Honeycomb Candy vs Cinder Toffee: Same Thing?

Yes — honeycomb candy and cinder toffee are the same confection under different names: a light, aerated hard toffee made by whisking baking soda into hot caramelised sugar syrup, also called hokey pokey, sponge candy, sea foam, and puff candy.

By Kelsy Maruyama, Founder & Toffee Maker, Kelsy's Kandy

Reviewed by Jason Burns, Editorial Steward

Last updated Jul 20, 2026

Published by Kelsy's Kandy · Licensed under Citation License 1.0

What it means

Both start as sugar (often with golden syrup or honey) cooked to the hard-crack stage, after which baking soda is stirred in to foam it into an airy honeycomb structure.
"Cinder toffee" is a common British name, "honeycomb" is used across the UK and Australia, "hokey pokey" in New Zealand, and "sponge candy" or "sea foam" in parts of the US.
The bubbles form when baking soda reacts in the hot syrup and releases carbon dioxide, which then sets rigid as the candy cools and hardens.

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Last verified: 2026-07-20