Hard Candy & Lollipops

Hard Candy & Lollipops — Fruit Drops, Suckers, Butterscotch & More

Hard candy and lollipops start with a cooked sugar syrup that cools into a firm, glass-like candy made to dissolve slowly rather than chew quickly. That simple format can carry everything from bright fruit flavors and sour profiles to butterscotch, mint, maple, root beer and other nostalgic flavors. Stick-free hard candies are easy to keep in candy dishes, desk drawers and travel bags, while lollipops put the same basic candy style on a stick for a longer, hands-on treat.

Classic Hard Candy

Fruit drops, butterscotch discs, peppermints, cinnamon pieces and individually wrapped hard candies have been pantry and candy-store staples for generations. JOLLY RANCHER built its name around intensely flavored fruit hard candy, while Claey's has made old-fashioned hard candy since 1919 in flavors such as lemon, cinnamon and horehound. Maple drops take the same slow-dissolving format in a different direction by using maple syrup for a deeper, more caramelized sweetness.

Lollipops & Suckers

Lollipops use a hard-candy base formed around a stick, ranging from small everyday pops to oversized novelty suckers, filled lollipops and seasonal shapes. Dum Dums from Spangler Candy are one of the best-known American examples, with individually wrapped mini pops in assorted fruit, soda and mystery flavors. Other lollipops lean into gourmet fruit, sour coatings, filled centers or oversized presentation for parties and gifts.

Texture, Flavor & Storage

Hard candy should stay firm, dry and free-flowing in the package. Humidity is its biggest enemy because sugar readily attracts moisture from the air, which can make pieces sticky or cause wrappers to cling. A cool, dry pantry and a tightly closed package help preserve the clean snap, glossy surface and slow dissolve that distinguish hard candy from gummies, caramels and other chewy sweets.

Related Candy

If you prefer a chewy texture, see gummies or jelly beans. Traditional maple sugar candy, caramels, brittle and other nostalgic confections are grouped with old-fashioned candy.