Staring at our candy-themed wall decals gives us a sweet tooth - and gets our creative juices flowing. True, it’s not good to give your kiddos sugar all the time, but it’s okay to make tasty treats together for special occasions and to create fun, family memories. What better way to bond with your brood than by making homemade candies in your kitchen? You’ll have a great time connecting, your kids can learn how to use kitchen utensils and measure out ingredients, and you can share your finished product to smiling family and friends. Sounds like a win-win to us!

Here are five easy-to-make homemade candy recipes you can make today! Don’t be afraid to play around with each recipe and add your own flair, you might just come up with a new family favorite all on your own! Happy baking!

1. Microwave Nut Brittle
   We saw this recipe for Microwave Nut Brittle on NYTImes.com and had to give it a whirl! Using only seven ingredients and taking less than half hour, these tasty treats will quickly become family favorites. Click on the link above to get more detailed information on these microwave-friendly confections.
2. Homemade Lollipops
   Making your own lollipops might sound like a challenge, but its really quite easy. All you need is 1 cup of sugar, ½ cup of water, light corn syrup, food coloring, flavoring oil, and some lollipop sticks. We swear – that’s it! Combine the sugar, water and corn syrup first in a saucepan until everything has dissolved. Cover and boil on high for one minute or until the syrup is at 310 Fahrenheit degrees. Let it cool before adding the food coloring of your choice and the flavoring oil. Arrange the lollipop sticks on a baking sheet. Using a spoon, pour the colored, melted syrup over each stick in a lollipop shape. Let them cool completely than enjoy!
3. Chocolate-Covered Grape Truffles
   You’ll love these chocolate-covered grapes so much, you’ll have to force yourself to step away from the bowl. All you need to make this snack is 1-2 pounds of seedless grapes, six ounces of chocolate, and 3 tablespoons of sweetened cocoa powder. Wash the grapes than chill them in the fridge before adding the chocolate. While they are firming up, use a double boiler to melt the chocolate pieces (you can use chocolate chips or cut up a chocolate bar into fine pieces) down to a nice consistency. Stir it up and then add the melted chocolate to the chilled grapes a little bit at a time. Sprinkle on the cocoa and mix it all up then place on a baking sheet and leave it in the refrigerator until it’s time to eat them all up.
4. No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Candy Bars
   We couldn’t resist sharing this no-bake recipe from iVillage. It will be a definite hit with the peanut butter lovers in your crew. You will need some specific ingredients, a food processor, and a microwave to make these tasty (and at 240 calories, relatively healthy) candy bars. Check out the link above for all the yummy details.
5. Peppermint Patties
   Forget store-bought peppermint patties-everything tastes all that much sweeter when you know you’ve made it yourself. This recipe on Saveur.com is super easy and yields more than three dozen patties! All you need is sugar, heavy cream, milk, butter, cream of tartar, peppermint oil, and chocolate chips to get started. Follow the link above for detailed cooking instructions. This recipe does require a candy thermometer and careful timing.

Once you’ve tried all these yummy treats, vote on your family’s favorites and let us know which ones you like the most.