This nougat recipe is a beloved family favorite that comes from my grandma’s self-published church cookbook! The original recipe is vague, so I’ve added lots of tips and details so it turns out reliably.
You also might like these recipes for homemade caramels, peanut brittle, English toffee and pecan log from the same cookbook!
This recipe comes from my grandma’s old church cookbook that she published with her friends back in the 1970s. It’s a recipe that’s retro but timeless. Vague but versatile. Endearing and oh-so delicious!
The original instructions aren’t very detailed, but that’s what makes it even more special to me. You can see the hints of the culture, time period, and the personality behind the cute group of ladies who wrote the cookbook.
I’ve included more details and precise instructions, while still staying true to the original recipe. Check out all my tips below!
You may also enjoy this best fudge recipe or this vanilla bean marshmallow recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft, billowy, and chewy nougat base
- Versatile and easy to customize
- Makes a great neighbor gift
- Classic holiday candy recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on the key ingredients for this nougat:
- Corn syrup: White corn syrup is essential for creating the fluffy, billowy texture of the nougat. Do not use dark corn syrup!
- Egg whites: The recipe calls for 1/4 to 1/2 cup of egg whites. I ended up using 3 large egg whites, which came out to just under 1/2 cup. The first time I made the recipe, I wasn’t sure how long to beat the egg whites before adding the first batch of sugar syrup. I beat them for about one minute the first time and three minutes the second time, but the results were similar for both. So I think you have some leeway on the speed and duration for beating the egg whites!
- Flour: I use gluten-free flour to keep this recipe gluten-free. All-purpose wheat flour will also work for this nougat recipe.
- Peanuts: The original nougat recipe doesn’t call for nuts, but I thought it was a delicious addition! Feel free to add almonds, cashews, or other mix-ins, if you’d like.
- Butter: I like to use room temperature, salted butter for this recipe. The mixture quickly becomes very difficult to stir after adding the butter and flour, so I like to cut the butter into very small cubes to make sure it incorporates properly.
How to Make Nougat
- Line a 9×13 pan (or quarter sheet pan) with parchment paper. Lightly grease with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Melt the sugar, corn syrup, and salt together in a large, heavy-bottomed small saucepan over medium heat. (A stainless steel pot works best. An enameled dutch oven pot will make the temperature harder to control and can lead to overcooking.)
- Bring the syrup mixture to a boil and boil until it reaches 244F. Wash down the sides of the pot to make sure the sugar dissolves fully, but there’s no need to stir once it’s boiling.
- Meanwhile, add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until starting to thicken/foam.
- When the hot syrup sugar mixture reaches 244F, slowly pour in ⅓ of the syrup while mixing on low speed. Pour the syrup in very slowly and carefully and be sure it’s being mixed the whole time.
- Put the remaining syrup in the pot back on the stove and cook over medium heat until it reaches 264F.
- With the mixer running on low, stir in the vanilla, and ½ the butter and flour. Mix in the rest of the butter/flour, then stir in the nuts.
- Pour into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
- Add warm almonds, melted chocolate, peanut butter, white chocolate chips, or mini marshmallows, to the top of the nougat. There are so many different ingredients that pair well with the vanilla flavor and soft, fluffy texture of the nougat.
- Slice into pieces with a greased sharp knife. You may have to grease the knife in between slices. Wrap with candy wrappers if desired, or store in an airtight container between pieces of wax paper or parchment so the pieces don’t stick to each other. Enjoy!
This delicious nougat makes the perfect gift for friends and neighbors during the holidays. Just package it in a piece of parchment paper or edible rice paper, then tie it up with a bow!
These candied orange slices are another nostalgic treat!
Storage Instructions
Store in an airtight container for up to seven days. Be sure to wrap individual pieces in parchment paper or wax paper to prevent sticking.
FAQs
Classic nougat candy is made by melting sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once the mixture comes to a boil, it is combined with whipped egg whites, vanilla extract, butter, and flour.
The earliest nougat recipes are traced back to the Middle East, in 10th century Baghdad. By the 15th century, similar creations spread to Spain, and by the 17th century, new versions of the confection had spread to France.
