What Is Freeze Dried Candy?

Today, we’re talking molecular gastronomy. That’s really just a fancy term that means a scientific, chemistry-forward approach to food. Molecular gastronomy is often associated with ultra-chic restaurants that have been parodied in movies and television. You know the kind: where they serve you something like a liquid orb of soup or some kind of edible balloon. 

But today we’re talking about molecular gastronomy on a smaller, snackier scale: freeze dried candy. But why freeze dry candy? What happens when you do this? Where can I find this new treat I just heard about and immediately want to sample? Let’s find out.

What is freeze dried candy?

Freeze dried candy is exactly what it sounds like: confectionaries that have gone through the freeze drying process in which they are frozen and then placed under pressure to remove ice via sublimation. Remember sublimation? It’s like evaporation but for ice instead of liquid water. Underrated part of the water cycle, in my opinion. 

Freeze dried candy has become a bit of a trend on TikTok as of late, with users posting various sweets that they’ve put through this process. 

Why freeze dry candy? 

Why do anything, really, except to drive away the mind-numbing boredom of existence? But to get more specific, when you freeze dry a food item it significantly changes the texture and concentrates the flavor. This turns a familiar treat into something strange and unknown, but generally still delicious. 

What does freeze dried candy taste like?

The major change when it comes to freeze dried candy is the texture. And that, of course, depends on exactly what kind of candy you are freeze-drying. According to a TikTok video reviewing different candies, the Skittles are “like little sandwiches.” Meanwhile, sour gummy worms “basically turned into cheetos.” 

It turns out that the flavor of freeze dried candy is largely the same as the flavor of non-freeze dried candy. The taste profile should be generally the same as it was before it was freeze-dried, but now even more concentrated due to the lack of moisture. So, prepare for a slightly more intense version of your favorite treat. 

Does freeze dried candy have less calories?

Because all that’s being removed from the candy in the freeze-drying process is water, the calorie count should remain unchanged on the other side. On the other hand, you are almost certainly more likely to expend slightly more calories chewing and chewing on freeze-dried candy due to its harder, more taffy-like texture. 

Where to buy freeze dried candy?

Let’s say that you don’t have access to freeze drying technology readily available to you. How are you supposed to sample this trendy new treat? Fortunately, a quick Google search reveals that companies have also taken note of this trend. You can now purchase freeze-dried candies at major retailers like Walmart and Target, as well as candy giants like It’Sugar. There are also a ton of freeze dried candy options available on Etsy, and even a website called, conveniently enough, TheFreezeDriedCandyStore.com.

By the way, if you DO want to make freeze dried candy at home, you can buy your very own freeze drying machine for $2,400 or so. And while there are a couple much cheaper options that I discovered online, they all seemed to have negative reviews along the lines of “this doesn’t freeze dry things.”