Small Batch Crunchy Candied Walnuts (2024)

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by Beth - Budget Bytes

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4.58 from 7 votes

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These crunchy little devils are dangerous. They’re addictively sweet, rich, crunchy, and nutty. I made this “small batch” recipe to not only keep myself from eating two cups of candied walnuts at once, but also because walnuts are expensive and I wanted to save the rest of the bag for other non-candied purposes. Sometimes you just need a little “sprankle-sprankle” of candied goodness on your meal and not a mountain of candied walnuts with no dedicated use. A mountain is great if you’re having a party, but not for everyday purposes.

Small Batch Crunchy Candied Walnuts (2)

What’s in Candied Walnuts?

The super simple candy coating on these walnuts is just brown sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt. Yep, that’s it! That’s all you need to make that delectably rich toffee coating. This is a dangerous piece of knowledge, use it wisely.

You can also play around with adding some other herbs and spices to your candied walnuts. A pinch or two of cayenne pepper would be amazing with the brown sugar and butter candy coating, as would vanilla, cinnamon, or ginger.

How Do You Use Candied Walnuts?

Candied walnuts are a great topping for several things. Most recently I used the sweet and crunchy nuts to top an Autumn Kale and Apple Salad. They’re also great on top of ice cream or ice cream sundaes, yogurt or yogurt parfaits, a bowl of oatmeal, or even added to granola (after cooking). A small bowl of candied walnuts also makes a great addition to a cheese board (hello holiday entertaining!).

How Long Do Candied Walnuts Last?

As long as it takes you to eat them! Ba-dum-dum. Okay, all bad dad jokes aside, these candied walnuts will last quite a while. All nuts do go rancid eventually, but as long as you cool them completely and then store them in an air-tight container, they should be good for about a month.

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You might also like our Candied Pecans recipe or Candied Almonds!

Small Batch Candied Walnuts

4.58 from 7 votes

This small batch of crunchy candied walnuts is just the right amount of sweet, crunchy, and nutty topping for salads, desserts, oats, and more.

Author: Beth – Budget Bytes

Small Batch Crunchy Candied Walnuts (4)

Small Batch Crunchy Candied Walnuts (5) Servings 4 2 Tbsp each

Prep 0 minutes mins

Cook 5 minutes mins

Cool Time 10 minutes mins

Total 15 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 Tbsp butter ($0.07)
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.08)
  • 1 pinch salt ($0.01)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts ($0.60)

Instructions

  • Add the butter, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt to a small non-stick skillet. Heat over medium until the butter is melted and the brown sugar is just beginning to sizzle around the edges (it should still look grainy).

  • Add the walnuts (chopped or whole) and stir to coat in the brown sugar mixture. Continue to cook and stir over medium heat for 2-4 minutes, or until the brown sugar is fully melted and coating the walnuts (it should look glassy, not grainy). If the sugar is not melting, raise the heat slightly.

  • Remove the skillet from the heat immediately, as the sugar can go from melted to burning quickly. Spread the candied nuts out over a sheet of parchment paper, making sure they are in a flat layer and separated as much as possible.

  • Allow the nuts to cool fully (about 10 minutes). The candy coating will fully harden as they cool.

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Nutrition

Serving: 2TbspCalories: 135kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 2.5gFat: 11.38gSodium: 109.45mgFiber: 1g

Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.

Small Batch Crunchy Candied Walnuts (6) Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!

Scroll down for the step by step photos!

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How to Make Candied Walnuts – Step by Step Photos

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Add 1/2 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, and a pinch of salt to a small non-stick skillet.

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Heat and stir the brown sugar and butter until the butter is melted and the brown sugar is just starting to sizzle around the edges. It should kind of look like grainy lava, like in the photo above. Add a 1/2 cup walnuts (chopped or whole) and stir to coat in the brown sugar mixture. Small Batch Crunchy Candied Walnuts (10)

Keep cooking and stirring for 2-3 minutes more, until the brown sugar is fully melted and coating the walnuts (it should look glassy, not grainy). If the sugar is not melting, raise the heat slightly. Once the sugar is melted, remove the skillet from the heat immediately because the brown sugar can go from melted to burning quickly. Spread the walnuts out onto a piece of parchment paper, in a single layer, trying to separate them as much as possible. Let the nuts cool completely (about 10 minutes). The candy coating will harden further as they cool.

