Candied Walnuts

There’s nothing like the crunch and sweetness of candied walnuts, a snack, salad topper, cocktail nibble, or homemade gift. With a thin glassy sugar coating and endless varieties of spice and seasonings, this candied walnuts recipe is a MUST have. It’s the easiest way to take nuts from simple to extravagant. Full tutorial and video below.

We have been on a candied walnuts kick lately, especially with the Fall weather coming at us. And truthfully, this recipe works great with pecans too. We wanted to share our favorite technique to perfect candied walnuts, irrespective of the nut.

The perfect nuts for us means a shiny glossy surface, a thin layer of caramelized sugar, a rich caramel taste and a quick process to have them ready. Similar in some ways to our Easy Candy Apples–another Fall favorite!

The techniques are both oven and stovetop, both are simple. However you need to pay attention to timing and temperature. Otherwise, you’ll enjoy making these, flavoring each batch differently and you’ll LOVE gifting them!

What are Candied Walnuts?

Candied walnuts are walnut halves or pieces coated in a sugar exterior. The coating is caramelized and often flavored with spices, sweet or savory.

They can be made quickly in a skillet with sugar, butter and spices, or baked in the oven. Both methods produce a crunchy, glossy finish perfect for salads, desserts, cheese plates, and gifts.

Why You’ll Love Candied Walnuts

• DELICIOUSLY additive treat! Like you won’t be able to stop!
• They’re so satisfying on their own, with a cup of coffee. And when used with any dish, they take it to the next level.
• The crunch is irresistible! It’s delicate yet crunchy. When you add those to a savory dish, they make a sweet salty contrast with a perfect crunch. With yogurt, cakes or pancakes or any dessert, they add a hint of sweet and crunch.
• This recipes is SO QUICK you won’t believe it. There’s little planning ahead needed. If making those on the stove, you need 10 minutes start to finish only!
• You can easily scale these candied walnuts. Make 10 cups or 1 cup at once.
• They make the perfect gifts. Everyone loves them!
• Candied walnuts are shelf stable, so they keep for weeks, and again they make the perfect gifts.
• Super versatile recipe and endless variations. Go for a classic cinnamon sugar or vanilla, or espresso, to a savory and sweet rosemary and chilli flakes variety

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Walnuts. Use walnut pieces or halves, you can also use pecans for this recipe. Make sure you use fresh nuts.
• Brown sugar. We prefer light brown sugar over granulated sugar as it offers richer deeper caramel notes.
• Butter. You can use oil, but we love the butter taste.
• Optional flavorings: cinnamon, sea salt, nutmeg, vanilla, espresso powder, Aleppo pepper/ chili flakes, fresh rosemary, garlic powder, maple syrup, or citrus zest and more!

How to Make Candied Walnuts

Stovetop: Quickest

1. In a skillet over medium heat, add the walnuts, butter and sugar. Add cinnamon if using.
2. Mix them together and keep tossing around the skillet until the sugar dissolves.
3. At the point drop the heat to low and keep mixing until the sugar mixture looks caramelized and golden.
4. When it turns golden, it’s ready.
5. Spread the mixture right away on baking sheets that are lined with a sheet of parchment paper.
6. Make sure to spread the mixture in one layer.
7. Let the walnuts cool for 3-5 minutes before breaking them up.
8. They will be crispy and perfect when cooled. When cooled entirely, store it in a jar or airtight container.

Oven (Baked Candied Walnuts) :

1. Make a syrup: Combine sugar and a small amount of water and warm until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in flavorings (cinnamon, espresso, cayenne). Finally stir in some toasted walnuts and mix to coat.
2. Bake low & even: Spread coated walnuts on a parchment-lined sheet and bake at 300°F  for about 15 minutes, stirring halfway. The until nuts will look caramelized and glossy. Let them cool and you’ll notice the coating will harden into a crisp shell.

