Get stadium-quality candied walnuts in minutes in the comfort of your own home with just a few everyday ingredients. My Candied Walnuts Recipe will be one of your new favorite recipes to snack on.
My husband and I love hot freshly made candied walnuts when we attend a sporting event. Heck, even when we go to the theater to watch an off-Broadway show. The minute we smell the brown sugar glazed walnuts we have to buy a pouch.
I recently needed candied walnuts for a salad recipe. As I scoured the supermarket I couldn’t find any. Then it hit me… duh these are probably so easy to make. I heated up a sauté pan, melted butter, mixed in brown sugar, and then added the walnuts to the pan. I continued to mix the walnuts until all the brown sugar had coated the nuts.
My home smelled like a sports arena in minutes (minus the smelly players and people). These are the ideal snack for watching a game, a movie, or even a television show. If your kids don’t have a nut allergy and like to snack on nuts. These would be perfect to send in their lunch box. Give them a few of the sweet sugary easy-to-make candied walnuts in their lunch box, and I’m sure they will eat them all. Who wouldn’t eat brown sugar glazed nuts? My kids love these!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Butter – I use salted butter for this recipe. But unsalted works, too.
- Walnuts – Whole walnuts are what you need to make the most delicious caramelized walnuts.
- Sugar – I love to use a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar.
How to Make Candy Walnuts
- In a large saute pan, melt the butter on medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium. Then, add the walnuts, white granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Mix until all the sugar has coated the walnuts. Continue cooking and stirring for 2 minutes on medium heat until all sugar has dissolved on walnuts.
- Remove the candied walnuts off the heat and pour the candied walnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Spread the candied walnuts out and allow to cool and harden for at least 10 minutes. Store candied walnuts in a sealed container for up to one week.
FAQs
Once you cool the walnuts. Transfer the glazed walnuts to an airtight container and store for up to a week.
You can definitely freeze candied walnuts. To freeze, allow the walnuts to cool completely on the parchment paper. Then transfer them to an airtight container or Ziploc freezer bag. If using a bag, burp the air out of the bag, label and store for up to 3 months.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks I’ve found helpful when making candied nuts.
- Recipe Yields – This recipe yields 2 cups candied walnuts. That’s enough for 4-8 people to snack on.
- Quick Cooking – These walnuts cook in just a few minutes. Stir constantly and watch to make sure they don’t burn.
- Storing – If you don’t eat all the glazed walnuts you can store in an airtight container for up to a week. Just reheat on a baking sheet for 1 minute in a 350 degree oven.
- What to do with walnuts – candied nuts for salad, for snacking, on oatmeal, and even on cakes! The sugared walnuts are super versatile.
Walnut Recipes
If you love walnuts, you’ll love a few more of my walnut recipes.
If you make my easy candied walnuts, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!
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Candied Walnuts Recipe
Equipment
- Stove Top
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups walnuts
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- In a large saute pan, melt the butter on medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium. Then, add the walnuts, white granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Mix until all the sugar has coated the walnuts. Continue cooking and stirring for 2 minutes on medium heat until all sugar has dissolved on walnuts.
- Remove the candied walnuts off the heat and pour the candied walnuts on a sheet of parchment paper.
- Spread the candied walnuts out and allow to cool and harden for at least 10 minutes. Store candied walnuts in a sealed container for up to one week.
Video
Notes
- Recipe Yields – This recipe yields 2 cups candied walnuts. That’s enough for 4-8 people to snack on.
- Quick Cooking – These walnuts cook in just a few minutes. Stir constantly and watch to make sure they don’t burn.
- Storing – If you don’t eat all the glazed walnuts you can store in an airtight container for up to a week. Just reheat on a baking sheet for 1 minute in a 350 degree oven.
- What to do with walnuts – candied nuts for salad, for snacking, on oatmeal, and even on cakes! The sugared walnuts are super versatile.
Nutrition
Disclosure: There are affiliate links present in this post. That means if you click on a link and purchase something. I will receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your continuous support of Katie’s Cucina!
Rhonda
I had an abundance of walnuts from the food bank. What to do? I don’t care for walnuts…then your recipe ppeared! Simple. Quick. With things EVERYONE has on hand! Made it. FANTASTIC and DELICIOUS!
Thank you for a devine recipe!
This week, HAZELNUTS!
Katie
Rhonda, so happy to read you loved this recipe.
Valerie
Made this with pecans (that’s what I had) instead of walnuts. Oh so good! This is a definite keeper!
Joan B
THe taste was OK and they were quick and easy to make but the butter/sugar mix did not adhere to the walnuts as well as I anticipated and when they hardened the “candied” mixture was sometimes separate from the walnuts.
Katie
Hi Joan, Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. It’s important to get the caramel mixture just thick enough to get them to bind on to the walnuts. By over cooking or under cooking the caramel mixture will result in the candied mixture to not stick.
Mark F
This method simply doesn’t work. Oven or air fryer works much better and allows the sugars to caramelize while baking the nuts. Oh, and please add even more pop ups to your website. You didn’t quite manage to cover the whole screen with them yet.
Katie
Hi Mark, I have been making the candied walnuts like this for years and it’s always turned out great for me. I have never tried your methods of oven or air fryer. I’ll need to give those a try. I’m sorry if you don’t like that ads on my blog. The ads are what are able to keep the recipes free for users! It’s how I can afford to run this website and pay my bills. 😉
Dawndrea
We got 2 bags of walnuts and my husband is allergic so I used this recipe for ME I will take them to work and munch!
Katie
Hi Dawndrea! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and review. We love these walnuts in our home too. Enjoy!
Lisa
Not sure if we will try these again. I always have good luck with new recipes but not this one. Wasted expensive nuts and did not end up with an end product worth putting on our Fall salad. First attempt medium high clearly was too high. Turned heat down and pulled off before 5 minutes was up. Burnt and runny sugar mixture that ultimately hardened. Second attempt put burner on medium and sugar mixture is not sticking to the nuts.
Katie
So sorry to read that your candied walnuts did not turn out well. Unfortunately, every stove (heat source) is different. I cook on an electric convection oven. I’ve made these countless times and have always been successful. Wish we lived near by so we could make these together–they are so good.
Michelle { A Latte Food }
I am a big fan of candied nuts! A really big fan. These are for sure going on the “to bake” list! 🙂
Katie
Awesome! Hope you love the homemade version as much as we do!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction
We love candied nuts! Can’t wait to try these!
keri @ shaken together
In. SO in! These are so much easier than I expected – can’t wait to make them!
Katie
Just as good as the arena version! 🙂