Easy Sugar Plum Recipe for a Festive Season

A bowl of 3 sugar plums for Christmas holiday

Sugar Plum evokes the sweet magic of Christmas. I love crafting these treats for holiday joy. The blend of fruits, nuts, and spices creates a delightful festive flavor.

Easy sugar plum recipe

Sugar plums are traditional holiday treats. The term “sugar plum” refers to hard candies or dragées with small, round, or oval shapes. The name describes their size, not their ingredients.

In the 17th century, sugar plums were unripe fruits coated in hard sugar. People used them as treats or festive decorations. Morden versions contain dried fruits, nuts, jam, and spices. Common ingredients include almonds, dried plums, and apricots. These ingredients are mixed, formed into small rounds, and coated in sugar or sugar syrup.

Easy no-bake sugar plum recipe is perfect for Christmas

I used dates, dried apricots, and glace cherries for the homemade sugar plum candies. These treats are quick and easy to make. You blitz all the ingredients in a food processor for a few seconds and roll them into balls.

Sugar plums make great gifts when wrapped in festive packaging. They’re gluten and dairy-free. Here is how to make sugar plums:

Best sugar plum recipe for holiday

Sugar plum dessert recipe

These no-bake treats are made from a mixture of finely chopped dried fruits, nuts, and warm spices. They're sweet, chewy, and fragrant – perfect for holiday gifting or dessert platters.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 12
Calories 68 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g chopped dates
  • 100 g chopped dried apricots
  • 110 g chopped mixed nuts
  • 60 g glace cherry halves
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 1/2 tsp honey
  • 2 tbsp icing sugar
  • 1 tsp edible glitter

Instructions
 

  • Blitz together all the ingredients apart from the sugar and glitter for a few seconds until roughly mixed and sticking together.
  • Dust a board and your hands with the icing sugar. Take spoonfuls of the mixture and roll into a ball in your hands, then roll in the icing sugar until coated. Repeat until all the mixture has been used. Then roll in the glitter – I used silver, but you can use any colour you like!
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve – they will keep in the fridge in Tupperware containers for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

Substitute the fruit for any dried fruit, make sure it’s chopped up before processing.

Nutrition

Calories: 68kcalCarbohydrates: 8.8gProtein: 1.2gFat: 3.1gSodium: 2mgSugar: 7.3g
Keyword Christmas dessert, gluten-free recipe, homemade dessert, no-bake dessert, sugar plums
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Pairing suggestions

Sugar plums are served with a variety of complementary foods and drinks.

  1. Non-Alcoholic Options:
    • Coffee or tea is perfect for snacks or desserts.
    • Hot apple cider complements the sweet and spiced flavors.
    • Sparkling grape juice punch balances sweetness with tart cranberry flavors.
  2. Alcoholic Drinks:
    • Sugar Plum Fairy Punch mixes vodka, plum liqueur, and grenadine.
    • Sugar Plum Cocktail balanced flavor profile that pairs well with holiday desserts.
    • Warm Sugar Plum Cocktail evokes the flavors of traditional sugar plums.
    • Sugar Plum Fizz is perfect for holiday parties.
    • Mulled wine pairs perfectly.
  3. Food Options:
    • Cream or custard is a great pair.
    • Vanilla or spiced ice cream enhances the treat’s rich flavors.
    • Spiced snacks like toasted nuts enhance the flavor.
    • Toasted almonds complement sugar plums’ flavor profile.
    • A fruit salad balances the dessert’s sweetness with freshness.

Variations

Here are some notable variations of sugar plum treats:

  1. Traditional Versions contain dried fruits, nuts, and spices. They are rolled in sugar. These candies are a classic holiday treat.
  2. Sugar Plum Balls are a healthier dessert option. They combine nuts, dried fruits, and spices and coated in sugar.
  3. Sugar Crostata Plum is a rustic tart. It contains halved sugar plums. Other fruits can replace the plums.
  4. Sparkly Versions contain dried fruits, nuts, honey, and spices. They are rolled in sanding sugar. This dessert is festive and appealing.

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