Freeze drying Starburst is one of those experiments that sounds a little ridiculous, that is, until you try it! When these classic chewy candies go into the freeze dryer, they puff up, turn light and crunchy, and deliver an intense burst of fruity flavor that melts in your mouth. If you're looking for a healthier snack, try freeze drying bananas!
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If you already freeze dry foods on your homestead, this is a fun (and very addictive) treat to make between batches of freeze dryer eggs, or freeze dried fruit and vegetables. And if you sell freeze dried goods locally? These will disappear faster than fresh eggs at a farmers' market!
Once you learn the right settings to make flawless freeze dried Starbursts, the hardest part will be unwrapping the candies... luckily, kids and grandkids exist. Put them to work and reward them with freeze dried Starbursts!
It took three batches for me to get it right, and the last batch was the easiest of the three. All I did was follow the candy mode instructions without making any unnecessary adjustments. Ever complicate things that don't need to be complicated? No, just me, huh?
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Ingredients & Substitutions
The only ingredient you need to make freeze dried Starburst is Starburst candies! I used full-sized, but you can also use Starbursts Minis, which have a few advantages. They come already unwrapped, and you can skip the recommended step of slicing each Starburst into quarters.
Equipment
To make freeze dried Starburst, you will need the following:
- Harvest Right Freeze Dryer
- Mason jar or mylar bags
- Oxygen absorbers
- Mason jar vacuum sealer (optional, but recommended) if storing in jars
How to Make Freeze Dried Skittles
I used the latest version of the software (v6.5.0). Your screen may look different or have different presets. If so, adjust prewarm time and temperature as seen in the screen pictures below.
- Turn on your freeze dryer and pick candy mode.
- On the candy mode screen, leave all the settings as is (pre-warm time = 5 minutes, and pre-warm temperature = 165°F; select "start."
Pro Tip: Don't adjust drying time; leave it at 2 hours at 150°F.
- You will need to wait 15 minutes while the freeze dryer is going through its cycle. Use this time to unwrap, quarter, and arrange Starburst on the trays. Leave plenty of space between them for expansion.
- Once the 15 minutes are up, load trays in the center of the machine, lock the door, and close the drain valve. Select "continue."
- It will take 20 minutes for pre-warming to begin counting down, then 5 minutes of pre-warming (for a total of 25 minutes.
- Once pre-warming is complete, the candy drying cycle will count down for 2 hours.
- Remove trays and check to see if Starbursts are done. They should be puffed up, airy, and light. If necessary, add additional drying time.
- Place freeze dried Starbursts in mason jars or mylar bags with an oxygen absorber.
Test Batches (What Worked and What Didn't)
I ran three different test batches of freeze-dried Starburst, changing both the candy condition and the pre-warm settings to see how each variable affected expansion, texture, and ease of handling.
Batch #1: Whole, Stale Starburst
I left the Starbust whole for my first batch. Honestly, I had planned to freeze dry them months earlier, but I stored them so well that I completely forgot about them. 🤪 By the time I remembered, they were pretty stale.
Settings:
- I increased the pre-warm temperature from 140°F to 165°F
- I also increased the pre-warm time from 5 minutes to 30 minutes
Results
- The Starburst puffed up very large
- Extremely crumbly
- Some pieces didn't fully expand and kept a partial square shape
- Conclusion: Stale candy plus high heat caused uneven expansion and a fragile texture
Batch #2: Whole Starburst, High Heat
For the second batch, I kept the Starburst whole but pushed the pre-warm temperature even higher, hoping more heat would force full expansion, but reduced the pre-warm time.
Settings:
- Pre-warm temperature 200°F
- Pre-warm time 10 minutes
Results
- Even more dramatic expansion and spread
- They were so fragile that they crumbled while being removed from the tray
- Conclusion: Higher heat = bigger puffs, but also too delicate to handle
Batch #3: Fresh Starburst, Cut into Quarters (Winner🏆)
For the final batch, I switched strategies. I used fresh starburst and sliced each piece into quarters before freeze drying.
