20 Easy Christmas Candies You Can Make With 5 Ingredients or Less

Basic Truffles

You can make these easy homemade truffles using just three ingredients: chocolate, cream, and vanilla extract. Change up the flavors by substituting liqueurs for the vanilla, and roll them in cocoa powder, candy sprinkles, or finely chopped nuts.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

The recipe calls for two ingredients — chocolate and marshmallows — but to serve them up as shown, you'll want mini candy canes for the handles and for the crushed candy coating. Home cook Chef4Six offers these smart tips: "I love making these! I don't like to use chocolate chips, as the liquid firms up too quickly. Chocolate chips have an added agent in them to keep its shape. I use regular melting chocolate instead which melts to a thinner consistency and remains 'wetter' longer than melted chocolate chips. I dip the marshmallows 1/2 way in the chocolate and then sprinkle them with rainbow sprinkles."

Microwave Oven Peanut Brittle

You won't need a candy thermometer to make this recipe. You will, however, need to adjust your cook time depending on how many watts your microwave oven has. Here's a handy guide from home cook Julia Johnson: "700W = 10 minutes total cook time. 800W = 9 min. 900W = 8 min. 1000W = 7 min. 1100W = 6 min. I have to use a nonstick-sprayed spatula to spread the mixture quick before it cooled. I dump it onto a piece of parchment paper that I just lay straight on the counter so I didn't even have to pull out a cookie sheet. So easy!"

Easy Decadent Truffles

"I have been making these at Christmas time for the past 3 years," says Shar. "In the coming weekend I will be making them again for this year. This is the easiest recipe for Truffles. They are so delicious. I had to triple the batch last year and will again this year. I divide the mix and add make several flavours: mint Baileys Coffee (using very finely ground coffee beans) orange plain cherry amaretto and whatever else I can think of. After rolling I dip each one into dipping chocolate to get a nice coating on the outside and decorate each flavour differently. These are a huge hit and people don't usually believe that they were homemade. Simply wonderful."

White Chocolate Covered Pretzels

"This is one of those recipes where you really don't need the recipe know what I mean?" says amydoll. "I melted some white chocolate candy chips in the micro (half power stir every 30 sec until melted). dipped pretzel rods, sprinkled with red and green sugar, let set, then drizzled with melted semi-sweet chocolate. Love the combo of sweet and salty."

Chocolate Bark

Saltine crackers are drizzled with a simple brown sugar and butter caramel, and then again with melted chocolate. So easy!

Candy Cane Fudge

Easy, festive, and only five ingredients. Mishi says, "I didn't have vanilla chips so I used white chocolate instead and doubled the peppermint extract to cut thru the extra sweetness. It was a big hit."

Pretzel Turtles

Mini pretzels, caramel covered chocolate candies, and pecans make up this easy recipe. "I have been making these for years now and they are always a big hit," says Marsha. "I use the round pretzels that are usually available around the holidays. The Rolo fits nicely inside it and makes the perfect little treat."

Chocolate Spoons

How fun is this? All you do is dip plastic spoons into melted chocolate and then drizzle them with a contrasting chocolate. You can sprinkle them with candies, as shown, or press mini marshmallows into the chocolate before it hardens. Your lucky giftees can use them to stir into their coffee to make mochas or into hot milk to make hot chocolate.

Chocolate Orange Fudge

All you do is melt chocolate chips with condensed milk, stir in pecans and grated orange peel, and pour into a pan to cool. Home cook KIMAR says, "Super easy! Love the chocolate/orange combination. If you line the pan with enough parchment paper to cover the sides and bottom with a little extra to fold over the pan's edges you can easily lift the fudge out of the pan when you're ready to cut it into squares. I cut it with a pizza cutter which made it very easy and the pan didn't need to be washed!"

Rocky Road Candies

Melted chocolate, butter, condensed milk, peanuts, and mini marshmallows get all mixed up together and poured into a pan to cool. Then you can cut it into squares for holiday snacks and homemade gifts. Several home cooks recommend cutting back on the amount of marshmallows, but they love how easily this is to make.

Grandma's Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge

"This old-fashioned style of peanut butter fudge is not that easy to find out there," says recipe creator Chef John. "The ones I tend to run across always seem to be the soft, creamy version, which is not what I'm into. If it's going to feel like peanut butter in my mouth, then what's the point? No, I want something that feels dense and firm in my fingers but will almost instantly liquefy in when it hits my tongue." And that's exactly what this recipe delivers using only five ingredients.

Mice

Maraschino cherries are dipped in melted chocolate and decorated with chocolate kisses for noses, slivered almonds for ears, and dots of icing for eyes. You can perch them on cupcakes, as shown, or use them to garnish any holiday treat tray. "'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house..."

Rocky Road Popcorn Balls

These chewy, crunchy, sweet, and salty popcorn balls make terrific homemade food gifts, but you might want to package them separately so they don't stick together. Kai says, "Just made these and they are fantastic. Super easy to throw together also. I chopped my peanuts up a little as suggested by another reviewer."

Cranberry-Almond-Apricot Bark

Catty96 shared this recipe and says, "A friend made me a bag of this treat for Christmas and I had to get the recipe for this! A nice treat for the holidays — a perfect mix of cranberries, almonds, and apricots. Store in the refrigerator.

Pecan Carmel Clusters

Caramel candies are the shortcut ingredient in these easy, four-ingredient candies. You just melt them with butter and water, stir in pecans, mound them by the spoonful onto parchment paper, and dip them in chocolate after they firm up. Home cook fruitgirly cautions you to NOT use waxed paper (yes, there is a difference).

The Best White Chocolate Almond Bark

Recipe creator Kimberley says, "Toasting the almonds and adding almond extract is what make this recipe stand apart. It is a great treat to give out during the holidays. Substitute broken up candy cane for the almonds for a change."

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

This soft and chewy microwave fudge comes together in just 15 minutes and looks extra festive when you top it with crushed peppermint candies, as shown. Since every microwave works differently, check your chocolate frequently and give it a stir. Remove it as soon as the chocolate is melted.

Mocha Truffles

You'll need only three ingredients for these coffee-flavored cream cheese truffles, and two more for their glossy chocolate coating. You can add one more if you want to finish them off with candy sprinkles, as shown.

5-Ingredient Peppermint Bark

With layers of melted semisweet chocolate, white chocolate, and crushed peppermints, these treats turn out looking like they're all dressed up for the holidays. Some reviewers suggest cutting back on the peppermint extract because the candies are more than up to the task. But if you want to really lean into the peppermint vibe, go for it.

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