Candied Walnuts Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

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This candied walnuts recipe is lightly sweetened, easy to make, and so irresistibly delicious. Perfect for snacking, adding to salads, giving as gifts — you name it!

Candied Walnuts Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (1)

Friends, I have a new candied walnuts recipe for us this season!

And I have to say, I’m loving this one because it is refreshinglynot too sweet.

I’ve reduced the amount of sugar in traditional candied nuts by 75% in this recipe. But guess what — they still taste delightfully sweet! And as it turns out, the lighter “candy” coating in this recipe has the added bonus of allowing you to better taste the toasted walnuts themselves, as well as the vanilla, cinnamon and tiny hint of cayenne mixed in there too. It’s the perfect balance of flavors in my opinion, and my husband and I found these walnuts to be 100% irresistible. (Lol, like seriously, our first batch didn’t even last for two days!)

I’m also happy to report that this particular candied walnuts recipe is a breeze to make in the oven (only one stir necessary partway through). And they taste absolutelyamazing sprinkled on salads, stirred into trail mixes, sprinkled on sweet potatoes, or — my favorite — popped plain as a sweet snack. Bonus, they also freeze well and make for great gifts, if you’re looking to give away someDIY treats this holiday season.

Anyway, I’m a big fan. So if you’re in the market for a lighter candied walnuts recipe, bring home some nuts and let’s make a quick batch together!

Candied Walnuts Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2)

Candied Walnuts Ingredients:

To make this candied walnuts recipe, you will need:

  • Walnuts:About 4 cups raw walnut halves (or chopped walnuts).
  • Egg white:To bind the candy coating to the walnuts.
  • Vanilla extract:Just a little for flavor!
  • Brown sugar:I used packed brown sugar, but you could also sub in white (granulated) sugar or coconut sugar instead.
  • Spices:Ground cinnamon plus a hint of cayenne.
  • Fine sea salt:My preferred salt for this recipe. (Note that if you choose to use table salt instead, you will need to use less salt.)

Full ingredient amounts/directions included in the recipe below.

Candied Walnuts Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (3)

How To Make Candied Walnuts:

To make this candied walnuts recipe, simply…

  1. Mix together the candy coating. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and cayenne until combined.
  2. Prep the walnuts. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white and vanilla. Then add the walnuts and toss until they are evenly coated. Add the brown sugar mixture and toss again until the walnuts are evenly coated.
  3. Bake. Spread the walnuts out on a parchment-covered baking sheet in a single layer (try to avoid much overlapping) and bake for 40 minutes, removing the baking sheet halfway through to give the walnuts a brief stir. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes or so.
  4. Serve. These candied walnuts are best served fresh while they are perfectly warm and crispy! That said, they can also be stored in a sealed container for up to two weeks, or frozen for up to 2 months.

Candied Walnuts Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (4)

Possible Variations:

Want to customize this candied nuts recipe a bit? Feel free to…

  • Adjust the sweetness. If you would like sweeter (more traditional) candied walnuts, you can increase the amount of brown sugar from 1/4 cup up to 1 cup.
  • Use pecans instead. Walnuts and pecans are interchangeable here. So feel free to use pecans instead, or a 50/50 mix!
  • Use different seasonings. Feel free to sub in pumpkin pie spice or chai spice in place of the ground cinnamon.
  • Use different sugar. As mentioned above, feel free to use white granulated sugar or coconut sugar instead of brown sugar if you prefer.
  • Omit (or increase) the cayenne. If you prefer your candied walnuts not to have any extra kick, you’re welcome to omit the cayenne. Or if you would like them to be extra spicy, you can double it (to 1/2 teaspoon total).

Candied Walnuts Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (5)

How To Serve Candied Walnuts:

Some of my favorite ways to serve candied walnuts include…

  • Plain: This isadmittedly my favorite way to eatcandied nuts — just popping a few plain as a sweet snack!
  • Salads:These candied walnutswouldbea delicious addition to salads of all kinds.
  • Sweet potatoes:Candied walnuts also taste delicious sprinkled on baked sweet potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, or sweet potato casserole.
  • Snack mix:Stir them into Chex Mix or your favorite trail mixes for an extra a pop of sweetness.
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Candied Walnuts Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (6)

Candied Walnuts

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.7 from 47 reviews

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 mins
  • Total Time: 50 mins
  • Yield: 4 cups 1x
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Description

This candied walnuts recipe is lightly sweetened, easy to make, andsoirresistibly delicious. See notes above for possible ingredient variations.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups (12 ounces) raw walnut halves

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 300°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, sea salt, cinnamon and cayenne until combined.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg white and vanilla until combined. Add the walnuts and toss until they are evenly coated with the egg white mixture. Add the brown sugar mixture and toss until the walnuts are evenly coated.
  4. Spread the walnuts out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven, and give the walnuts a brief stir. Return to the oven and bake for 5 more minutes. Remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
  5. Serve immediately, or store in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

Baking time:After a few readers reported that the initial cooking time (40 minutes total) resulted in overcooked walnuts, we have retested and reduced the cooing time to 25 minutes total.

