Gumdrop Nougat

Tasty fun gumdrop nougat is an easy recipe that is a bit addicting.  The creamy nougat speckled with fruity gumdrop candies is white and bright, for a gorgeous sweet treat.   The taffy-like texture and the pop of gummy candies are a delight in every bite. These little pillowy nuggets are irresistible.

The combination of sweet marshmallows, rich white chocolate, and fruity gumdrops is so pretty and toothsome.  This nut-free nougat recipe is a homemade candy everyone will love. I warn you, if you like salt water taffy, or divinity, you may eat all of this Christmas candy before you can share.

This is not a recipe for a traditional old-fashioned nougat.  However, this unique jelly nougat with fruit gumdrops will become a classic someday I bet. If you have never made any homemade confections before, this is a great one to try your hand at. It is an easy candy recipe that does not require a candy thermometer. Plus it is a no-bake dessert.

This sticky chewy nougat with gumdrops recipe is great for just about any holiday. This colorful candy is ideal for making for all sorts of holidays, especially Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Easter.

Ingredients for Homemade Nougat with Gumdrops

This recipe for gumdrop nougat is so simple and easy.  To begin, you only need 4 ingredients to make this homemade chewy and fun candy.   For the nougat base, you need salted butter, mini marshmallows, and white chocolate chips. Since nougat is often compared to tasting like marshmallows this short-cut ingredient is so perfect.

The chewy nougat is a 3-ingredient recipe.  To that, you will also need gumdrops - of course!  This nougat does not have nuts and is gluten-free so it is a great candy for some special diets.

Best Gumdrops for Nougat

The best gumdrops for making gumdrop nougat, are ones that are bright, colorful, and fresh. You want them to be chewy and not stale and hard.  Make sure to use new packages of gumdrops when making this nougat.  You may be tempted to use Jujube's for nougat but I find that the little candies are too hard. I like Dots the best for this recipe.

I will be honest I love Dots and often "borrow" them from the kids' trick-or-treat bags each Halloween, but I also find they really are the best to use.  I recommend using Dots by the Tootsie Roll company when you make gumdrop nougat because they are smooth without any outside granulated or powdered sugar layer.  The smooth Dots adhere to the nougat best without changing the texture.  If you love Tootsie Rolls as much as you love Dots, try out my cocktail that tastes just like one - TOOTSIE ROLL SHOTS!   

How to Make Gumdrop Nougat

This is a no-bake candy recipe that takes only about 20 minutes to make.  The hard part is waiting 2-3 hours for it to set in the refrigerator.  When making this gumdrop nougat, you do not need a candy thermometer. But it is best to have parchment paper, a double boiler (or a good saucepan that a glass bowl fits over), and an 11x7 baking dish.  To begin you will want to gather your ingredients and prepare the baking dish.

Line the Pan with Parchment Paper

You will need an 11x7 baking dish for this recipe.  It will need to be lined with parchment paper so that the nougat does not stick. The parchment paper is also important so that you can lift the nougat out later to cut it.

To line a baking dish and keep parchment paper in place, I love to use binder clips. This is my hack for keeping parchment paper in place for no-bake recipes. This works when making things like fudge, no-bake cookies, and this nougat candy.

How to Cut Gumdrops

Cutting gumdrops is a sticky situation.  The best knife to use when cutting sticky candy is something sharp, short, and has indentions. A small chef or pairing knife would work best. If you have one with vertical indentations like mine below, I recommend that. The indentions on the knife create space between the food and the knife. This helps those sticky little gumdrops from being too much of a menace.

Simply choose your knife wisely and get a large cutting board.  Cut each gumdrop in half down the middle.  Try and keep them separate so they do not stick back together, as you cut them.  This is why a big work surface is a good idea. Once all the gumdrops are cut in half, now is the time to start the nougat.

Making Homemade Nougat on the Stovetop

Now is the time to make the sticky sweet nougat.   This will be done on the stovetop and it involves stirring constantly. Be sure the baking pan is lined, the gumdrops are cut, and you have the ingredients needed for the nougat.

To a double-boiler, melt the salted butter & white chocolate chips over a medium-low simmer. Using a rubber spatula, stir and begin cooking.  Once the chocolate is just starting to melt, add ½ bag of marshmallows and stir.  Continue stirring over the simmering water.  Each minute adds another ½ bag and stirs - repeat. Once you have added the marshmallows in 4 batches, it should look like the image below.

It will seem to not come together for a long time.  It will look like it will never melt evenly but be patient.  The white chocolate will all likely be melted and you will still see mini marshmallows. Continue to stir and cook over medium-low rolling boil.

It will feel like nothing is happening for a long time but trust me it will come together as you stir and press a bit of the marshmallow as they melt. The step of finally getting the marshmallows to all melt in with white chocolate does take anywhere from 7-10 minutes.

Mixing Homemade Nougat with the Dots

Once the nougat is smooth and combined with all the marshmallows melted, it is time to add the gumdrops.  Remove the nougat bowl or double-boiler pot from the stove.    Carefully sprinkle in the gumdrops and fold them in. Work fast as the nougat will start to cool and set. This will stiffen the nougat.

Add more gumdrops and fold them in.  This will take some muscle and it is good to get them added as far apart as you can from the beginning. Once those gumdrops are in the nougat, they stay where they are. It is hard to move them around and separate them.  Have fun; continue to sprinkle and fold.

Press the Nougat into the Prepared Pan

Once all the gumdrops are added to the nougat base, it is time to get it ready for chilling.   Spoon the mixture into the parchment-lined 11x7 baking pan. Press it with the rubber spatula as you add it to the pan.   At the end using another piece of parchment paper along with your hand, press down on the nougat to make it even and compressed. This will make sure there are no big bubbles and that when you cut the candy into cubes, they can be as uniform in shape as possible.

How Long to Chill Nougat

This gumdrop nougat needs to be chilled in the refrigerator before you can cut and serve it.   Place the gumdrop nougat in the refrigerator for 2 hours minimum.   It can be chilled for several days before cutting if you want to make it ahead of time.

How to Cut Homemade Gumdrop Nougat

To cut, lift the parchment out of the baking dish and place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp chef's knife, cut into 10 even strips along the short end of the nougat. A good quality chef's knife will make this easy - here are a few top-rated chef's knives for less than $100.

Next, cut each strip into 8 even pieces.  This recipe will yield 80 pieces of Gumdrop Nougat.

How to Store Gumdrop Nougat

Storing gumdrop nougat is easy and it lasts a long time (if you can control yourself and not eat it all)  Simply seal nougat with gumdrops in an air-tight Ziploc bag or container. Place it in the refrigerator and store it for up to a month.

ENJOY!

Valentine's Day Gumdrop Nougat Recipe

To make this easy gumdrop nougat for special occasions, you can make some simple recipe changes.   This original recipe is great for Christmas with all the colors or you may just want to add red and green gumdrops.  Gumdrop nougat is great for Easter too with the bright-colored fruit gumdrops are bright like Easter eggs.   For St. Patrick's Day, use the green & yellow dots.

For Valentine's day, you can use only the pink and red Dots candies.  This makes a fun and colorful homemade candy perfect for giving to anyone you love.  When you slice the creamy white chocolate marshmallow nougat and expose the red and pink gumdrops, you know it's the best Valentine's Day candy recipe.  It is so pretty but not too pretty to eat!

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