Candied Walnuts Recipe Tips for Success

1. Use fresh walnuts. Nuts that are even just slightly rancid will have a bitter taste, no matter the sugar and coating.
2. Temperature is KEY. There are a few tricks to maintaining the temperature whether you’re making this recipe stove top or oven baked. The best trick is to watch the color. A golden brown amber color is an indication that it’s ready.
3. Low & steady heat is best for stove or oven. High heat burns sugar instantly. Controlled temperature will create the best crystallization.
4. If using the oven, it’s recommended to toast the nuts for 2-3 minutes in a dry pan first. This extracts the flavor and reduces the moisture in the walnut.
5. Stove top method requires you to be stirring continuously. It’s a quick process so you’ll be stirring for about 3 minutes.
6. Make sure to spread the walnuts on parchment paper immediately when the color is amber golden. This prevents the sugar from further browning.
7. When you spread them on the parchment,  make sure they are in a single layer.
8. If you find large clumps, break them when the walnuts have cooled.
9. This oven method doesn’t require egg whites. This creates the glossy candied nuts similar to out Easy Candy Apples. Egg whites are used for the sugary coating not the glossy one.
10. Use finishing salt if you like, but sprinkle it after cooling to create an irresistible sweet salty finish.

Flavor Variations & Uses of Candied Walnuts

• Classic sugar: Light brown sugar and butter, a pinch of salt and it’s the classic flavor.
• Cinnamon Sugar: Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon per cup of walnuts.
• Vanilla sugar: Add in 1 teaspoon vanilla at the end once the sugar has caramelized.
• Spicy sweet: Add in some Aleppo pepper or chilli flakes, along with the sugar, rosemary and some garlic powder.
• Espresso: Add 1 teaspoon of espresso powder with the sugar and butter.
• Maple: Use a tablespoon of maple syrup and remove 1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar per batch.
• Herb and Zest: Toss some fresh thyme or rosemary, lemon or orange zests, olive oil instead of butter and some sweetness.

Storage, Shelf Life & Gifting Tips

• Break down the large clusters before storing.
• Cool completely before storing to avoid condensation which removes some of the crisp.
• Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 weeks.
• In the fridge, you can store them for up to 2 months.
• To freeze them, seal the jar well and freeze for up to 6 months.
• Gift idea: Pack the cooled candied walnuts in small jars. You can add a ribbon for cute gifting idea and attach a small tag. It’s great to suggest pairings in the tag along with storage and best before info.

Can you make candied walnuts without butter?

Yes! You can use some olive oil if making them savory. Alternatively you can skip the fat all together and make a syrup of sugar and water similar to our Easy Candy Apples. The butter here adds flavor but it isn’t essential.

Why did my candied walnuts get sticky?

Stickiness usually means the sugar didn’t recrystallize well, or the nuts didn’t cool well.  So it’s an indication of excess moisture somehow. To fix that, reheat the nuts briefly in a 300 degrees F oven for 5-10 minutes (depending on how sticky it was). Stir the nuts half way and let them cool entirely in a single layer.

Can I use other nuts?

Yes!!! Our favorite candied nuts are pecans, almonds, cashews and hazelnuts. We prefer not to use pistachios, but that’s just a personal taste. You can also blend them so make a candied mixed nuts.

Are candied walnuts healthy?

Nuts are a great source of good fats. The sugar coating adds calories, so keep that in mind. Use them sparingly as a garnish or snack. For a lower sugar option, try substituting some (or all) the brown sugar with maple syrup.

What’s the secret to perfectly candied walnuts?

Read our tips section above. The secret includes the freshness of nuts. controlled heat, proper cooling process and storing.

How are candied walnuts made?

Candied walnuts are made on the stove or oven. They are made by coating the walnuts in a cooked butter sugar (or water sugar syrup). See our detailed how to make walnuts section above.

Recipes To Use With Candied Walnuts

• Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
• Date Cake
• Broccoli Salad
• Peach Burrata Salad
• Pumpkin Donuts With Cinnamon Sugar
• Cranberry Orange Muffins
• Bran Muffins
• Apple Muffins
• Pumpkin Risotto

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