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Made with pretzel sticks and fondant, this July 4th recipe for spun sugar sparklers adds a splash of red, white, and blue to any patriotic party or Fourth of July desserts table.
Why Make this July 4th Recipe, and What Are Spun Sugar Sparklers?
Sparklers represent a quintessential part of July 4th celebrations in the United States. When lit, these handheld fireworks emit bright, sparkling light and crackling sounds. Enjoyed by children and adults alike, sparkers add a festve touch to Independence Day parades, picnics, and other nighttime festivities.
I drew inspiration from this traditional display of American patriotism to create my recipe for spun sugar sparklers. These fondant-wrapped pretzels capture the spirit of the ‘real’ thing, in the form of a sweet, edible (and non-flammable!) treat.
This July 4th recipe begins with thin pretzel sticks, which I’ve wrapped in red and blue cake decorator’s fondant. I’ve then made a hot sugar syrup, tinted it red and blue, and twirled it around the pretzels to create poofs or nests of spun sugar. (Almost like little tiny clouds of cotton candy!) And of course I’ve finished things off with some actual sparkle, in the form of edible glitter and silver foil stars.
Ingredients for Making Pretzel Sparklers
These festive July 4th sparklers require less than ten ingredients. If you’re an avid cake or cookie decorator you might already have these things on hand. If not, this recipe offers a good opportunity to stock up your toolkit! You’ll need:
Pretzel Sticks – I used thin pretzel sticks, each measuring about 5 inches long by 1/4-inch thick. If you cannot find these, I’ve offered some alternate suggestions below.
Fondant – Any basic white decorator’s fondant will work. You can purchase fondant in the cake decorating section at many supermarkets, at a craft store or cake decorating shop, or on Amazon. Take care to keep the fondant covered. (I wrap mine in clingfilm/plastic wrap and store it in a plastic bag when not in use.) It will dry out quickly.
Gel Food Coloring – You’ll need red gel food coloring and royal blue gel food coloring to make sparklers like the ones shown here. As always, I’ve used my go-to Chefmaster colors.
Liquid Glucose – Or corn syrup, or light Karo syrup. This ingredient helps to prevent the sugar from crystallizing in the pan.
Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar or caster sugar creates the hot sugar syrup you’ll use for the spun sugar tops.
Edible Glitter – I used a mix of silver edible glitter and silver foil stars, but any sparkly edible toppings will work.
Important Tools and Equipment
To make these spun sugar sparklers, you’ll want to have a few key tools on hand. These include:
- Fondant tools – Not essential, but I found it helpful to have a set of fondant tools nearby. They’re good for shaping the fondant around the pretzel sticks, and for gently reshaping bits of sugar or repositioning the foil stars as needed.
- Rubber gloves – I strongly suggest wearing rubber gloves while kneading the gel food coloring into the fondant. (You can skip the gloves, but be prepared to sport patriotic hands for a couple of days!)
- Candy thermometer – You’ll need to cook the hot sugar to 300° F / 148° C on a candy thermometer. Do not attempt this recipe without one! This Taylor digital thermometer is my go-to.
- Metal fork – Any metal dining fork will work just fine! You’ll use this to create the strands of hot sugar.
- Silicone mats – You’ll need one larger silicone baking mat to line the countertop, and a second, smaller one to cover the tray where you’ll place your finished truffles.
Notes on Pretzel Sticks
I developed this recipe using thin pretzel sticks, each measuring about 5 inches long by 1/4-inch thick. I think thin pretzels look more appropriate for sparklers, but you can also use thicker pretzel rods if desired.
If you can’t find thin pretzel sticks, you can also try substituting long, thin crackers, or something like Pocky. If you do use Pocky, cover the top of the chocolate portion with fondant. And don’t allow the hot sugar to touch the chocolate or you’ll find yourself with a melty mess.
Short pretzel sticks aren’t ideal for this recipe. You’ll need enough space to add the fondant and sugar, yet still be able to handle the end of the stick.
Tips for Creating the Spun Sugar
The “spun sugar” portion of this July 4th recipe isn’t really difficult, but if you haven’t worked with molten sugar before there might be a bit of a learning curve. The recipe will make some extra sugar syrup, so I suggest doing a couple of practice runs (you can practice with un-covered pretzels, or even just a wooden skewer) until you get the hang of it.
The basic process? Dip a metal fork in the hot sugar mixture and pull it upward to create thin sugar strands. Twirl the strands of hot sugar around the fondant-covered portion of each pretzel. Keep twirling and making sugar strands until your sparklers reach the size and shape you prefer.
After some trial and error, I found it easiest to keep the fork stationary and turn the pretzel stick, but you can experiment to see which technique feels most natural for you.
Some additional tips for working with hot sugar:
- I recommend working over a large metal bowl, or directly over the pan of sugar—there will be lots of drips!
- Molten sugar is extremely hot. Take caution when completing the hot sugar portion of the recipe, and keep young children and pets away from the stovetop.
