These adorable monster lollipops are the perfect sweet treat for Valentine’s Day! Made with melted red Jolly Ranchers, they’re fun, easy, and kid-friendly—perfect for little hands to help. Great for classroom parties, gifting to friends, or sharing with family, these homemade lollipops are sure to be a hit!
Valentine’s Day Lollipops for Kids
Valentine’s Day is one of the sweetest holidays in our home, filled with little traditions that make the day extra special. We start the morning with Heart Toast for Valentine’s Day Breakfast, a fun and festive way to kick things off.
Then, we make our yearly batch of monster lollipops—one of my kids’ favorite Valentine’s traditions! They love watching the Jolly Ranchers melt into glossy lollipops and decorating each one with candy eyeballs and sprinkles. We bag them up in clear treat bags to bring to their classroom parties, and they’re always a huge hit with friends!
Although you need to work quick after the Jolly Ranchers melt because they set pretty fast, they are a really easy treat that I think you’ll like!
Supplies for Jolly Rancher Lollipops
- Red and Pink Jolly Rancher Candy (there is a pack called Awesome Reds that comes with just red and pink). If you can’t find the only reds pack you can just grab a big bag of multi color and pick out the red and pink ones.
- Lollipop Sticks
- Eyeballs, Red Lips and Heart Sprinkles
- Parchment Paper
How to Make Homemade Jolly Rancher Valentine Lollipops
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This is super important for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
Place 3 jolly ranchers together, making sure they are touching (so they melt together).
Leave about 2 inches in between each lollipop as they will expand.
Bake in the oven until jolly ranchers are melted. REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT: You need to watch these closely as they can melt into one big blob monster really quick (trust me, I’ve seen it happen – hah).
Immediately add a lollipop stick into each lollipop.
Use eyeball and face candies, along with sprinkles to transform the lollipops into monster faces
Tip: You need to move quickly here as the jolly ranchers will set and harden. Make sure you have all your supplies ready to go! I like to have my faces already designed and laid out on a plate so I can quickly grab them.
Allow to cool for around 30 minutes, before eating or placing in bags to hand out.
How to Decorate Monster Lollipops
Now the fun part – let’s make monster faces!
- For eyeballs, use eyeball candies, or round sprinkles.
- For mouths, use circular sprinkles, or put together a couple thin lined sprinkles for a smile. You can also use lip candies.
- Add heart sprinkles to cheeks or use for decoration all over.
I love this set of face decorating sprinkles as it comes with eyeballs, lips, mustaches, stars, teardrops and more in a storage container.
Do I have to use red jolly ranchers?
Absolutely not. These monster lollipops can easily transform into a year round treat. Simply use whatever color/flavor jolly ranchers you want and then follow the recipe as instructed.
For birthdays (or just a fun weekend recipe!) we like to use all the colors and make rainbow lollipops!
How to Store Homemade Lollipops
Store lollipops either in individual plastic bags (perfect for classroom parties) or place them all in an airtight container at room temperature.
If placing them in bags, allow them to set for an hour before bagging them.
Pin for later:
DIY Monster Valentine Lollipops (Jolly Rancher Suckers)
PrintIngredients
- 36 red and pink jolly ranchers
- 12 lollipop sticks
- eyeball candy and sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Place parchment paper down on a baking sheet.
- Place 3 jolly ranchers together, making sure they are touching. Leave about 1-2 inches apart for each lollipop. Depending on how many you are making you might need to make a couple batches. You should be able to fit 6-8 on a full size baking sheet.
- Place in the oven for 4-7 minutes, or until jolly ranchers are lightly melted. You need to really keep a eye on these as they can melt into one big blob quickly. Start at 4 minutes and then pull them right when you see they have the perfect lollipop shape. Mine usually take 6 minutes.
- Remove from oven and immediately place a lollipop stick on the end of each. Roll the lollipop stick gently around the lollipop so the melted jolly rancher covers it.
- Working quickly before candy hardens, decorate monster faces on the lollipops with eyeballs and sprinkles. Tip: I like to lay the faces out on a plate so I can quickly grab them and they're ready to go.
- Allow to cool for 1 hour before eating or placing in bags.
Leave a Comment