How To Make Candied Walnuts - Quick & Easy Recipe (2024)

Candied walnuts are easier the make than you might think, especially with my quick recipe. In this post, I’ll show you how to whip up a batch of these crunchy and delicious sweet treats.

How To Make Candied Walnuts - Quick & Easy Recipe (1)
How To Make Candied Walnuts - Quick & Easy Recipe (2)

Who doesn’t love a good candied walnut recipe? The sweet, crunchy taste is a treat everyone will enjoy.

This recipe is delicious, especially around the holidays, but can be enjoyed anytime during the year as well.

In a few simple steps, you can have warm, sweet candied walnuts ready to go. Perfect as a snack or on a salad.

If you’ve never tried making these before, don’t worry, this recipe is simple and straightforward.

Homemade Candied Walnuts

Homemade candied walnuts are a super easy, delicious treat that you can make yourself with ingredients and tools you probably already have in your kitchen.

Here are a few reasons why you’ll want to make this:

  • A quick sweet treat
  • Prep time is only 10 minutes
  • Perfect snack for all ages
  • Can be given as a gift
  • Made from common and affordable ingredients
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What Do These Candied Walnuts Taste Like?

These candied walnuts taste like the comfort of fall and the holidays. The sugar coating is crispy, but not sticky or heavy.

They have the perfect touch of cinnamon, with a lightly sweet flavor that offers an additional crunch once set.

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Candied Walnuts Recipe Ingredients

This easy recipe creates a delicious treat with the perfect amount of crunchy sweetness. It requires only 6 common ingredients, so you can throw this together in minutes.

  • Walnuts: The star of the show, you can use either halves or pieces, or a combo of both.
  • Egg white: The egg white helps the sugar stick to the walnuts, and create the candied coating we’re after.
  • Water: Water stretches the egg white to make coating the batch easier, and thins it so it’s not so heavy.
  • White sugar: The white sugar will caramelize and give your candied walnuts a sweet crunch.
  • Brown sugar: The extra molasses content in the brown sugar gives this recipe a richer taste. You could experiment by substituting with maple syrup or honey instead.
  • Cinnamon: The warm cinnamon spice will complement the flavor of the other ingredients.
  • Salt: Adding salt is optional, but it creates a lightly salty and sweet mix as a delicious flavor pairing.
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Tools & Equipment

You don’t need any special equipment or tools to make this, and you probably already have it all on hand. Here’s what you’ll need.

Tips For Making Candied Walnuts

This candied walnut recipe is perfect for beginners because there’s nothing fancy that you need to do. It is simple, but it’s also customizable.

You can experiment with the flavor by adding your favorite spices, using different types of sugar, or making other easy substitutions.

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FAQs

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about how to make candied walnuts, along with my answers.

What are candied walnuts made of?

The coating on these candied walnuts is made of sugar, cinnamon, and eggs, with the option to add salt if you’d like. Combined they give it a perfectly sweet crunch that’s delicious and addicting.

Why are my candied walnuts sticky?

Your candied walnuts are sticky when they aren’t baked long enough, or you haven’t given them enough time to cool so the coating can harden properly.

How long can you store candied walnuts?

You can store candied walnuts for up to a month, as long as you keep them in a cool, dark place in an air-tight container.

I hope this recipe gets your mouth watering for candied walnuts, and inspires you to make this sweet treat at home. They’re so simple and scrumptious, and sure to become a family favorite.

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More Garden Fresh Recipes

  • How To Make An Acai Bowl (Recipe)
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Share your tips for how to make candied walnuts or favorite recipe in the comments section below.

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How To Make Candied Walnuts - Quick & Easy Recipe (9)

Recipe & Instructions

Yield: 9 cups

How To Make Candied Walnuts

How To Make Candied Walnuts - Quick & Easy Recipe (10)

Candied walnuts are quick and easy to make at home, and are a delicious sweet treat. You can add them to salads and baked goods, or just enjoy them on their own.

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time30 minutes

Additional Time1 hour

Total Time1 hour 40 minutes

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven - Preheat your oven to 300°F.
  2. Whip egg white - In a small bowl, whip one egg white at room temperature until frothy, then add 1 Tablespoon of water and stir it in.How To Make Candied Walnuts - Quick & Easy Recipe (11)
  3. Combine sugar - In a large bowl, combine the white and brown sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Add the frothy egg white and stir everything together.How To Make Candied Walnuts - Quick & Easy Recipe (12)
  4. Coat the walnuts - Add the walnuts to the mixing bowl and stir until they are completely coated.How To Make Candied Walnuts - Quick & Easy Recipe (13)
  5. Pour onto cookie sheet - Pour a single layer of the coated walnuts onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.How To Make Candied Walnuts - Quick & Easy Recipe (14)
  6. Bake - Bake them for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Then allow them to cool completely before eating.

