Strawberry Tanghulu: Pretty Berries Coated in Sugar Glass

If you haven’t had tanghulu, you’re in for a treat. Tanghulu is a Northern China snack that coats fresh fruit in a thin, glassy hardened sugar shell.

Strawberry Tangulu is such a pretty fresh fruit dessert that looks impressive but is actually surprisingly simple to make. It’s made with just a few ingredients that you already have around the house.

You’ll skewer the berries, dip them in hot sugar syrup, then cool them in ice water to get that signature candy coating. It’s fun shattering the sugar coating on your first bite, and then you’re met with the juicy sweet strawberry flavor.

Perfect for a fun dessert, a fancy addition to a charcuterie board, or a way to use up extra strawberries.

Let’s make some tanghulu!

Ingredients

Other tools: candy thermometer

Steps to make Strawberry Tanghulu

1. Wash and dry the strawberries, leaving the stems intact. Skewer 2-3 strawberries on each wooden skewer

2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 300°F on a candy thermometer

3. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

4. Prepare a bowl filled with ice water.

5. Dip each skewered strawberry into the hot sugar mixture, coating it thoroughly. Allow any excess sugar to drip off.

6. Immediately dip the coated strawberries into the ice water bath to cool and harden the sugar coating. Remove and pat dry.

7. Serve the strawberry tanghulu skewers chilled and crispy.