Sugar Plums are easy to make and a great addition to holiday treats. You may be surprised what they REALLY are!
Nutcracker ballet (and now movie) fans will know the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
And of course, from Clement Clark Moore’s Saint Nicholas Twas The Night Before Christmas….'while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads'.
But did you ever wonder what a sugar plum is?
The answer might surprise you AND have you in the kitchen whipping up a batch to celebrate the winter holidays!
What are Sugar Plums?
Contrary to the name, Sugar Plums are not sweet plums covered in sugar.
The Oxford English Dictionary, defines them as a comfit.
They are a dried fruit, nut and spice mixture pulverized into small balls rolled in coarse sugar.
Without the sugar they are actually a pretty healthy, dense nutritional snack naturally sweetened by the fruits (think current day 'energy bites').
With the sugar they become a whimsical eye-catching surprise.
What Ingredients are in Sugar Plums?
The traditional fruits are earthy and the spices palate-catching.
One might expect the winter traditional spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice.
Instead caraway, fennel and anise, carry the flavors of the sugarplums giving a bold flavor.
For this Sugar Plum recipe I decided to mix it up and use more holiday-traditional fruits:
the customary 'plums' (prunes)
Slivered almonds round out the flavors.
Decorating or sparkling sugars in opalescent jewel tones were used to coat the sugar plums. Traditional white sanding or decorating sugar may also be used.
Type of Sugar to Use for Coating
Decorating sugar would be traditional to use to roll the fruit-nut sugar plums in.
It sparkles but has a finer grain (still larger than granulated sugar but finer than the Sparkling Sugar I used).
I chose to use Sparkling Sugar instead, loving both the colors and the brilliance of light reflection.
The brand I used and love is India Tree Sparkling Sugars. I've used them in other recipes like Gluten-Free King Cake for Mardi Gras.
The colors are deep in hue and gorgeous and the sparkle is brilliant.
I'll share links here for the India Tree Sparkling Sugar colors used on the sugar plums shown here:
How to Make Sugar Plums
This no bake confection is always an eye-catching holiday treat. Add it to a cookie platter or serve them on their own. Leave some out for St. Nicholas too!
STEP 1. Toast the almonds
In a large skillet, toast the almonds until golden in color and aromatic. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
STEP 2. Process the ingredients
Once the almonds cool, combine the almonds, plums/prunes, cherries, apricots, currents and cranberries in a food processor.
Pulse until the mixture is granular and holding together.
NOTE: do not allow the mixture to form a ball.
STEP 3. Toast the spices
Add the anise seeds, fennel seeds, caraway seeds and ground cardamom into a large dry skillet over medium-high heat. Toast while stirring constantly; 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
STEP 4. Make the sugar plums
In a large mixing bowl combine the confectioner's sugar, spices and salt. Whisk or sift together.
The fruit-nut mixture and honey to the mixing bowl. With damp hands, mix all the ingredients together.
Place the decorating/coating sugar or sparkling sugar in a bowl (or multiple bowls if using different colors).
Scoop a heaping teaspoon of the fruit mixture and roll gently between palms of hands to form a ball.
Gently roll the ball in the decorative sugar and place on a cooling rack to dry for a few hours.
NOTE: the sugar plums will be slightly sticky after being rolled.
How to Store
Store prepared Sugar Plums between layers of wax paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Allow them to come to room temperature before serving for best flavor.
More Holiday Treat Recipes You’ll Love:
- Pecan Rum Balls (a No Bake recipe)
- How to Make Divinity (candy)
- Sugared Cranberries
- Homemade Marshmallows: Recipes, Tips & Tricks
- Candy Cane Place Card Holder
Recipe
Sparkling Sugar Plums
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Slivered Almonds
- 4 ounces Dried Plums (prunes)
- 2 ounces Dried Cherries (sweetened)
- 2 ounces Turkish Apricots
- 2 ounces Zante Currants
- 2 ounces Dried Cranberries (sweetened; with apple juice if available)
- ¼ cup Confectioner's Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Anise Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Caraway Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cardamom
- Pinch Kosher Salt
- ¼ cup Honey
- 1 cup Decorating or Sparkling Sugar (may use multiple colors)
Instructions
- In a large dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast the almonds, stirring often until they begin to turn golden and aromatic. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Once cool, place the almonds, plums/prunes, cherries, apricots, currants and cranberries in the bowl of a food processor. Plus the mixture until it becomes granular and is holding together. Do not allow the mixture to become a ball by over processing.
- Place the anise seeds, fennel seeds, caraway seeds and ground cardamom into the large dry skillet. Over medium-high heat allow the spices to lightly toast (1-2 minutes), while stirring constantly. They will become aromatic. Remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, spices and salt. Either sift to combine fully or whisk together.
- Add the fruit-nut mixture and honey to the mixing bowl. With damp hands, mix all the ingredients together until fully combined.
- Place the decorating or sparkling sugar(s) in a bowl (or multiple bowls if using different colors). Scoop a heaping teaspoon of the fruit mixture and roll gently between the palms of your hands to form a ball. Gently roll the ball in the coarse sugar and place on a cooling rack to dry for a few hours (the balls will be a bit tacky in texture when first rolled; they are edible then but slightly sticky).
Nutrition
Originally published: December 20, 2013
Claudia Krusch says
That looks amazing! So colorful and pretty! Love that it’s gluten free!
Connie says
Thank you for answering my life-long question 🙂 I have always wondered what sugar plums were but had never looked it up. They look yummy.
Amy says
Ok, these give new meaning to sugar plum fairies danced in their head. I had no ideas these were a real thing and so pretty at that!
Pam says
I always assumed that sugar plums were, well, sugared plums. These look like they would be fun to make and try.
Toni Dash says
Completely understandable assumption! It was a surprise to me when I researched them originally.
Emily says
I’ve always wondered what sugar plums are So this was a fun read! I had never heard of sparkling sugar but it sounds so fancy! I would love to give these a try.
Jessica says
So I formative! Thank you so much!
Natasha says
I had no idea what sugar plums were until this post. New favorite for Christmas!! These are darling!
Brianne says
This is some really amazing information! I have always wondered what a sugar plum is, but never really researched it. I started reading your post and became intrigued!
krissy says
These were such a fun project for myself and my kids! They are delicious and so incredibly cute! A sure crowd pleaser!
lauren says
These are so gorgeous! I have always wanted to make them!