This quick and easy candied walnuts recipe tosses walnuts in a sweetened spice blend and bakes until a sugary, crunchy crust forms. It is a delicious snack, a topping for salads, an addition to a charcuterie board, or an edible gift for the holidays.
Recipe Science
- Egg whites bind sugar and spices to the nuts. When whipped, the albumin creates a sticky foam that helps everything adhere.
- Egg whites dissolve the sugar, creating a syrup that crystallizes into a brittle, crackly coating as the walnuts bake at 300°F.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg add a warm, rich color and flavor, while salt balances and enhances the sweetness or the candy coating.
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“Just made them! So glad I found a new recipe that I can make every year, love it!”—Maryann
Why It Works
This recipe for candied walnuts is crispy, sweet, and packed with warm spices. If you’ve been buying the overpriced packages from the market, save a little money and have fun making your own batch. I bet you’ve got everything you need in your pantry.
You only need a whipped egg white, sugar, and a mix of bold seasonings to create a super crunchy coating. Baked in under an hour, the aroma will fill your home with a great caramel and cinnamon fragrance. I like to make a big tray of nuts to add texture to meals throughout the week and jar some to give to friends and family. They always appreciate edible gifts!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Nuts: Use shelled nuts. These give whole pieces called walnut halves that we will coat in the candy mixture. Grab a hefty 1 pound bag. This amount makes about 4 cups of candied nuts. It’s easy to reduce the recipe in half or even double. If you like these treats, you may also like my candied pecans too.
- Egg: Egg whites are vital for helping the sugar and spices stick to the surface of the nuts. The sticky albumin gets whipped with air to create foam.
- Water: I use a small amount of water to dilute the thick egg whites so it’s easier to disperse.
- Vanilla: I incorporate vanilla extract to give a pleasant baked flavor dimension.
- Sweeteners: I use a simple sugar mixture to coat the nuts, which consists of equal ratios of granulated sugar and light brown sugar for a hint of molasses.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon and nutmeg add a deep mahogany hue and warm baked flavors. Salt helps to balance and enhance the sweet taste.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
Try these tasty candied walnut swaps for your next batch!
- Sugars: For a more intense caramel taste, try using golden or dark brown sugar. Coconut sugar can be used in place of granulated sugar.
- Spice Options: Try adding pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice. Add ginger, allspice, cloves, or cardamom.
- Make it Spicy: If you like a little bit of heat, add cayenne pepper or chili powder.
- Flavoring: Add almond, anise, caramel, or banana extract instead of vanilla. Try adding bourbon whiskey or Grand Marnier.
How to Make Candied Walnuts
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Start by placing your oven rack in the center position, which ensures even heat distribution during baking. Preheat your oven to 300°F (149°C). This lower temperature is ideal for making candied walnuts, as it allows the nuts to toast gently while the sugar coating caramelizes slowly, preventing burning.
While the oven heats up, line a sheet pan with parchment paper. The parchment’s non-stick properties will make cleanup easier and ensure your candied walnuts won’t stick to the pan. Set the pan aside until you’re ready to use it.
Step 2: Make the Candy Coating
Whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. This blend of sweet and warm spices will create the perfect coating for candied walnuts.
Once everything is well combined, set the bowl aside until you’re ready to toss the walnuts. This step ensures the sugar and spices are evenly distributed, giving each walnut a consistent and flavorful coating.
Step 3: Prepare the Binder
Whisk the egg whites, water, and vanilla by hand to incorporate enough air until medium peaks form.
The foam coats each nut, and the air bubbles make a crackly coating for a light texture instead of being too dense. It doesn’t seem like much in the bowl, but it’s just the right amount to cover 1 pound of walnuts.
Step 4: Coat the Walnuts
Toss the walnuts in the frothy egg white mixture, ensuring each piece is well-coated. This egg white layer helps the sugar and spices adhere, creating that irresistible candied coating.
Once coated, add the sugar and spice mixture. Use a spatula to toss and evenly coat the walnuts. This step ensures that every bite has a perfect balance of flavor and crunch.
Step 5: Bake the Walnuts
Spread the walnuts evenly in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. This makes it easier to remove and clean up. Bake at a moderate temperature of 300ºF (149ºC). It takes about 45 minutes to transform the sugars into a hardened and brittle candy coating.
Stir every 15 minutes for even moisture evaporation, surface drying, and browning. You will smell the sweet aromas that build and get stronger over time.
Tips for Perfect Execution: Sugar burns at temperatures over 350ºF (177ºC), so check visually and by the scent.
Step 6: Cool
The nuts are done baking when the surface is hard and dry. Cool completely on the baking sheet. The residual heat helps to finish the drying process gently. They will be crisp and delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
The candied walnut ingredients consist of whisked egg whites for binding, sugar, water, salt, and spices if desired for flavoring. They are baked at 300 degrees until the coating hardens and becomes crispy.
The moisture from the water and egg whites helps dissolve some of the sugar granules, creating a syrup. The heat from the oven gradually evaporates most of the water, increasing the sugar concentration. It’s baked at 300 degrees, turning the sugar into a hard crack stage for a fragile coating similar to peanut brittle. The candy coating should be hard and shatter.
This is often a problem when making candied nuts on the stovetop, which involves melting sugar and water and then heating them to create a caramel. If the sugar mixture doesn’t reach the proper temperature of 300 to 310ºF (149 to 154ºC) for a hard crack, it will be soft and sticky when it dries.
Candied walnuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More Snack Recipes
If you tried this Candied Walnuts recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Candied Walnuts
Ingredients
- 1 pound shelled walnuts, (4 cups)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the Oven – Place the oven rack in the center position. Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Make the Candy Coating – In a medium bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Prepare the Binder – In a large bowl, whisk egg whites, water, and vanilla until very frothy medium peaks form. Immediately add walnuts and toss to coat. If egg whites lose volume and have liquid on the bottom of the bowl, lightly whisk again before adding the nuts.
- Coat the Walnuts – Toss the walnuts in the frothy egg white mixture. Add coated walnuts to the sugar and spice mixture. Use a spatula to toss and evenly coat.
- Bake – Spread on the lined baking sheet. Bake until the surface is dry and crisp, about 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Cool – Cool completely on the sheet pan until hardened.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield: 4 cups
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Storing: Candied walnuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Recipe Resources
Pantry Staples
15 Common Types of Nuts
Health Notes
5 Health Benefits of Nuts
Pantry Staples
Mary says
Excellent choice of coating the walnuts with egg white. Great bonding agent. Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
Glad that you found that the egg white helped bind the candy coating to the walnuts!
Nate says
These are hands down THE BEST CANDIED WALNUTS I EVER TASTED!! The recipe was super easy to follow and the finished product is amazing 5 stars all the way
Jessica Gavin says
Whoo-hoo! Thank you for your review Nate! They make great holiday presents too!
Tracy avery says
Delish
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks Tracy!
Maryann says
Just made them! So glad I found a new recipe that I can make every year, love it!
Jessica Gavin says
Thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the candies walnuts recipe!
Anjelica Sandy says
How are you stirring when it’s in the oven ?
Jessica Gavin says
Great question! Remove the pan from the oven, place the tray on a wire rack, stir the nuts, then add back to the oven to bake. Repeat stirring process every 15 minutes.
Brittany says
I don’t have parchment paper…could I use a buttered or oiled tin foil instead? I really don’t want to go back to the store. Hehe
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can lightly grease foil to make the candied walnuts. Let me know how it goes!