This Candied Almonds Recipe is crisp, crunchy, sweet, made in 5 minutes and addictive!! They are perfect as snack or homemade gift for the Holidays.
Candied Almonds Recipe
Sugar coated almonds are one of our favorite treats to make especially for Christmas like these candied pecans or candied walnuts. If you have tried the popular cinnamon roasted nuts at the mall kiosk, then this homemade recipe is going to be your new favorite treat.
Flavored with warm cinnamon and vanilla extract, they are delicious as a snack, for weddings, Christmas, salad or ice cream. These also make great homemade gifts for family, friends or teachers like these Brown Sugar Cookies, Avocado Chocolate Truffles, Santa's Whiskers Cookies or Cardamom Cookies.
Why You'll Love These?
- 5 Minute Recipe - It can not get easier than a 5 minute recipe.
- No Eggs - This is made without eggs making it perfect for vegetarians.
- Diet friendly - These nuts are gluten free and can be made vegan by using coconut oil instead of butter.
- Made in one skillet - This is a quick and easy recipe made on the stove top in a small skillet.
- Cost effective - They are made at home for about a fraction of the cost of store bought ones.
TIP - Please make sure to NOT have children or pets around the stove top when making these nuts as a safety precaution.
What Kind of Pan to Use?
Any small 8-inch skillet is good to make these candied nuts. Non-stick pan makes clean up much easier whereas a stainless steel might need to be soaked for sometime to loosen up any hardened caramel.
Raw or Toasted Almonds?
There is no need to use toasted nuts, as they tend to crisp up along with the hardened sugar.
Can I Use Slivered or Sliced Almonds?
Absolutely! Slivered or sliced nuts works just as well, although they have to be broken into pieces like a brittle.
INGREDIENTS (Scroll down to the bottom of the post for full recipe)
- Almonds - Use raw whole almonds.
- Sugar - Regular white granulated sugar is best for this recipe. We do not recommend using brown sugar.
- Butter - Use salted or unsalted butter.
- Flavorings - Ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt.
HELPFUL TIPS
- Skillet - Use a small or medium skillet to make this on stove top.
- Cool completely - The nuts crisp up as they cool, so let them cool at least for an hour before transferring into a container.
- Bigger batch - Simply double the recipe and make in a medium skillet instead.
VARIATIONS
- Spicy kick - Add a pinch of cayenne pepper powder for a spicy kick.
- Other spices - Try experimenting other fall spices like pumpkin pie spice, ground cloves, ginger or cardamom instead of cinnamon.
HOW TO MAKE (Scroll down to the bottom of the post for full recipe)
This quick and easy DIY recipe is made easily on the stovetop with a skillet. Bring sugar, water, cinnamon, butter and salt to a gentle boil.
Add almonds and vanilla extract and cook stirring constantly until all the moisture evaporates and it begins clumping together.
Remove pan from heat, stir remaining sugar and immediately transfer into a parchment paper and let cool completely.
HOW TO SERVE?
- Snack - Enjoy as a crunchy snack any time of the day or mix with your favorite popcorn.
- Dessert - Sprinkle whole or coarsely chopped on top of ice cream or sweetened greek yogurt for dessert.
- Breakfast - Top freshly made pancakes, waffles or oatmeal.
- Salads - On top of salads for a crisp and crunchy texture.
- Cheese board - These are a great addition on your Holiday cheese board
- Gift giving - Wrap them in clear cellophane bags or small mason jars for the homemade gift for the Christmas or wedding.
HOW LONG DO THEY LAST?
This is a small batch recipe using only ½ cup of almonds, so you don't have tp worry about storing. However, if you wish to store them, then they will last for about one week at room temperature or for up to a month in the freezer.
How To Freeze?
Transfer cooled nuts into a freezer safe zip lock bag, seal well and freeze for up to a month. Let thaw at room temperature and enjoy.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Although these are made with nutritious whole almonds, this recipe is made using white sugar making it not a healthy treat. However, homemade treats are always better than the mall ones as they are made using real ingredients with no preservatives or additives.
Sure can! Pecans or walnuts may be used instead of almonds.
More Homemade Holiday Treats for Gift Giving:
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Candied Almonds Recipe (5 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 3 ½ tablespoons sugar white granulated (divided)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon butter
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup almonds
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a medium plate or baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add 3 tablespoons sugar (save ½ tablespoon for later use), water, butter, cinnamon and salt into a small skillet.
- Place over medium heat and cook stirring occasionally until it you begin to see bubbles around the edges.
- Add almonds and vanilla extract, continue cooking stirring constantly almost all liquid evaporates and it gathers together.
- Working quickly, remove pan from heat, sprinkle remaining ½ tablespoon sugar, give a quick stir and immediately transfer to the parchment paper, separating them as much as possible.
- Cool completely, break apart any nuts still sticking together and store in air tight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Bree Jones
The written instructions don't double/triple the measurements when the option is selected.
Steph
Great recipe. I mixed raw walnuts and almonds in a double batch. Both excellent. Added a little extra vanilla and cinnamon to "up" the candy flavor. Cooked it on medium heat until nearly all the moisture was gone and the remaining butter oils created a light frying effect. The nuts took on a nice toasted flavor at that point. The tiny air bubbles produced by the butter frying the sugar at the end of the cook hardened quickly which created a lighter, aerated textured coating which I prefer over a smooth glaze. Sprinkled sugar wasn't necessary.
Highly recommend!