Notes

To avoid stickiness, be sure to allow your candied walnuts to bake for the full amount of time and cool completely before enjoying or storing them.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

36

Serving Size:

1/4 cup

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 192Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 61mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 4g

How To Make Candied Walnuts - Quick & Easy Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep candied walnuts from sticking together? ›

How to Make Sure the Glazed Walnuts Don't Stick. Use a silicone baking mat such as a Silpat. Or line your baking sheet with parchment paper. It may help to spray your mat or paper with some cooking spray to help from sticking even more.

Why are my candied walnuts soft? ›

Cool completely before storing otherwise the residual heat will add steam to the airtight container and this excess moisture will cause your crispy candied walnuts to go soft.

How long are candied walnuts good for? ›

Okay, all bad dad jokes aside, these candied walnuts will last quite a while. All nuts do go rancid eventually, but as long as you cool them completely and then store them in an air-tight container, they should be good for about a month.

What can I do with too many walnuts? ›

10 Simple Ways to Use Walnuts
  1. Plus-Up Cereal or Oatmeal. ...
  2. Make a DIY Trail Mix. ...
  3. Pair with Fruit, Cheese, and Crackers. ...
  4. Swap-in on Salads. ...
  5. Add to Sandwiches and Wraps. ...
  6. Make-Ahead Walnut Pesto. ...
  7. Just Eat a Handful Plain. ...
  8. Top Your Pizza, Pasta, or Roasted Veggies.
Sep 15, 2022

How do you make candied nuts not sticky? ›

Salt: 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt makes these taste salty-sweet. If you'd prefer to not taste the salt, reduce to 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Pecans too sticky: If your nuts are still sticky after cooling, heat your oven to 325° F and bake for 5 to 10 minutes to help harden the candy coating.

Why do you soak walnuts in water? ›

Shruti Bharadwaj, Senior Clinical Dietician, Narayana Hrudayalaya says soaking walnuts helps improve their digestibility and also remove phytic acid and tannin. "Soaking can also help prevent indigestion as it helps reduce gas forming compounds. It also reduces polyphenols and increase nutrient availability.

How long to soak walnuts to make them soft? ›

Experts agree that to reap the benefits, one should soak the walnuts for about 6-7 hours or overnight. And on an average, a healthy individual can have 3-4 soaked pieces of walnuts.

How do you soften walnuts in the microwave? ›

Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for another minute. Check to see how the toasting is proceeding. Add more microwave cooking time one minute at a time because nuts and seeds can burn quickly.

How long do homemade candied nuts last? ›

How Long Do Candied Pecans Last? Store your candied pecans in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week or in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. If you give them as a gift, be sure to include storage instructions.

Do candied walnuts go bad? ›

Yes, candied nuts can go bad. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month for best results.

How can you tell if walnuts are rancid? ›

Walnuts go rancid when exposed to warm temperatures for long periods of time. Heat causes the fat in walnuts to change structure, which creates off odors and flavors. Fresh walnuts smell mildly nutty and taste sweet. If your walnuts smell like paint thinner, you know they're rancid.

Can you eat year old walnuts? ›

Generally, they should be good for six months to a year at their best flavor, depending on the variety (in the shell). Five years is a little long.

What if I eat 20 walnuts a day? ›

Excessive consumption of walnuts may cause diarrhea, bloating, stomach pain or kidney stones. Due to the phytic acid they contain, too many walnuts may also inhibit the absorption of dietary iron, calcium and zinc. Recommendation: One ounce (10-14) English walnut halves per day.

What happens if I eat 2 walnuts everyday? ›

Eating walnuts on a daily basis poses little to no harm unless you have a food sensitivity, intolerance or allergy. With that said, replacing less nutrient-dense foods with nutrient-dense options, like walnuts, may help you achieve your health goals. Who knows, you may experience a boost in your mood, too.

What happens when you eat 5 walnuts a day? ›

Eating walnuts every day reduces your blood pressure and blood levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and apolipoprotein B, protecting your heart. Walnuts also contain fiber, which is good for digestive health and prevents colon cancer.

Why are my candied pecans so sticky? ›

The sugar needs to bake long enough to caramelize and form a brittle coating on the nuts. How do you fix candied nuts that are too soft and sticky? You can place them back into the oven for 5 to 15 minutes or until they dry out more. They will continue to firm and dry out as they cool.

What is the best way to store candied nuts? ›

Storage Instructions: Candied nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for several weeks. Freezing Instructions: They freeze well in an air-tight container for up to two months.

How do you package candied nuts? ›

Cool nuts on a parchment lined baking sheet. Package in miniature cellophane bags and gift to your friends!

Should I soak walnuts before baking? ›

Astringent, mouth-puckering taste…

By soaking and dehydrating them, this will be greatly reduced. This is because when soaking walnuts, the tannins are rinsed away, leaving behind a softer, more buttery nut. The soak water from nuts and seeds should always be discarded and never used as water in a recipe.

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