Kentucky Cream Pull Candy
Kentucky Cream Pull Candy is an indulgence you will never forget!! This candy is made with pure whipping cream and sugar and it gets cooked, pulled, and cut into pieces of taffy-like candy. Then it gets covered and left to cream overnight. That’s when the miracle occurs. It miraculously turns into the most delicious melt-in-your-mouth candy that you will ever eat.
Okay my friends, as you know I’m from Kentucky, and I’m about to share with you my most favorite of all candy recipes and it originated right here in Kentucky. If you have never had a piece of Kentucky Cream Pull Candy, you truly don’t know what you’ve been missing, and if you have had this wonderful candy, you know exactly what I’m talking about. This creamy yet airy candy simply melts in your mouth. It’s made of sugar, pure vanilla, and heavy whipping cream…shall I say more!
I want to share this recipe with you for several reasons…
- It is an old-time recipe that goes back to at least the early 1900s or before. As I have mentioned on my home page, I want to revive the old recipes and not let them be forgotten, especially the great ones.
- I want to clarify the confusion that I see on Pinterest between Kentucky Cream Pull Candy and Vinegar Taffy. They look-alike but Vinegar Taffy is different. It’s Taffy and this recipe is Cream Candy. This candy has a consistency of Taffy when it’s first made but changes to a creamy melt in your mouth texture overnight. I’ll be posting the Vinegar Taffy recipe soon, to clear up all confusion between the two.
- This is the most delicious candy you will ever put in your mouth. My friend Julie calls it “sinful”. I promise that if you have a chance to eat one piece of this melt in your mouth divine bite of heaven, you’ll want to know how to make it, and I want to make sure you know how to make it. When you eat a piece you will totally savor it as it slowly melts on your tongue and you’ll moan in great pleasure. You’ll keep going back for more until you make yourself sick. Trust me, I know!
Allow me to take a moment to talk about the history of this candy…
No one knows exactly when the first batch of Kentucky Cream Pull Candy was made or who created the recipe. What we do know is that it appears to have originated somewhere in central Kentucky and it dates back to at least the early 1900s or before. There are four women in Kentucky who were all well-known for making this delicious confection…
Ruth Hanly Booe and Rebecca Gooch, two substitute school teachers in Louisville Kentucky, opened their own business in 1919, Rebecca Ruth Candies, in Frankfort Kentucky. Rebecca Gooch later sold her half of the business to Ruth Hanly Booe. I have a picture of Ruth Hanly Booe pulling the candy outside in her yard in 1923. Rebecca Ruth Candies is still well-known today for their candies here in Kentucky.
Ruth Hunt from Mt. Sterling Kentucky started making the candy from the basement of her home in 1921. She sold it by word of mouth until her business outgrew itself. She later found a permanent shop to sell her candy in 1930. She was also known for her creation of the Blue Monday, cream candy that had been dipped in chocolate. Today, you can visit and purchase Ruth Hunt candies in two locations, Mt. Sterling and Lexington.
Maxine (Mom) Blakeman from Lancaster Kentucky, started making the candy from her home in the 1940s. She made it available to the patrons at her restaurant. She started marketing her candy in 1961. Mom Blakeman’s Candy is still sold today here in Kentucky.
Kentucky Cream Pull Candy is cooked to a hard-ball stage, poured onto a very cold marble slab, and when cooled enough to handle, is pulled like Taffy and stretched into a long piece of candy with ridges on the top and cut into pieces with scissors. It is left overnight to cream. Many years ago candy makers thought the only way to get this candy to turn out perfect was to stand outside in freezing cold temperatures to pull it. Many years later, we now know that this is not necessary. Years ago and today, most people think that you cannot make this candy when it is raining or humid outside. Well, I’m here to disagree with this common belief among most candy makers. I have turned out my very best batches of this candy on rainy and humid days.
Some people enlist the help of a second person to help them pull this candy. Others use a large hook to pull it, especially if they are making several batches of it.
