Flavored Oils - For Candy Recipes And Much More

by chefkeem

Flavored oils are mostly used for candy recipes, although they are delicious for many other dishes, as well. My recipes and favorite brands...

How to flavor candy and chocolates

Flavored oils are the perfect method!

flavored oilsWhen you cook up a batch of candy, you simply add a few drops of your desired flavoring oil or extract to the mix. Here is a basic recipe for hard candy. Simple enough.

With chocolate, however, it's a bit different. Add too much liquid - it seizes. That's where highly-concentrated oils come in handy. Although a few of them are not recommended for use with chocolate (if they're water-based) - I've used them anyway, and I've never had any problems.

What ingredients do we need for flavored chocolate candy?  

  • High-quality coating chocolate. Why coating (or dipping) chocolate? Because this type of chocolate has been designed for quick and easy melting without having to go through an elaborate tempering process. If you would throw a Hershey's milk chocolate bar in the microwave, it would melt down and seize into an ugly lump. Then you could neither pour it into molds, nor stir some luscious flavoring into it. Coating chocolate, however, has the cocoa butter replaced by vegetable oil. It will melt evenly and stay pourable for a while. Finally, it will set up hard in the freezer - with a nice shine to boot.
  • Food-grade flavored oils. My favorite brand is LorAnn. They offer a huge selection of flavors that are so much fun to play with. Unlike extracts, these oils are strong, and often you don't need more than a drop or two for, let's say, 1/2 pound of chocolate. 

This is coating chocolate

browse for different flavors and colors
1 LB. Merckens Coco Dark Coatings
Only $12.99
Merckens Marquis Milk Chocolate Buttons
Only $6.08
1LB. Merckens Super White Coatings
Only $11.99

Lorann flavored oils

browse the amazing selection of different flavors, some of them quite unique...
Raspberry Flavoring, 1 dram
Only $0.01
Banana Cream Flavoring, 1 dram
Only $5.67
LorAnn Oils Coffee Flavouring - 1 dram
Only $8.91

coating chocolateIn this picture you see about 2 cups of coating chocolate - ready to be nuked. Start with 30 seconds, then stir, and then heat some more, in 10-second increments. Once your chocolate is smooth, stir in 1 drop of flavoring oil; taste and add more if desired. You may also add nuts, candy pieces, dried fruit, or whatever you like. Spoon your chocolate mix into special chocolate candy molds, and then stick them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. They should pop out easily. 

Thousands of chocolate molds are available

even special funnels for pouring your chocolate
CK Products Sea Creatures Chocolate Mold
$6.93  $4.69
Freshware 30-Cavity Silicone Chocolat...
$12.34  $11.99
Wilton Easy Pour Funnel
$10.1  $7.28

Filled chocolates

If you'd like to learn more about filled chocolate candy, please visit my Squidoo lenses on this subject: Molded Chocolates and Espresso Sea Salt Caramel Truffles

In the picture to the right you can see my candy creation "Inside Seth Godin's Head". It's made from colorized white chocolate, royal icing (eyes) and caramel filling.

Inside Seth Godin's Head
Inside Seth Godin's Head
Chef Keem's Archives

What else can you do with flavored oils?

  • Spiffy up your same old vanilla pudding with butterscotch, praline, English toffee, hazelnut, almond, or pistachio flavors. Try combinations such as toffee/praline/hazelnut!
  • Puree fresh raspberries or strawberries with a few spoonfuls of honey or agave syrup, and add a couple drops of almond or other nut flavors, and perhaps a bit of orange oil. Serve as a sauce with cake, or over ice cream.
  • Agave nectar is a wonderful, natural sweetener, now widely available even in regular grocery stores. Add any of the above flavors or other, more extravagant flavorings to a jar of agave nectar; 2 drops per 12 ozs is plenty. Sweeten and flavor your coffee, tea or hot chocolate, or pour it over cake or ice cream. Or fresh fruit. OMG!
  • Add flavors to a cake mix or cheese cake before baking - pumpkin, coffee, peach, pecan, amaretto, piña colada, nutmeg, walnut, coconut...
  • Flavor your punch or your cocktails - guava, crème de menthe, eggnog, tropical punch, licorice, brandy, ginger, butter rum, strawberry banana... 
  • I could even imagine some orange oil in the butter sauce for your fish fillet.
  • Think salad dressings - citrus or nutty flavors go well with raw veggies.

The possibilities of incorporating flavored oils in your recipes are endless, don't you think?

Updated: 10/28/2011, chefkeem
 
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Have you used flavored oils before? Any good tips for us?

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DerdriuMarriner on 11/28/2018

chefkeem, Thank you for the practical information and product lines. Do you ever use white chocolate? Why is that creation called Seth Godin's head?

katiem2 on 08/05/2012

Don't know how I missed this one. My daughters and I love making homemade candy. Its a fast favorite to make, dress up and give to neighbors and friends for any occasion. This is going to be so fun. Thanks :)K

Pastiche on 03/18/2012

Love the Seth Godin head chocolates! Thanks for the easy recipes for home made chocolates. You can make any flavor variation with these flavored oils ... mmmm.

chefkeem on 12/19/2011

Hi Brittany,
click on my LorAnn Amazon ads above. That will take you to the LorAnn product page on Amazon, where you can browse through all flavors. They do have a variety of chocolate flavors in their program.
Good luck,
Chef Keem :)

Brittany on 12/19/2011

Im trying to make Chocolate hard candy and do not have any choc. flavored oil. Is there anything I can use to substitute?

Jimmie on 12/11/2011

I have used the Lorann brand for making hard candy. Good stuff.

mulberry on 11/13/2011

I haven't really used flavored oils, but they sound wonderful. Maple, that's what my taste buds are craving right now.

nightbear on 09/17/2011

I have used flavored oils very limitedly, but I like the effect. Thank you for the wonderful ideas as to how to be more creative. A draw back of mine. Limited imagination. I guess that is how recipes help, Oh and I love the Seth heads. lol. Great job.

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