Walnuts. Sugar. That’s pretty much all you need to make these Candied Walnuts! These crunchy caramelized nuts are a great party snack. You can also serve them in a salad or sprinkled over ice cream.
Walnuts. Sugar. That’s pretty much all you need to make candied walnuts! A dash of salt helps too.
These are very easy to make.
The Trick to Making Candied Walnuts
The trick is to work very fast once the sugar starts melting, because 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. (Yes, we’ve done that before…)
Ways to Use Candied Walnuts
Around the holidays, candied walnuts make a great party snack. You can make them a day or two ahead, and then just set them out in small bowls or serve them alongside a cheese plate for people to snack on.
You can even add a sprinkle of minced rosemary or a dash of cinnamon when you stir in the walnuts for some extra holiday flavor.
Other times of year, candied walnuts are a delightful addition to lunch salads, mixed into bowls of yogurt, or sprinkled over ice cream. They also make a convenient snack to have in your bag when traveling.
Mix it Up!
Don’t like walnuts? Use pecans, almonds, or any other nut instead.
You can also double this batch if needed, though your sugar will take a little longer to caramelize. If you need to make more candied nuts, make them in separate batches rather than trying to make them all at once; it’s more difficult to quickly separate larger batches before the caramelized sugar starts to harden.
How to store candied walnuts
Let your walnuts cool completely, then store them in an airtight container, like glass canning jar, at room temperature. As long as it’s not too humid where you live (which will cause the walnuts to become sticky), they should stay crunchy for at least a week.
Looking for more ideas for nuts?
Candied Walnuts Recipe
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/2 cups candied nuts
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves
- 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
Method
1 Toast the walnuts: Preheat oven to 350°F. Use middle rack in oven. Lay walnuts out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 5 minutes, until slightly darker in color and fragrant.
If not quite toasted enough, toast for 1 or 2 more minutes. Be careful not to burn. Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a rack.
2 Get everything ready: You’ll need to work quickly once the caramelized sugar is ready, so be sure to have everything prepped and ready to go.
Place the cooled walnuts in a bowl near the stove. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper and place near the stove. Have two forks ready.
3 Caramelize the sugar: Pour sugar into a medium saucepan with a thick bottom and place over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon as the sugar begins to melt.
Keep stirring until all the sugar has melted and the color is a medium amber, 5 to 10 minutes (exact timing will depend on your stovetop).
4 Coat the walnuts in caramelized sugar: As soon as sugar has melted and the color is a medium amber, add the walnuts to the pan. Stir quickly and make sure each piece is coated with the sugar mixture.
As soon as the walnuts are coated with the sugar mixture, spread them out on the rimmed baking sheet. Use two forks to separate the walnuts from each other, working very quickly. Sprinkle the nuts with the salt.
6 Cool and store: Let the walnuts cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and store for up to a week.
