Got a sweet tooth? You don't have to head to the shops to get your favourite homemade sweets or chocolate! Learn how to make your own sweet treats with our easy, fun recipes. These deliciously simple ideas will also make lovely food gifts for friends and family
From mince pie fudge to Nutella truffles, big slabs of honeycomb to Turkish delight, we've got the best homemade chocolates and sweets right here.
Homemade chocolate recipes, as well homemade sweets, are so easy to make at home, and are are really fun activity to try with the kids. Plus, at Christmas time, home made chocolates and homemade sweets are fantastic homemade food gift ideas that will save you lots of money too if you have multiple people you need to give presents to.
From classic homemade chocolate recipes like truffles to more unusual homemade sweets like candy floss, this round up is all about good old fashioned British sweet shop favourites, so there's sure to be something everyone will LOVE.
It's fun to make your own treats and your homemade versions will taste so much better than the original (and make a more thoughtful gift too if you're making them for someone else). Make homemade Jaffa cakes or homemade chocolate digestives to get everyone talking. Or go for creamy vanilla fudge or rich chocolate peppermint slices as sweets to share.
These simple recipes make a lovely gift on a small budget. And the best thing about our chocolate and sweet treats is that they can be enjoyed all year round, from birthdays to Christmas. There's no need to stress for gift ideas when you can make these tasty bites - from white chocolate truffles to candy floss, we've got plenty of sweet recipes for you to try. All you need to do is buy is a gift bag or box to wrap the chocs in and you're ready to go. We like plain brown wrappers and parcel string to give them a really old fashioned feel that will make the lucky recipients feel nostalgic.
Click through to see our homemade chocolates and homemade sweets recipes...
First up are these raspberry and passion fruit pastilles in the picture above. Using only four ingredients, these sweet raspberry and passion fruit pastilles make the perfect budget food gift. Store in jars, just like you'd find them in a sweet shop!
Get the recipe: Rasberry and passion fruit pastilles
Mince pie fudge
Make fudge with a Christmas twist by adding the same dried fruit you'd find in mince pies. Wrap them individually in greaseproof paper for a sweetie effect. They'll last for ages too, so you can get cracking on Christmas prep well in advance this year. This is one thoughtful gift we'd LOVE to receive...
Get the recipe: Mince pie fudge
Vanilla fudge
Everyone loves creamy vanilla fudge, which is why it's a guaranteed hit for homemade presents. Make your own homemade version of the sweet shop classic with just 6 ingredients. Once you see how easy it is to put together you'll be making it at every opportunity - it's perfect to stash away in the cupboard as a little treat because it lasts for so long!
Get the recipe: Creamy vanilla fudge
Nutella truffles
Chocolate and hazelnuts make a heavenly combination and friends will love you for giving them these indulgent Nutella truffles, but make sure to keep some for yourself! The crunchy coating adds texture while the centre is smooth and so delicious - definitely a homemade chocolate that you'll be making again and again.
Get the recipe: Nutella truffles
Honeycomb
Sweet, crunchy and an old classic - honeycomb tastes great on its own or with cream as a fun twist on dessert. If you're giving it as a gift, don't worry about breaking it in even chunks as the rough shards are all part of its homemade charm. You could even wrap up a whole slab to give to your lucky recipient so they can break it up themselves - it's all part of the fun of it.
Turkish delight
Turkish delight makes for a fab food gift and your friends be even more impressed when they've realised you've made it yourself. Wrap the pretty pink cubes in cellophane and tie with festive ribbon. Although the classic flavour is a slightly perfumed rose you can actually use lots of different oils and essences to make all different ones - try peppermint or orange for a bit of a change.
Get the recipe: Turkish delight
Peppermint slice
These peppermint slices are a childhood classic well overdue a revival. They're really easy to make with the kids too, if you need a fun kitchen activity for rainy days. If you're thinking of making them as a gift then we suggest making double, because you're guaranteed to want some yourself once they're finishes.
Get the recipe: Peppermint slice
Chocolate truffles
Shop-bought truffles can be pricey. Have a go at making your own festive chocolate snowball truffles instead. We've got a really easy video to follow to make sure you nail the step by step every time, giving your perfect homemade chocolates to give to your family and friends for the next special occasion you have coming up.
Recipes to make:
Get the recipe: Chocolate truffle snowballs
We've got lots more homemade chocolate and sweets here
How to store/gift wrap: Store in an airtight Tupperware box for up to 2 months in a cool, dark place. You can store them in the fridge but they may lose their shine. Present in a gift box, just like shop-bought chocolates or pop in a see through gift bag.
