The traditional flavour of sugar that has been caramelised over by heat and mixed to create a light and fluffy texture that mimics the inside of the hives of bees, isn’t a new concept and is well known by a variety of names and traditions around the world. Applications beyond snacking on the simple treat itself and including it into other products is still an under-developed territory which has only recently started to see more traction on store shelves and menus.
With over 50 different varieties and formulations available, our in-house product development experts have developed a range of honeycombs that help capture this nostalgic experience across a range of applications, from the production of balls and pieces well suited to high moisture and freeze/thaw environments, through crumbles of the favourite treat perfect for in chocolate or other treats or our innovative sugar-free version that allows for the mouth feel and taste of the traditional treat without the sugar.
Many people’s first experience with homemade Honeycomb/Hokey Pokey was part science experiment and part art as you cooked, mixed and cooled simple ingredients for a delicious light and caramel flavoured snack. Our technical team and years of experience with the sweet foam textured confection means that the FoodFlo team can provide formulations with control and precision around bubble size (fluffiness or firmness of the product) flavour (caramel, mint, lemon, or raspberry perhaps?) as well as even developing a version that is sugar-free.
Honeycomb and Hokey Pokey are the same thing but called different names based on the region or country you are in. Kiwi’s (people from New Zealand) call is Hokey Pokey, while Australian’s, South African’s and some other countries refer to it as Honeycomb. In the UK it is often called Cinder Toffee, and in North America, it is often Sponge Candy or Sponge Toffee.
(L to R): Brittle vs Fluffy formulations of Honeycomb/Hokey Pokey balls
As an inclusion, Honeycomb/Hokey Pokey gives you the opportunity to include a sweet crunch with just the right amount of flavour across a variety of texture options. Outside of the traditional kibbles (broken pieces, find “dust” or chunks), there is the randomly formed nature of Pieces, not quite a kibble, but with the smoother surface area of a ball to provide a hybrid option of kibbles and balls with popular characteristics of both categories of the hybrid inspiration. Honeycomb Balls uniform edge structure gives the most resistance to softening over other shapes in high moisture environments and is commonly used in ice creams or panned products.
(L to R): Honeycomb/Hokey Pokey balls, pieces, and kibble side by side for shape and edge style comparison.
No matter what your desired application, there is sure to be a honeycomb solution available, we even have sugar-free versions of the famous treat. Our team are here to help you discover them.
Honeycomb (the confectionery treat) and Hokey Pokey (the dessert, not the dance) are regionalised names for the same crunchy caramelised sugar treat filled with bubbles of air producing a sponge-like texture.
Honeycomb is the name that Australians will likely know the treat by, whereas Kiwi’s (New Zealanders) will likely call it Hokey Pokey. Regionally it may be referred to as sponge candy, sea foam, fairy food candy, or old fashioned puff in the US, and in Britain, it is often called Cinder Toffee with variances of puff candy in Scotland, Yellowman in Northern Ireland and Sponge Toffee in Canada.
There is often small regional variances of caramelisation, formulations or bubble size, and those variances are represented based on customer requirements across our extensive range of kibbles, pieces, and balls of inclusion options.
Traditionally, Honeycomb and Hokey Pokey have been small-batch treats made on a stovetop, with varying air pocket sizes and inconsistent results from batch to batch, with variances due to temperature, humidity and the rate of baking soda that was included (and how fast it could, or couldn’t be stirred into the mix and poured into the pan).
Our team draws on over 40 years of Hokey Pokey expertise to create a consistent and quality honeycomb inclusion range specifically developed with the varying applications in mind at the scale for use in commercial products and quantities.
When working to ensure the best possible tasting treat, our production process, quality control systems, and organoleptic testing processes ensure a sweet treat that tastes, looks and functions as required no matter the day it is ordered or produced.
Honeycomb, also affectionately called Hokey Pokey (NZ), Cinder Toffee (UK) or Sponge Candy (USA) comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and textures depending on the intended final product properties.
(L to R) Honeycomb Ball, Piece & Kibble
With more than 50 varieties in production across a range of sizes, shapes and recipes, and over 40 years in business, the FoodFlo International team are honeycomb inclusion experts. They have even developed a sugar-free version of the classic treat.
Honeycomb Types (L to R): Balls, Pieces, and Kibble. Click to enlarge photo for more detail
There are three main shapes for honeycomb inclusions:
Kibbles
Balls
Pieces
Each shape has qualities that suit different applications or outcomes. Combine your desired shape with the recipe for the right amount of fluffiness to the crunch or the depth of the caramelised sugar flavour, and you have an ingredient for your next product worth doing the Hokey Pokey for, they even come in flavoured honeycomb varieties.
No matter your application, we likely have the honeycomb solution. All products either standard range or partnership developed are subject to minimum order quantities and standard lead times.
Kibbles
Caramelised sugar with just the right amount of air pockets is what gives honeycomb it textured name, but it can also be kibbled into various pre-sized mixtures. These crushed and rough-textured kibbles are screened to ensure sizing for your production process requirements and can be coated with cocoa butter, chocolate or other confectionery barriers to keep the product free-flowing and create the desired result in your products. Kibbles are popular in bakery and chocolate applications.
