5 Minute Candied Walnuts
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These caramelized, candied walnuts are quite a treat. Toss them into your salad, over popcorn, or straight into your mouth. Crunch. Crunch.
I love this easy method of making the candied nuts where everything goes into the pan at once. Other methods I’ve tried left me with globs of candy on the nuts rather than a more even coating.
It also roasts the nuts at the same time so you don’t have to pre-toast them, then add them back to the pan to be coated, blah, blah. Who needs extra steps?
It seriously takes about 5 minutes on the stove and 5 minutes to cool. The finished product is delicious! My husband was sampling them right out of the pan. P.S. This recipe can easily be doubled.
Ingredients for Candied Walnuts:
1 cup walnut halves/pieces (you can also use this recipe for candied pecans)
1/4 cup white granulated sugar (not coarse sugar)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
How To Make 5 Minute Candied Walnuts:
1. Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat, add 1 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp butter.
2. Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently (with a heat proof non-plastic spatula) so your mixture doesn’t burn (especially towards the end). When the sugar mixture starts melting, stir constantly until all sugar is melted and nuts are coated.
3. Transfer immediately onto a sheet of parchment paper and separate the nuts right away. Using two spatulas will make this task go faster.
You don’t want to give the nuts a chance to turn into a wad of inseparable delicious goodness unless you are the only person who will be enjoying the wad ;). Seriously, move quickly from the time the nuts are coated until they are separated out on the parchment paper.
Once the coating hardens (5-7 minutes), you can transfer them to a bowl and either inhale them right then and there or save ’em for a salad or something.
Enjoy, {crunch} pin it to your “recipes to keep forever” board, {crunch. crunch} and let me know how you liked the candied walnuts! {Crunch. Cruuunch. Crunch}
5 minute Candied Walnuts

Ingredients
- 1 cup walnut halves/pieces, you can also use this recipe for candied pecans
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar, (not coarse sugar)
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat, add 1 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp butter.
- Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently so your mixture doesn't burn (especially towards the end). When the sugar mixture starts melting, stir constantly until all sugar is melted and nuts are coated.
- Transfer immediately onto a sheet of parchment paper and separate the nuts right away. Using two spatulas will make this task go faster. You don't want to give the nuts a chance to turn into a wad of inseparable delicious goodness unless you are the only person who will be enjoying the wad ;). Seriously, move quickly from the time the nuts are coated until they are separated out on the parchment paper.
- Once the coating hardens (5-7 minutes), you can transfer them to a bowl and enjoy!
P.S. If you haven’t allready, make sure to try our honey roasted almonds. They are also amazing
I made two huge almonds for the oven on the paper I took them out and I get them. They’re so stuck on the paper. What are we fix?
Hi Becky! Did you use parchment paper or wax paper? They would be sticking more to wax paper which is why I definitely recommend parchment paper for this project.
Natasha, I want to try this recipe using agave nectar instead of sugar, do you think it will work?
Hi Carmen, I haven’t tried that yet to advise, but it would probably work if it’s unflavored. If you experiment, please share with us how it goes.
I’m on a low cholesterol diet. I’ve been buying the Diamond glazed walnuts for my salads, but think I will try this with Smart Butter instead of real butter. Hope it works, will save me a fortune!
Yum. Seemed a bit oily, but hey, butter…..I’ll try a little less, but maybe it was the walnuts.
I was spending $22/LB for candied walnuts. Never again. This is too easy ans tastes better. Ty!!!
Chef, does adding baking soda do anything?
It could be the walnuts indeed. It was never oily when I tried it. I havan’t tested baking soda to advise. Thanks for the review!
Can I add cinnamon To the walnuts? And can I double it? Do I need to add salt?
Hi Rosalie! Yes, you can double the recipe. I think the cinnamon would add a nice touch. Not sure about the salt, but you can experiment with it. I don’t see why not.
Good recipe. Made 3 batches, back to back, same pan. Added cinnamon to the second batch, and cayenne to the third and mixed all together at the end. Did they come out like they were supposed to? Don’t know, as I hadn’t made them before. Were just a bit crunchy, but mostly tender. In any case, tasty and will make again. I did follow suggestions from the comments.
