This divinity recipe has been used in my family for almost 50 years. This sweet, nutty confection is a yummy bite-size nougat-type of candy that’s great for all ages and occasions, especially the holiday season.
Oh, the Memories!
I remember making this divinity recipe with my mother as a child. My favorite part was checking to see if the homemade candy syrup was ready by dropping a small bit in a cup of ice cold water to see if it formed a ball.
Recently, I asked my mom where she got this easy recipe, and she said it came with a blender she got as a wedding present 43 years ago. I guess you can say it’s a tried-and-true recipe if she’s hung onto it that long. 😉
So many holidays, especially Christmas, I can remember my uncle Buddy swiping some of these sweet goodies off the dessert table before dinner ever started, and one year we even used a container filled with the candy balls as a white elephant game gift. You should’ve seen the war that ensued. 🙂
I can still remember the laughter. And isn’t that the point of a good recipe—good memories? I hope this recipe creates good memories for you and yours.
What Do You Need to Make This Divinity Recipe?
The list of simple ingredients for this divinity recipe is pretty short:
- chopped pecans
- light corn syrup
- water
- white sugar
- large egg whites (room temperature)
- vanilla extract
You’ll also need a medium saucepan, a good candy thermometer (if you have one), and some wax paper.
A full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is available at the end of this post.
How Do You Make This Old Fashioned Divinity Candy Recipe?
First, for best results, I’d suggest making this old-fashioned divinity recipe on a dry day and not a rainy day, especially for your first time making candy. Humidity can affect how this sweet treat sets and possibly lengthen the cook time.
Now that we’ve got that caveat out of the way…You’ll want to start by spreading out your wax paper on your table or countertop.
After that’s prepped, you’ll need to chop your pecans, if you didn’t buy them from the store that way. You can do this by hand or with a hand chopper or blender.
Next, measure your corn syrup, water, and sugar into a medium saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, cook the sugar mixture until it reaches 260 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring occasionally.
If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you’ll know the hot sugar mixture is ready when it begins to form a string from the spoon to the pot and when you drop a small amount of hot mixture into ice cold water and it forms a hard ball.
While the syrup mixture is cooking, whip egg whites in a large mixing bowl until they form stiff peaks, being sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. You can use with an electric mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment at high speed.
Combine the Two
Once the hot sugar syrup is ready, continue to beat egg whites at medium speed while slowly adding in the hot syrup in a thin stream. After the syrup, beat in the vanilla.
Continue to beat the white mixture until stiff peaks form and the texture loses its shine.
The next steps you’ll need to do fast. Fold in the nuts.
Then quickly spoon out rounded balls (about an inch in diameter) of divinity onto your wax paper. The longer the mixture sets in the bowl, the more rugged the balls of sweet, white, southern confection will appear.
Enjoy your delicious candy!
Divinity Recipe FAQs
“How do you store this perfect divinity candy?”
Store any remaining delectable treats in a closed container on the counter. However, don’t use an airtight container because it will hold in the moisture and cause the candy to melt.
“How long will divinity keep?”
Not too sure. It doesn’t stick around long at our place. However, my grandmother kept them and ate on them for 6 months with no issues. I’m not sure I’d recommend that though.
“Can you use parchment paper instead of wax paper?”
Absolutely. You could also put them on a metal pan and then pop them off once they’re set.
“My divinity isn’t setting well. What’s wrong?”
If it’s a humid day, that can affect how well the candy sets and the amount of cooking time it needs. If you don’t cook the confection long enough on the stove, it won’t get hard and will form puddles instead of balls on the wax paper.
“What can I do with the remaining egg yolks?”
If you like lemons and want to try another vintage recipe, I’ve got a great, super easy, 3 ingredient lemon icebox pie recipe you can make with those egg yolks.
I hope this divinity recipe is a huge hit for what ever occasion you make them for and helps you make some fond memories of your own. Leave a comment and let us know how this divinity recipe worked for you.
Happy Trails.
Divinity Recipe
Used in my family for almost 50 years, this divinity recipe yields bite-size nougat-type candy great for all ages and occasions.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 2/3 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Spread out your wax paper on the table or countertop.
- Chop your pecans, if needed. You can do this by hand or with a hand chopper or blender.
- Measure corn syrup, water, and sugar into a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
- Once dissolved, cook the sugar mixture until it reaches 260 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring occasionally. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, the sugar syrup is ready when it begins to form a string from the spoon to the pot and when drop a small amount of hot mixture into ice cold water and it forms a hard ball.
- While the syrup mixture is cooking, whip egg whites in a large mixing bowl until they form stiff peaks, being sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. You can use with an electric mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment at high speed.
- Once the hot sugar syrup has reached the hard ball stage, continue to beat egg whites at medium speed while slowly adding in the hot syrup in a thin stream.
- Next, beat in vanilla.
- Continue to beat the white mixture until stiff peaks form and the texture loses its shine.
- Fold in the nuts quickly.
- Then quickly spoon out rounded balls (about an inch in diameter) of divinity onto your wax paper.
- Enjoy your delicious candy!
Notes
- For best results, make this old-fashioned divinity candy on a dry day. Humidity can affect how this sweet treat sets and possibly lengthen the cook time.
- The longer the mixture sets in the bowl before dishing up, the more rugged the balls of candy confection will appear.
