Hokey pokey vs honeycomb: are they the same? In most confectionery contexts, they belong to the same broad family of light, aerated sugar sweets. The main difference is usually the regional name and how the confection is served, rather than a single fixed recipe.
In New Zealand, hokey pokey is best known as the crunchy honeycomb-style pieces found in vanilla ice cream. The term can also refer to the confectionery itself. In other countries, similar sweets may be called honeycomb, cinder toffee, sponge candy, sponge toffee or sea foam candy.
Short answer: Hokey pokey candy and honeycomb are closely related forms of aerated sugar confectionery. However, recipes, coatings, texture and common uses can vary. Lowrey Macadamia Butter Toffee Crunché is a separate style of butter toffee and should not be described as traditional hokey pokey or honeycomb.
What Is Hokey Pokey in New Zealand?
For many New Zealanders, “hokey pokey” first brings to mind one of the country’s best-known ice cream flavours: vanilla ice cream containing small pieces of honeycomb toffee.
Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand describes hokey pokey ice cream as vanilla-flavoured ice cream with added honeycomb toffee chunks. It also identifies hokey pokey as one of New Zealand’s most popular ice cream flavours.
The name can therefore refer to:
- Hokey pokey ice cream: vanilla ice cream containing small pieces of honeycomb-style confectionery.
- Hokey pokey candy: the light, bubbly sugar confectionery used in the ice cream or eaten separately.
The term has strong associations with New Zealand, but the underlying style of confectionery is not exclusive to one country. Similar sweets are made and sold under several regional names.
What Is Honeycomb Candy?
Honeycomb candy is a light, rigid confectionery with numerous small air pockets. Its cross-section resembles a honeycomb, which is where the name comes from.
A basic recipe commonly combines sugar with a syrup such as golden syrup, glucose syrup or corn syrup. Bicarbonate of soda—also called baking soda—is added to the hot sugar mixture. The mixture rapidly foams, creating bubbles that become trapped as the sugar cools and hardens.
The result is usually:
- Light and aerated rather than dense
- Brittle enough to break into irregular pieces
- Sweet, caramelised and slightly toasted in flavour
- Full of visible holes or bubbles inside
Despite its name, honeycomb candy does not necessarily contain honey. The name normally describes its porous appearance. Individual recipes may use golden syrup, corn syrup, glucose syrup, honey or another sweetener, so the ingredient list should always be checked rather than assumed.
Hokey Pokey vs Honeycomb: The Main Differences
| Feature | Hokey Pokey | Honeycomb |
|---|---|---|
| Common meaning | A New Zealand name associated with aerated sugar candy and vanilla ice cream containing pieces of that candy | A general name for light, bubbly sugar confectionery |
| Common region | Especially associated with New Zealand | Common in the UK, Australia and other English-speaking markets |
| Typical structure | Light, brittle and aerated when referring to the candy | Light, brittle and filled with visible air pockets |
| Typical ingredients | Usually sugar, syrup and bicarbonate of soda, although recipes vary | Usually sugar, syrup and bicarbonate of soda, although recipes vary |
| Common use | Especially well known as pieces mixed into vanilla ice cream | Eaten in pieces, added to desserts or coated in chocolate |
| Is there a strict recipe difference? | No universal recipe defines every product called hokey pokey | No universal recipe defines every product called honeycomb |
The most accurate conclusion is that hokey pokey candy and honeycomb are usually regional relatives, not two confectionery categories separated by a rigid technical rule.
What Is Honeycomb Called Around the World?
The names used for aerated sugar confectionery vary considerably. They can also overlap within the same country, so these should be treated as common naming patterns rather than strict geographical rules.
New Zealand: Hokey Pokey
In New Zealand, hokey pokey is strongly associated with honeycomb-style candy and, most famously, vanilla ice cream containing small crunchy pieces of it.
United Kingdom: Honeycomb or Cinder Toffee
In the UK, honeycomb and cinder toffee are common terms. Cambridge Dictionary describes cinder toffee as a light, hard sweet made from sugar, syrup and bicarbonate of soda.
United States: Sponge Candy or Sea Foam Candy
There is no single name used uniformly throughout the United States. Sponge candy and sea foam candy are recognised terms, while honeycomb candy is also widely understood. Particular names may be more strongly associated with certain regions or confectionery traditions.
Canada: Sponge Toffee
Sponge toffee is a familiar Canadian name for this type of aerated confectionery. As in other regions, individual recipes and commercial versions may differ.
Important: Names such as hokey pokey, honeycomb, cinder toffee, sponge candy and sea foam candy often refer to closely related sweets. They do not guarantee identical ingredients, density, flavour or chocolate coating.
Why Does Honeycomb Have So Many Bubbles?
The bubbly texture is created when bicarbonate of soda is mixed into the hot sugar mixture. Gas is released, causing the mixture to expand rapidly. As the sugar cools and hardens, many of those bubbles remain trapped inside.
This process gives honeycomb its characteristic:
- Porous, sponge-like appearance
- Light structure
- Brittle break
- Quickly dissolving sugar texture
Small changes in the recipe and cooking process can produce noticeably different results. The type of syrup, final cooking temperature, amount of bicarbonate of soda, humidity and cooling conditions can all influence bubble size, colour, flavour and firmness.
That is why one honeycomb may be pale and finely aerated, while another may be darker, more caramelised and filled with larger, uneven pockets.