Nougat is typically wrapped in parchment paper, wax paper, or edible rice paper to keep it from sticking together. The edible rice paper is safe to eat, but wax paper or parchment paper should be removed before eating.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- A stainless steel pot works best for this nougat recipe. An enameled Dutch oven pot will make the temperature harder to control and can lead to overcooking.
- The original recipe instructs to beat the mixture “like divinity.” These instructions were quite vague, so I decided to mix on medium-high speed in my Kitchenaid for 5 minutes until the mixture was stiff and started to clump more around the whisk. The mixture never quite formed stiff peaks, but it definitely thickened up nicely.
- The nougat mixture quickly becomes very difficult to stir after adding the butter and flour, so I like to cut the butter into very small cubes to make sure it incorporates properly. Be sure to use room-temperature butter for best results!
- The original recipe doesn’t call for nuts, but I thought it was a delicious addition! Feel free to add almonds, cashews, or other mix-ins, if you’d like.
More Candy Recipes
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you try this nougat recipe, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Nougat Recipe (Grandma’s Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 ½ cups white corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup egg whites (from 3 large eggs)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons butter (room temperature and cut into small pieces)
- 2 teaspoons flour (I use gluten-free flour)
- 1 cup salted peanuts or nut of choice (optional)
Instructions
- Line a 9×13 pan (or quarter sheet pan) with parchment paper. Lightly grease with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Melt the sugar, corn syrup, and salt together in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. (A stainless steel pot works best. An enameled dutch oven pot will make the temperature harder to control and can lead to overcooking.)
- Bring the syrup mixture to a boil and boil until it reaches 244F. Wash down the sides of the pot to remove any sugar crystals if needed, but there’s no need to stir once it’s boiling.
- Meanwhile, add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until starting to thicken/foam.
- When the syrup mixture reaches 244F, slowly pour in ⅓ of the syrup while mixing on low speed. Pour the syrup in very slowly and carefully and be sure it’s being mixed the whole time.
- Put the remaining syrup in the pot back on the stove and cook over medium heat until it reaches 264F.
- With the mixer running on low, pour the rest of the syrup (slowly and carefully) into the egg whites.
- Continue mixing on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is stiff and starts to clump around the whisk. It won’t form completely stiff peaks but will thicken quite a bit.
- With the mixer running on low, stir in the vanilla, and ½ the butter and flour. Mix in the rest of the butter/flour, then stir in the nuts.
- Pour into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle with more nuts if desired. Allow to cool for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
- Slice into pieces with a greased knife. You may have to grease the knife in-between slices. Wrap with candy wrappers if desired, or store in an airtight container between pieces of wax paper or parchment so the pieces don’t stick to each other. Enjoy!
Notes
- A stainless steel pot works best for this nougat recipe. An enameled Dutch oven pot will make the temperature harder to control and can lead to overcooking.
- The original recipe instructs to beat the mixture “like divinity.” These instructions were quite vague, so I decided to mix on medium-high speed in my Kitchenaid for 5 minutes until the mixture was stiff and started to clump more around the whisk. The mixture never quite formed stiff peaks, but it definitely thickened up nicely.
- The nougat mixture quickly becomes very difficult to stir after adding the butter and flour, so I like to cut the butter into very small cubes to make sure it incorporates properly. Be sure to use room-temperature butter for best results!
- The original recipe doesn’t call for nuts, but I thought it was a delicious addition! Feel free to add almonds, cashews, or other mix-ins, if you’d like.
This recipe is incomplete
Hi Michelle, which part of the recipe is incomplete?
I followed the recipe exactly. Over night still slop so put it in the fridge it’s been 6 hours and it’s still slop. What do I dooooo??
Hi Beck, we’re sorry you had this experience! Did you use a candy thermometer to get the mixture to the exact temperature? Candy recipes are very delicate and it sounds like the nougat mixture was undercooked or there was an issue with the egg whites. Not getting the syrup to temperature, too much humidity/moisture, or pouring the syrup too fast (deflating the egg whites) could have played a part. We hope these ideas help and your next batch goes much better!