TIPS
- If you’re using a candy thermometer to test your candy, make sure it’s calibrated correctly. I calibrate my candy thermometers once a year just before the holidays when I know I’m going to be making a lot of candy. It takes just a few minutes to calibrate your candy thermometers, so save yourself a flopped batch of candy by doing this step. Click here to see how to calibrate your candy thermometers.
- Use the right pot for candy making! Use a heavy-bottomed pot and one that is deep enough. Most candy bubbles and rises up in the pot before it cooks back down. Make sure your pot is tall enough to the candy doesn’t bubble over.
HOW TO MAKE KENTUCKY CREAM PULL CANDY
Start by adding 4 cups of sugar, a pinch of salt, and 1 cup of boiling water to a deep pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Cover with a lid and boil for exactly 5 minutes. Why this step? By boiling the sugar water for 5 minutes covered, it causes the sugar to dissolve, and also keeps sugar crystals from forming on the sides of the pot.
Remove the lid, reduce the heat to medium, and add a candy thermometer to the side of the pot. Slowly add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, making sure the mixture doesn’t stop bubbling.
The mixture will bubble up almost to the top of the pot for a few seconds before it settles back down. Continue to cook the mixture over medium heat, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 260 degrees, (a hard-ball) on the candy thermometer, or when tested in cold water. Click here to see how to test candy in cold water. Immediately remove the pot from the heat.
Pour the candy on a buttered cold marble slab.
Drizzle 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract over the candy.
Use a metal spatula and turn each of the long sides in towards the middle. As the underside starts to cool, flip it over one time to cool the top side, and keep moving the candy to the coldest area on the marble slab.
Using your fingertips, pull the candy for about 4-5 minutes until it changes from shiny/glossy to satiny and lighter in color. Note: Use a small amount of butter on your fingers if necessary, but try not to use too much!
Once it becomes satiny and lighter in color, pull the candy into a long piece. If pulled correctly, the candy will have ridges along the top of the candy. If you can’t make your candy have ridges, don’t fret. Just pull it out into a long twisted rope instead.
Using sharp kitchen scissors, cut the candy into bite-size pieces. Tip: Place your scissors in the freezer at least 1 hour before making the candy. The cold scissors make it easier to cut the candy.
At this point, the candy will be slightly sticky and rather dense in texture. At this stage, it is like Taffy. Note: It is the most delicious tasting Taffy at this stage. You will want to eat the entire batch just as it is, but you must make yourself leave it alone until it creams. You’ll thank me later. Cover the candy with a towel overnight. You can also put it in a tin, but you must make sure that the pieces are not touching together while they are still slightly sticky. Often times, this candy will cream within a couple of hours as well. As soon as the candy creams, transfer it to a candy tin.
Recipe updated on 12/16/20.
Check out my recipe posted in Southern Living Magazine!
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Kentucky Cream Pull Candy
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30
Description
Kentucky Cream Pull Candy is an indulgence you will never forget!! This candy is made with pure whipping cream and sugar and it gets cooked, pulled, and cut into pieces of taffy-like candy. Then it gets covered and left to cream overnight. That’s when the miracle occurs. It miraculously turns into the most delicious melt-in-your-mouth candy that you will ever eat.
Ingredients
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla
- Butter for marble slab
Instructions
- Combine sugar, salt and boiling water in a large pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan with a lid and let mixture cook for exactly 5 minutes.
- Remove lid and reduce heat to medium. Add a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Slowly add the cream, a little bit at a time, making sure that the mixture does not stop bubbling. DO NOT stir. Cook until candy reaches 260 degrees on a candy thermometer or forms a hard ball when tested in cold water
- Remove candy from heat, and immediately pour onto a very cold buttered marble slab. DO NOT scrape the insides of the pan. Drizzle the vanilla over the surface of the candy. Using a metal spatula, turn each long side of the candy inward. Flip the candy over to cool the top side.
- When cool enough to handle, cut the candy in half, (if two people are pulling it). Using your fingertips, pull the candy for at least 3-4 minutes until it’s no longer shiny and sticky and has started to look satiny and lighter in color. Pull the candy into long twisted ropes and place it on the marble slab. Using scissors, immediately cut the candy into pieces about 1 1/2″ long. Make sure the candy pieces are not touching since they are still sticky at this point. The candy will now be a consistency of taffy. It’s delicious but try not to eat it.
