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How to Make Sugar Glass Recipe

You can not eat glass but you can make your own edible glass at home.
Try this fun Sugar Glass Recipe and learn about the science behind it in our video below.

Let’s dive right in and find out how it works.

sugar glass recipe

Edible Sugar Glass or Candy Glass

Making edible glass, also called candy glass, is an excellent activity for families to do together, especially at Christmas time, which links the science of glass with a sweet treat.

Safety Notice: Not to be done without an adult. It is also important to note that children know that they cannot eat real glass.

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The Science Behind Edible Glass

Glass is all around us: in our windows; televisions; and screens we use every day. Glass is everywhere! But have you ever wondered how glass is made?

At a basic level, glass is sand that has been heated until it has become molten.

This means it has gone from a solid state to a liquid state. If you have ever been to the beach on a hot day, you will realize how warm sand can get without turning from a solid to a liquid.

Now, you’re not able to make glass in your kitchen, but what you can do is explore this chemical process by making edible, or candy, glass.

So, let’s check it out!

How To Make Sugar Glass

Sugar Glass Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make edible glass:

  • Baking tray lined with baking paper
  • Butter
  • ½ cup of caster sugar
  • 60ml water
  • 40ml corn syrup
  • Pinch of cream of tartar (to remove bubbles)
  • Cooking thermometer
  • Wooden spoon
  • Pot
  • Cooker
edible glass ingredients

Recipe for Sugar Glass Instructions

These step-by-step instructions are here to help you visualize how to make sugar glass. Please scroll down to simply print out the instructions!

Step 1: Butter Baking Paper

Rub the butter over your baking paper. This makes it easier to remove the glass from the paper later.

Step 2: Prepare Ingredients

Carefully pour all of the other ingredients into a pot on the cooker.

Step 3: Turn on Stove

Turn on the cooker and turn the heat down low.

Step 4: Boil Mixture

You want to bring the mixture to a boil and keep the heat on until the mixture reaches around 120 to 150 degrees Celsius. Stirring periodically with your spoon so the mixture does not stick to the pot.

Note: You want to bring the heat up slowly and keep an eye on the mixture to make sure the mixture is not caramelizing (turning brown and burning). This can take up to 40 minutes but can be faster depending on your cooker.

candy glass recipe

Step 5: Pour It

Once the mixture has reached the temperature, quickly take it off the heat and carefully pour it onto your baking paper, making sure to spread the mixture around so it is making a flat surface.

Step 6: Cool It

Leave the mixture to the side to cool down for around an hour.

sugar glass recipe

Step 7: Take It Off

After an hour, carefully peel your edible candy glass off your sheet of baking paper. Hold it up to look throughout and see how much like a sheet of real glass it looks.

edible sugar glass

Step 8: Smash It

The fun part: drop your sheet of edible candy glass down into your baking tray and watch it shatter like a real sheet of glass would!

how to make sugar glass

Step 9: Enjoy

Now it is time to enjoy your broken glass candy.

Your kids enjoyed this clear candy recipe and want to try more? Then try our popular Fizzy Ice Cubes, DIY Borax Crystals, and learn about the Top 8 Benefits of STEM Education.


Sugar Glass Recipe Tip

  • For Christmas-themed edible candy glass, you can try pouring your mixture into Christmas-themed cookie cutters, adding food coloring to your glass, or exploring different ways you can make shapes or patterns for your glass to cool into.

How to Store to Store Sugar Glass

To store edible glass, put it in a resealable freezer bag and store it in the fridge.

The glass very easily draws moisture out of the air, which softens the glass, so make sure the air is pressed out of the bag before you seal it.

How to Make Edible Glass Video Tutorial

To see this activity in action, and to learn more about what sugar glass is and the science of How to Make Glass Candy. Check out this video by STEM with Mr. N.

Pin this Broken Glass Candy Recipe

Don’t forget to save this clear candy recipe on Pinterest for later! Be sure you are following along with Lil Tigers.

edible sugar glass recipe

Author

STEM with Mr N is a video channel dedicated to STEM education for kids of all ages (big kids, too). With topics ranging across a whole range of science experiments, robotics & coding, and interviews about STEM careers.

You can explore new videos every week and will not be short of videos to watch or activities to try.

Please show Mr. N some love by visiting his social media channels and taking his wonderful videos.

Facebook – facebook.com/stemwithmrn

Instagram – @stem_with_mr_n

Twitter – @Mr_S_Naismith

YouTube – STEM with Mr N

Now I would like to hear from you!
How did your kids enjoy this broken glass candy recipe?
Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now.
I’d love to hear from you!

Edible Sugar Glass Recipe

Edible Sugar Glass Recipe
Prep Time 2 minutes
Active Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 42 minutes

Materials

  • Baking tray lined with baking paper
  • Butter
  • ½ cup of caster sugar
  • 60ml water
  • 40ml corn syrup
  • Pinch of cream of tartar (to remove bubbles)
  • Cooking thermometer
  • Wooden spoon
  • Pot
  • Cooker

Instructions

    1. Rub the butter over your baking paper. This makes it easier to remove the glass from the paper later.
    2. Carefully pour all of the other ingredients into a pot on the cooker.
    3. Turn on the cooker and turn the heat down low.
    4. You want to bring the mixture to a boil and keep the heat on until the mixture reaches around 120 to 150 degrees Celsius. Stirring periodically with your spoon so the mixture does not stick to the pot.

      Note: You want to bring the heat up slowly and keep an eye on the mixture to make sure the mixture is not caramelizing (turning brown and burning). This can take up to 40 minutes but can be faster depending on your cooker.
    5. Once the mixture has reached the temperature, quickly take it off the heat and carefully pour it onto your baking paper, making sure to spread the mixture around so it is making a flat surface.
    6. Leave the mixture to the side to cool down for around an hour.
    7. After an hour, carefully peel your edible candy glass off your sheet of baking paper. Hold it up to look throughout and see how much like a sheet of real glass it looks.
    8. The fun part: drop your sheet of edible candy glass down into your baking tray and watch it shatter like a real sheet of glass would!

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