That sounds wonderful. Thank you for sharing!
I finally accomplished making candied walnuts without burning them. Your recipe is the best, simple and quick. Thank you, joan McSpedon 👍
Hi Joan! I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you for the feedback.
This was a great recipe! For once, I actually enjoyed reading the blog section as well, you’re hilarious! I hope you write all your blogs like this.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Erika!
These are SO easy to make. I was afraid of crowding the skillet with the first batch, so just made two batches. I added a healthy pinch of kosher salt and about a half teaspoon of cinnamon to the mix. Perfect!!
Easy fix…I, too, did a double batch. I have an electric stove which is much less perfect for precise cooking temperature methods. I followed the recipe, but sugar wasn’t dissolving, so I added a Tbl of corn syrup, but no help, so I lowered the temp to low & dribbled in up to a total of 1 Tbl of water which dissolved the sugar and bingo! I used a bit of water at a time, stirring until I got a more fluid coating. Just a suggestion for those who had less than optimum results your first, third, fifth try…lol.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Just made these, and turned out great! super simple and quick!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Holly!
I love the ease of this recipe. Perfect results and way less fuss and mess than many others I referenced for my dish. Your’s was the winner! I love that the toasting of the walnuts happens while the butter an sugar do their thing.Thank You.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Tara!
Turned out perfect! Thank you. I used to make candied pecans in a long oven process. I’ll try them next using this great recipe. The walnuts are a hit, thank you.
You’re welcome, Sammy!
Recipes like this that are simple, quick and delicious are fun to share and eat. Thank you!!
It’s my pleasure. Thanks for your awesome feedback!
Tried 3 different batch with ALMONDS. No more Almonds, The ones that DID coat, still werent sweet. Almonds dont coat as well as walnuts. All that down the drain. Even tried 1/2 white sugar AND 1/2 brn. sugar. Will do walnuts from now on. I used raw almonds. Threw them in trash can.
Thanks for sharing that with us.
Thank you for the simple recipe. Due to a plethora of walnuts I made a triple batch. I found there was a lot of butterfat left over that didn’t emulsify with the melted sugar, so I will probably reduce the amount of butter when scaling this recipe up. Otherwise very good with a punch of salt in the mix.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Eric!
As some others had said…my sugar also did not melt and I used the exact ingredients and followed the steps. Sounded like an easy recipe it didn’t work for me 🙁
Hi RB, sugar naturally melts over heat so here are a few things it could be – using coarse sugar (larger crystals take longer to melt so it’s not ideal), having the heat too low, or not letting it stay on the heat long enough. It looks like it won’t melt but once it reaches the right temperature, it does eventually melt.
Parchment paper drying tip was a lifesaver. I used Swerve brown sugar substitute which was moist in its zip-loc bag.Melted into liquid quickly and mixed. In fact it was so liquid I gave it three extra minutes (8 total) to thicken and foam. I stirred continuously until the last two minutes of desperation, hoping the liquid would get thick and sticky.. When I spatulaed them over the final time I was frightened by the black color on 25%of the walnuts. But I had made extra so I figured I would pick the burnt ones out. Turns out all 100% of them tasted delicious! Going on top of my honey walnut tempura chicken nuggets.
Thank you for sharing! 🙂
I didn’t have butter on hand so I used cooking oil, I was going to add a dash of salt but I forgot to…the walnuts were delicious anyway! My next batch I added a heaping tablespoon of raw sesame seeds to the walnuts… delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Selena!
Natasha, Thank you for this recipe. They are perfect every time.
You are welcome, Carmella! I’m so glad you love the recipe.
For those having problems getting the sugar to melt. Cook your sugar & butter together 1st on medium until it turns into a syrup. Then add your walnuts, turn the heat down and stir and brown until fully coated. Add salt and whatever flavorings you want. You basically didn’t cook it long enough at a high enough heat:)
I love your recipes. And loved this one, too. I’d like to know what’s the best way to store these after they’ve cooled. Thanks for your time.
Hi Oksana, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! You can store them at room temperature in Tupperware for 3-5 days. I wouldn’t refrigerate them since the caramel can become sticky in a moist environment.
I have tried several candied walnut recipes that took longer were more work and not as tasty. I always paid over $3 for this amount in a package at Trader Joe’s. This helped me use up the walnuts left from Christmas baking and took less than 10 minutes. I will make my own from now on. Thank you.
Hi Penny! That’s wonderful. I’m so glad to hear that.
I was skeptical that anything this simple would work. HA! They are perfection!
The only modification that I made was because I have a glass top stove that runs a bit hot so I used 3.5 on a scale of 10. Just right.
Thanks, Natasha!
You’re welcome! We’re glad you enjoyed!
So I’ve had the same problem with the sugar balling up. It’s worked for me most times, but others not. The key is to NOT stir the mixture together until the sugar melts. If you are using a gas stove, this can take a little while. Mine was set to more of a medium-high level before I could get the sugar to melt. Once it starts melting, then mix-quickly. Let it brown a bit for flavor but not too much or it simply burns.
Thank you for sharing your advise, Judy!
Thank You for his amazing simple recipe. I use it often. Loves, Angie
You’re so welcome, Angie!
I spent 30 minutes trying to get the sugar to melt. It coated very unevenly. I ended up burning the sugar because I was trying to even out the coating. I should have read the reviews first.
HI JJ, did you use a non-stick pan and the right heat settings? I haven’t had that experience (especially not 30 minutes). I may need to do a video tutorial on this one.
Worked like a charm! After reading the comments, I did cut back a little on the sugar and added some kosher salt, cayenne, and nutmeg to the mix. Very easy recipe and the results fully justify the good reviews!
So glad to hear that!
Natasha, Thank you for a simple and delicious recipe, We added a little cinnamon, and enjoying our treat on a cold almost Christmas Night!! Have Been enjoying your cooking for a long time. First time to comment. Thank you for every Recipe you share Anita Rose
Hi Anita! You’re so very welcome. I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes. Merry Christmas!
I looked through a lot of sugared walnuts recipes online and chose this 5 min. one. Super easy and really delicious, thank you. I’ll add these to my Christmas cookie gifts. Gluten free too!
Hi Lorraine! I’m so glad you tried this recipe. Thank you for sharing. Merry Christmas!
These candied walnuts were so good and so easy!
I followed the instructions as directed, adding a few more nuts and a pinch of sea salt to balance out the sweetness as others had suggested, and they turned out wonderfully glazed and crunchy. So many great ways to use them!!!
Thanks for sharing, Natasha!
Hi Patty! You’re very welcome. I’m so glad you loved this recipe!
I am wondering why my sugar never melted to get these to stick together. I followed the recipe exactly and have done this before with other recipes. Just curious what May Fl have happened. Still makes good salad toppings.
Hi Christine, I recommend reviewing the steps again to ensure nothing was altered. I wonder if you used a different type of sugar that may take longer to dissolve.
I tried three times to make these – sugar didn’t melt and the walnuts didn’t get coated. Sugar just went into little balls.
Did anyone else have this problem?
Same here, I don’t understand the good reviews? Not sure what I did wrong, followed the recipe perfectly and used the right ingredients.
Same exact result here! Did it twice too. Failed recipe! I’m usually a pretty good cook/baker too.
Hi! Did you make any substitutions or changes to the recipe? If not, here is a comment from a reader who had a similar issue: “If you turn down the heat or stir too much then the sugar won’t melt. Keep the heat at medium and stir intermittently so the sugar has a chance to heat up and melt. It’s a fine line between letting the sugar melt but not burn!”
You may experiment with this to see if that helps your situation.
This is awesome. I did 3/4 walnuts and 3/4 pecans. Added cayenne. Oh my! Suddenly, it was done, so came with a bit of carbon…still, they are delicious and I will be making this for my teachers and staff for Christmas. Thank you for an incredible 5 min recipe. Merry Christmas.
Thank you for sharing, so glad you loved it!
I have made these twice. The first time exactly as the recipe was written. Pretty good, but too sweet for my taste. Just made them again, and added a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Much better… added a little complexity.
Very easy recipe, and I’ll definitely hold onto it!
That’s great! Thanks a lot for your good comments and feedback, we’re happy to know that you love them!
Made them tonight for my thanksgiving day salad dressed with cinnamon shallot vinaigrette – they were so easy to make and paired perfect with the salad.
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing.
This is the best candied nut recipe I’ve ever used by a mile. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you loved it!
No need to change or add anything (in my opinion)! These are walnut crack. Oh my God!
I’m so glad you love this!
Is there anything I substitute the butter with to make this dairy free?
Hi Clarissa, I haven’t really tried any substitute ingredient for butter to advise.
This is one way to get me to eat nuts! Great recipe, but I would reduce the sugar by 1/3 and add a pinch of salt.
Loved this! It was so easy to make. The only thing I changed was I cut the sugar by almost half and added a pinch of salt for better balance. Also, to easily break the walnuts into smaller pieces I gathered the walnuts into the middle of the parchment paper. I held the edges of the parchment paper and cupped the nuts so that the parchment forms a bag. I crushed the nuts inside with my hands so they can break into smaller pieces easily and with little mess. Hope this helps!
Sounds good, thanks for sharing and that’s alright. We’re glad you enjoyed this recipe!
These nuts are so easy and so amazing. Made them to top a baguette recipe that also calls for pears and blue cheese. Can’t wait to make these nuts as Christmas gifts. Thanks for a great recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Marie!
Wow, needed to candy. It’s for a salad recipe and so glad I found this recipe —- so simple and perfect! Easy to follow and delicious!
That’s great! I’m glad you found this recipe. They are great as a salad topping! 🙂
Yummy, but too much sugar. I added another half cup of walnuts so not to waste the carmelized goodness.
Hi Alexa, thanks for sharing and feel free to add more walnuts if you like that.
I like this recipe. Easy and quick. I added a sprinkle of cinnamon. Yummy
Yum! 🙂
So easy and delicious just made it now.. it’s not too sweet either
Thank you for the feedback, Edina! 🙂
Excited about making these for roasted beets and goat cheese salad. I don’t have any white sugar. Would cane sugar work?
Thank you very much!
Trish
Hi Trish! That should be fine. 🙂
Dear Natasha
How are you? Thank you so much for the candied walnuts!! They are delicious!!! I just might eat them all by myself crunch crunch Lol
Thank you again
❤️Mary
Hi Mary! THank you for your great comment & feedback! I’m so glad you loved these!
I just made the candied walnuts for my chicken salad and this recipe is so easy and fast to make. I put on Pam spray on parchment paper put nuts in single layer and after 5 minutes broke apart and tasted a few and they are delicious!!!
Hi Amy! These are so easy and delicious, love them. I’m glad you do as well. 🙂
Very good. If you turn down the heat or stir too much then the sugar won’t melt. Keep the heat at medium and stir intermittently so the sugar has a chance to heat up and melt. It’s a fine line between letting the sugar melt but not burn! So tasty though. Love putting these on a green salad with craisins, Gorgonzola cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.
Also I poured the hot nuts into an aluminum pie pan to cool then I break apart clumps with a spoon or my hands. If I need them to cool faster I put them in the freezer!
Yes, the sugar needs to melt entirely. Using a different kind of sugar may also take more time to melt. I agree these candied walnuts are so good over salads. Thank you for your feedback Lauren!
-thank you! I guess that’s my problem, stirred too much and the sugar just went into little balls.
I’ll get more walnuts and try again.
Hi Natasha
Love the simplicity. Right there is worth 5 stars. Half of my walnuts stuck to the parchment paper (I had to use wax paper because I was out of parchment). Thoughts? Thanks!
HI Ashton, it would be sticking more to wax paper which is why I definitely recommend parchment paper for this project.
I’m going to use black walnuts that I gathered from the neighborhood
Yum! I bet that would be great! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Instead of walnuts, Can I substitute by using roasted almonds?
Hi Gee, I think you could make that work. My favorite almonds recipe is our Honey roasted almonds.
Can you make these with honey? I followed ALL directions to a tee and the sugar never melted enough , and only turned a little brown. Once cool , I will get rid of the sugar that didn’t adhere , but honey sounds like a better choice
Hi Lori, I haven’t tried honey yet to advise, but it would probably work if it’s unflavored. If you experiment, please share with us how it goes. Also, I’m curious if it was the kind of sugar used that didn’t adhere?
Made these. So delicious. Not overly sweet. Can they be stored
for awhile?
Hi Vivianne, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! You can store them at room temperature in Tupperware for 3-5 days. I wouldn’t refrigerate them since the caramel can become sticky in a moist environment.
Natasha Can you use these candied walnuts in cookies or are they too hard
Hi Sallie, I’ve seen cookies with plain walnuts or pecans on top, but not candied ones, but it also might work really well. If you do try it, do let me know how it turns out. 🙂
I ate the first batch before it did totally cooled down! Thank goodness it was so simple to make that I just made another batch. Next time gonna try it with pecans which I know will taste even better! Thank you for sharing!
You’re very welcome, Marcia! So glad you enjoyed them. Pecans sound delicious!
I’ve made this recipe a couple times, and while the walnuts come out alright, i get a lot of sugar clumps in the end and they are like tooth-grenades! What am i doing wrong?
Hi, It sounds like either the heat needs to be turned down slightly or the nuts need to be removed from the pan a little earlier.
This recipe was so easy and quick! I used a little less sugar. I also added a little salt at the end for the sweet/salty taste I crave. I made them as a snack. I couldn’t stop eating them.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
You can’t beat this method for quickness and ease. I whipped this up to add to a spring greens and goat cheese salad with raspberry vinaigrette. It took a few minutes more and a little higher heat till the sugar melted. I added salt for that wonderful sweet/salty combo.
Oh that sounds so delicious! I love adding candied nuts to my salads! Thank you for sharing.
I made this to add as a topping for fruit salad and yoghurt. Absolutely delicious and so quick to make. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I recently had candied walnuts on a cheese board that I ordered as a share instead of dessert. It was a different and tasty addition, along with quince jelly.
This looks an easy recipe, so will definitely try it for home.
Please do try it! I would love to know how it goes.
Hi Natasha. Could you clarify the amount of the unsalted butter. I was taught Tbl was for tablespoon, and Tsp was teaspoon. You listed Tbsp…
I can’t wait to try this recipe in my new air fryer.
HI Vicki, Tbsp always stands for Tablespoons and tsp is for teaspoons. I try to capitalize the T for Tablespoons as well. Tbsp is the culinary abbreviation for tablespoon.
Hi,look forward to making these but have a question. Do you think I could add these glazed walnuts in a cranberry orange bread?
Thank you and have a wonderful Christmas.
Hi Carla, I haven’t tested that but I assume it would be yummy. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas as well.
I love your recipies…when in doubt check Natasha lol So can these nuts be bagged and stored and for how long?
Hi Pat, you can store them at room temperature in Tupperware for 3-5 days. I wouldn’t refrigerate them since the caramel can become sticky in a moist environment.
Love this recipe! Super easy to make and everyone loves them. They are always a favorite either at potlucks or as a homemade Christmas goody!
Thank you!
Easy recipes are my favorite! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Lisa!
I was putting together a few homemade canned goods to gift to some friends stopping by later this morning and decided to look up a candied walnut recipe… of course I went to Natasha’s recipe first and didn’t bother looking at any others! It’s absolutely perfect! I ended up making two batches and on the second, I added 1/8 tsp of maple extract to just change it up a bit. I ended up just mixing the two together after they were cooled and container as one! I’ll be making a few more batches as little gifts for others that stop by as well. Absolutely lovely!
Aww! Thank you for that wonderful compliment and review! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Toni!!
I made this is it didn’t turn out at all like the second picture, it stayed more like the first. I added more butter and added more time. Not sure where it went wrong, maybe the elevation.
Hi Michele, if it stayed like in the first photo, it means it needed a longer time on the stove – maybe the heat was too low? Make sure you are using a non-stick skillet and I would turn up the heat a little and let it sautee longer until the sugar melts.
What is the best way to make this recipe in bulk? Does it only work well in these smaller batches?
Hi there, you may go to the recipe card and click the number of servings to adjust the ingredients too!
Totally delicious and so easy. I used Demerara sugar. Had the walnuts with stewed apples and thick Greek yoghourt. Think I may be addicted. Thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Karen!
Just made these for my Thanksgiving holiday salad. Turned out perfectly. Great easy recipe. Hope I can leave them be till Thursday.
Hi Karla, yes that would work great to leave them at room temperature in a low humidity area.
Thanks for sharing that with us, Karla. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely perfect! I’ll never buy pre-candied walnuts again!
Thanks a lot, Lynn for the review!
Giving them away for Christmas yea wonerdful, can you use almond’s to vicky
Hi Victoria, I think you could make that work. My favorite almonds recipe is our Honey roasted almonds.
My butter separated and made the walnuts very greasy, although I followed instructions precisely. I wonder if it wouldn’t have been better to melt butter and sugar first, then add walnuts. Still, my kids liked them.
Hi, did you possibly use a course sugar? Make sure to use granulated so it melts at the same time as the butter and incorporates better. Also, make sure not to heat over heat that is too high.
Hi! I used granulated sugar as per the recipe but it really never melted with the butter ,to coat the nuts … it coated them but the nuts aren’t gooey … we will still eat them but I’m not sure why it didn’t work .. bummer
Hi Trisha, make sure to try the recipe as written with the same measurements of all the ingredients. If you did, it sounds like the sugar and butter didn’t melt adequately and needed some additional time, see step 2 for instructions, and avoid using very high heat to speed up the process as this could burn your sugar syrup. I hope you give it another try, with better results this time.
After the first attempt, after waiting for 53 minutes for the sugar to melt, my walnuts were burnt. I threw it out and with the next batch, toasted the walnuts first, set them aside, then made the syrup and added them back. Worked
Holy how I didn’t expect this to turn out so good –I don’t work with sugar much, so this was my first time making candied walnuts. I was worried it wouldn’t turn out when it came out of the pan still gooey and soft, but I came back and it was perfectly crunchy, a little salty, and delicious! Thank you for making your instructions so clear and easy to follow. I love a low effort high yield recipe!
Love it! Thank you for sharing your experience trying out this recipe, Jessica. I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
Followed recipe exactly and results were amazing – so easy ! I had to fend the husband off to have enough left to top roasted butternut squash !
Thank you for a wonderful easy recipe! If there is any left , how long would this keep for ?( in fridge) Will double next time !
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! You can store them at room temperature in Tupperware for 3-5 days. I wouldn’t refrigerate them since the caramel can become sticky in a moist environment.
You might want to add a half tablespoon of butter. Otherwise it was great!
Being food-challenged, I thought this sounded super easy, and I wanted to add them to a beet/goat cheese salad. I found it took an eternity, and my walnut were just coated in sugar! Eventually, after re-reading the instructions, I threw them back in a hotter skillet, and this time, after another 3-4 mins, finally saw the sugar caramelize. Hurrah! I think I finally got it! Hopefully they’re still edible, as I must’ve cooked them for 15+ minutes! I’m not sure cooking should be this stressful, though!
I’m so glad it worked out for you, Samantha!
Very easy and delicious. I did use salted butter because that’s what I had and they tasted great. Thanks.
Glad you liked the result, Marilyn. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Does it have to be unsalted butter?
Hi Sue! It’s best with unsalted butter, but I also haven’t tested with salted butter for the added sodium, but it should still work. I hope you love this recipe!
Worked flawlessly. Honestly, I didn’t even have the right tools and guesstimated the ingredients. I’m staying in an RV that’s on uneven ground and minimally equipped. My luck for going with the cheapest air BNB lol. My butter was half melted, and I only had a 1/4 cup measuring cup for the sugar and walnuts so I couldn’t combine them at the same time. I only had a cast iron that I brought with me and my “stove” was a portable butane camp stove. The dollar store nearby had parchment paper.
It was surprisingly easy. You KOW when they’re done.
I felt that they might do well with some heat, though. Maybe a bit of red pepper flakes or diced jalapeño added at the end.
Hi there, thanks for sharing your experience making this recipe. Glad you enjoyed it and you were able to make it work, great job!
Thank you for this recipe. Did this today for a cake topping.
Followed the recipe and just stirred it through. Came out nice and crunchy!
Yay! That’s so great, Catherine! Thank you so much for sharing that lovely review with me!
Easy all around! Simple ingredients, clear directions,
absolutely yummy walnuts (on Cherry G… you know)! Love it.
Thanks for your good comments and feedback!
I burned mine the first time. I added everything in there, and the sugar took forever to turn liquid. At the time when it turned liquid, everything was burnt. I was stirring constantly too. Second time I melted the butter and sugar, and it turned liquid pretty fast, then I added the nuts and tossed them in the caramel color liquid and lightly toasted them. Second time was better. Glad I had some extra nuts!
I’m glad it worked better the second time, Kate! I’m wondering if the heat was up too high the first time around.
They were the hit of the bbq.
Everyone asked for recipe.
Next time I will make two double batches . Thanks
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing that with us, glad this was a hit.
I was looking for an alternative to the expensive salad topping I frequently bought to pair with a certain salad and these hit the spot! I too added a sprinkle of kosher salt. Yum.
Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe.
You’re welcome, Andrea! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Wow! These were so yummy paired with strawberries, grilled chicken, spinach salad! I tripled the recipe as I had 12 oz walnuts, and added a slight pinch of salt.
Thanks for recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! THank you for that lovely review!
I made these to top my husband’s honey brown sugar salmon I make him and they are delicious!!! I don’t even like walnuts or any nuts for that matter and I am walking around the kitchen popping them in my mouth while I cook dinner lol Thanks for the simple and super easy recipe!
That’s so great, Angela! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
What if I use brown sugar instead? Would it still turn out right?
Hi Amber, I recall at least some readers mentioned using brown sugar with great results. I hope you love the candied walnuts!
Just made these and they taste delicious! I definitely didn’t melt the sugar enough as I was scared to burn it, but it still tastes incredible. 10/10 give this a try!
I’m so glad you still enjoyed that Sydney!!
I love this recipe, so easy and SO good in salads! I find sometimes the melted sugar/butter mixture has a hard time actually coating and sticking to the nuts..anyone have the same problem or know of a way to fix it? Am i using too much butter?
Hi Amanda, make sure to try the recipe as written with the same measurements. Also, make sure to let the sugar and butter melt adequately (avoid using very high heat to speed up the process).
Hi! I’m going to make these tomorrow but wonder how long they keep for? If I put in a sandwich bag will they last a little while (I’m looking to add them to salads and things throughout the week)
Thanks!
Hi Kayla, It is best to store the nuts in a cool, dry environment. I keep them in Tupperware in my pantry, and they last about a week. Do not refrigerate, or they can become sticky from the moisture in the refrigerator. It also is not ideal for keeping them in a humid environment
Excellent. The coating was hard and crunchy. Not cloyingly sweet. Subbed pecan halves. Added a pinch of cayenne, cinnamon and salt. Used salted butter.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
So great, I am quite skeptical with caramel as it’s quite hard and get weary every time I try it. But this was super easy and really did only take 5 minutes. Definitely recommend
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Do I have to use unsalted butter?
Hi Nancy, I haven’t tested with salted butter, but it should still work.
i actually forgot to put the butter!!It still tasted great. I followed on of the readers suggestion to use parchment paper to line my trays and sprayed pam lightly on top of it before i individually placed my walnuts. it surely made a difference. this is the third time im making it and my family cant have enough of it. THANKS.
Hey can I use the same method for other nuts like Cashews, pecan, almonds??
Hi Richa, this should work well for other nuts. Our favorite for almonds is our roasted almonds recipe.
I’ve made this recipe maybe 4 times now, and I really like it! My only problem is the coating tends to become uneven – some walnuts are barely coated, while there are lone chunks of caramel elsewhere. I cook them until the sugar starts browning too much. Any fixes? Thanks 🙂
Hi Alois, I wonder if your heat is too high? Also, it works best to use a non-stick skillet.
It’s simple and amazing, I love it!!
Great to know that! Thank you so much.
This is a great recipe! So easy and delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!