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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 MakeΒ 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, Β {crunch}Β pin it to your “recipes to keep forever” board, {crunch. crunch}Β and let me know how you liked the candied walnuts! {Crunch. Cruuunch. Crunch}Β
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 ourΒ honey roasted almonds. They are also amazing
Does it have to be unsalted butter?
Hi Sue! It’s best with unsalted butter, but I also havenβt 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 jalapeΓ±o 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 didnβt 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.
Iβm so glad you enjoyed it!
So great, I am quite skeptical with caramel as itβs 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. Iβm so glad you enjoyed it!
Do I have to use unsalted butter?
Hi Nancy, I havenβt 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 π
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!
Iβm so glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious and so easy to make. I had success the first time. I cooled them on a Silpat covered cookie sheet. Thank you for this fool proof recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, June!