This gorgeous crystal snacks tastes as good as it looks! Inspired by the Japanese snacks “Kohakutou,” it’s such a fun treat to make with the kids. It has an haunting crunch to it and can be made with any savor of your choosing!
I love fun activities with the kids that double as a tasty treat! Nothing quite lives up to this crystal snacks (isn’t it beautiful?!) but a few increasingly fun recipes to try are: ice surf in a bag, snow ice cream, and hot chocolate bombs!
Kohakutou Crystal Snacks Recipe
You may have seen this gem-inspired treat popping up on social media. It’s unquestionably tabbed “Kohakutou” and originated from Japan! Translated, it ways “amber candy.” The unconfined thing well-nigh this crystal snacks is that it only needs a few simple ingredients to make. This includes sugar, agar agar, supplies coloring, and your flavoring of choice! Plus, did I mention it’s vegan and gluten free? It’s the perfect sweet treat for anyone in your family!
Kohakutou crystal snacks is made by coating small cubes of agar jelly with sugar. The snacks has a unique texture that is chewy with a crispy exterior, and it’s usually fruit-flavored. Kohakutou is often served as a dessert or snack in Japan, and is popular for its trappy visitation as well as its yummy taste! The snacks is often packaged in small boxes or bags, making it a unconfined gift! Requite a bag of this to your neighbors and they’ll love you forever.
Ingredients Needed
The BEST part well-nigh this crystal snacks recipe is all of the simple ingredients it uses! It’s so easy to whip up with the kids. Just make sure you have agar agar, that’s what’s going to requite the snacks a slightly gummy texture.
- Water: Water is a crucial ingredient in making crystal snacks as it is used to dissolve the sugar and agar agar powder.
- Agar Agar Powder: Agar agar is a type of seaweed-based gelatin. It’s used to requite crystal snacks its firm and slightly chewy texture. It’s dissolved in humid water withal with the sugar to create the snacks base!
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to the crystal snacks and moreover helps to create a crystal-like structure when it cools!
- Flavoring: A small value of flavoring, such as vanilla, fruit extracts, or other flavorings, is widow to the snacks mixture to requite it yummy flavor. Use your favorites here! I used a variety pack of fruit oils from Amazon.
- Liquid Supplies Coloring: Adds verisimilitude to the crystal candy. You can retread how much you add in to make it vibrant or increasingly subtle like a real gemstone.
How to Make Crystal Snacks (Kohakutou)
Crystal snacks is so fun to make! It’s super simple, honestly the hardest part is waiting a few days while it sets! So, grab your family and make a batch of this delightful candy! My kids love to customize the colors and flavors of their candy. The process is so fun!
- Prepare Ingredients: Before you begin, make sure you have everything out and ready considering the snacks begins to set up quickly without cooking. However many variegated flavors and colors you would like to use, lightly grease small containers. I used small tupperware and do 2-3 flavors per batch. Have your supplies coloring and flavoring ready to go.
- Agar Agar Mixture: Add the water to a small pot and then sprinkle the agar agar in. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Boil, Add Sugar: Bring the water and agar agar to a swash and then swash for 3 minutes. Add the sugar and stir. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Separate: Remove from the heat and separate into the variegated prepared containers. Move quickly but thoughtfully and add your flavoring and coloring to the candy. In total you should use well-nigh ¼ teaspoon of flavoring, so if you segregate to do increasingly than one savor stick with just a few drops of flavoring to stave it stuff too strong.
- Swirl: Use a toothpick or wooden skewer to swirl the flavoring and verisimilitude through the candy.
Creating the Crystal Shapes
- Chill: Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until the snacks is firm. Then use a pocketknife to pop the snacks out in one piece onto a wearing board. It should be firm but sticky.
- Cut: Use a paring pocketknife to cut the crystal snacks to whatever shapes you want. You can trim, or “bevel” the edges so the pieces squint increasingly crystal or gem like.
- Add to Sultry Sheet: Lay all the snacks pieces out on parchment lined sultry sheets.
- Set: Then store in a cool, dry place for 5-7 days at minimum, rotating them as needed so all the pieces form a husks on the outside.
Tips and Tricks
Here are a few increasingly tips to alimony in mind so your crystal snacks turns out perfectly! Making this trappy snacks is so fun, and you end up with a succulent treat at the end!
- Using Agar Agar: Agar agar is an essential ingredient for these candies and unfortunately doesn’t have a good substitute. You can find it pretty hands on Amazon.
- Use Liquid Supplies Coloring: Liquid supplies coloring is the weightier for this recipe. Airbrush supplies colors are really good options for getting a variety of colors. Less is more!
- Use Variegated Molds: Experiments with variegated molds. Spray silicone molds with pan spray and use a paper towel to soak up glut grease. Thoughtfully pour the hot snacks into the molds without subtracting the flavoring and color.
- Thickness: When picking a container alimony in mind that the thicker the snacks is, the longer it will take to husks over.
How Long Does Crystal Snacks Last?
My kids unchangingly want to eat this snacks in one sitting. If you’re lucky unbearable to have some left over, here’s how to alimony it tasting nice and fresh!
- At Room Temperature: Store in an snapped container in a tomfool place for up to 4 weeks.
- Adjust Texture: If you would like harder, crunchier candy, let the snacks sit out for longer than 7 days surpassing transferring to an snapped container.
More Kid-Friendly Recipes
Crystal Candy
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cup water
- 3 teaspoons agar agar powder
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon flavoring of choice
- 1-3 drops liquid supplies coloring as desired
Instructions
- Before you uncork make sure you have everything out and ready considering the snacks begins to set up quickly without cooking. However many variegated flavors and colors you would like to use, lightly grease small containers. I used small tupperware and do 2-3 flavors per batch. Have your supplies coloring and flavoring ready to go.
- Add the water to a small pot and sprinkle the agar agar in. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Bring the water and agar agar to a swash and swash for 3 minutes. Add the sugar and stir. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and separate into the variegated prepared containers. Move quickly but thoughtfully and add your flavoring and coloring to the candy. In total you should use well-nigh ¼ teaspoon of flavoring, so if you segregate to do increasingly than one savor stick with just a few drops of flavoring to stave it stuff too strong.
- Use a toothpick or wooden skewer to swirl the flavoring and verisimilitude through the candy.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until the snacks is firm. Use a pocketknife to pop the snacks out in one piece onto a wearing board. It should be firm but sticky.
- Use a paring pocketknife to cut the snacks it to whatever shapes you want. You can trim, or “bevel” the edges to make the pieces squint increasingly crystal or gem like. If you have scraps from trimming the edges, chop them into small pieces and add them to a larger one or form them into their own crystal cluster.
- Lay all the snacks pieces out on parchment lined sultry sheets.
- Store in a cool, dry place for 5-7 days at minimum, rotating them as needed so all the pieces form a husks on the outside. You can imbricate them with a lid, but they will take longer to form the crust.
- Once the snacks has fully crusted, you may add edible gold luster pebbles or gold leaf if desired.
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