How to Make Licorice: A Simple and Delicious Homemade Licorice Recipe (2024)

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How to Make Licorice: A Simple and Delicious Homemade Licorice Recipe (1)

Learning how to make licorice is simple and fun. Here is our basic homemade licorice recipe complete with vegan and gluten-free options.

Licorice has long been a favorite of mine because it has a satisfying texture and a distinctive taste. Real licorice is black, but you can find it in red, orange, pink, and other wild colors. I never thought to make my own until I found an old recipe. Then, I tweaked it for today’s world and added some vegan and gluten-free options.

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How to Make Licorice: A Simple and Delicious Homemade Licorice Recipe (2)

How to Make a Homemade Licorice Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Learning how to make licorice is simple and fun. Here is our basic homemade licorice recipe complete with vegan and gluten-free options.

Prep Time
10 minutes
Active Time
20 minutes
Chilling Time
1 hour
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Servings
14 servings
Course
Snacks
Cuisine
American
Estimated Cost
$3

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  1. Combine the dry licorice recipe ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

  2. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, syrup, milk, and coconut oil (or butter). Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Continue to heat and stir until the temperature reaches 240°F. This is the softball stage. You can check the temperature with a candy thermometer or by dropping a small spoonful into a glass of cold water. Reach into the water and try to form a ball from the syrup with your fingers. It if stays together for a few seconds, it's ready.

  3. Remove from the heat right away and pour over the flour mixture. Mix well.

  4. Add the beetroot juice for color and the licorice extract for flavor. Mix these in well too.

  5. Pour the mixture in a greased pan and set in the refrigerator for about an hour, or until set and well chilled.

  6. When chilled, turn out onto a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper and cut into strips with a pizza cutter, keeping the strips about ⅓ to ½-inch wide. Twist them if you like.

  7. Dust with arrowroot powder to keep from sticking and store in an airtight container.

Recipe Video

Notes

You don’t need to color homemade licorice, but it may end up being a dull grayish color. I use beetroot juice because it makes the licorice a nice rosy color. You can use any juice or concentrate that you like.

As the recipes states, you can use either unsalted butter or coconut oil, whichever you prefer.

Many people use corn syrup in their homemade licorice recipe, but we chose to go the more natural route. Use it if you prefer it.

Nutrition:

Serving: 45g | Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 232IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

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How to Make Gluten-Free Licorice

If you want to know how to make gluten-free licorice, you can substitute the flour with a number of other choices. With some of them, like coconut flour, you may need to add more moisture. Coconut flour, in particular, is very absorbent. Others, like rice flour, can be grainy, so these may require some adjustments as well.

Gluten-free flour options include:

  • Coconut Flour
  • Chickpea Flour
  • Rice Flour and Brown Rice Flour
  • Tapioca Flour
  • Oat Flour (not all oats are gluten-free, so be sure to check labels)
  • Almond Flour
  • Buckwheat Flour (note that this is not “wheat”)
  • Sorghum Flour
  • Amaranth Flour

Again, you may need to do a test batch to see what the consistency of your licorice will be like.

Vegan Options

Although this recipe is mostly vegan, there are some ways to make it completely animal-friendly. You can use brown rice syrup instead of the honey called for. For the sugar, you can make sure that it is vegan by looking at this list. And when choosing sweetened condensed milk, you can find a dairy-free one, or make your own with this recipe using a vegan milk substitute (like almond milk or coconut milk).

Homemade Licorice Extract

You can buy a licorice flavor, but commercially made products are often filled with artificial ingredients. If purchasing, we recommend getting a high-quality extract. It’s also fairly easy to make your own.

Supplies include dried licorice root (cut into thin slices), a mason jar, and some alcohol. I use 40% vodka, but you could use any alcohol that is 40% or higher. Alcohol at this level will help keep bacteria and mold from forming.

Fill the mason jar about half full with licorice root and then cover with alcohol. Cap the jar and seal tightly. Shake well and place in a sunny location for about six weeks. At the end of this time, strain and decant into a dark bottle. Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Licorice extract made this was can be used exactly as above.

If you want another flavor, you can make extracts from many herbs.

Black Licorice

We didn’t include a recipe for black licorice but if you want to make it just pick up some anise extract and some natural black food coloring.

Have you ever made a homemade licorice recipe? If so, tell us about your experience!

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How to Make Licorice: A Simple and Delicious Homemade Licorice Recipe (3)

About Debra Maslowski

Debra is a master gardener, a certified herbalist, a natural living instructor, and more. She taught Matt and Betsy how to make soap so they decided to bring her on as a staff writer! Debra recently started an organic herb farm in the mountains of Western North Carolina. You can even purchase her handmade products on Amazon!

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Comments

  1. How to Make Licorice: A Simple and Delicious Homemade Licorice Recipe (7)Geri Gerry says

    Can Agave be used in place of honey?

  2. How to Make Licorice: A Simple and Delicious Homemade Licorice Recipe (8)Amy S says

    Should the gluten free flour substitute contain xantham gum?

