if you look at the ingredient list, you will first see sugar and vegetable oil. (Ghirardelli also sells chocolate wafers which do not contain any vegetable oil but do contain chocolate and cocoa butter.)

The advantage of using candy melts is they soften more quickly and are less fickle than straight chocolate. They also have a neutral, sweet flavor and come in various colors.

Based on the above information, it may not be a shock to discover that the way to thin out your candy melts is to use more vegetable oil. This can be done with shortening, coconut oil, or liquid vegetable oil. We will be using the latter.

In addition to oil, you will need a double boiler, a heat-resistant bowl that sits in a pot, or a candy melter such as the one Wilton makes.

Do not, under any circumstances, add water. This means no physical water to try and thin the melts, no water-based food dyes, and no oils with water in them, such as butter or margarine. Water can cause candy melts to seize. If this happens, instead of being smooth, your candy melts will solidify into a chunky mess. Often, you will have to start over with new melts.

Additionally, do not overheat your candy melts, as this can also cause them to seize. Low and slow is the name of the game here.

Turn on your melting machine or prepare your double boiler. Get everything set up, and add your candy melts according to the manufacturer's directions.

Fully melt your candy melts. Check the directions on your specific candy melts, but typically, you are looking for a temperature between 90-100 F. That means it should feel as warm as your normal skin temperature, not hot or cold.

Make sure that your candy melts are at the ideal consistency. If not, check the temperature. Being too hot or too cold can cause the candy melt texture to change. Additionally, make sure no water or outside contaminants have entered the pot.

If you have double-checked everything and the candy melts are still in, add your oil in. A little goes a long way here. Start with one teaspoon of oil and mix thoroughly. Continue until desired consistency is reached.

First, check to make sure no debris or pieces of food fall into your candy melts. You can pour clean leftover candy melts into molds and allow them to cool. These cooled pieces of candy melts should be placed in a sealed container. Leftover candy melts can last several months in ideal conditions and will be ready for your next project when you need them.

Candy melts are great for making chocolate covered strawberries or festive seasonal items such as pumpkin chocolate covered pretzels. If you love cake pops but don't want to spend a fortune at Starbucks on them, try making your own cake pops. You can also use the melts in place of real chocolate if you want a neutral or more colorful dessert for things like chocolate-covered caramels.