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Enjoy your crunchy candied walnuts on top of salads, yogurt, ice cream, oats, or any of your other favorite foods!

Small Batch Crunchy Candied Walnuts (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep candied walnuts from sticking together? ›

How to Make Sure the Glazed Walnuts Don't Stick. Use a silicone baking mat such as a Silpat. Or line your baking sheet with parchment paper. It may help to spray your mat or paper with some cooking spray to help from sticking even more.

Do candied walnuts go bad? ›

Ba-dum-dum. Okay, all bad dad jokes aside, these candied walnuts will last quite a while. All nuts do go rancid eventually, but as long as you cool them completely and then store them in an air-tight container, they should be good for about a month. You might also like our Candied Pecans recipe or Candied Almonds!

Why are my candied walnuts soft? ›

These last for up to 1 week at room temperature, 2 weeks in the refrigerator, and 2 months in the freezer. Why are my candied walnuts soft? If they are soft you likely did not bake them long enough.

How long can I store candied walnuts? ›

After these candied walnuts have cooled completely, I recommend storing them in an airtight container. They'll last for up to a week. However, if you want them to last even longer you can store them in the refrigerator. They'll last for 3 weeks, although they won't be as crunchy.

How to make candied nuts not sticky? ›

Pecans too sticky: If your nuts are still sticky after cooling, heat your oven to 325° F and bake for 5 to 10 minutes to help harden the candy coating.

How do you keep nuts crispy? ›

Here Is the Nourishing Traditions Method for Crispy Nuts:

Soak 4 cups raw nuts in sea salt and filtered water to cover in a warm place at least 7 hours. Drain and spread in a single layer (I found that part out by experience) on pans and dry in an oven on its lowest temp for 12-24 hours. Freshly shelled nuts are best.

How can you tell if walnuts are rancid? ›

Walnuts go rancid when exposed to warm temperatures for long periods of time. Heat causes the fat in walnuts to change structure, which creates off odors and flavors. Fresh walnuts smell mildly nutty and taste sweet. If your walnuts smell like paint thinner, you know they're rancid.

Can rancid walnuts make you sick? ›

“If a nut is really oxidized, I guarantee you you're not going to get it past your mouth because it just tastes so awful,” says Schaich. But if you do, for some reason, eating the occasional spoiled nut is “no big deal,” because we have enzymes in our stomachs that can essentially incinerate the oxidation byproducts.

Can you eat nuts 2 years out of date? ›

A: Nuts can't expire; however, they can change in taste or go rancid.

Why are my candied almonds not crunchy? ›

Usually if the almonds are soft after candying it means that they weren't cooked for long enough.

Why do my walnuts taste funny? ›

Nuts with higher fat content, like walnuts and pecans can also go rancid after a few months if stored at too warm a temperature. If you notice that your nuts have taken on a noticeably bitter, sour flavor, they may have entered this unfortunate phase.

How many years do walnuts last? ›

The refrigerator is a great choice as walnuts will remain fresh for up to three months. You can also freeze walnuts for up to one year. Walnuts will absorb odors so it is best to place them at distance from foods with strong odors, such as onions. Airtight containers provide the best protection to maintain freshness.

Can walnuts go rancid in the freezer? ›

Whole raw nuts can be stored in the freezer for up to one year. Chopped nuts, ground nuts, or nut flours — all of which contain more surface area for oxidation — are quicker to spoil and should only be stored for up to six months.

What is the best way to store candied nuts? ›

Storage Instructions: Candied nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for several weeks. Freezing Instructions: They freeze well in an air-tight container for up to two months.

Why do you soak walnuts in water? ›

Shruti Bharadwaj, Senior Clinical Dietician, Narayana Hrudayalaya says soaking walnuts helps improve their digestibility and also remove phytic acid and tannin. "Soaking can also help prevent indigestion as it helps reduce gas forming compounds. It also reduces polyphenols and increase nutrient availability.

Why put walnuts in boiling water? ›

Place walnuts in boiling water for five minutes to remove bitter taste. Remove from water and drain, then run cold water over the walnuts.

Should I soak walnuts before baking? ›

Astringent, mouth-puckering taste…

By soaking and dehydrating them, this will be greatly reduced. This is because when soaking walnuts, the tannins are rinsed away, leaving behind a softer, more buttery nut. The soak water from nuts and seeds should always be discarded and never used as water in a recipe.

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