Just 4 simple ingredients is all you need to make these delectable candied 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!
Easy 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 Tropical Winter Fruit Salad with Caramelized Cashews), 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: Can use whole or chopped nuts.
- 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 Nuts
- Simply add your nuts (chopped or whole — these are chopped because they are for my Dijon Maple Green Beans).
- Stir constantly as the butter and sugar melt (so it doesn’t burn).
- And you have Perfect Caramelized Nuts with a nice even coating in 5 minutes. Wasn’t that easy?!
- 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 Candied Nuts
- If using chopped nuts, don’t chop them up any smaller or else they might burn.
- 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.).
How Long Do Candied Nuts Last?
If stored at room temperature in an airtight container, these candied nuts should last up to 2 weeks.
How to Serve 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
| Cook Time | 5 minutes |
| Servings |
- 1 cup nuts
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Ingredients
| Rate this recipe! |
- Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat and add nuts, sugar, butter and cinnamon. Stir constantly with a rubber heat-proof spatula for approximately 3- 5 minutes until the nuts are evenly coated in the melted sugar/butter.
- Immediately transfer nuts to parchment paper and immediately separate using 2 forks OR let the nuts harden together and break them apart with your fingers once cooled. The nuts and coating will harden in 5-7 minutes.
*If using chopped nuts, don't chop them too small or they will burn.
Carlsbad Cravings© Original
Sophia @ NY Foodgasm says
This is a great easy recipe! Great job!!
Jen says
Thanks Sophia, it comes in so handy!
Serene @ House of Yumm says
Simple and easy. Love how easy this is to follow. And I bet they taste absolutely divine.
Jen says
Sometimes simple and easy is the best! Thanks Serene!
[email protected] says
This is great and we will be featuring it and your blog tomorrow for our Saturday Selections. Have a great weekend.
Jen says
Thank you so much Jordan, I really appreciate it!
Lisa says
The recipe was so easy, but the nuts didn’t harden! The coating stayed gooey and soft. Hmmmm, wonder what I did wrong??
Jen says
Hi Lisa, the nuts should definitely harden. It sounds like you need to cook your nuts a little longer – maybe closer to 7 minutes – in order for the sugars to fully caramelize. When the nuts are done, there should still be some liquid like sugar in the pan, but most of it should be gone. Hope this helps!
Jill says
Hello. I came across this recipe through Pinterest & made them 2 nights ago. Love love love them. I did add another tablespoon of butter while cooking them as the sugar was not blending/melting. Turned out great & now need to make more. Thank you!
Jen says
Hi Jill, I’m glad your nuts turned out with the addition of more butter! Your pan might have required a little higher heat or more time for them to melt. So glad you enjoyed them!
Ana says
Can I use brown sugar instead of white? Would it turn out the same?
Jen says
Hi Ana, I haven’t tried it personally myself but have seen recipes using brown sugar so I am sure it would be delicious!
Allie says
Hi Jen, I will give this a try. I am looking for a glazed walnut. I will compare this recipe with another recipe I have saved using maple syrup and see if I can find what I’m looking for. There is a restaurant here in Redding that does glazed walnuts to perfection…trying to find their secret.
Thank you for your great recipes!
Jen says
You are so welcome Allie! I hope you can find what you are looking for!
Taty says
They taste perfect))) Thank you very much. I have also tried many recepies already which were more complicated.
I just have one question, how did you, guys separate the nuts from each other. I did it with hands, was no fun at all
Jen says
Hi Taty, I separate mine with my hands after they are already dry but if you work very quickly, then you can separate them immediately after you pour them on the wax paper. If you are going to be breaking them anyway, then I will also use a mallet and then just crush them to break them apart – that is definitely the easiest.
J says
These are delicious! My son eats them as an after dinner snack. I don’t care to separate them, nor do I mind clumps of caramelized sugar on some of them. That is the beauty of home cooking … we devour them regardless.
Jen says
Awesome! I am so happy they are such a hit and even easier without separating!
Mandy says
Thank you. This recipe worked out perfectly.
I just kept striing until the sigar became a liquid.
Poured out onto cookie tray and cooled.
First time making caramelized nuts and came out 100%
Jen says
You’re so welcome Mandy! I’m so pleased your first experience making caramelized nuts was a success!
Christina says
Hi I have tried this recipe twice now but each time the sugar just makes clumps and does not cover the Brazil nuts. Any idea what I may be doing wrong? Regards Christina
Jen says
Hi Christina, it sounds like you need to cook a littler longer. The sugar clumps first and then it completely melts. Good luck!