Spun Sugar and Caramel Shards

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Candy confections Medium

Spun sugar threads and brittle caramel shapes made from cooked sugar to crown plated desserts. Makes 8 garnishes in about 1 hr.

Prep 15 min

Cook 15 min

Cooling 30 min

Total 1 hr

Yield 8 garnishes

Diet Gluten free, Vegan

Ingredients

Adjust yield

garnishes

1 ½ cups (300 g)sugar
6 tbsp (90 ml)water
2 tbsp (45 g)light corn syrup
1 tsp (5 ml)neutral oil, for greasing the spatulas and parchment

Baking tools for this recipe

Convert to grams Scale it Change the pan

Instructions

Lightly oil a sheet of parchment and the handle of a wooden spoon or dowels set over a clean towel.
Combine the sugar, water and corn syrup in a heavy, clean saucepan and stir only until dissolved.
Boil without stirring, brushing any crystals from the sides with a wet pastry brush, until the syrup reaches light amber, 320 to 330 F (160 to 165 C).
Dip the base of the pan into a bowl of cold water for 5 seconds to stop the cooking, then let the caramel thicken 2 to 3 minutes.
For shards, pour thin puddles onto the oiled parchment and let set 10 minutes, then break into pieces.
For spun sugar, dip two forks back to back in the caramel and flick it back and forth over the dowels to make fine threads.
Gather the threads and shape into nests; use right away.

Tips

Work in dry weather; humidity makes sugar sticky.
Use immediately; spun sugar melts in a few hours.
Wear long sleeves and do not touch hot caramel.
Cooked sugar at 320 F+ (160 C) causes severe burns. Cool fully and keep children away.

Made this?

Log it to keep your bakes, ratings and notes together in My Kitchen.

Be the first to share one.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make spun sugar and caramel shards?

Plan on 15 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus 30 minutes to chill. The recipe makes 8 garnishes.

How should I store spun sugar and caramel shards?

Store shards in an airtight container with desiccant packets up to 1 day; spun sugar must be used within a couple of hours.

Can I make spun sugar and caramel shards ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Is this recipe vegan?

Yes, as written. Check that packaged ingredients such as chocolate, sprinkles and plant butter are labeled vegan.

Serve it with vanilla ice cream.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

161 Calories / serving

0.0g Fat

41.9g Carbs

0.0g Protein

39.2g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~1288 cal · 0g fat · 335g carbs · 0g protein · 314g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.