Sugar Plums

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Homemade Sugar Plums! ✨🧚‍♀️ Believe it or not, making this famous Christmas treat is super easy, and they taste amazing!

Originally, sugar plums were hard candies with sugar coating, typically surrounding a nut or spice. The name “plum” came from their round or oval shape.

Nowadays, the most popular sugar plum recipe involves a mix of dried fruits, nuts, and aromatic spices, all rolled into a plum shape and coated in crunchy sugar. It’s easy to make and absolutely delicious (and kind of healthy too!). Here’s our take on the recipe – we love to add purple sanding sugar for extra flair (totally optional) and a small sprig of rosemary on top for cuteness!

Simple, tasty, and perfect for the holidays, these Sugar Plums are a unique treat to whip up this festive season! Packed with dried fruit, warming spices, and a sugary crunch, they’ll definitely get you into the holiday spirit.

Sugar Plums

Course Snack
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 16

Ingredients

  • ½ cup finely chopped prunes
  • ¼ cup finely chopped dried apricots or dates
  • ¼ cup finely chopped dried cranberries
  • ½ cup chopped toasted unsalted almonds
  • ¼ cup chopped toasted unsalted pecans
  • 2 tablespoons cherry jam
  • ¾ tsp orange zest
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • tsp nutmeg
  • tsp ground cloves
  • tsp cardamom
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup coarse sugar for coating purple sugar used in this recipe

Instructions

  • For extra flavor, toast the nuts by spreading them on a sheet pan and baking at 350˚F for 6-7 minutes until fragrant.
  • Finely chop all dried fruit. In a food processor, pulse the fruit and nuts until finely chopped. Add all other ingredients (except sugar) and pulse until sticky and well combined.
  • Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the plums, then shape them into ovals. Optionally, use a toothpick to make an indentation on the front. Roll in sugar until well coated and (optional) insert a small rosemary sprig on top as a stem. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Store these sugar plums in the refrigerator for several weeks or freeze for long-term storage (up to 6 months).
  • Get creative with dried fruits and nuts, but keep the quantities the same!
  • Toasting the nuts adds extra flavor, though it’s not mandatory.
  • Chop all fruit before using the food processor for even-sized pieces, avoiding large chunks.

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