These Candied Nuts take just 5 minutes to make! Use any nuts you’d like — pecans, walnuts, cashews, you name it. Great for holiday gifting!
Photos updated 11/10/22 – same great recipe!
Irresistible Candied Nuts Recipe
You may want to double this “recipe” (quotations because I can barely call it a recipe its so easy!) for these 5-Minute Caramelized Nuts because you won’t be able to resist their caramelized crunch as they beg to be eaten sprawled out unprotected on parchment paper as they cool.
But if they make it past the tantalizing cooling phase, then these caramelized nuts are the cherry on top of salads (like my Apple Salad with Candied Walnuts), vegetables (like my Dijon Maple Green Beans), popcorn, desserts, and even stir fries (like my Skinny Caramelized Cashew Chicken Stir Fry). They just make everything better. And better is always better.
I’ve tried many recipes to caramelize nuts and this is by far the easiest and most delicious, which really makes these nuts, well, perfect!
Candied Nuts Ingredients
This recipe can be used to make caramelized walnuts, caramelized pecans, caramelized cashews — whatever your heart desires! Here’s what you’ll need to make the candied nuts:
- Nuts: Use any nuts you like!
- Granulated sugar: I prefer using granulated sugar because it caramelizes so easily.
- Cinnamon: Totally optional, but highly recommend.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted will work. Just be sure to use real butter.
How to make Candied Pecans
- Step 1: Combine. Add the nuts, butter and sugar to a nonstick pan.
- Step 2: Cook. Stir constantly as the butter and sugar melt (so it doesn’t burn). At first the sugar with clump, and then turn loose and sandy and then start to cling to the nuts. Finally, the white granules will melt into a caramel-like coating. And you have Perfect Caramelized Nuts in 5 minutes. Wasn’t that easy?!
- Step 3: Cool. Lastly, transfer your nuts to parchment paper to cool and try to resist eating them all — or don’t because you can have another batch in just 5 minutes.
Tips for making Glazed Nuts
- Don’t chop the nuts first because they will burn before the sugar and butter can create the candied coating.
- Be patient and keep cooking until all of the sugar has melted.
- I’ve only made this recipe using granulated sugar, but I’ve seen other recipes call for brown sugar so you can likely use either.
- If your nuts don’t harden fully, that means the sugar wasn’t cooked long enough and didn’t caramelize. Cook the nuts longer next time!
Caramelized Nuts Variations to Try
- Add some heat: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to add a kick of spicy flavor.
- Add some salt: Sprinkle a little sea salt or kosher salt over the caramelized nuts to make them salty-sweet.
- Add different spices: This recipe calls for cinnamon, but I’m sure you could add other warming spices (cardamom, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, etc.).
Storing Candied Walnuts
If stored at room temperature in an airtight container, these candied nuts should last up to 2 weeks.
Suggestions for serving Candied Nuts
Whether you made caramelized pecans, caramelized walnuts, or another kind of candied nut, there are so many ways you can enjoy them! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Salads: Sprinkle these candied nuts atop salads like this Beet Salad, Apple Salad, Berry Fruit Salad, Cobb Salad, Cranberry Apple Brussels Sprouts Salad, or Roasted Butternut Squash Salad.
- Vegetables: Enjoy atop sides like these Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes, Dijon Maple Green Beans, Balsamic Asparagus, or Glazed Carrots.
- Desserts: These caramelized nuts are delicious atop Caramel Toffee Ice Cream Cake, Caramel Brown Sugar Pound Cake, Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie, Caramel Apple Poke Cake, and Apple Crisp.
More Easy Nut Recipes:
- Triple Chocolate Turtle Cookies
- Marcia’s Homemade Toffee
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Hummingbird Cake
- German Chocolate Cupcakes
- Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread
- Turtle Brownies
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5 Minute Glazed Nuts
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Ingredients
- 1 cup whole raw nuts
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Add nuts, sugar, and butter to a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat. Stir constantly with a rubber heat-proof spatula until the sugar melts into the butter and completely coats the nuts, turning the heat down as needed, approximately 5-7 minutes. The sugar will look grainy until the melting/liquifying process happens at the very end.
- Immediately transfer nuts to parchment paper and separate using 2 forks OR let the nuts harden together and break them apart with your fingers once cooled. Before cooling, I like to sprinkle with cracked sea salt. The nuts and coating will harden in 5-7 minutes. Chop the nuts if desired.
Notes
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Helen Dehner says
Love, love these candied nuts!! Thank you.
Jen says
I’m so glad, thanks Helen!
Margaret says
The sugar never melted. This recipe is garbage
Jen says
It’s impossible for it not to melt – you just needed to cook it longer. Next time you can try increasing the heat.
