Easy Candied Walnuts
A quick and easy candied walnut recipe made with just a few simple ingredients. Lightly sweet, perfectly crunchy, and ready in about 10 minutes — a delicious snack or homemade Christmas gift!
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnuts, halves or pieces
- 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp butter, unsalted
- 1 tsp water
- pinch salt
- dash cinnamon
Instructions
Toast the Walnuts
- Heat a stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the walnuts (nothing else).
- Stir often until they smell toasty and warm—about 2–4 minutes.
- Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Melt the Butter & Sugar
- Reduce heat to medium-low.
- Add the butter to the skillet and let it fully melt.
- Add the sugar and 1 teaspoon water (this keeps it from scorching).
- Stir constantly with a silicone or wooden spatula. The sugar will look damp → sandy → glossy → melty & bubbling. This takes about 2–3 minutes.
- Add salt or cinnamon/vanilla now if you’re using them.(If it starts to darken too fast, turn the heat down. Stainless runs hot.)
Add the Walnuts (Now the magic happens.)
- Pour the toasted walnuts into the melted sugar mixture.
- Stir, stir, stir until every nook and cranny is coated—about 2–3 minutes. Don’t walk away. Sugar waits for no one.
Cool & Separate
- Transfer nuts to a sheet of parchment or a silicone baking mat.
- Use two forks to separate them quickly before they harden.
- Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Snack freely. Taste-test often. Quality control—of course.
Notes
- White sugar melts better than brown for stovetop candying.
- If the mixture looks grainy, give the water a chance to help it melt.
- If things ever smell burnt, immediately reduce heat—stainless heats fast.
- Store in an airtight jar and they’ll stay fresh for a week…
or an hour if you’re like the rest of us.