Candied Walnuts

Candied walnuts, sometimes known as sugared walnuts or caramelized walnuts, they only take a few minutes to prepare and a handful of ingredients.

overhead bowl of candied walnuts on a napkin


 

They are super verstile, a great munchie on their own, they are also perfect on salads and for dessert recipes

Candied walnuts are easy, however, they require a watchful eye. It only takes a moment for brown sugar to go from melted and gooey to burnt.

Use candied walnuts in salads or even desserts, like my Pear Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing.

Don’t this discourage you from making them though. One day I was running low on time and hubby, being the wonderful man he is, offered to help me out in the kitchen.

One of his tasks was to make Candied Walnuts and to be 100% honest, I was a little nervous. I’m a little OCD and sometimes have a “I’ll do it myself to make sure it gets done right” attitude, but I let him do it.

A close up of candied walnuts

And you know what, they turned out perfect! If can make them, so can you!

I do recommend using a heavy bottom skillet to equally dispense heat and reduce the chance of burning. Fleur de sel will add another layer of sophistication and bring out the flavor in your walnuts. 

candied walnuts in a wood bowl

What will you make with your Candied Walnuts? Inquiring minds want to know! Scroll down for more recipes with all sorts of walnuts! 

Other recipes that use walnuts:

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Party Cheese Ball

This cheese ball with cream cheese is a classic Party Cheese Ball recipe, made with simple ingredients. A must-make for any and all parties!
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pile of fudge on a bronze cooling rack

Rocky Road Fudge Recipe

Quick 10-Minute Rocky Road Fudge uses sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, walnuts, marshmallows and flaky sea salt.
See The Recipe!
close up of caramelized walnuts for pinterest

Questions you might have about how to make candied walnuts: 

How long are candied walnuts good for? This recipe is good for up to a week. Since they aren’t packaged with preservatives and other nonsense, they don’t last as long. 

Do I need to refrigerate candied walnuts? Caramelized walnuts do not require refrigeration. In fact the sugar part will get super hard and need to come up to room temperture before eating. 

Do candied walnuts have dairy? This recipe does include dairy because I use butter. 

Can candied walnuts be made with a sugar substitute like Splenda or Equal? I am sure there are ways to do this, but my walnut recipe really needs brown sugar. 

candied walnuts in a wood bowl

Candied Walnuts

4.35 from 35 votes
Candied walnuts are easy to make with just brown sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Add to any dessert, salad or more!
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 6 minutes
Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat butter in a heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add walnuts and sugar, tossing to coat. Allow sugar to melty and become sticky.
  • Spray a piece of parchment paper with cooking spray.
  • When walnuts are evenly coated, turn out onto parchment in a single layer. Sprinkle with cinnamon or fleur de sel (both optional).
  • Allow to cool, then crumble.
  • If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was! 

Nutrition

Calories: 1102 kcal, Carbohydrates: 51 g, Protein: 18 g, Fat: 99 g, Saturated Fat: 21 g, Cholesterol: 60 mg, Sodium: 212 mg, Potassium: 563 mg, Fiber: 7 g, Sugar: 38 g, Vitamin A: 700 IU, Vitamin C: 1.5 mg, Calcium: 145 mg, Iron: 3.7 mg
Author: Chef Jessica Anne
Calories: 1102
Course: Dessert, Salad, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: candied walnuts
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
homemade candied walnut recipe for Pinterest
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Chef Jessica Anne Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and chef behind Savory Experiments. You might see her on the Emmy- nominated TV show Plate It! or on bookshelves as a cookbook author. Jessica is a Le Cordon Bleu certified recipe developer and regularly contributed to Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal, Mashed and more!

Read More About Jessica

4.35 from 35 votes (30 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Questions and Reviews

    1. So good to hear and thank you for coming back to let us know! I agree- they are tasty. Try them in salad too 🙂 And ice cream… there isn’t much they don’t taste good on. LOL.

  1. 5 stars
    Super simple and yummy! I added some Maldonado salt on top while they were cooling and it added such a perfect layer of flavor

  2. 5 stars
    I made these candied walnuts for a salad, but probably ate a quarter of them straight up!! SO yummy and super easy to make. Thanks for the amazing recipe!