Hokey Pokey is a classic New Zealand sweet treat made with just three simple ingredients – sugar, golden syrup and baking soda. The combination creates a lovely golden, crunchy confectionery with a light, bubbly texture that makes it so delicious.
I love how something so simple can turn into such a special homemade treat. The key is getting the sugar mixture just right before adding the baking soda, which gives Hokey Pokey its distinctive airy crunch.
What is Hokey Pokey?
Hokey Pokey, or honeycomb toffee as it is called in other places around the world is a lovely caramel-flavoured confectionery that is just so tasty!
The texture is hard and crunchy, as it contains air pockets and is strong in flavour. Oh you just have to try it!
It consists of just three ingredients that magically combine to create a delicious and quick treat that here in New Zealand we just love!
Other Hokey Pokey recipes to try
We have hokey pokey ice-cream and hokey pokey biscuits, it is just a flavour you grow up to know.
Here is my recipe for Hokey Pokey Biscuits, it is so easy to make and it is delicious!
What is Golden Syrup?
For those unfamiliar with what Golden Syrup is, it is a thick, smooth golden-coloured syrup made from cane sugar that has a unique buttery scent and a light caramel flavour. Also called light treacle in some places.
You can find it in many international stores so be sure to do a quick Google search in your area to see if you can find a brand near you.
How to make Hokey Pokey (video)
Ingredients for Hokey Pokey
All you will need is 3 simple ingredients!
- Sugar
- Golden Syrup
- Baking Soda (Note: Be sure your Baking Soda is fresh).
What to know before making Hokey Pokey
There are a few steps to read through before you make this, once you start making this recipe it is quick and can be a little dangerous so I want you to be prepared.
A few things to know, this is melted boiling sugar, it is very very very hot. Throughout the entire process you do not want the mixture to touch your hands. If you are making this with children please be very careful.
Once the sugar mixture is boiled and you add the baking soda you have only a few seconds to mix it in and pour it into the tray. The mixture will quadruple in size very quickly, you need to make sure you use a pan that can hold this amount of product.
The tray or dish you add it to does not matter as it just sort of flops onto it in a lump – the less you touch or spread it the better! If you try and spread this mixture it will separate – still tasty though but not as cute.
You then need to allow the mixture to completely cool before you touch it again. Do not be tempted to touch the lovely billowy cloud like consistency that you have just made, you will seriously burn yourself.
Ways to serve and enjoy Hokey Pokey
Dipping hokey pokey in chocolate is the ultimate way to serve this, but we love it plain. You can then add it to baking, or sprinkle over your favourite vanilla ice cream to make your very own hokey pokey ice cream just like the Kiwis do!
How to break up and store Hokey Pokey
Once the hokey pokey is cold you can break it up using your hands into smaller portions. If stored correctly hokey pokey can last for ages. If you find your hokey pokey is sticky it may be due to a humid climate. It will still be tasty just not as hard.
Other confectionary recipes to try
If you love making sweet treats, be sure to explore some of my other delicious confectionery recipes! From homemade fudge and classic favourites to simple no-bake treats, there is plenty to try. Perfect for sharing with family and friends, giving as gifts or simply enjoying with a cuppa.
- The Best Chocolate Rocky Road
- Maple Syrup Popcorn
- Lolly Truffles
- Chocolate Mint Truffles
- Delicious Microwave Russian Fudge
Hokey Pokey recipe
Hokey Pokey Recipe
Homemade Hokey Pokey is a classic New Zealand confectionery made with sugar, golden syrup and baking soda, creating a light, crunchy treat with a delicious golden sweetness.
Ingredients
- 10 Tablespoons White Sugar
- 4 Tablespoons Golden Syrup
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
Instructions
- Before beginning to make this recipe read all of the instructions. Be aware the mixture is incredibly hot and not to be touched at any time, also know this comes together very quickly so have all the ingredients and trays on hand before you begin
- Prepare a 20cm tray or dish and lightly grease and set aside
- In a large heavy bottomed sauce pan add the sugar and golden syrup and over a medium heat on the stove top begin to mix together
- Allow this to just start to boil and reduce the heat down to low and continue to boil for a total of 4 minutes, set a timer
- Using a rubber spatula occasionally wipe around the sides of the sauce pan to ensure nothing sticks
- Make sure your prepared tray is next to you
- Once the four minutes it up remove the sauce pan from the heat and add the baking soda and quickly fold together until just combined
- Pour/spoon this mix into the prepared tray and leave, do not be tempted to spread this out.
- Allow this to cool before touching it again
- Once completely cold remove from the tray and break up into pieces.
- Store in a completely air tight container. This recipe will last for some weeks if stored properly.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- CAUTION This mixture is very very hot, do not touch the mixture at any time and please watch children near this dish.
- Be sure your Baking Soda is fresh.
- Once combined do not mix further, carefully pour into a tray and leave it.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 59Total Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gSodium 216mgCarbohydrates 15gSugar 13g
JustAMumNZ.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although justamumnz.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
I really hope you love this homemade Hokey Pokey as much as we do. It is such a classic Kiwi treat, and I hope we can continue to keep this much-loved recipe alive for generations to come.
If you give this recipe a go, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you in the comments. You can also leave a ⭐ rating in the recipe card above, it really helps others find and enjoy this recipe too.
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Happy baking,
Anna x
Bekah says
How come my hokey pokey came out much darker then shown in the recipe?
justamumnz says
Do you think it could be that the first step cooked a little long?
akoalagirlinapandaworld says
Oh! I totally forgot about homemade honeycomb. My mum used to make this when we were kids. Yum! Thanks for sharing ☺️
justamumnz says
My pleasure!