Watermelon Buds
Before you order
Butterfields Buds are traditional hard candy, not chewy candy. They are made to dissolve slowly, with fruit- and spice-forward flavors that are balanced rather than made to taste like dessert. Because each batch is handmade, the color, shape, and size may naturally vary.
Small Batch
No Preservatives
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan
Subtle at first. Then the sun comes out.
Before modern air conditioning, staying cool during July and August was a constant challenge. Farmers and families would drop whole watermelons into cold well water, creeks, or iceboxes to chill them. Cutting into a freezing-cold watermelon became the ultimate reward after a long day of hot summer labor, the centerpiece of every 4th of July table. There is a genuine coolness to watermelon that goes beyond temperature. Its natural hydration brings a refreshing quality that you feel before you even think about it.
Here is what makes our Watermelon Bud quietly remarkable: watermelon is almost entirely water. Hard candy contains almost none. Capturing the true character of a fruit defined by its water content in a candy that has virtually zero - that is one of the most difficult things a candy maker can attempt. We spent a long time getting this right.
Our Watermelon Bud carries that moment. It doesn't hit you with sweetness right away. There's something earthly and juicy when you first taste it, the quiet, real flavor of a watermelon before you get to the heart of it. Then it opens. The brightness arrives. And you can't help but smile, a big triangle smile, like you're biting into a wedge at a summer picnic and trying to get as far into the rind as you can to capture every last taste.
That progression from earth to sun, quiet to bright, is what real watermelon does. It starts grounded and ends in joy. We developed this flavor to follow the fruit's own arc, not to deliver instant artificial sweetness. The result is a candy that tastes like summer itself, unfolding slowly, making you reach for another one the moment the first one is gone.
*Please note we coat the candy in powdered sugar, due to this, color and brightness may vary.
Product Details
Butterfields Buds are old-fashioned hard candy with a glasslike look and feel. They are meant to dissolve slowly; we do not recommend biting into them. The flavor is fruit- or spice-forward and balanced rather than made to taste like a dessert or an intensely flavored gummy candy.
Every batch is made by hand, and our colors come from fruit and vegetable sources. Small differences in color, shape, size, and sugar coating are normal and are not product defects.
All Butterfields candies contain coconut, a tree-nut allergen. Most flavors use natural flavor. Peach Buds contain both natural and artificial peach flavor as part of the longstanding recipe.
Ingredients
Allergens
Candy Storage
Humidity is the enemy of hard candy. Keep Butterfields in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, away from heat and moisture.
Shipping & Returns
Orders over $45 ship free, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Other orders ship for a flat rate of $9.99.
Our standard processing time is 4–6 business days before an order leaves our factory. We ship Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Carrier transit time begins after the order has shipped.
Need your order sooner? In the order-notes or special-instructions box in your cart, write RUSH REQUEST — Need by [date]. A rush note is a request, not a guarantee. Rush processing depends on production capacity and product availability. Expedited carrier service and rush handling may require an additional charge. Do not assume the request has been accepted until Butterfields confirms it.
Carrier transit time begins after the order has shipped. Orders to the West Coast can take approximately 5–10 business days in transit. Orders to Alaska or Hawaii can take at least 15 business days. Processing and transit times are estimates; carrier delivery dates are not guaranteed.
Because candy is a food product, we do not accept physical returns or restock returned candy. If your order arrives damaged, melted, incorrect, or defective, contact us within 30 days at 252-459-2577 or sales@butterfieldscandies.com. Include your order information and clear photographs when possible. We will review the issue and provide a replacement or refund when appropriate; you will not be asked to return the candy.
We do not provide refunds or replacements based only on personal taste preference. Please review the What to Expect, Ingredients, and Allergens information before ordering.
Gluten Free
No Preservatives
Zero Dyes
Vegan
Not sure what flavor to start with?
Try the 11-flavor sampler, our best seller!
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Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1924
For decades, Butterfields Candy moved—from Winston-Salem to Rocky Mount, Rocky Mount to Nashville—carried forward by families who believed the candy was worth keeping. Then in 2009, it went dark. The kettles went cold. The recipes sat waiting. And someone who spent 15 years carrying the memory of a candy that comforted her took a leap of faith and brought it back to life.
Dena Manning is the steward of that story.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are old-fashioned hard candy with a glasslike look and feel. We do not recommend biting into them.
