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These caramelized nuts are sweet, crunchy, and most importantly, guilt-free. They are made in a few minutes with only 5 ingredients.
Candied nuts are a sweet and crunchy snack that everyone loves. We grew up having tubs of this around the house and we’d often sneak a handful between meals or after dinner for that satisfyingly sweet crunch (much to my mom’s dismay!).
Now, as much as I love the packaged kind, it is loaded with corn syrup, multiple kinds of sugar, and random additives. My candied almonds and pecans are proof that making them at home is easy, so why not make a batch using all kinds of nuts? Oh, and you can also make it without the sugar.
Table of Contents
Recipe highlights
My mom’s classic recipe with a healthier twist. Come the holiday season, we’d make big batches of them for edible gifts. They also make a fabulous addition in a homemade trail mix.
- You can make it sugar-free and low-carb. The sugar-free version of these candied nuts is low-carb and perfect for people on a keto diet.
- Works for the stove and the oven. This recipe will give your perfectly caramelized nuts whether you use the oven method or in a skillet pan.
- You can use any nuts you like. This is a universal recipe that can be used for any nuts of your choice.
- Warm them up. Like my warm nuts recipe, these are fab toasted fresh.
This recipe calls for a handful of ingredients that are pretty much pantry staples. Here is everything you will need:
- Nuts. You can use mixed nuts of your choice. I like using a combination of almonds, cashews, and Brazil nuts.
- Allulose or sugar. If you want to keep this recipe sugar-free, use allulose to caramelize the nuts. It provides crispy results without any weird aftertaste. If you don’t mind sugar, use white or brown sugar instead.
- Cinnamon. This warm and woody spice is a perfect addition to candied nuts. You can skip it if you want to though I highly recommend that you don’t.
- Vanilla extract. Another flavoring agent that provides a richer flavor for the caramelized nuts.
- Sea salt. Helps balance the sweetness of the candied nuts.
which sweetener is best?
For glazed nuts, using a sugar substitute that dissolves like sugar is key. While monk fruit sweetener and erythritol are both good in other recipes, they aren’t great for this recipe. Choose allulose, as it dissolves exactly like what sugar.
How to make candied nuts
Caramelizing nuts on the stove is easier and quicker than doing it in the oven.
Start by placing a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the allulose or sugar along with the cinnamon, sea salt, and water. Mix using a wooden or silicone spatula. Keep stirring until the sweetener melts.
Once melted, add the nuts and mix until they are fully coated in the sweet mixture. Remove the pan from the heat when the sugar starts to crystalize.
Now, let the nuts sit for a couple of minutes and give them a stir to get rid of any large clusters.
Can I bake these?
Yes, you can bake these nuts. But you will need to use egg whites to make the nuts caramelize in the oven whether you are using allulose or sugar. Here’s how to candy nuts in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 250F degrees.
- Whip an egg white with water and add the nuts. Mix to coat the nuts in the egg white mixture.
- Next, toss the nuts in a mixture of allulose (or sugar), salt, and cinnamon.
- Add the nuts to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for an hour or until they are nicely caramelized. Stir the nuts one 1-2 times while they bake.
- Cinnamon is not the only spice you can use for glazed nuts. You can also use ground nutmeg, cardamon, and pumpkin spice. If you like candied nuts with a spicy kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Swap the vanilla extract with maple extract if you enjoy the maple flavor paired with nuts.
- Add a splash of bourbon. The alcohol will cook off leaving behind sweet notes of caramel and vanilla.
- Wait for the nuts to cool before you break them up and store them away.
To store. Place candied nuts in an airtight container for 2 weeks and longer. Keep them in a cool and dry place to prevent the nuts from getting sticky.
To freeze. Caramelized nuts also freeze well. Put them in a freezer bag, push out the excess air, and freeze for up to 2 months.
More simple snack recipes to try
Nuts are super moreish and make a fabulous snack. Here are some other ideas to add to your snack rotation!
Nuts are a source of healthy fats. They are also low in carbs and high in minerals and vitamins. Candied nuts are unhealthy if they are loaded with lots of processed sugar.
Sugar-free or naturally sweetened candied nuts can be a part of a healthy diet. As overeating candied nuts are easy, keep track of how much you eat.
Candied nuts made with sugar remain sticky if you haven’t cooked them long enough. If you are using a sugar-free sweetener, you may need to leave the nuts out to dry for a few hours until they fully harden.
You don’t have to refrigerate candied nuts. But if it’s too hot where you live and the caramelized nuts get sticky when left at room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container or bag and store them in the fridge.
Candied Nuts (Stovetop or Oven)
Ingredients
- 3 cups nuts I used cashews, almonds and Brazil nuts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar or allulose * see notes
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan or deep pot on medium heat. When hot, add the sugar, salt, cinnamon, and water and mix until fully combined. Allow to heat up, stirring occasionally.
- When the sugar (or sweetener) has completely melted, add the nuts and mix until fully incorporated. Watch over the pan and continue stirring often until most of the sugar has been coated and beginning to crystallize.
- Remove pan from the heat and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir the nuts once more to avoid overly large clusters and set on a plate or chopping board to cool completely.
Thanks for this recipe, I made them as one of the snacks for our New Years party, they were a tremendous hit. So easy to make and delicious.
taste delicious~ thank you!
sooooo good! really satisfied my sweet craving!! thanks so much for the recipe!
Made these yesterday and they are really good. I used peanuts. They have a grate texture. The only thing I would change next time is to add some more salt or maybe play around with the seasonings in addition to salt & cinnamon. I might try a little bit of pepper or clove or something to give more interest. I have eaten most of the 1st batch so I will be making more soon. Oh, and I love this technique – stovetop is so much easier than the over and water works better than oil.
Thank you, Jessica!
I have made this recipe many times. My family loves it. I usually use coconut sugar. But, I have mixed that with a monk fruit brown sugar substitute with success.
Love it! 😀
Trues with splenda and nope didn’t work. I ended up using swerve powdered sugar drying them in the oven and eating them that way.
I apologize in advance if this was asked & answered in the 119 comments above, but that’s a lot of extra reading to do tonight (this morning) when I shouldn’t even be online looking at recipes….Anyway, I know there are seemingly infinite choices of sweeteners we can use to make this, but which one did you actually use in this (as well as your healthy sugar free candied pecans and almonds) recipes? [I’m guessing monkfruit, based on your link, but is that it?]
Hi! I used monkfruit 🙂
Been following your ig and checking out your site for a while, but this is the first recipe I’ve made. I used pecans and a monk fruit/erythritol blend and it came out great – sweet, crunchy, and delish.I sent them to a diabetic friend as a gift. I just made more and added crushed red pepper and cocoa to this batch. Sweet, rich, and spicy, Delicious in yogurt. Thanks for all your work developing and sharing these recipes. Love your photography too.
That is very sweet of you, thank you!
I have read several recipes for sweetened nuts now and I am going to do this: Use your recipe except add 1/2 Tsp of Chili Powder–which will give it a nice spicy flavor, then use part Splenda Naturals and part erythritol > I will cook the liquid as you suggested, but then I plan on roasting it in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes, turning and watching. I think the oven will make a more crunchy light nut. Will try just a very small batch this way and if the sweetness is too bitter, I’ll revert to liquified banana, which is very sweet . Stevia is bitter by itself, I use drops (scant) in tea sometimes. The secret to Stevia and erythriotol is to use way less than you would sugar. I am going to use the nuts in a blanched green been and fennel cold salad with goat cheese and lemon vinegrette,
I’d love to hear how this comes out!