Tanghulu Recipe – Chinese Candied Fruit

Easy, Sweet, and Crunchy Tanghulu Recipe – This Chinese Candied Fruit is an eye-catching and delightful treat for festive occasions!

Chinese Candied Fruit is a fun, tasty, and well known Chinese street snack. It’s made with fruit pieces skewered onto wooden sticks then covered with a hard sugar syrup. It’s an easy and delightful snack to make for parties or casual gatherings.

Why you’ll love this Chinese Candied Fruit?

It has a great texture: The fruit pieces are covered with a hard glass like exterior that gives it an exciting and satisfying crunch. The hard exterior is balanced with a fresh and soft center making each bite fun and pleasurable.
It’s tasty and delightful: First you get to taste the sweet and crunchy sugar coating that contrasts amazingly with the sweet, juicy, and tart fruit.
It looks fun and colorful: The glossy fruit candy looks bright, colorful, and it’s so fun to eat for all ages.

What ingredients do I need for this recipe?

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1 pound strawberries and kiwis (sub with grapes, pineapple or other fruit of choice)
2 cups white sugar
1 cup water
10 skewers (equipment)

How to make this Chinese Candied Fruit Recipe?

Wash all your fruit and pat dry. Get rid of any stems, leaves or unwanted parts. If the fruit pieces are small, place them directly onto skewers, if the fruit if a bit chunky, then cut in half or according to taste, then place on the skewers. It’s best not to use more than 3 to 4 pieces per skewer.

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Place a small pot on medium heat, add in the water and sugar (don’t stir). Let it boil and simmer until the mixture thickens like a syrup; it might take about 10 to 20 minutes.

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Check the syrup temperature by drizzling a spoonful into an ice water bath. If it becomes hard in seconds and snaps when bent, then it’s ready to use.

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Quickly submerge the fruit skewers in syrup then rotate to evenly coat a thin layer. Immediately dip into an ice water bath to cool and harden the sugar coating. (make sure to work fast)
Repeat the same method for the remaining skewers, then place on a serving plate. Enjoy!

Chinese Candied FruitPin It

If you don’t like the plain color of the sugar syrup, you can change things a bit by adding some food coloring for a fun and vibrant looking candied fruit!

If you like your snack to be sweet, fruity and extra crunchy, then you should try this Tanghulu Chinese Candied Fruit: you’ll enjoy every bite!

Helpful Tips and Variations:

Which fruit can I use? you can use blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, grapes, kiwis, mandarins or pineapples.
What can I add to make the sugar coating?. For the sugary syrup, you can add a cornstarch (to make it thicker). To enhance the flavor, you can add some spices like cinnamon or ginger. You can also add vanilla or mint extract or cocoa powder for a chocolatey taste. For a fresh and fragrant flavor add some lime, orange or lemon zest.
What can I add for a spicy edge? You can drizzle a pinch of chili powder or cayenne pepper. Adding a dash of heat works well with the sweetness of the recipe. (You can even work with pineapple, mango or watermelon; these fruits work well with sweet and spicy recipes.
What can I drizzle on top? You can drizzle your favorite chocolate sauce on top; if you don’t like chocolate drizzle caramel, honey or lemon glaze. Any nut butter would also serve as a great dip.
How can I store any leftovers? Place the fruit skewers in an airtight container; if you have more than one layer, separate each with parchment paper. Place the container in the fridge and enjoy within 2 days.
Can I freeze this recipe? It’s not really recommended since the best part about this recipe is the crunch, which will be affected once stored in the freezer.

How can I serve this Chinese Candied Fruit?

This fun and sweet Chinese Candied Fruit is best served right away to fully enjoy the fresh taste and great texture. You can serve it as a snack, treat or dessert; place the skewers on a tray paired with different dips of your choice.
If you’re hosting an Asian themed dinner party, you can serve it as a light and sweet dessert with Chinese pastries like sesame balls or mooncakes. You can have it with beverages like green tea or fruit juices.
You can also make it as a light and sweet and comforting treat for your kids; especially during colder months.

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Tanghulu Recipe – Chinese Candied Fruit

This Chinese Candied Fruit is an eye-catching and delightful treat for festive occasions!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 5

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound strawberries and kiwis sub with grapes, pineapple or other fruit of choice
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 10 skewers equipment

Instructions
 

  • Wash all your fruit and pat dry. Get rid of any stems, leaves or unwanted parts. If the fruit pieces are small, place them directly onto skewers, if the fruit if a bit chunky, then cut in half or according to taste, then place on the skewers. It’s best not to use more than 3 to 4 pieces per skewer.
  • Place a small pot on medium heat, add in the water and sugar (don’t stir). Let it boil and simmer until the mixture thickens like a syrup; it might take about 10 to 20 minutes.
  • Check the syrup temperature by drizzling a spoonful into an ice water bath. If it becomes hard in seconds and snaps when bent, then it’s ready to use.
  • Quickly submerge the fruit skewers in syrup then rotate to evenly coat a thin layer. Immediately dip into an ice water bath to cool and harden the sugar coating. (make sure to work fast)
  • Repeat the same method for the remaining skewers, then place on a serving plate. Enjoy!
Keyword Chinese Candied Fruit, Chinese recipes, Chinese snacks, Holiday snacks, Holiday snacks easy, Holiday snacks for kids, sweet snacks

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