Candied Walnuts
Walnuts lacquered in caramelized sugar in one skillet — salads, gifts, and standing at the counter.
Ingredients
- 200 g Walnuts
- 80 g Sugar
- ½ tsp Salt
- 15 g Butter (optional)
- ½ tsp Ground cinnamon (optional)
Method
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set it next to the stove.
- Toast the walnuts in a dry wide skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add the sugar, the butter (if using), and the salt, and stir constantly as the sugar melts and coats the nuts, about 4 minutes.
- Spread the nuts immediately on the parchment, dust them with the cinnamon if using, and separate them before they set.
- Leave the nuts to cool completely on the tray, where they crisp as they cool, about 5 minutes.
- Pile the candied walnuts into a bowl and serve.
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About Candied Walnuts
Candied walnuts are a one-skillet American sweet: walnut halves lacquered in caramelized sugar with a whisper of cinnamon and salt. There is no oven and no candy thermometer involved, which is part of their appeal. The nuts are first toasted dry to wake up their oils, then coated as sugar melts and caramelizes directly around them, so each one sets with a thin, crackly shell. A pinch of salt keeps the whole thing from tipping into cloying, and butter, if used, rounds the coating into something glossier and richer.
The result is crunchy, sweet, and faintly toasty, with the slight bitterness of caramel playing against the walnut's own tannic edge. They're endlessly useful: scattered over a salad with blue cheese or pear, folded into a cheese board, bagged up as a homemade gift, or simply eaten by the handful at the counter. The one trick worth respecting is speed at the finish, since caramel sets fast; spreading and separating the nuts on parchment the instant they're coated is what keeps them from clumping into a single sheet. Start to finish, they're done in about fifteen minutes.
Candied Walnuts: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Candied Walnuts?
A serving has about 295 calories — 4.9g protein, 17g carbs, 23.2g fat, 1.7g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Candied Walnuts gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Candied Walnuts has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Candied Walnuts dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Butter. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Candied Walnuts?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out butter, ground cinnamon — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Candied Walnuts make?
This recipe makes 6 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.