  3. How to Make Licorice: A Simple and Delicious Homemade Licorice Recipe (9)Amelia Hardman says

    This is such a cool idea! I love liquorice but it’s difficult to get a hold of England, I had never thought of making my own… until now

  4. How to Make Licorice: A Simple and Delicious Homemade Licorice Recipe (10)Michele Moore says

    The butter in the instructions was not in the ingredient list??? Can you tell me whether it is needed please?

    • How to Make Licorice: A Simple and Delicious Homemade Licorice Recipe (11)Matt Jabs says

      We have updated the recipe. You can use either butter or coconut oil, whichever you prefer.

  5. How to Make Licorice: A Simple and Delicious Homemade Licorice Recipe (12)MiTmite9 says

    Make your own sweetened condensed milk to use in this recipe, too. Easy to make your own scm and so much better/healthier—–if all of that sugar can be considered “healthy.”

    • How to Make Licorice: A Simple and Delicious Homemade Licorice Recipe (13)Matt Jabs says

      Yes, we agree and we linked to our recipe for homemade sweetened condensed milk in the recipe ingredients.

  6. How to Make Licorice: A Simple and Delicious Homemade Licorice Recipe (14)Heidi B says

    Your instructions say to mix butter with syrup, sugar, etc. but butter is not listed as an ingredient. Coconut oil is listed as an ingredient but not mentioned in the instructions. Did you mean to say coconut oil instead of butter in the instructions? I can’t wait to try this recipe as I love licorice!!

    • How to Make Licorice: A Simple and Delicious Homemade Licorice Recipe (15)Matt Jabs says

      We have updated the recipe. You can use either butter or coconut oil, whichever you prefer.

How to Make Licorice: A Simple and Delicious Homemade Licorice Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in licorice? ›

The essential ingredients of black liquorice confectionery are liquorice extract, sugar, and a binder. The base is typically starch/flour, gum arabic, gelatin or a combination thereof. Additional ingredients are extra flavouring, beeswax for a shiny surface, ammonium chloride and molasses.

What makes licorice taste sweet? ›

Traditional black licorice flavor comes from a chemical called glycyrrhizin, which is 50 times sweeter than cane sugar. "It's quite potent-smelling," Newton-Cheh said.

How do you make soft licorice? ›

To soften stale black licorice (or any color), simply put the licorice in the microwave for 5 seconds or so, until it reaches the desired consistency. If you place each rope in a paper towel and fold it around all the edges, you'll get the best results.

What kind of sugar is in licorice? ›

Sweeteners. Some traditional licorice makers use molasses to compliment the natural sweetness of the licorice plant roots without any additional sweeteners. How black licorice is sweetened depends on the manufacturer and the type of sweets being produced.

What makes licorice taste like licorice? ›

Anise and Star Anise

In the United States, most of the licorice made domestically is flavored with anise rather than licorice extract. A note for the non-botanists, anise and star anise are two different plants, and while their licorice flavor is similar, anise is much stronger than its eastern counterpart.

What licorice is real licorice? ›

Black licorice candy is actually made from the licorice root, from the plant with the scientific name of Glycyrrhiza glabra. Sugars are added, but no fennel.

What does licorice do to the body? ›

Licorice root has been used in both Eastern and Western medicine to treat a variety of illnesses ranging from the common cold to liver disease. It acts as a demulcent, a soothing, coating agent, and as an expectorant, meaning it helps get rid of phlegm.

What does black licorice do to your blood? ›

However, it is important to realize that black licorice is more than just candy. It contains glycyrrhizic acid, which can cause swelling and high blood pressure and deplete potassium and other electrolytes that may cause a cardiac arrhythmia or arrest.

What spice has a strong licorice flavor? ›

The licorice taste and aroma found in a broad range of ingredients and seasonings - including fennel, fennel seed, anise seed and star anise - are being used in dishes from appetizers to desserts. Fennel, a celery-like anise-flavored vegetable, is increasingly common in produce markets.

How do you get licorice flavor? ›

The anise-y flavor comes from the root of the Glycyrrhiza glabra plant, and you'll find its pungent essence in various products, from Jägermeister to NyQuil.

How long does homemade licorice last? ›

When properly stored at room temperature, licorice (how long does licorice last?) candy can remain fresh for approximately 6 to 8 months. This assumes that the storage environment is cool, dry, and away from direct sunlight to prevent the degradation of its quality.

What does natural licorice taste like? ›

“Licorice is a very sweet flavor. It has a little bit of tobacco, and there's a metallic flavor. It's very earthy,” Bülow adds, sounding like he's describing a fine wine.

Is licorice good or bad for your health? ›

What Do We Know About Safety? Although licorice root is generally considered safe as a food ingredient, it can cause serious side effects, including increased blood pressure and decreased potassium levels, when consumed in large amounts or for long periods of time.

Are there any health benefits to eating black licorice? ›

The chemicals in licorice are thought to decrease swelling, decrease cough, and increase the chemicals in our body that heal ulcers. Many "licorice" products made in the U.S. actually don't contain licorice. They contain anise oil, which has the smell and taste of "black licorice".

Why is black licorice so gross? ›

The sense of taste is genetic, so when someone complains that black licorice is too bitter, they're tasting the glycyrrhizin, the compound in licorice root that's chemically similar to saccharin. This may be why they taste the bitterness.

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