- Cover the candy with a towel and let it set overnight to cream. Candy can be placed in a tin, but pieces should not be touching until the candy has creamed. I find it best to just spread the candy on cookie sheets or leave on the marble slab and cover with a non-frizzy towel.
- Yields: About 2 pounds
Notes
- If you’ve never made this candy, take a moment to look at the illustrated steps above this recipe, before attempting to make it. It’s really not hard…it just takes a few minutes and a little patience, but it is so worth it.
- Time does not include pulling and cutting candy.
Hello! After having homemade pull candy when visiting Hindman, KY, I was so excited to make it myself! I don’t have a marble slab, but did the cookie-sheet-in-the-freezer workaround. All went well till I was using my bench scraper to pull the edges into the middle…in just a moment, the whole batch turned to sugar. I’m not giving up, but would love your ideas on what went wrong. I think 1) the cookie sheets didn’t hold the chill long enough (they were hot as soon as I poured the candy in), and 2) I didn’t wait long enough before pulling in the edges. What do you think? I’ve seen other recipes using a tiny bit of vinegar, which I believe inhibits crystallization a little bit. I may try something like that.
I took a photo, but can’t see a place to attach that to my comment.
Hi Sarah,
I think I can help here, and you are right about the cookie sheets. You need to try to find a piece of marble slab if you can. Try looking at a store that sells marble and granite countertops for a scrap piece. Even my marble slab gets warm rather quickly. I have a piece that’s about 12-inches wide and almost 3′ long. It fits perfectly in the top of my big freezer when I make candy in the summer and in the winter I place it out on my deck. You want the candy to cool quickly so you can handle it right away. If you don’t start pulling it within about a minute it will turn to sugar. Also, when I’ve allowed my husband to help me, his sometimes turns to sugar. He has hot hands and uses his whole hand to pull the candy. Not a good idea. I use my fingertips only when I pull the candy. I also keep pulling it. Don’t stop to lay it down for more than a second or two, if you are stopping to butter your hands. Try not to use too much butter. As soon as you stop pulling, the candy starts to turn. If you haven’t pulled it long enough when you lay it down, it will turn right into a sugary clump. I know! My husband has done it a few times. Lol. I don’t suggest adding ANYTHING different to this recipe. I’ve been making this candy for 40 years and I’ve tried many different recipes. This one is the best. No need to add vinegar, baking soda, or anything else. It just takes some practice. I flopped several batches in the beginning. Don’t give up either, but try to find you a scrap piece of marble before you make it again. Good luck, and please feel free to reach out to me if you have any further questions.
Cindy
Try looking on Marketplace on Facebook for marble pieces.
If your “taffy” suddenly turns to sugar, you can melt that clump in milk, add some cocoa and butter and make fudge. No harm, no foul.
I tried this candy so many times in years past and swore I would never try it again. But I really want my mom to have a good batch for Christmas. Once again something went wrong. I have a nice marble slab that I keep in the freezer and when I poured and cooled the candy and started to pull, the candy was so stringy and would not stay together. I kept at it and eventually I got it to pull somewhat….I pulled out the rope and cut into pcs. and they just ended up looking like a melted blob. My feeling is that I did not cook the recipe long enough? I calibrated my candy thermometer before hand but maybe 260 is not long enough? I have seen other recipes say to cook to 265 and some to 260. Help please.
★★★★★
Hi Sonya,
I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out. It sounds like your marble slab was very cold, so that’s not the problem. Usually, when I flop a batch, it ends up being my candy thermometer. I’ve started using a digital one. I’ve even placed two on the side of my pan at times when I used the glass ones, although you said you calibrated yours. It truly sounds like you didn’t cook it quite long enough if it’s real stringy. Have you ever tested candy in cold water? If it forms a hard ball in cold water it’s ready. Also, try not to go overboard with buttering your hands. My husband has this problem. He has hot hands and keeps buttering them. This can make the candy suddenly turn into a crumbly hard mess or if undercooked, even more stringy. Please don’t give up. Try one more batch. If you’re not sure about testing candy in cold water, check out my post under my candy category. Good Luck and let me know how it turns out!!
