Let me show you how to freeze dry Airheads at home. Freeze drying Airheads turns them into crunchy, flavorful freeze dried Airhead bites.
It took a few tries to finally perfect these freeze dried Airheads! It is important that you follow the instructions to get the Airheads to puff up really well!
If Airheads are one of your favorite sweets, you're going to love turning them into crunchy, puffy candy with an intense flavor punch. If you're ready to try freeze drying Airheads at home, make sure you check out all these tips and tricks!
If you love freeze-dried candy then you need to learn, How to Freeze Dry Jolly Ranchers. They are puffy and melt in your mouth.
The easiest candy tutorial is How to Freeze Dry Skittles. They were the first thing I ever freeze dried and they came out perfect!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Freeze-dried Airheads have a unique texture and are such a fun twist on the classic candy.
- The freeze-drying process transforms the chewy candy into light, crunchy bites.
Supplies Needed
A Freeze Dryer like the Stay Fresh Freezer that I use works perfectly for home freeze drying!
Parchment Paper must be used to prevent the Airheads from sticking to the freeze dry trays.
A Sharp knife, scissors, or pipe cutter to cut the airheads into pieces. I use the pipe cutter for Jolly Ranchers and it works great to Airheads too!
Mason Jars or Mylar Bags for storing the freeze dried Airheads.
An electric mason jar vacuum sealer is a great way to keep the candy crunchy if you choose to store them in mason jars.
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make DIY freeze dried Airheads.
Airheads of any flavor will work. I have used the full-size Airheads and the fun-sized ones.
Prep Your Freeze Dryer
Check that the chamber of your freeze dryer is dry. Check the oil level as well. Make sure you close the drain valve and vacuum valve.
How to Make Freeze Dried Airheads at Home
Here are some quick visual instructions for freeze-drying Airheads. The full recipe with ingredient measurements is below!
Turn on your freeze dryer and select Candy Mode. Set the shelf temperature to 150 degrees Fahrenheit with a final dry time of 4 hours. Make sure the vacuum valve, drain valve, and demister are closed, then press start.
As the freeze dryer warms up, preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the freeze dryer trays with parchment paper.
Unwrap the Airheads and cut them into ½ inch pieces using a knife, scissors or a pipe cutter. These will make the perfect bite-sized pieces.
Pro Tip: I use a pipe cutter or cutting Jolly Ranchers and it works so well on Airheads too!
Place the pieces on parchment-lined freeze dryer trays. Make sure they are spaced evenly apart.
When the freeze dryer shelf temperature if close to or at 150 degrees Fahrenheit, place the Airheads in the oven for 5 minutes. They should be glossy, hold their shape, but they will be very soft if you touch them.
Quickly remove them from the oven, pause your freeze dryer, open the vacuum valve and put the trays immediately into the chamber. Close the door, close the vacuum valve and resume the freeze drying process.
Allow the Airheads to freeze dry for 4 hours. When the cycle is finished, open the vacuum valve and chamber door.
Carefully remove the warm trays and package the candy quickly to keep it dry and crispy. Enjoy your freeze dried Airhead bites!
How to Check if Airheads are Done Freeze Drying
You may be wondering, how long does it take to freeze dry Airheads?
Usually Airheads are done in 4 hours. However, this may vary based on your model or freeze dryer. If you live in a humid climate you may also want to add another hour.
The Airheads should come out puffed, light and crispy. They will begin to slowly absorb moisture after coming out of the freeze dryer, so try to package them quickly.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Parchment paper is a MUST for this recipe. I made them without the parchment paper and they stuck to the trays.
- You have to warm the Airheads and the freeze dryer shelf to have light a puffy airheads. I tried just warming them in the oven, and they did not puff up the same.
- Try to package them up quickly. I live in a dry climate and left some out overnight and they were no longer crispy.
Specific Instructions for Stay Fresh Freeze Dryers
I made a video on how to freeze dry Airheads at home with your Stay Fresh freeze dryer if you would like to see how it is done.
How to Store Freeze Dried Airheads
Freeze dried Air heads will not stay dry and crispy in just any airtight container.
- Long Term Storage: Store them in mylar bags with an oxygen absorber and seal them with an impulse sealer. Keep them out of direct sunlight.
- Shorter Storage: Store them in mason jars and use an electric vacuum sealer to remove excess air.
- On the Go Treats: Add them to mylar bags with a window on them to easily see what you have packaged. You can also impulse seal them.
Ways to Use Freeze Dried Airheads
Their bold flavors and crunch make them so fun to eat!
- Add them to candy charcuterie boards.
- Give them as gifts or package them for a movie night. Kids love freeze-dried candy!
- Crush them and add them on top cupcakes or ice cream.
- Crush them and use them on the rim of a glass for a fun drink.
Frequently Asked Questions
They're Airheads candy that has gone through the freeze-drying process to remove moisture. They taste like Airheads, but they become puffed up and crunchy.
📖 Recipe
How to Freeze Dry Airheads
Equipment
- pipe cutter (optional)
Ingredients
- 15 ounces Airheads (approximately)
Instructions
- You will need to preheat the freeze dryer for freeze dried Airheads. Select Candy Mode on your freeze dryer and set the temperature to 150℉ with a final dry time of 4 hours. Make sure the vacuum valve, drain valve and demister are closed and press start.
- While the freeze dryer shelf temperature raises to 150℉, begin prepping your airheads. Beginning preheating your oven to 200℉.
- Line the trays with parchment paper. The Airheads will stick if you don't use parchment paper.
- Unwrap the Airheads and cut them into ½ inch pieces using a knife, scissors, or a pipe cutter.
- Place them on the parchment lined trays, evenly spaced apart. I usually do 4 across and 9 down (this will vary depending on how big your airhead pieces are).
- Once your freeze dryer is close to or at 150℉ shelf temperature, add the freeze dryer trays of Airheads to the oven for 5-7 minutes.
- After 5-7 minutes the Airheads should be glossy, soft to the touch, but still hold their shape. Quickly take them out of the oven, pause the freeze dryer, open the vacuum valve, open the chamber door, and add them to the freeze dryer shelf.
- Immediately close the door and close the vacuum valve. Double check that the drain valve is closed too, and resume the freeze drying cycle.
- Allow the Airheads to freeze dry for 4 hours. Once, the cycle is complete, open the vacuum valve and open the chamber door. The trays may be a little hot.
- Carefully remove them and package the candy to keep it dry and crispy.
- For short term storage you can add them to mason jars and use a vacuum sealer to remove some of the air from the jars. For long term storage add them to mylar bags, add an oxygen absorber and seal them with an impulse sealer.
Aaron says
Your tips helped them to puff up better. Thanks!