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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
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!
Iβm so glad you enjoyed it, Selena!
Natasha, Thank you for this recipe. They are perfect every time.
You are welcome, Carmella! Iβm 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 didnβt cook it long enough at a high enough heat:)
I love your recipes. And loved this one, too. Iβd like to know whatβs the best way to store these after theyβve cooled. Thanks for your time.
Hi Oksana, Iβm so glad you enjoyed them! You can store them at room temperature in Tupperware for 3-5 days. I wouldnβt 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! Thatβs wonderful. Iβm 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! Youβre so very welcome. Iβm glad youβre 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! Iβm 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! Youβre very welcome. Iβm 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 donβt 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 wonβt melt. Keep the heat at medium and stir intermittently so the sugar has a chance to heat up and melt. Itβs a fine line between letting the sugar melt but not burn!β
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 Iβll 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!
Youβre welcome! Iβm 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.