How To Make Squid Game The Challenge Dalgona Cookie, Candy, Recipe Explained - Netflix Tudum

  • Control Room

    ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ Created Thousands of Candies to Get Dalgona Right

    “It was an absolute logistical nightmare.”

    By Cole Delbyck
    Nov. 24, 2023

Circle, triangle, umbrella, and star: four shapes, one candy — how hard could it be? 

As fans of the original Squid Game series are well aware, looks can be deceiving when it comes to dalgona, the traditional South Korean sweet treat at the center of the show’s iconic second game. The assignment might seem simple — use a needle to carve out the symbol on the crispy honeycomb candy without breaking it — but working with the fragile dessert is precarious, to say the least. 

While Squid Game: The Challenge takes bold new steps to expand the scope of the fictional universe, the infamous candy returns to test a new group of players. And to bring the Dalgona game to life, the team behind the reality competition series encountered a slew of unexpected challenges. There’s just no way to sugarcoat it: “It was an absolute logistical nightmare to get from point A to where someone has completed the biscuit,” says senior development chef Amon Kadim. “For starters, they’re typically made to order two seconds before they’re meant to be eaten. But we had to make them en masse a day before the game. We had to play around with the recipe so we could create the perfect storage conditions for the big day.” 

‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ contestant licking his Dalgona cookie.

To accommodate the scale of the series, as well as ensure fairness and uniformity for each player involved, a group of experts tinkered with a variety of ingredients. Some recipes needed more glucose and water to achieve the proper aeration, while others snapped too easily or became too soggy. Ultimately, 19 different versions of the recipe and thousands upon thousands of candies were created until the team landed on a devilishly delicate final product. 

Watch Squid Game: The Challenge on Netflix, and follow along with our official Squid Game: The Challenge cast guide

What to Know Before Watching ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’
Related Tags

All About Squid Game: The Challenge

  • Here’s who you voted to return to the game in Season 3. 
  • 456 players entered the game, but there can only be one winner. 
  • Player recruitment is underway. Here’s how to apply.
  • “Prioritizing my friends was a $4.56 million dollar sacrifice.”
  • Learn the rules and details of returning games and new competitions. 
  • Meet the players and keep track of who beats the odds as the game unfolds. 
  • Read the official terms and conditions to give one Season 2 another chance at winning $4.56 million.

Shop Squid Game: The Challenge

Go to Netflix Shop

Based on What You’ve Watched

  • Tobias Santelmann and Joel Kinnaman star in the Nordic noir series.
  • Skyscraper Live thrills, and Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart is a riveting survival tale.
  • Here’s everything to know about the action film from Gareth Evans. 
  • The Worst Ever franchise is back with deadly tales of the people next door.
  • Tobias Santelmann and Joel Kinnaman star in the twisty noir thriller.
  • Viewers also pressed play on Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials and His & Hers.
  • Director Gareth Evans takes us inside the action film’s brutal final moments. 

Discover More Control Room

  • And more of your pod-related questions, answered.
  • Plus, it’s time to open a chat with the bot itself, Max.
  • The competition’s executive producers explain how they pulled the iconic game off — safely.
  • Making magic with 456 players, a state-of-the-art motion tracking system, and one very large doll. 
  • The designer himself takes us step by step through his speedy design process.
  • And other gems from the show’s master wedding planner. 
  • With CGI, motion-capture, a live audience and complicated choreography, this dance show was a feat to produce.
  • Because a happily-ever-after needs a fairy tale backdrop — and an enormous infinity pool.

Discover More Reality

  • Netflix’s most notorious bachelor is getting serious about finding love. 
  • One marriage, two angry letters, and a lot of unfinished business.
  • Plus: Swapped hits a major milestone, and The Hawk swings to a strong debut.
  • Plus Ransom Canyon, A Toxic Love Story, The East Palace, Elite Force, and more.
  • Las Vegas welcomes couples putting it all on the line for a chance at forever.
  • A new group of couples are now playing house with a trial spouse.
  • The trial marriage couple addresses the explicit texts she found on his phone.
  • Here’s what the long-distance couple is streaming, as curated by Alice Oseman.

Related Videos

  • Sibling rivalry or shared fortune? See what Perla does with the $4.56 million.
  • Why make friends when you can make millions? 
  • From push-up competitions to dance-offs, watch all of the unexpected moments.
  • Are they actually scary? Creepy? Friendly? Or even … hot? The players tell all.

Latest News

  • There’s an ‘Emotional Elephant’ Lumbering Around in Ginny & Georgia Season 2
    The cast of Ginny & Georgia Season 2

Popular Now

  • Stream Voicemails for Isabelle, Office Romance, a new season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and more.
  • The series returns with Josh Duhamel, Minka Kelly, and legend Patricia Clarkson.
  • Meet the greatest golfer in the world — and his competition.