Easy Sugar Plums Christmas Recipe

This quick and easy recipe for Christmas sugar plums comes together in no time! Made with dried fruits, nuts, and fragrant spices, they are a sweet treat to add to your holiday cookie platter. They also make the perfect homemade gift for family and friends.

No matter what visions of sugar plums you have dancing in your head, this one is worth exploring!

But what exactly is a sugar plum?

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a sugar plum as “a small candy in the shape of a ball or disk.” These sugar-coated plums originated from the popular method of boiling fruit with sugar to preserve it, typically plums.

According to historical records, the term “sugar plum” came into general usage in the 17th century, marking the beginning of a long and cherished tradition of holiday indulgence.

Today, sugar plum recipes have evolved beyond their plum-centric origins. These delectable treats can now feature a medley of dried fruits, nuts, and warm spices.

While traditionalists may insist on using only plums, my recipe takes a daring twist by combining dates, dried apricots, nuts, and aromatic spices, resulting in a chewy and flavorful delight.

The final touch is rolling them in coarse sugar, which adds a hint of sparkle and makes them a wonderful addition to your holiday cookie platter! 

You’ll quickly uncover three extraordinary things when making this delightful recipe: the ease of preparation, the burst of flavors in each bite, and the joy of gifting these unique sugar plums as hostess gifts.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Let’s prep our recipe
• How to make sugar plums
• How to serve
• Tips
• FAQ
• Variations
• Easy, no-bake Christmas treats
• Recipe origins 
• Italian no-bake Christmas treats
• Recipe

Ingredients

These ingredients to make sugar plums are easily found and come together to make a delicious treat with a perfect blend of flavors and textures.

• Almonds: Almonds add a delightful nuttiness and crunch to the sugar plums. Roasting them enhances their flavor.
• Dates: Dates are a natural sweetener and are key in binding the ingredients. They provide a rich, caramel-like sweetness and a chewy texture.
• Dried Apricots: Dried apricots offer a bright and tangy flavor to balance the sweetness of the dates. They also contribute to the chewy texture.
• Orange Zest: Orange zest, especially when organic, brings a citrus aroma and a zesty, refreshing taste to the sugar plums. It also provides a lovely fragrance.
• Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon introduces warm and comforting spice notes to the sugar plums. This classic holiday spice enhances the overall flavor and aroma.
• Allspice: Homemade allspice contributes a warm, slightly peppery flavor with hints of clove and cinnamon.
• Nutmeg: Freshly grated nutmeg brings a warm and slightly nutty flavor.
• Turbinado Sugar: Turbinado sugar, with its larger crystals, is used for rolling the sugar plums. It provides a delightful crunch and a sweet, sparkling exterior that makes the sugar plums visually appealing and adds an extra layer of sweetness.

Let’s prep our recipe

Prepping the ingredients for this easy recipe ensures that the texture and the flavor all come together perfectly.

Roasting the almonds: Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C). Place 1 cup of almonds on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer, and roast for 9-15 minutes or until fragrant. Coarsely chop and set aside. Allow to cool down to room temperature before combining with the rest of the ingredients. 

Chop the dried fruit: Chopping the dried fruit into small pieces helps the food processor work more efficiently. For this sugar plum recipe, you will need 1 cup of dates, pits removed (140 grams) and 1 cup of dried apricots (140 grams).

If your food processor is relatively robust, you can skip this step as it can easily break down the fruit.

How to make sugar plums

Now that our ingredients are prepped, it’s time to make our delicious Christmas sugar plums.

In a food processor or high-speed blender, add the roasted almonds, chopped dates, and apricots with 1½ teaspoons of orange zest, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ground allspice, ⅛ teaspoon of ground nutmeg.

Pulse until this fruit mixture breaks down and forms a sticky paste with a coarse texture. Avoid letting the mixture become one large mass.

Use a small disher to portion the sugar plum mixture (approximately 1½ tablespoons) and roll it into small round balls with slightly damp hands. Then, roll the small balls into a bowl of coarse sugar to coat them.

How to serve

There are a few festive ways to serve this sugar plum candy. They look beautiful and will be the highlight of any festive occasion!

• Place the sugar-coated balls in festive truffle liners for individual portions. Serve alongside an espresso for a delightful treat!
• Pile them in glass jars or a vintage candy tray (as we did in the photo above).
• Serve your guests these delicious treats on a silver tray for an impressive presentation.
• Add them to your holiday cookie platter as a gift for friends or a special Christmas dessert.

No matter how you decide to serve them, these sugar plums will surely be a hit!

Tips

• Chopping the dates and dried apricots into smaller pieces will help the food processor blend the ingredients more smoothly. Avoid letting the mixture become one large mass.
• When storing, use wax paper to separate layers to prevent sticking.
• To prevent the sugar plums from sticking to your hands, lightly dampen your palms with water before rolling them.

FAQ

Variations

• Mix and Match Ingredients: Experiment with different combinations of dried fruits, nuts, and spices to customize the flavor to your liking. The nuts and dried fruit proportions must be constant.
• Swap Dried Fruits: Try alternatives like dried cranberries, raisins, prunes, or various other options to replace dates and apricots.
• Nuts Galore: Explore beyond almonds with walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, and pecans for a unique twist.
• Spice It Up: Create distinct flavors by incorporating allspice, anise seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, caraway seeds, or pumpkin spice.
• A Touch of Sweetness: Roll your sugar plums in sanding sugar, edible glitter, desiccated coconut, or chocolate for added visual appeal and flavor.
• Sophisticated Twist: For an adult version, consider adding a tablespoon of brandy or orange liqueur to elevate the experience.

Easy, no-bake Christmas treats

Who can resist homemade holiday treats? They are a great addition to your holiday cookie platter and make the best hostess gifts.

If you’re looking for more Christmas treats that don’t involve baking, try combining chocolate with roasted almonds to create homemade chocolate almond clusters.

Another no-bake chocolate recipe is to make dark chocolate bark with different combinations of ingredients like pumpkin seeds and roasted nuts.

Finally, try this Italian recipe for sesame candy! It’s the perfect addition to your platter of Italian cookies.

Recipe origins 

I discovered the original recipe for these no-bake sugar plums in a Canadian magazine called Homemakers, which is now out of publication.

This has remained my go-to recipe for no-bake festive treats for decades. It is a simple and delicious addition to any platter of holiday cookies.

Regarding changes to the original recipe, I added a touch of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg and included the zest of one fresh orange.

My holiday cookie platter would not be complete without these chewy, fragrant sugar plums. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does!

Just for you! A printable baking checklist to help you keep track of all your baking needs.

If you love to bake, this is for you! Simply subscribe to my weekly newsletter and receive this FREE BAKING CHECKLIST PRINTABLE!

This way, you won’t miss any of my new recipes, and it’s FREE! 

★★★★★ If you have made these sugarplums, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Italian no-bake Christmas treats

Recipe

This post was originally published on November 13, 2016, and republished on December 6, 2022, with updated photos, content and a video. Thanks for sharing.