Candied Walnuts Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (7)

posted on October 17, 2019 by Ali

Desserts, Snacks, Vegetarian

67 Comments »

Candied Walnuts Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep candied walnuts from sticking together? ›

One trick is to work very fast once the sugar starts melting. Once you mix in the walnuts, the candy syrup cools quickly and the walnuts will stick together. You have 30 seconds or so to separate them before they are forever bonded by glassy, cooked sugar. The other trick is to not burn the walnuts when you toast them.

Why are my candied walnuts soft? ›

Candied Walnuts Recipe FAQs

These last for up to 1 week at room temperature, 2 weeks in the refrigerator, and 2 months in the freezer. Why are my candied walnuts soft? If they are soft you likely did not bake them long enough.

Do candied walnuts go bad? ›

Yes, candied nuts can go bad. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month for best results.

How long do homemade candied nuts last? ›

How Long Do Candied Pecans Last? Store your candied pecans in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week or in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. If you give them as a gift, be sure to include storage instructions.

How long to soak walnuts before baking? ›

As a general guideline, most nuts should be soaked for at least 4-8 hours. Some harder nuts, like almonds and hazelnuts, may benefit from soaking overnight or for up to 12 hours. Softer nuts, like cashews, may only need to be soaked for a few hours.

Should I soak walnuts before baking? ›

Astringent, mouth-puckering taste…

By soaking and dehydrating them, this will be greatly reduced. This is because when soaking walnuts, the tannins are rinsed away, leaving behind a softer, more buttery nut. The soak water from nuts and seeds should always be discarded and never used as water in a recipe.

How do you make candied nuts that aren't sticky? ›

As everyone successful has said, keep cooking them until all moisture has evaporated and sugar isn't sticky anymore. First time making this, I doubled the recipe without any issues and did wait for it to crystallize before pouring into the two baking pans prepared.

Do walnuts soften when baked? ›

You can roast walnuts plain without any kind of coating, or use just oil if you want to try different spices. It would even work with different varieties of nuts! Does toasting walnuts make them softer? It does make them a bit softer and especially mellows out the harsh flavor that's present when they are raw.

How do you soften walnuts for baking? ›

Soak your nuts and seeds anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 or 3 hours, or even overnight in the refrigerator. In general, harder nuts will take longer to soften. If your recipe calls for soaked nuts or seeds and you are low on time, try to squeeze in 20 minutes minimum, or just do a really good job rinsing them.

Can you eat year old walnuts? ›

If a nut is only slightly stale, says Kanney, it can usually still be toasted to revive some of its previous glory and (crunch). However, Kanney says, “If a nut has spoiled or gone rancid, recognizable by a sour or bitter flavor, the nut is no longer good and should be thrown away.”

How can you tell if walnuts are rancid? ›

Walnuts go rancid when exposed to warm temperatures for long periods of time. Heat causes the fat in walnuts to change structure, which creates off odors and flavors. Fresh walnuts smell mildly nutty and taste sweet. If your walnuts smell like paint thinner, you know they're rancid.

Can rancid walnuts make you sick? ›

“If a nut is really oxidized, I guarantee you you're not going to get it past your mouth because it just tastes so awful,” says Schaich. But if you do, for some reason, eating the occasional spoiled nut is “no big deal,” because we have enzymes in our stomachs that can essentially incinerate the oxidation byproducts.

Why are my candied nuts grainy? ›

Either you used raw nuts, or you added them before the sugar had a chance to fully caramelize. Why is the sugar all crystallized and grainy looking? It means that the sugar has crystallized before caramelizing. Avoid stirring it before it changes its color.

What is the best way to store candied nuts? ›

Storage Instructions: Candied nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for several weeks. Freezing Instructions: They freeze well in an air-tight container for up to two months.

Do candied nuts expire? ›

We recommend a 6 month expiration date for all Candied Nut products - Vienna Almonds, Candied Macadamias, Buttered Brazils, Candied Peanuts. The best way to store nuts and chocolates is in an airtight jar/container, in a cool dry position, away from direct sunlight, such as a pantry.

How do you keep candied pecans from sticking together? ›

Under-cooking the pecans is the likely cause of stickiness, but the risk is low when they're oven-baked. After the sugar-coated nuts have darkened and turned very fragrant, about 20 minutes in the oven, stir the pecans and separate any pieces that have stuck together. Continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Why do you soak walnuts in water? ›

Shruti Bharadwaj, Senior Clinical Dietician, Narayana Hrudayalaya says soaking walnuts helps improve their digestibility and also remove phytic acid and tannin. "Soaking can also help prevent indigestion as it helps reduce gas forming compounds. It also reduces polyphenols and increase nutrient availability.

How do you package candied nuts? ›

Cool nuts on a parchment lined baking sheet. Package in miniature cellophane bags and gift to your friends!

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