Raspberry coconut ice
These retro raspberry coconut ice cubes only take 20 minutes to make and are a must-try if you've never made your own before. They're sweet and heady with coconut and sugar and are absolutely delicious. Make them for a Bounty lover and you'll be in the good books for a while!
Get the recipe: Raspberry coconut ice
Peppermint creams
A childhood classic, peppermint creams are so easy and fun to make. Your little helpers will definitely want to get involved making this cool, sweet treat. Use Christmas tree and stocking biscuit cutters instead of circular ones to up the festive factor if you're making these around December!
Get the recipe: Peppermint creams
Turkish delight rocky road
An old classic with a Christmas spin, these Turkish delight rocky road bites are so more-ish it'll be hard to give them away. Line a small box with festive-coloured tissue paper, pop them inside and secure the box with red or green ribbon and give them to your favourite people only!
Get the recipe: Turkish delight rocky road
Peppermint bark Christmas trees
These festive peppermint bark trees are a simple food gift idea. Made with just 3 ingredients, they're a fun recipe to make with the kids and can be whipped up quickly and easily in just an afternoon or morning. They would make a lovely gift for teachers at the end of term to say thank you for all their hard work.
Get the recipe: Peppermint bark trees
Chocolate and Irish cream truffles
Follow along with Woman's Weekly's Cookery Editor Sue McMahon in our video to see how to make these luxurious truffles. They're soft and smooth on the inside with a good hit of booze with a slightly bitter coating to give the best of both worlds. These are adult only homemade chocolates for obvious reasons but you could always leave out the booze if you want to make them with the kids.
Get the recipe: White chocolate and Irish cream truffles
Candy floss
Not just for summers at the beach, this super-sweet candy floss recipe is easy to make at home without a candy floss machine. See how with our special recipe to get going on this classic funfair treat and you'll be VERY popular with the kids. If you want to gift this to friends and family simply pop clouds of candy floss into cellophane bags and tie up with ribbon.
Marshmallow swizzle sticks
Marshmallow covered with chocolate and sprinkles - what's not to love about these marshmallow swizzle sticks? Perfect at parties, kids (and big kids) will go mad for them! We think they make lovely gifts when packaged up with some hot chocolate powder and a few flakes - dunked into hot chocolate-y milk they'll melt and become even more scrumptious!
Get the recipe: Marshmallow swizzle sticks
Chocolate fudge
Give your fudge an extra depth of flavour by making this easy chocolate fudge. Queen of all things homemade, Kirstie Allsopp shows you how in our special video recipe. She'll give you plenty of tips along the way to make sure you get them spot on every time. Once you're ready to gift your gorgeous fudge you can pop some squares into a tissue paper lined box.
Get the recipe: Easy chocolate fudge
Fiona Cairns tiny rose and violet creams
The recipe for these dainty rose and violet creams comes from no less than Fiona Cairns, who made the Royal Wedding cake for Kate and William! These retro chocs are perfect for a girly tea party but also make gorgeous gifts when popped into little boxes.
Get the recipe: Fiona Cairns' tiny rose and violet creams
Marshmallows
Making your own marshmallows is easier than you might think and a lot of fun. Our simple lemon marshmallows are a good place to start. Once you've mastered the basic recipe then it's time to get creative with flavours and swirls - make up one plain bacth and portion it into a few bowls before adding different flavourings and colourings.
How to store/gift wrap: Wrap your marshmallows in greaseproof paper and pop in a tin or airtight Tupperware box and store. Once its ready to be given as a gift, place in a gift bag or box and seal.
Get the recipe: Lemon marshmallows
Get the recipe: Raspberry ripple marshmallows
Get the recipe: Pistachio marshmallows
More marshmallow recipes
Jaffa cakes
If you're a Jaffa Cake fan then you're going to LOVE making your own. With a soft sponge base, a tangy citrus jelly and smooth dark chocolate they have all the flavours you would expect but are just so, so much better! And the best bit is, because you're making them yourself you can decide how much chocolate you load them up with.
Get the recipe: Homemade Jaffa Cakes
Chocolate digestives
Who wouldn't want a gift of homemade chocolate digestives? These classic treats are really easy to make yourself and don't take too long, either. The biscuit has a good snap to it and the milk chocolate is thick and indulgent. If you keep old biscuit tins these would look really impressive packaged up as one.