Is Hokey Pokey Always Made with Golden Syrup?
Golden syrup is common in many New Zealand, Australian and British-style recipes, but it is not an international definition of hokey pokey.
Depending on the recipe and region, confectioners may use:
- Golden syrup
- Glucose syrup
- Light corn syrup
- Honey
- Another invert or blended syrup
It would therefore be inaccurate to claim that hokey pokey must always contain golden syrup while American honeycomb must always contain corn syrup. These are recipe choices rather than fixed geographical rules.
If you would like to see the basic method, read our guide to making honeycomb toffee. Hot sugar can cause serious burns, so care and suitable kitchen equipment are essential.
Is Honeycomb the Same as Butter Toffee?
No. Although the word “toffee” appears in names such as honeycomb toffee and cinder toffee, honeycomb and butter toffee are not necessarily made or structured in the same way.
Honeycomb is defined by its aeration. The bubbles created by bicarbonate of soda give it a light, porous interior.
Butter toffee is generally denser and richer. Butter or other dairy ingredients contribute flavour and texture, and the finished confectionery may include nuts or chocolate. It does not need the open, sponge-like structure that defines honeycomb.
| Feature | Honeycomb or Hokey Pokey Candy | Butter Toffee |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Light, porous and aerated | Denser and more compact |
| Key technique | Foamed with bicarbonate of soda | Sugar cooked with butter or other dairy ingredients |
| Typical bite | Airy and brittle | Crisp, firm and rich |
| Common additions | Chocolate coating or dessert toppings | Nuts, chocolate, coffee or salt, depending on the product |
How Is Lowrey Macadamia Butter Toffee Different?
Lowrey Macadamia Butter Toffee Crunché is a separate style of crisp butter toffee. It is not traditional hokey pokey and it is not aerated honeycomb.
The current product is handmade in New Zealand using New Zealand cultured butter and 38% roasted macadamia nuts. Its listed ingredients are macadamia nuts (38%), cream, butter, sugar, corn syrup, coffee powder and salt.
Unlike honeycomb, its texture comes from crisp caramelised butter toffee and roasted nuts rather than a network of bubbles created with bicarbonate of soda. The intended result is a firm, brittle snap with a rich butter-and-macadamia flavour.
Each 120g pouch contains 15 individually sized 8g bites. It contains milk and macadamia tree nuts and may contain traces of soy and peanuts. Customers should always check the current product packaging for the most accurate ingredient and allergen information.
Looking for a Crisp New Zealand Butter Toffee?
Discover handmade Lowrey Macadamia Butter Toffee Crunché with New Zealand cultured butter and 38% roasted macadamias.
Which Type of Confectionery Should You Choose?
Choose hokey pokey or honeycomb when you want:
- A light, aerated sugar confectionery
- A brittle sweet with visible bubbles
- A topping for ice cream, cakes or desserts
- A traditional Kiwi-style ice cream experience
Choose butter toffee when you want:
- A denser and richer caramelised bite
- A more pronounced butter flavour
- A crisp confectionery containing roasted nuts
- A packaged treat suitable for sharing or gifting
Neither category is automatically better. The choice depends on whether you prefer an airy sugar crunch or a denser, butter-rich toffee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are hokey pokey and honeycomb the same?
They usually belong to the same broad family of aerated sugar confectionery. In New Zealand, hokey pokey is especially associated with honeycomb pieces and vanilla ice cream. Recipes and regional naming conventions can vary.
What is hokey pokey in New Zealand?
Hokey pokey most commonly refers to vanilla ice cream containing small pieces of honeycomb toffee. The term can also refer to the crunchy aerated candy itself.
What is honeycomb candy called in the United States?
Sponge candy and sea foam candy are recognised American names, while honeycomb candy is also used. Terminology varies by region, so there is no single name used uniformly throughout the country.
Does honeycomb candy contain honey?
Not necessarily. The name usually refers to the confectionery’s porous, honeycomb-like appearance. Some recipes use honey, but others use golden syrup, glucose syrup or corn syrup.
Why is bicarbonate of soda added to honeycomb?
Bicarbonate of soda causes the hot sugar mixture to foam. Gas bubbles become trapped as the sugar cools, creating honeycomb’s characteristic light, porous structure.
Is Lowrey Macadamia Butter Toffee Crunché a type of hokey pokey?
No. It is a dense, crisp macadamia butter toffee made with cultured butter, cream and 38% roasted macadamias. It does not have the aerated structure of traditional hokey pokey or honeycomb.
Where can I find a honeycomb toffee recipe?
Read Lowrey’s honeycomb toffee recipe and preparation guide. Take particular care when working with hot sugar.
Final Answer
Hokey pokey candy and honeycomb are closely related forms of aerated sugar confectionery. The biggest difference is usually the name used in a particular region and whether the candy is eaten by itself, coated in chocolate or mixed into ice cream.
Lowrey Macadamia Butter Toffee Crunché belongs to a different category. It is a dense, crisp New Zealand butter toffee with roasted macadamias, not traditional hokey pokey or bubbly honeycomb. That distinction is the clearest way to understand hokey pokey vs honeycomb.
Related reading:
- How to Make Honeycomb Toffee
- Lowrey Macadamia Butter Toffee Crunché
- Explore Lowrey Toffee and Nougat