Thank you for this recipe. My grandmother used to make this every Christmas season with my parents help and I was fortunate to help her in her very old age when her arthritis prevented her from pulling the candy. I lost the recipe a few years back and was happy to come across your site. I just made a batch without a candy thermometer but used the cold water technique that grandma Martin taught me.and it turned out perfect. Thanks again.
Hi Andy,
I’m so glad it turned out perfect for you! I’ve tried many recipes for this candy over the years, and this one is the true winner for me. These days, I’ve started freezing some of it as soon as I pull it. Some of my family loves it that way, because it stays like taffy. Have a great Christmas holiday and makes lots of candy! 🙂
Hi there. I attempted this for the first time this week and had pretty good success. The taste is there, but the very outer texture is a bit gritty. The inside is creamy and tastes great, but it doesn’t quite melt in your mouth because of the harder outside. Can you help me figure this out? Also, when you let it sit overnight, is that OUT? Like on the countertop? I was worried that it was drying out on the outside and that was the reason for the texture. I panicked after a few hours and put it in a tin in the fridge to finish. Any thoughts on the candy creaming in the fridge vs. the counter? Finally, when my grandmother served these, they were presented as smooth, round balls – not the tubular pieces with ridges. Have you heard of cutting the piece then rolling it into a ball? Thanks for all of your help! This has been a really fun journey for me!
Hi Tyler,
Rolling it into balls is a new one for me. But as long as it creams, I don’t guess it matters. As far as leaving it out, I cover it with a large lint-free kitchen towel overnight. I don’t suggest putting it in the fridge at all. This slows down the creaming process. As a matter of fact, some people love this candy when it’s first pulled, (in the taffy stage), so they cut it into pieces, wrap them, and keep them in the freezer so they won’t cream. The only thing I can figure about the outside being gritty, is if you might have over-pulled it a bit, and it was starting to turn slightly as you were pulling it out. I hope this helps! Happy Holidays!! Cindy
I’ve tried this twice, the first time it seemed to work, but the second time it was hard the next day. Both times the color was quite a bit darker than your photos and I used a digital thermometer to 260, what might I be doing wrong?
I am using cold marble as well
Hi Sherry,
If it’s darker, it’s been overcooked. No matter how expensive the thermometer, they can be off. Do you have a second thermometer? It also needs to be pulled for a few minutes until it’s no longer shiny but has a sheen. Don’t give up. See my post on calibrating candy thermometers. Good luck! Happy Holidays!
Cindy
I made it success finally. Did second Match Did not do kinda lío taffy. I will krep trying
★★★★★
Hi Carolyn,
I’m so glad it turned out. You keep trying. It will get easier! Happy Holidays!
Cindy
Carolyn,
My wife, mother-in-law and myself tried your recipe twice tonight. Both times while we where trying to pull it turned to crumbles all at once. The second batch was somewhat better but crumbled while we where pulling it.
I have 2 questions, 1) How long do you let it rest on the marble slab before trying to pick it up?
2) How long do we need to pull it? It was so hot that we couldn’t keep it off the marble and it never really changed color all that much.
We haven’t given up, as we’re going to try again tomorrow..
Thanks for your recipe and any advice you could give us.
Merry Christmas from Trimble Co. KY
Hi Will,
Was your marble slab cold? I place mine outside overnight and get it really cold? If the candy stays too long on the marble before pulling it will turn sugary. I pour mine on the marble slab. After 30 seconds, I take a metal spatula and turn each long side inward towards the middle. Then I move the candy with my hands to the coolest parts of the marble, turning it over once. I cut in half, (if someone is helping me pull). Then we start pulling it with our fingertips. I don’t use the palms of my hands to pull this, only fingertips. When cooking it, make sure your candy thermometer is accurate. If this candy starts to turn brown, it’s been overcooked. When it turns to a clump, it’s either overcooked or you waited too long to pull it. Let me know if you have any more questions. Good luck and Merry Christmas!
