Candied Walnuts are so easy to make with just a few ingredients. An addictive snack and perfect to top an ice cream sundae. This is a version of my mom’s secret recipe and a favorite to add to holiday gift baskets!
Walnuts are delicious but toasted walnuts are even better. This simple candied walnuts recipe adds a second step that toasts the walnuts with the brown sugar coating and they are the most delicious candied nut that I’ve ever tried!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Candied Walnuts
Brown Sugar
Butter
Water
Kosher Salt
Vanilla Extract
Walnut Halves
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How to Make Candied Walnuts
Add brown sugar, butter, water and salt to a pan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and boil about 1 minute.
3.Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
4. Quickly mix in walnuts until well coated using a silicone spatula.
5. Pour onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. A silpat is a silicone baking mat that is perfect for everything from baking cookies to frozen pizzas.
Candied nuts will last about a week at room temperature in an airtight container (these are my favorite deli containers for storing everything). Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 3 months.
Nuts are best served at room temperature.
Recipe Variations for Candied Nuts
Pecans can be substituted for walnuts.
Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the brown sugar mixture.
A pinch of red pepper can also go in with the brown sugar mixture for a sweet and spicy candied nut.
Serve candied nuts as an appetizer along with our Spicy Chex Mix for holiday gatherings and it’s also a great addition to a desserts table.
I make holiday goodie baskets for family and neighbors every Christmas and these Candied Walnuts are going to be the favorite this year. I found these super cute jars with lids from Amazon and they are perfect for making a homemade treat something special.
Delicious Walnut Treats
Two Tone Fudge
Layers of butterscotch and chocolate fudge loaded with crunchy walnuts. This is a holiday favorite from my mother in law's recipe box.
Easy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Simple chocolate chip cookies loaded with crunchy walnuts. An easy treat for any day of the week and delicious enough for a holidays and celebrations.
Walnut Brownies
Rich, fudge brownies filled with toasted walnuts and caramel chips for a decadent and delicious dessert.
All the flavors of a cinnamon roll in a light and fluffy bread twist with crunchy walnuts and a sweet drizzle of icing.
Add candied walnuts to your favorite cookies, to top ice cream, or just as a tasty snack but they are also a delicious addition to salads.Once you see how easy and delicious these candied nuts are, you will be making them again and again.
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4.57 from 16 votes
Candied Walnuts
Candied Walnuts are so easy to make with just a few ingredients. An addictive snack and perfect to top an ice cream sundae. This is a version of my mom's secret recipe and a favorite to add to holiday gift baskets!
Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
Add brown sugar, water, butter and salt to a pan and place over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until all combined.
Bring to a boil and cook for about 1 minute.
Remove from heat, quickly stir in vanilla and walnuts. Mixing until well combined.
Pour onto lined baking sheet and spread into a single layer.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Break apart and store in an airtight container.
Notes
Candied nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
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.
Walnut skins can be bitter, but toasting them brings out a richer nuttiness and makes those skins easy to rub off. Many of the recipes here call for toasted walnuts but even if they don't, there's no reason to avoid doing so. It will make everything taste that much better.
Let the candied nuts cool for at least 20 minutes or until completely cool. You don't want to package warm nuts or the moisture will cause condensation which will soften the candy coating.
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.
The pecans only take a few minutes to cook. If you walk away or don't stir constantly they could burn. The nuts will be sticky at first before they cool. If the glazed pecans remain sticky after cooling, transfer the baking sheet to a 325ºF oven for 5-15 minutes, or until they harden.
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.
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.
Nuts with higher fat content, like walnuts and pecans can also go rancid after a few months if stored at too warm a temperature. If you notice that your nuts have taken on a noticeably bitter, sour flavor, they may have entered this unfortunate phase.
Eating walnuts may help support sperm health and male fertility. In a 2012 study involving 117 healthy young men, participants who ate 2.5 oz (75 g) of walnuts per day for 3 months as part of a Western-style diet had improved sperm shape, vitality and motility compared to those who did not eat nuts.
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.
Just toasting them in a dry pan or oven should be enough to revive them, but they'll also go in any recipe that requires nuts. We got through most of ours by toasting them with spices, to eat as nibbles or to add crunch to soups, stews and salads.
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.
A: Nuts can't expire; however, they can change in taste or go rancid. Nuts contain much-unsaturated fat, an oil that makes nuts likely to go rancid. Nuts spoil faster when exposed to light, air, or heat. No fuss; cool, dark, and air-sealed are the three trifectas to storing nuts properly.
If you don't plan on eating your candied pecans right away, you may want to consider storing them in the refrigerator or freezer. Refrigeration can keep the pecans fresh for up to three months, while freezing can extend their shelf life for up to six months.
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.
Once you open the bag, transfer the walnuts to an airtight container to maintain freshness and then place them back in the refrigerator or freezer. If you buy bulk walnuts, either in-shell or shelled, place the walnuts in an airtight container for long-term cold storage.
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