Hammond's Candy Factory is Sweet Family Fun

Hammond’s Candy Factory is one of Denver’s special treasures.

Hammond’s candies features all kinds of wonderful handmade hard candies, candy canes, dipped chocolates, caramels and a special marshmallow caramel called Mitchell’s Sweets, after a Hammond family friend.

My family has a collectively large sweet tooth, so the prospect of visiting a candy factory sounded like heaven. It’s been on our to-do list for some time, and when my sister came last month from California for her first visit to the Centennial state, Hammond’s Candy Factory topped our list.

Hammond’s is located in north Denver, just a couple of blocks east of I-25 at the 58th Avenue exit. They offer free factory tours every 30 minutes from 9 until 3 Monday-Friday and 10 until 3 on Saturday.

Hammond’s was founded in 1920 by Carl Hammond, a Denver native. The company remained family owned until 1999. Just as it was in 1920, all of Hammond’s candies are still handmade. Though the tour is not long, it is fun to be able to watch the entire process from cooking the sugar, water and corn syrup (yes, it really is that simple of a recipe) to forming, stretching, rolling and shaping the various candies. I admit, I was endlessly fascinated (I am on occasion easily amused, especially when it comes to food) and could have stayed and watched them work for hours.

Our tour started in a welcoming room filled with simple ice-cream parlor tables and chairs. We first watched a brief video that recounted Hammond’s history and then it was on to the factory.

Hammonds Candy Factory Tour 2 — This employee is wrapping the colored and flavored candy into a single large log that will gradually be rolled into a rope narrow enough to make into candy canes.

Hammonds Candy Factory Tour 5 — These employees are cutting and shaping candy canes. I am absolutely amazed at how consistently and easily she shapes the canes so perfectly. My candies are never so perfect and pretty.

Hammonds Candy Factory Tour 6 — These employees are packaging and labeling the candy canes. The candy canes traveling on the rotating round tables so that they never get to the end of a conveyer belt where they might either fall off or pile up on top of one another and break.

Hammonds Candy Factory Store — And, of course, the tour ends in the Hammond’s Factory Store filled with all kinds of sweet delights. Not only does the store stock all of Hammond’s delightful candies (and even a nice selection of bargain-priced Oops), but has some other popular candies as well.

Hammond’s tour is a great outing for children and candy lovers of all ages. I really did feel like a kid in a candy store on this one. And yes, I did come home with a bag of sweet treats.

In case you’re wondering, Hammond’s handmade peanut butter cups, and peanut butter sticks are absolutely delicious, but my favorite Hammond’s treats are the sweet, creamy, chewy caramels. My husband loved the Piggybacks, Hammond’s version of a Turtle. And there’s a Dark Chocolate Sea Salt chocolate bar still sitting on my desk tempting me.

Hammond’s Candy Factory is located at 5735 North Washington Street in Denver.

You can get all the scoop–and order your favorite candies–through their website here. We will definitely be back.