Butterfields is old-fashioned hard candy, not a chewy or gummy candy. Each piece is meant to dissolve slowly. Our flavors are fruit- or spice-forward and balanced rather than made to taste like a dessert. Because every batch is made by hand, the pieces will not have the perfectly uniform size, color, or finish of mass-produced candy.
Yes. Butterfields candies are vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
Yes. All Butterfields candies contain coconut, which is classified as a tree nut. Please review the ingredient and allergen information on the individual product page before ordering.
No. Our colors come from fruit and vegetable sources, including red carrot, turmeric, grapes, and spirulina, depending on the flavor.
Most Butterfields flavors use natural flavor. Our Peach Buds contain both natural and artificial peach flavor. This is part of the longstanding recipe I chose to preserve. Mixed assortments that include Peach Buds also contain that flavoring.
Yes. Sugar Free Peach Buds are available in an 8-ounce cello bag and a mason jar. They contain isomalt rather than sugar. Please see the product page for current availability and complete ingredients.
Coconut is part of the traditional recipe and is used during the hand-folding process to keep the candy from sticking. Small pieces also remain in the finished candy. It is not a strong coconut flavor, but coconut is a tree nut and must be treated as an allergen.
We make the candy by hand in small batches. Natural color sources and the light sugar coating can also affect how bright each piece looks. Small variations in color, shape, and size are normal.
Humidity is the enemy of hard candy. Keep Butterfields in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, away from heat and moisture.
No. Some flavors have a bright or tart finish, but we do not currently make sour candy.
Very very good. I'm hooked. Now I've got to find a way to get more when I run out. I still have 2 cellophane packs that are full. I just finished a small batch of the cherry flavored and the small watermelon flavor is almost gone to. I'm so glad I found my way to you!!
Wanted to like it. Bought lemon,cherry and watermelon and thought the flavor would be better after seeing reviews but it wasn’t
Refreshing flavor reminds me of a slice of chilled watermelon on a hot day.
Watermelon Best!!!! I simply love.
The watermelon candies were great enjoying them immensely!
They are good.
I read that the watermelon buds captured the taste and feeling of biting into a juicy, rope watermelon in the heat of summer - so I had to try them. Mission accomplished! Don't know how this was even possible. Mouth feel of watermelon juice running down your grinning face, and that refreshing burst that only comes from the perfect watermelon. Well done!!
Great flavor!
Not a fan of the Watermelon! I guess I was expecting a Jolly Rancher taste! Now the Peach is amazing! I will stick to ordering Peach from now on!
Best hard candy I've ever eaten, and I have eaten a lot of candy...
Very good flavor. These are one of my top picks!
Wonderful flavor for year round not just the Summer
love this candy. makes great gifts.
These watermelon buds are amazing!!!! Such incredible flavor. Tastes exactly like watermelon not artificial. I will most definitely recommend these and will buy more when needed which won't be long.
Another winner! Delicious flavor!
Very good flavor and if you keep the candy in your mouth, remember not to chew it up.
Not the typical watermelon flavor. Very flavorful.
I love your candies. I like the size. I suffer from dry mouth and they're perfect for that.
Always delicious!
Watermelon Buds were delicious. Would buy afain
Very delicious!
Full flavor candy.
Just o.k. will not order again.
These candies are amazing. I love hard candy. I have even made my own at the holidays. But now Butterfield’s candies will be my new holiday gift. The watermelon flavor is so good. It is unique but absolutely delicious. I am so glad I found you on Facebook. Fabulous!!
They are great tasting. So full of flavor and actually taste like a watermelon.
Greatbtasting
Great flavor and perfect size!
Bursting with flavor!
Delicious hard candies! My daughter loves them!
I was looking forward to trying the watermelon candies but the rough surface of these candies caused painful sores on the roof of my mouth.
Now I have 3 bags of candies I can’t use.
Perfect size and plenty of flavor. I have a hard time having just one.
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Crafted in North Carolina Since 1924
Our methods haven’t changed. Copper kettles. Measured heat. Some things don’t improve with shortcuts.
True to the Fruit
Vegan, gluten- & dairy-free. Made with natural flavors and pure cane sugar for a true to the fruit taste.
No Preservatives or Additives
We simply coat the candy in confectioner’s sugar to prevent sticking. No anti-caking agents or additives.
Living History
Passed through Rocky Mount to rest in Nashville, North Carolina. Carried for decades by people who believed the candy was worth keeping.
