Description
Cotton Candy Pineapple Slices are a vibrant, candy-glazed fruit treat made with juicy pineapple rings and a sweet, swirled hard candy shell. With pastel colors, glossy shine, and a nostalgic cotton candy flavor, they’re perfect for parties, dessert tables, and edible decor. Super fun to make, no baking required—just melt, swirl, and wow your guests!
Ingredients
1 can of pineapple rings, drained and patted dry (or 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced into ½-inch rings)
1 cup white granulated sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon cotton candy extract (or vanilla extract)
Gel food coloring (pink, blue, and purple work beautifully)
Optional: edible glitter or luster dust
Instructions
Dry the pineapple:
Lay pineapple rings flat on parchment or a wire rack and blot them dry thoroughly with paper towels. This helps the candy coating stick.Make the candy syrup:
In a saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir over medium heat until dissolved, then stop stirring and let the mixture boil until it reaches 300°F (hard crack stage) using a candy thermometer.Add flavoring and color:
Remove the syrup from heat and stir in the cotton candy extract. Quickly divide the syrup into 2–3 small bowls and tint each with different gel food colorings.Glaze and swirl:
Drizzle each color over the pineapple slices. Use a toothpick to lightly swirl the syrup into a marbled design. Work quickly, as the syrup hardens fast.Let set:
Leave the slices to cool at room temperature for about 15 minutes, or until the candy shell is glossy and fully hardened.
Notes
Dry fruit = better glaze. Don’t skip drying the pineapple—excess moisture can cause the syrup to slide off.
Gel colors only. Liquid food coloring can dilute the syrup and cause it to crystallize.
Use a candy thermometer. Hitting exactly 300°F is key to getting that crisp candy shell.
Work one at a time. The syrup sets quickly—glaze and swirl one pineapple ring before moving to the next.
Make it sparkle. A light dusting of edible glitter before the syrup sets adds an extra wow factor.