Perfect 5 Minute Glazed Nuts

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!

Caramelized nuts in a pan coated in butter and sugar


 

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!

caramelized nuts for salads in a nonstick pan coating in butter and sugar

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 Caramelized Nuts

  • Step 1: Combine. Add the nuts, butter and sugar to a nonstick pan.
Showing how to make candied Nuts  (caramelize nuts) by combining pecans, butter and sugar in 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?!
Showing how to make candied Nuts (caramelize nuts) in a pan with butter by mixing the butter, nuts and sugar in a pan.
Showing how to make caramelized (candied Nuts) in a pan with butter with mixing the butter and sugar in a pan.
  • 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.
showing how to make caramelized nuts by cooling on parchment paper

Tips for making Candied Pecans

  • 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 Pecans

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:

More Easy Nut Recipes:

up close of making caramelized nuts (candied nuts) showing the sugar coating

More Favorites from Carlsbad Cravings

5 Minute Glazed Nuts

These Candied Nuts take just minutes to make! Use any nuts you'd like — pecans, walnuts, cashews, you name it. Great for holiday gifting!
Total Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

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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

*If using chopped nuts, don’t chop them too small or they will burn.

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73 Comments

  1. Helen Dehner says

    Love, love these candied nuts!! Thank you.

    • Jen says

      I’m so glad, thanks Helen!

  2. 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.

  3. 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!

  4. Barb Dodson says

    Excellent recipe!

  5. 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!

  6. make money online says

    Thank you for sharing indeed great looking !

  7. 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!

  8. 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:)

  9. 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.

  10. 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!!

  11. 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!

    • 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!

  12. 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!

  13. 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.

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