Many people use candy melts, a.k.a. candy coating, to make their confections.

While they’re easy to use and come in many colors, frankly, candy melts don’t taste anywhere near as good as real chocolate.
 
WHAT ARE CANDY MELTS?

Candy melts are made to emulate white chocolate, which is then tinted. But they replace the more expensive cocoa butter, that is a key component of chocolate’s flavor, with vegetable oil.

The ingredients of candy melts are sugar, milk solids (powdered milk), vegetable oils, flavorings and colors. Chocolate candy melts add cocoa powder, but still use vegetable oil.

Candy melts are also referred to as confectionery coating or summer coating. They’re the reason that so many people dislike white chocolate.

Because what they have eaten is not real white chocolate with cocoa butter, but imitation chocolate made with vegetable oil.
 
Take The Test

Want to try the difference for yourself? Buy a bar of real white chocolate and a package of white candy melts, and do a taste test.

 
Why Use Candy Melts?

Here are some reasons why people buy candy melts instead of real white chocolate—which is easy to color when melted:

 
But we do! So pick up a white chocolate bar or two (we like Lindt (photo #2) and Green & Black’s), melt, and stir in drops of green food color instead. You can also stir in a bit of mint extract.
 
 
RECIPE: ST. PATRICK’S OREOS (photo #1)

Ingredients

 
Preparation

[1] We haven’t seen green filling in a while, but your cookies will be just as festive with standard Oreos (photo courtesy Totally The Bomb).

[2] For great flavor, use real white chocolate (photo courtesy Lindt Chocolate).

[3] Not an Oreo fan? How about these Irish Cream Swirl Brownies? Here’s the recipe from McCormick.

2. ADD the melted butter to the chocolate and stir well to incorporate. The butter helps to thin out the chocolate so it coats more evenly. Stir in the mint extract.

4. DIP each Oreo halfway into the chocolate and lay it on a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Shake the sprinkles or chips onto the warm chocolate.

5. HARDEN in place for 20 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper.