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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
To make it even easier, instead of using parchment paper I just kept stirring the nuts in the pan after the heat was off. When the caramel was thick enough to stick I separated the nuts in the pan and let them cool there. Should probably have gone easier on the heat with this approach.
Thanks for sharing that with us!
I could not make this work! I tried three times but always ended up with clumpy bits of sugar stuck together instead of the walnuts. Clearly it worked for other people but I have no idea what I’m doing wrong
I’m posting this mostly so that anyone else who tries and fails knows they are not alone!
Hi Alaina, I just made these the other day and the key is to keep it on a non-stick skillet and on the heat until the sugar fully melts then spread the nuts onto the parchment paper right away and separate them so the sugar sets on the individual nuts. I hope that helps.
I have the same issue 😕
Quick tip, melt the butter and sugar before putting the nuts in. Otherwise you’ll end up with clumps of uneven melted and unmelted sugar.
Thank you for sharing that with us Mimi.
Hi,
I just made these. They didn’t turn out very sweet and have a dark color coating. I am wondering if I burned the sugar? What do you think?
Hi Hallie, that is possible. Was anything altered in the recipe? Maybe it was cooked on a higher heat?
Just tried making those, took 5 minutes! First time I succeed at making candied nuts – I always give up at the point when the sugar hasn’t melted yet and it looks like a powdery mess, the trick is to keep going.
Thank you for the recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
So my nuts dry fine and then later stick together after I put them into a container. This happens even if I put them into the fridge. What gives? How do I solve this?
Hi Rits, 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 to keep them in a humid environment
Can you use them from straight under the tree when there wet ?
Hi, these work best when they have had time to dry.
I’ve added honey along with the sugar. However I’ve used brown for the recipe.
A couple of squirts of the honey adds a fabulous taste
Thank you for sharing that with me!
Very good recipe with simple ingredients, proportions are excellent for candied walnuts but I always read the comments to gauge how I may need to tweak or even embellish a recipe so after reading reviews stating sugar did not melt, I made sugar mixture combining equal amts brown and regular and added 2 T water per recipe. I set the heat at medium-high and allowed the sugar to melt and turn a caramelized color. It Helps to use ample size No -stick pans. I added a little vanilla paste, cayenne pepper and the walnuts…coated all and made sure all walnuts were covered…didn’t take long at all. I put on covered cookie sheets, spread out quickly as stated and sprinkled with fleur de Sel. Excellent!
I also made 1 cup batch same and added 1 T Hershey dark chocolate powder and scant (1/4t?) Starbucks instant arabica micro ground coffee and again, salting once on sheet. Very happy with results. Happy baking!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I really like this pan method since it skips the extra step of toasting the nuts. However, I did make some changes for my taste. I followed the recipe exactly but when I tasted it I felt it needed a richer sweetness from brown sugar. I ended up adding maybe 1/4 of brown sugar and some vanilla extract. Next time I make this recipe I will probably try 50/50 brown and white sugar. Still a great recipe for me! I hope it works just as well on pecans.
Hello Kiki. Thanks for sharing and for giving some tips! I’m sure the other readers can also benefit from your comments and feedback.
I made these to sit on top of brownies, they were amazing. Tasted so good. Couldn’t stop eating them ! Thank you
Great to hear that Kaye! Thank you for sharing your experience. 💗
Same problem for me. Sugar did not dissolve even with water.
Try adding 1 tbsp water after the butter has melter and make sure your heat is high enough so it evaporates quickly into the sugar. Stir constantly. Let me know how it goes.
I substituted the sugar with brown sugar and it came out great. Thank you!
Great to hear that and thanks for sharing.
My daughter gifted me with candied walnuts for Christmas, and voila, I received an email from you with a recipe for candied walnuts! I tried the recipe twice both times it failed. The sugar did not melt or dissolve, and the walnuts did not get coated. I did increase the heat slightly, but with no luck. I followed your recipe, even using a non-stick pan. Any suggestions or advice?
Hi Arthur, what kind of sugar did you use?
I used Domino’s sugar. It is not coarse.
Hi Arthur. I had the same problem and followed the advice of another post: add 1Tb water after the butter has melted. Make sure your heat is high enough so it evaporates quickly into the sugar. Stir constantly. I find it easier to prepare this recipe when I double it. If you decide to double it, add 2 Tb water. Also, I start this recipe by melting the butter. Then I add the nuts & sugar, increase the heat and constantly stir. After 2 minutes I add the water and poof! I’m still stirring and coating the nuts. Then I transfer them to parchment paper. Like Natasha said, total cook time is 5 minutes.
Thanks for your comments Angela! I will try adding water as you suggested 2 TB for a double batch! I will let you know how it turns out!
Can I use stevia instead of sugar?
Hi Irma, I have not tested that but here is what one of our readers wrote “Being on a Keto diet I look for things for my sweet tooth. Walnuts and real butter are things I can eat so I swapped out the sugar for my Pyure /Stevia blend ( looks and tastes like sugar.) Shazam! Now I have a tastey treat !.. I just kept my heat lower and stirred like crazy! Lord,such Carmelized Goodness!” I hope that helps.
Do you have storage recommendations? My daughter loves walnuts and I want to make this to send to her at college. TIA!!
Hi Linda, 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 to keep them in a humid environment
I don’t ever leave comments on recipes but yours was amazing and easy to whip up. Thank you!
I especially liked the pictures that showed what was supposed to be happening at different stages.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Powdered sugar in with the cream cheese or regular granulated sugar?
Hi Robin, Can you repost your question on the recipe that you are referencing? I’m assuming it wasn’t intended for candied walnuts.
Hi Natasha,
Can I use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar?
Hi Ana, I recall at least 1 reader mentioned using brown sugar with great results. I hope you love the candied walnuts!
Thank You Natasha !!!
I Love ALL Your Recipes.
You’re Amazing .
Sending You Prosperous
& Happy New Year
Aurora
Thank you, Aurora! Happy New Year!
Since I don’t use non-stick coated pans, can these sugared walnuts be made in a regular stainless steel skillet or frying pan, such as Revere Ware? Also, what can I use as an alternative to parchment paper?
Hi Zaggy, I think you’ll have a difficult time in a pan that isn’t non-stick. The sugar will probably stick badly. You might also try a silicone baking liner instead of parchment.
FYI I used plain brown paper and it worked great. Just flattened a bag. Reduce and reuse!