Whether you need a snack for cocktail hour or a sweet crunch to add to a salad, these candied walnuts hit the mark every time! They're addictive and versatile and they're exactly what I want in a quick and easy snack.
Walnuts are a great nut filled with antioxidants and omega 3, but they can be bland and have been described as dusty... gross! But once you move past that and toast them a little, they're delicious! In this recipe, I use raw walnuts, and toast them in the oven before I candy them. Once they have cooled, the candied walnuts are ready to eat.
I always have a jar in the pantry during spring and summer, as snacks or salad toppers.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- walnuts - my favourite nut to candy, but use what ever raw nuts you have in your pantry, this recipe is great way to use half opened packets of nuts
- sugar - I use half caster sugar and half brown sugar, I find this combination adds a molasses taste and softens the sugar, so it's a crunchy bite that's easier on your teeth
- cinnamon - I add cinnamon to almost everything! Cinnamon adds a lovely flavour to these candied walnuts
- sea salt - to balance out the sweetness
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat the oven and evenly place the walnuts on a line baking tray and bake for up to 10 minutes
- Step 2: In a medium saucepan combine the caster sugar, brown sugar and water, put over low heat
- Step 3: Stir the sugar and water occasionally, once sugar is dissolved, remove from heat. Add vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt to the sugar mix and stir quickly.
- Step 4: Then add walnuts, coat and lay out onto the same lined baking tray to cool.
Hint: these candied walnuts are great as a little garnish topping on iced cupcakes or cakes. Just chop up the candied walnuts and scatter them over the sweet treat.
Substitutions and Variations
There are many ways to add flavour to walnuts, these are some I've tried and enjoyed;
- Spicey - double the cayenne pepper and add some smoked paprika for a spicey and smoky snack
- Sweet - if you don't have brown sugar, use just caster sugar, coconut sugar or raw sugar for a similar result
- Gingerbread - add more cinnamon plus a teaspoon of ground ginger, the perfect snack for the holidays
- Nuts - is you don't like walnuts, cashews, pecans and macadamias are a great option. If using almonds, make sure they're blanched and have the skin off
Storage
Store the candied walnuts in an airtight container or jar for up to 1 week in the pantry.
Top Tip
These make a great gift, all year round. Make a big batch, sterilise a few jars, fill the jars with the candied walnuts, pop the lid on and tie a little ribbon around the neck of the jar et voila! A lovely homemade gift everyone will appreciate.
Related
Looking for other snack ideas? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favourite dishes to scatter candied walnuts over the top:
Candied Walnuts
Ingredients
Method
- Place the raw walnuts on a lined baking tray and bake in a preheated oven for no longer than 10 minutes. Then remove the tray from the oven.
- In a medium saucepan, place the caster sugar, brown sugar and water over low heat and gently stir as the sugar dissolves.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, add the cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt and stir to combine. Keep on the heat for 1 minute, then remove the saucepan from the stove.
- Put the lightly toasted walnuts into the saucepan and stir quickly to coat the walnuts. Once coated, quickly pour the walnuts onto the same lined baking tray and spread them out evenly using a spoon or wooden spoon. Allow to cool, the candy will harden quickly as the walnuts cool. Enjoy!
Let me know if you have tried this recipe