Settings:
- Pre-warm temperature 140°F
- Pre-warm time 5 minutes
Results
- Perfect expansion, about marble-sized
- Light, crisp texture
- Much easier to remove from the tray
- Held their shape without crumbling
- Conclusion: Fresh candy + smaller pieces + lower heat = best overall results
Bottom Line
If you want freeze dried Starburst that are:
- evenly puffed
- crunchy (not dusty)
- easy to handle
- Use fresh Starburst, cut them into smaller pieces, and leave the pre-warm settings as is. Bigger isn't always better, unless we're talking about flavor!
Storage
Store freeze dried Starburst in either mylar bags or mason jars and add an oxygen absorber, especially for longer storage. If you have a mason jar vacuum sealer, use it to remove the air from the jars and to seal the lids.
Top Tip
- Use fresh Starburst for the best results. Stale Starburst will be hard to slice into quarters and won't have the right moisture balance, which is needed for optimal results.
- Quartering each piece allows for equal heat distribution and prevents oversized puffs that shatter when handled.
- Freeze dried Starbursts are most delicate when warm. Allowing them to cool for a few minutes helps them to firm up.
- If your freeze dried Starbursts look amazing but fall apart the second you touch them, the heat was too high. Ask me how I know.🙄
- Once cooled, transfer freeze dried Starbursts to an airtight container such as mason jars or mylar bags with oxygen absorbers to preserve crunch and prevent moisture creep.
FAQ
Yes, Starburst can absolutely be freeze dried. For best results, slice them into quarters and use the candy mode setting on your freeze dryer, which allows the candy to warm slightly before the drying cycle begins and encourages proper expansion.
Freeze drying Starburst typically takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes total. This includes roughly 2 hours of active drying time, with the remaining time used for chamber preparation and pre-warming the trays before the drying cycle begins. Actual times may vary slightly depending on candy size, pre-warm settings, and the freeze dryer model used.
Yes, Starbust expand dramatically when freeze-dried, especially during the pre-warm phase.
Yes, Starburst can be freeze dried whole, but they tend to expand significantly. When left whole, they often puff up very large, become fragile, and may be difficult to remove from the trays due to over-expansion.
Freeze-dried Starbursts are done when they are completely dry, lightweight, and crisp throughout. Once cooled, they should snap or crumble easily with no sticky or chewy centers. If any pieces feel tacky or soft inside, they need additional dry time.
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More Freeze Drying Recipes
If you enjoy making freeze dried Starbust, check out these other freeze dryer recipes!
How to Make Freeze Dried Starburst
Ingredients
- 15.60 ounce Starburst candy (large bag)
Instructions
- Turn on your freeze dryer and pick candy mode.
- On the candy mode screen, leave all the settings as is (pre-warm time = 5 minutes, and pre-warm temperature = 165F; select "start."
- You will need to wait 15 minutes while the freeze dryer is going through its cycle. Use this time to unwrap, quarter, and arrange Starburst on the trays. Leave plenty of space between them for expansion.
- Once the 15 minutes are up, load trays in the center of the machine, lock door, and close drain valve. Select "continue."
- It will take 20 minutes for pre-warming to begin counting down, then 5 minutes of pre-warming (for a total of 25 minutes.
- Once pre-warming is complete, the candy drying cycle will count down for 2 hours.
- Remove trays and check to see if Starbursts are done. They should be puffed up, airy, and light. If necessary, add additional drying time.
- Place freeze dried Starbursts in mason jars or mylar bags with an oxygen absorber.
Notes
- I used the latest version of the software (v6.5.0). Your screen may look different or have different presets. If so, adjust prewarm time and temperature as seen in the pictures in the blog post.
- Be sure to check out the full post, which contains a lot more detailed information!
- Use fresh Starburst for best results. Stale Starburst will be hard to slice into quarters and won't have the right moisture balance, which is needed for optimal results.
- Quartering each piece allows for equal heat distribution and prevents oversized puffs that shatter when handled.
- Freeze dried Starbursts are most delicate when warm. Allowing them to cool for a few minutes helps them to firm up.
- If your freeze dried Starbursts look amazing but fall apart the second you touch them, the heat was too high. Ask me how I know.🙄
- Once cooled, transfer freeze dried Starbursts to an airtight container such as mason jars or mylar bags with oxygen absorbers to preserve crunch and prevent moisture creep.
Hilda Sterner says
I hope you try making this recipe and come back and let me know how it goes!