Cindy
My great grandmother passed this recipe down to us, but I found yours while looking for more exact temperatures, as I don’t like judging the hard ball in a glass method. Lol.
I pulled and pulled and it was looking great, then it suddenly started turning to sugar. Did I pull too long? Or would the fact that I live in Florida and its humid here affect it?
Hi Sarah,
It sounds like you might have pulled it too long. As soon as it will hold ridges when you pull it out it’s ready. I personally don’t believe in the humidity thing. I’ve pulled this candy in all kinds of weather and it turns out great. You could’ve overcooked it some. If the candy starts to turn brownish when cooking, you’ve overcooked it. Don’t give up!! Merry Christmas!
I should say, it began to revert back to a very soft, sticky mess that I could not even handle, and then it turned to sugar.
Ms. Cindy,
Thank you so much for your recipe & instructions. You’ve helped me tremendously. I’ve got it working pretty good & tastes spot on. It just a little hard and gritty after it creams. Not so much that you can’t enjoy it, I’d just like it a little creamier & softer. Any thoughts?
Hi Alan,
I think you might have overcooked it a little bit. Also, make sure you’re pulling it until it holds its ridges when you stop pulling it. Don’t give up. Merry Christmas!
Needing some suggestions with making this cream candy. The first time I tried the recipe it did not cream it stayed in a taffy stage and became hard. The second time that I tried it, we pulled the candy longer. It did cream and turn white. We left it on the marble all evening. The next morning the outside takes sugary but the inside has the cream candy taste. It is not light or melt in your mouth. Any suggestions?
Hi Rebecca, First I’d like to say, don’t give up! I made batch after batch of this candy years ago before getting it right. In regards to the first batch, it sounds like maybe it was either undercooked and/or wasn’t pulled long enough. The second batch… did you cover the candy overnight as it creamed? It sounds like you pulled it too long before putting it down. Another thing… are you using a candy thermometer or testing it in cold water? I have had many candy thermometers that were inaccurate over the years. I want you to make a perfect batch, so contact me with any further questions or comments! Good luck!
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I am excited to try it. The recipe I was given was for 3 cups of sugar..1/8th tsp of baking soda and 1/8th tsp of salt..1 cup of cream and 1/2 cup of water. Stir dry ingredients then add boiling water and cream. The main issue I have is knowing when to stop pulling. I have had some not hold lines that have turned out to be the best batches.. Some are gritty.. Some turn to a hard ball right in your hands while pulling. I love a challenge that is why I love making this candy. But I am going to give your recipe a try.
Hi Stephanie, Don’t give up on the challenge! 🙂 It takes a few batches to get it right every time. I’ve tried many recipes over the years and this is by far my favorite. It’s more flavorful and turns out perfect a lot more often. Good luck!!
Awwww. The memories of my Kentucky born (Ashland) mom making this magical recipe. Her recipe is almost the same, but she always added a pinch of soda. I guess I know what I will be doing this evening. I can’t wait to taste the best bandy in the whole wide world.
Hi Kathy, Isn’t this the best candy ever!! So many people haven’t heard of this wonderful Kentucky secret. We are blessed that we have enjoyed it. 🙂
I really enjoyed reading the history you posted. My grandmother grew up in kentucky. Per my family verbal history, my great grandmother worked in a candy shop and learned how to make this recipe. My grandmother taught me how to make it and I still have her marble slab. She has passed now but would be about 95 years old now. She always put a walnut on top of each piece before it set. I have made several batches and most turn out well.
Hi Amy, What great memories! I hope you keep making it. There aren’t many of us that still know how to make this wonderful candy.
How do you keep it from sticking to your hands? I tried a damp cloth or a little butter but it never set up hard enough to cut?
Hi Donna, I use a small amount of butter if it’s sticking, but I also pull the candy with my fingertips only. If you naturally have warm hands and pull with the palms of your hands, the candy will stay too warm. Also, if it’s that sticky, it might be undercooked. If it’s too soft, it’s either undercooked or underpulled. I hope this helps!