It doesn’t have to be Valentine’s Day to give somebody special a heart full of happiness.
And if that person happens to love tasty and potent herbal edibles, few things will satisfy both of those goals better than the gift of a tasty, botanically-infused, heart-shaped lollipop. Knowing that this delicious confection was not purchased from a local shop but rather made with love in your own kitchen will make it that much sweeter.
Making homemade edibles has become more popular as many have begun to realize that they can better suit the dosage needs they desire and have limitless options when deciding what to create.
Making your own infused edibles is also more economical than purchasing pre-made edibles in a local shopor online. This is especially true when you make your home infusions with the LĒVO II!
Tips for Making Infused Heart Shaped Lollipops
Some infused edibles like brownies and cookies are pretty straightforward and can require little more than combining a pre-determined dosage of infused butter or MCT oil infusion to a commercial, store-bought, or LĒVO brand baking mix. This, however, is not the case with making infused lollipops at home.
While the recipe for this confection only requires a handful of ingredients, making heart-shaped lollipops at home is not a set-and-forget process. It will require close attention to the candy-making process in order to be successful.
One of the most important keys to making infused lollipops is temperature. Hence, you will have to use a candy thermometer to determine when your basic mixture of sugar, corn syrup, and water reaches what candy makers refer to as the ‘Hard Crack Stage’ prior to removing it from the heat.
This simply means that all of the ingredients have reached the temperature of 300° Fahrenheit, which allows the candy to harden and reach the correct consistency.
One of the tricky elements of making infused candies is that the botanically-rich additives that provide the kick to your confection cannot be added until this mixture has cooled to a temperature of 250° in order to retain its potency.
This can make for a messier situation since the mixture gets significantly stickier after it has cooled to the 250°. It is recommended that you perform your work on a non-stick surface and also use a non-stick lollipop mold to minimize any overly sticky situations.
Infusing Your Lollipop Mixture
While some edible recipes call for an infused tincture to be used for the sake of convenience, purists tend to lean toward the traditional, homemade method of using infused oil.
If you have a LĒVO II infusion machine, this process is that much easier with much less guesswork and mess. Follow LĒVOs user guide instructions to Activate your flower and infuse MCT oil with one Power Pod or two for increased potency. We like to infuse flower in MCT oil at 165°F for 2.5-5 hours.
More Infused Treats to Try:
- How to Make Starburst Edibles
2 comments
Dennis
Tried this recipe and it was a complete failure. Followed the recipe and got the candy to hard crack and then lowered the temperature to the recommended temp. But when I went to add the infused mct oil the mixture was too thick and I was unable to incorporate the mct oil. Not sure what I did wrong.
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LEVO Oil Infusion, Inc. replied:
Hi Dennis,
Thank you so much for reaching out and for giving our lollipop recipe a try! We are truly sorry to hear it did not go as planned — we know how frustrating that can be especially after putting in the time and effort. But don’t give up just yet — we are confident we can help you nail it on your next batch! 🍭
Based on what you described, it sounds like the candy mixture cooled and thickened too quickly before you were able to incorporate the infused MCT Oil. This is actually a very common challenge with hard candy recipes and here are a few tips to help you get better results next time:
1. Work Quickly After Removing from Heat Once your candy reaches 300°F (hard crack stage) and you remove it from the heat, it will begin to thicken and set very fast. We recommend having your infused MCT Oil already measured out and ready to go so you can add it immediately as soon as the temperature drops to the 223–235°F range without any delay.
2. Keep Your MCT Oil Warm Cold oil added to a cooling candy mixture can cause it to seize up and thicken even faster. Try warming your infused MCT Oil slightly before adding it to the mixture. This helps it blend in more smoothly and prevents the temperature of the candy from dropping too quickly.
3. Work on Low Heat While Stirring If the mixture becomes too thick to work with, try returning it briefly to the lowest heat setting on your stove while gently stirring. This can help loosen it back up just enough to incorporate the oil without overcooking it.
4. Add the Oil Slowly Rather than adding all the MCT Oil at once, try adding it gradually one tablespoon at a time while stirring gently. This gives the oil a better chance to emulsify into the mixture evenly.
5. Consider Adding Lecithin Adding a small amount of sunflower or soy lecithin to your MCT Oil before adding it to the candy mixture can make a big difference! Lecithin acts as an emulsifier and helps the oil bind seamlessly into the candy base, preventing separation and making it much easier to incorporate. 🌟
6. Humidity & Temperature Hard candy is very sensitive to humidity and room temperature. If your kitchen is warm or humid, the candy can behave unpredictably. Try making your batch on a cool, dry day for the best results.
Quick Recap for Your Next Batch 📝 • Pre-measure and warm your infused MCT Oil before you start. • Work quickly once the candy hits 300°F. • Add the oil gradually at 223–235°F while stirring gently. • If it thickens too fast, return briefly to low heat. • Add lecithin to help with emulsification.
We truly hope these tips help you get a perfect batch next time! You can also check out our full library of recipes, tips and educational content at levooil.com/blogs/recipes for more guidance. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions — we are rooting for you and we cannot wait to hear how your next batch turns out! 🍭💚
Leif Kargaard
I have the Levo for over a year and the machine hasn’t let me down. We’ll worth the money. I also bought the gummie maker for my wife and she loves it…… so very simple to make gummies with the cleanup a snap
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