- The sugar will become increasingly difficult to drizzle as it cools. When it no longer creates pretty strands (it will clump on the fork, or set in the pan), return the saucepan to the stovetop and reheat it for a few seconds—just long enough to re-melt the sugar. Do not apply too much heat or allow the syrup to boil, or the sugar will crystallize.
- When preparing the hot sugar syrup, cook the mixture without stirring. And same goes for adding the red and blue food coloring. Hold the handle of the pan and swirl it gently to work the color into the syrup. Don’t stir! Stirring promotes crystallization.
- After making the syrup, allow it to rest for 3-4 minutes (you’ll feel it thicken slightly) before beginning to work. If you dive in while the sugar is still very hot and fluid, it will slide off the fork instead of creating pliable strands.
- After finishing each sparkler, hold it upright and allow the sugar to harden (this will only take a few seconds) before placing it on the prepared mat.
Presentation Ideas for Serving This July 4th Recipe
Display the finished sparklers upright. You can use a drinking glass, small mason jar, or stemless wine glass (as shown in some of my photos) or opt for festive theming, like these patriotic candy buckets or red, white, and blue mini mason jars. When choosing a container, be sure to consider the length of the pretzel sticks you’ve used—you want the spun sugar portion to stick out the top.
Also, take caution not to overfill the container. If packed too tightly, the sugar will stick together, and guests will find it difficult to remove one sparkler at a time.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
As written, this recipe will yield approximately 24 sparklers, but you can easily double or triple or quadruple it for a crowd! Just add more pretzel sticks and fondant, and increase the sugar syrup ingredients accordingly.
When preparing the fondant-wrapped pretzels, I suggest making a few extras in each color. That way, you’ll have some backup pretzels on hand in case you break a few along the way. (I did!)
I chose red and blue, but you can make the sparklers any color you’d like. (Just remember that if you choose to use white fondant, the cooked sugar will be lightly caramel in color, not snow white.) You can also use gold foil stars instead of silver, or red or blue edible glitter for a patriotic note. I’d recommend against using sprinkles. These can damage the delicate sugar, and you might also experience color bleed between the sugar and the sprinkles.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
You can tint the red and blue fondant and wrap it around the pretzel sticks up to 24 hours in advance. Place the wrapped sticks on a tray lined with parchment or a silicone mat, or in an airtight container, and cover tightly. (Do not leave uncovered or the pretzels will start to go stale.)
Save the spun sugar portion of this recipe for the day you plan to serve your sparklers. If made too far ahead of time, the sugar can draw moisture, creating sticky sparklers. Allow 1 – 2 hours to complete the spun sugar step.
If you need to transport your sparklers (or have a few hours of time between making and serving) line a large, flat storage container with parchment and gently rest the finished sparklers across the bottom. Cover tightly until ready to arrange in your serving jars or glasses.
Other candymaking recipes you might enjoy:
Watermelon Lollipops
Root Beer Hard Candy
Easy Gummy Bear Recipe
Lemon Drops Candy
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Spun Sugar Sparklers
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 24 sparklers 1x
Description
Made with pretzel sticks and fondant, these spun sugar sparklers add a splash of red, white, and blue to any July 4th celebration.
Ingredients
210 grams granulated sugar (1 cup), divided
60 milliliters water (1/4 cup), divided
80 grams corn syrup or liquid glucose (1/4 cup), divided
120 grams white fondant (2 golf ball-sized pieces)
Red gel food coloring
Blue gel food coloring
24 thin pretzel sticks
Foil stars or edible glitter, to decorate
Instructions
Divide the fondant into two portions.
With gloved hands, knead the red gel food coloring into one portion, and the royal blue gel food coloring into the other.
Wrap the fondant around the tops of the pretzels, covering about half of the stick.
Line the countertop or a large tray with a silicone baking mat.
Add half of the sugar, water, and corn syrup (or liquid glucose) to a medium saucepan. Cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 300° F / 148° C on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat. Swirl in 2-3 drops of the blue food coloring.
Allow the sugar mixture to sit for 3-4 minutes. You’ll feel it thicken slightly. Then, working over a large metal bowl or the saucepan of hot sugar, dip a fork in the hot sugar* and pull upward to create thin strands. Twirl the strands of hot sugar around the fondant-covered portion of each pretzel. (I found it easiest to keep the fork stationary and turn the pretzel stick, but you can experiment to see which technique feels easiest for you.)
Allow the sugar to harden (this will only take a few seconds) then place the finished sparklers on the prepared mat.
Repeat the above instructions with the remaining sugar, water, and corn syrup, and the red gel food coloring.
Sprinkle the spun sugar portion of each sparkler with edible glitter and foil stars.
Serve pretzel sparklers on the day they are made.
Notes
*If the sugar begins to set in the saucepan, rewarm it on the stovetop for a few seconds.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Category: Miscellaneous
- Method: No Cook