I made this and it makes me think of payday candy bars
We’re so pleased to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Wanda! Thank you for sharing your positive experience with us!
I got lost after you said to put the syeup back on the stove and heat it up . When do we add that to the egg whites?
Hi Denise, after you put the syrup back on the stove, you want it to reach 264°F, then you’ll slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites with the mixer on low (steps 6 and 7). We hope this helps and you enjoy the nougat!
Was short 1/3 corn syrup and still came out great!
We’re so glad it turned out well, even with less corn syrup! Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us!
Good day. Why do you use flour and butter?
Hi Sunette, thank you for your question! The small amount of gluten-free flour acts as a stabilizer. It thickens the mixture a little more and helps keep the texture smooth. The butter’s fat content helps create the creamy, smooth texture so it doesn’t get too hard when it cools. It also adds richness to the flavor. We hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe!
So delicious. I’ve never made candy before and was excited to try this recipe. The flavor is wonderful. I’m at high altitude and mine didn’t set up all the way in the fridge. It’s likely just my inexperience with making candy but was hoping for so advice on what I need to do better next time. Thank you!
Hi Marie, we’re so glad you enjoyed the flavor! Yes, high altitudes definitely impact candy making due to the lower boiling point and how liquids evaporate. It’s best to test out what temperature water boils at for your altitude and then adjust your candy making from there. We’d recommend googling candy making at high altitudes for further guidance on how to test it out. We hope this helps!
A few questions
1. Most don’t call for flour. Is this bc the temps are so low? Most call for 240-250 first pour and 300 for final. Does it help set the nougat?
2. How much water for the boiled sugar
Making this now so I’ll post back. I hate the taste of honey so if grandma made it then it has to be amazing
Hi Irene, the small amount of gluten-free flour acts as a stabilizer. It thickens the mixture a little more and helps keep the texture smooth. The sugar gets boiled with the corn syrup and salt, no water required. We hope this helps and you enjoy the nougat!
I’d love to try it but after you put the sugar syrup back on the pan when do you put it in the recipe. I’ve looked and looked and I cannot find it.
Hi Roberta, after the remaining syrup gets put back on the stove, you’ll cook it over medium heat until it reaches 264F, then slowly add it to the egg white mixture with the mixer on low
(steps 6 & 7 on the recipe card). We hope this helps and you enjoy the nougat!
You have such amazing recipes. I would like to try this nougat recipe but I dont use corn syrup. Is there something else I can substitute it with? Thanks so much for all the recipes you post. I am planning to make some of them. I will be making a comment on them as I try them.
Hi Linda, we haven’t tried a substitute for corn syrup in this recipe. You could try honey or another syrup (maple, agave, etc.), but it’s hard to say how much it will impact taste/texture. If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
These are absolutely amazing! So soft and rich and creamy. Felt like biting into vanilla ice cream. I added some pistachios which was a nice subtle nutty flavor. And I used unsalted butter – just added an extra 1/4 tsp. of salt.
With that being said. I don’t know if it was from the extra salt added with the sugar mixture or just that it was a hot and humid day. But I needed 4 hour cool down in the fridge. Not at RT. The cut bars would just melt and become a puddle within a minute. I warn you to make these in the the heat cause it’s just a sticky mess
Hi Adam, thank you for the feedback and tips! We’re glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Hi Nikki, thanks for your feedback! Yes, it sounds like it got too hot. It’s best to keep it at a slow, steady increase in temperature to avoid scalding.
I would love to have a copy of that cookbook! Is there anyway to get copies or originals?
Hi Bethany, unfortunately it’s just a cookbook made by friends in the 1970s for their church and not in a condition to reprint for the public these days. We hope you enjoy the nougat recipe!
This nougat recipe is seriously so good. My kids were so excited to try it and yes, they enjoyed it so much. Thank you for sharing!
This recipe was so fun to make and so delicious! I had never attempted to make nougat and I was intimidated, but it was easier than I anticipated thanks to this article!!
So good! We dipped ours in chocolate and gobbled them all right up!
wow! all those tips and details in this recipe that you provided were evrything and more that I needed! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!