Barbara Roe says
I made the recipe using almonds and sea salt, no cinnamon. My husband began sampling right away not realizing they were for a gift package. Ha ha.
Jen says
LOL! Sounds delicious! Love when they’re good enough to eat from the counter!
Barb Dodson says
Excellent recipe!
Jen says
Thanks so much!
Sherrie says
The best and easiest candied pecans ever! I followed your instructions to a tee. Love the apple salad, too! Thanks Jen!
Jen says
Thank you so much, Sherrie! I am so happy you are loving my recipes!
Melva says
I will try these tomorrow as a tryout for Christmas goodies
Jen says
Hi Melva! What a great idea, I hope the tryout goes well!
Melussa says
I made this using hazelnuts. Swapped out the cinnamon and added vanilla. My son can’t stop eating them. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Jen says
That sounds amazing! I’m glad it’s a hit!
Peggy Old says
Can the caramelized nuts be frozen? Thanks
Jen says
Yes! After cooling completely, place them in an airtight bag or container.
make money online says
Thank you for sharing indeed great looking !
Angela says
I have an old stove so I just turned up the heat a bit and they turned out great!
Jen says
Happy to hear this recipe was a success! Thanks, Angela!
Bouncedancer says
I wonder if this would work just mixing the ingredients together without cooking and using it as a topping for a cake that’s baking in the oven — would the topping caramelize? Have you tried it?
Jen says
I haven’t tried it, but it could work! Happy experimenting:)
Heather says
Are you supposed to melt sugar and butter before you add the nuts? I added them all together, and the sugar stuck in the groove in the nuts and was harder and took longer to melt. Wondering if I did it wrong.
Jen says
You did it right! Just keep cooking until the sugar and butter melt. If it is taking really long, then try turning up the heat.
Bouncedancer says
Outrageous! I made glazed pumpkin seeds (GoRaw brand, which I keep in my freezer) for a cake topping, and now I’m gonna have to make another batch, because I can’t resist them and there won’t be much left by the time the cake is ready. I used ghee instead of butter; the recipe worked perfectly. The result is outstanding (In case I didn’t make that clear).
Jen says
Haha I am so glad they were so irresistible! I am sure your cake is going to be amazing!!
Debbie says
These came out perfect! I candied a batch of pecans, then almonds…I’m making a baked Brie with pumpkin butter and candied nuts for a dinner party. Can’t wait to try it all together!
Jen says
I want to be at that dinner party! Sounds delicious!
Connie says
How much cinnamon?
Jen says
It depends on how “cinnamon-y” you would like them 😉 I would do 1/4-1/2 teaspoon.
Connie says
Awesome. Thx! Making these today for friends, family & office! Will be nice compliment to my mom’s recipe for “peppery pecans”!
Jen says
That is a great duo! I hope they turn out beautifully!
Lola says
Found a long forgotten unopened kilo bag of pecans in my kitchen when I was hunting for snacks and decided to try this out. Well now it’s near 9:30pm and I have a sugar rush because I haven’t been able to stop eating them
Jen says
They really are irresistible! I’m so glad that you decided to give them a try!
Me says
Darn. I used brown sugar, but the sugar moved very quickly (within seconds) from the caramelised liquid stage to burnt brown! I used whole walnuts and also some pine nuts, which possibly a little small.
Jen says
I’m sorry! You have to use granulated sugar for this recipe.
Melissa says
Where do you put in the spice? Is it like when you’re cooking it at the end? I don’t see where the cinnamon added.
Jen says
It’s totally optional, but feel free to add a sprinkle at the beginning with the rest of the ingredients. Hope you enjoy!
NC says
These turned out great! They’re so easy to make. They not only taste delicious but look delicious being shiny and inviting.
Jen says
Yay! I’m so happy they turned out so well!
Rosemary says
Can you tell me why some of my nuts are generously coated and some don’t hold any of the coating? I also have big clumps of catamelized sugar that doesn’t stick to any nuts.
Jen says
Hi Rosemary! It might just need more time to caramelize. The sugar mixture will clump at first and then turn into the caramel coating. Some nuts will have more coating than others, it’s totally normal!
Eleanor says
Hi!
I just made your recipe using whole almonds and it came out delicious! Thank you very much! I love easy recipes that work! I’m using them to top a carrot cake with a cream cheese frosting for a friend’s birthday party. Wishing you continued success!
Jen says
That sounds so yummy! I am glad that they turned out well!
Teighan says
Not a good recipe, the sugar never crystallised after cooking for 20 minutes. Have tried this twice now over both low and high heat and nothing happens it just stays as a thick sticky coating over the nuts.
Disappointing.
Jen says
“A thick sticky coating over the nuts” is exactly what glazed nuts are, so it sounds like it worked perfectly!