A system and process for coating pieces or cores of confectionery material, such as chewing gum, with a sugar-based coating or a sugarless-based coating. The solid content of the sugar or sugarless material in the syrup solution is increased, thus reducing the water content and allowing the successive coating layers to be dried more quickly. The syrup solution is maintained at an elevated temperature in order to prevent the syrup solids from precipitating or crystallizing out of solution.