Candy or Sugar Syrup Temperature Chart

Check our temperature charts for making candy at home

Have you ever wanted to make your own candy or sugar syrup at home? It can be incredibly rewarding to make homemade candy, but it requires precision when it comes to temperature.

Our below chart on candy or sugar syrup temperatures will tell you exactly how hot your homemade candy should be at each stage of the process.

Fahrenheit and Celsius Candy & sugar Temperatures

Stage	Internal Core Temperature in Fahrenheit	Internal Core Temperature in Celsius	Description
Thread Stage	230°F to 235°F	110°C to 112°C	Syrup and Binding agent for fruit pastes: A spoonful of sugar drizzled over a plate forms a fine, thin thread. This stage makes a syrup, not a candy.
Soft-ball Stage	235°F to 240°F	112°C to 116°C	Fudge, Fondant, Creams, Penuche, Maple, etc: When a small amount of sugar syrup is dropped into very cold water, it forms a ball that does not hold its shape when pressed with your fingers.
Firm-ball Stage	244°F to 248°F	118°C to 120°C	Caramels and Divinity: When a small amount of sugar syrup is dropped into very cold water, it forms a ball that holds its shape, but it still sticky, when pressed with your fingers.
Hard-ball Stage	250°F to 266°F	121°C to 130°C	Taffy and Marshmallows: When a small amount of sugar syrup is dropped into very cold water, it forms a ball that holds its shape but is pliable.
Soft-crack Stage	270°F to 290°F	132°C to 143°C	Butterscotch and Toffee: When a small amount of sugar syrup is dropped into very cold water, it scan be stretched between your fingers and separates into hard but not brittle threads.
Hard-crack Stage	300°F to 310°F	149°C to 154°C	Brittles and Lollipops: When a small amount of sugar syrup is dropped into very cold water, it will solidify but will separates into hard brittle threads.
Light Caramel Stage	320°F to 335°F	160°C to 170°C	Glazes, coating agent: Poured onto a white plate the syrup will be honey-golden in color.
Dark Caramel Stage	Up to 350°F	177°C Watch carefully as any temperature above 350 degrees F. begins to burn the sugar and it will develop a bitter, burnt taste.	Glazes, coating agent: Poured onto a white plate the syrup will be deep reddish amber in color.