Balls
Full or half-round, and available from 4 – 15 mm across a range of recipes, the classic honeycomb ball is perfect for freeze/thaw applications thanks to the uniform surface area and a layer of protective coating for just the right amount of crunch. Honeycomb balls are also a perfect snack mix addition and are suitable for panning processes.
Pieces
Randomly formed pieces of smooth honeycomb. Not a ball, but also not a kibble. Just right for your gourmet frozen products thanks to their random shapes and sizes for a premium experience without the exposed surface area of kibbles. Perfect for panning, ice creams, chocolate, bakery decoration, and much more.
Inclusions, are something added or introduced as part of a product that is extra to the standard mix. An example of a finished product with inclusions would be a chocolate chip cookie. The base cookie on its own has had chocolate chip inclusions added to the formulation, creating a final result that is both more appealing, enjoyable and higher value to the target market than the formulation without the inclusion.
Mixed inclusion varieties (Clockwise from top L to R): fudge pieces, caramel sauce, nuts, honeycomb kibble, sugar-free butterscotch kibble
The use of various fruits, nuts and other inclusion items have their origins in traditional foods of many regions and cultures. As such, there is a cultural connotation world-wide that inclusions = special and are a great way to add value and create a memorable food experience for your desired consumer.
There has been a lot of interest recently in developing products with inclusions that are low sugar or sugar-free. Foodflo has been developing sugar-free options for customers for quite some time and has a range of options available, including our recently developed Sugar-Free Honeycomb Kibble.
Our popular range of sugar-free products uses isomalt instead of usual sugar or glucose in certain products. This manufactured sugar alternative has about half the calories of sugars. (source)
Sugar Free Butterscotch Kibble Coated 2-4mm
Isomalt (also known as E953 or C12h24O11) is a sugar alcohol commonly used as a substitute in sugar-free products thanks to its sugar-like physical properties while making a minimal impact on blood sugar levels (source). Isomalt is made from sugar in a two-step process and is used in more than 80 countries worldwide (source)
We work with isomalt in a similar way to sugar as part of our hard boiled/kibbled ranges. Thanks to the features of the products, there is less natural caramelisation and inversion, making for high-quality colour clarity and low hygroscopic behaviour. For this same purpose, professional bakers and sugar artists use isomalt as part of their complex creations, as well as home cooks for the “glasswork” inside of snow globe/stained glass cookies.
“This means that not only can our team create a range of great looking inclusions with a texture similar to a traditional sugar-based inclusion, but with the added benefit of a “less sweet” intensity compared to sugar.” Says Terry Cox, FoodFlo International Technical Manager.
Sugar Free Honeycomb Kibble 2-8mm Coated
Isomalt based inclusions are positioned to showcase the desired flavour rather than the “sweetness” of the ingredient itself in a sugar-based option.
With zero net carbs, it is a popular choice for use in sports nutritional snacks as the traditional chip since only about 10% of the ingested isomalt is digested into various sugars in the intestines. (source)
The easiest way to reach us is to instantly book a time with our Sales team for a meeting that works best with you and your team. We’ve gathered the frequently asked questions, the complicated, the specific, the application dependent, and other things that come up when thinking about using inclusions and put it all in one place.
Or if you have a general query and do not want to book a specific time for a conversation, get in touch via our contact form and our team will get back to you as soon as possible. Alternatively, our team is available on +64 6 376 8774 (M-F, 8-5pm, NZT).
in a decadent bakery style biscuit. YUM! Looking to create something new and exciting in the bakery section? Our team would love to help. Check out the delicious Fudge Chunk Biscuits, Made with freeze/thaw stable fudge pieces (perfect for ready to bake products) and a delicious no dairy formulation gives decadence for formulations that require plant based ingredients.
Fudge Chunk Biscuits
These delicious treats were made with our favourite biscuit recipe, the only difference was we swapped out the chocolate chips for fudge chunks. Other delicious options we have tried and love include using nougat kibble (making for a treat with a sweet honey flavour) honeycomb balls, and caramel fudge balls.
How an inclusion performs in a bakery environment depends completely on the variables of the environment, heat, recipe, and time that you require in your process. The best way to test the suitability of inclusions for your process is to try it! Some of the best surprises come not from what the product stays looking like, but what the creation turns into.
Popular in North America for generations, doughnuts are becoming more and more popular around the world. Inspired by the tasty treats, our team created some new pairings as inspiration for your next project.
Inclusions without nuts don’t have to mean a nut-free final product, with our range of brittles, butterscotch, caramels and soft kibbles giving product developers scope to deconstruct flavours for a premium finished product worthy of your customer’s next Instagram post.
There are few things more traditional than homemade peanut brittle and vanilla ice cream, this isn’t boring basic vanilla with little bits of the traditional treat mixed inside. This is a deconstructed premium delight:Recipe (as shown in the photo):
1 Part Roasted and Salted Peanut Halves
2 Parts 8mm Brittle Balls (Cocoa Butter Coated to retain just the right amount of “crunch” in ice cream)
