Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (2024)

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (1)

I feel so bad for my friends who have nut allergies. They are missing out on this sweet, crunchy, candied almonds recipe. Oh how wonderful they are! Sprinkle them on a spinach salad with red onion, feta cheese and tangy vinaigrette. Adorn a mound of vanilla ice cream with them, drizzle with chocolate sauce or add them to a yogurt and honey dollop, topped with fresh berries. Candied almonds are indeed the perfect complement to so many dishes that I thought you would love to learn how to make them! In less than 15 minutes, you will have 1 1/2 cups of these delicious morsels, ready to be sprinkled, adorned with and crunched on. They make a great snack too! Sometimes when I have leftovers, I use them in my homemade granola bars.

Come on in to my kitchen!

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (2)

The recipe I use to make candied almonds is an oldie from Better Homes and Gardens. It seems that cooks have been “candying up” nuts for years, yet I have only just realized how remarkable they are! By making them yourself, you not only save money, but can enjoy a treat with no preservatives or added chemicals. There are just 4 simple ingredients: all natural almonds, butter, sugar and pure vanilla extract. The original recipe called for 3 cups of nuts, but I found that to be too much. You will only need half the bag to make a batch (1 1/2 cups) of candied almonds. Of course, if you are not an almond fan, walnuts or pecans would make great substitutes.

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (3)

Whatever nut you decide to use, be sure you are using “all natural.” That means raw, non-roasted and non-salted. At Aldi, you can buy a 12 oz. bag of Southern Grove All Natural Almonds for about $4.29.

Start by coarsely chopping 1 ½ cups.

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (4)

Spread the chopped nuts on a baking sheet and put into a preheated 325 degree oven. Set the timer for 9 minutes.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a separate baking sheet and set aside. This is where your hot nuts will cool down. If you don’t have parchment, you can use a piece of greased aluminum foil. Be sure not to use wax paper because the nuts will melt through the wax paper and you nobody really cares for candied wax nuts!

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (5)

Meanwhile, in a heavy bottom saucepan, pour ¼ cup granulated sugar and place on medium high heat. I have used raw sugar, sucanat and brown sugar in the past, but I find that gool ol’ granulated beet sugar works best.

Right next to the pan, set your T. butter and ¼ tsp. vanilla so that you are ready at go-time. Candying nuts require a bit of fast hands at the end and you want to be ready.

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (6)

Give the pan a little shake to even out the sugar. At this point, you don’t want to do any stirring, just shaking. After a couple minutes on medium high heat, you will start to see a corner of the sugar begin to liquefy. Again, no stirring yet; just a little shake here and there.

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (7)

While watching, you will see less of the granulated sugar and more of the liquidized sugar…

And since we have a bit of time here, how about a little almond trivia? Did you know that almonds are rich in flavanoids? Such a funny little word!

As the sugar is melting, the timer for your almonds will probably go off – go ahead and get those babies out. Set them aside.

When there is just a small amount of granulated sugar remaining and the liquid form begins to turn light brown, you are ready to get your stir on! Using a metal or wooden spoon, stir the remaining granulated portion into the liquid until all is melted.

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (9)

In a matter of seconds, the color will become light brown due to the carmelization process. Almost done!

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (10)

Working quickly, stir in 1 T. butter (do not use unsalted). The butter will bubble up and thicken the sauce as it melts.

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (11)

Now add your ¼ t. vanilla extract. It too will bubble up and sizzle as you stir it in.

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (12)

Keeping the same heat level, quickly pour in your hot nuts straight from the baking sheet. The picture is a bit blurry because I working at top speed while also trying to use my camera. Making candied nuts can be a great adrenaline rush! From butter to nuts, it is only a matter of seconds.

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (13)

Stir, stir, stir until all the nuts are coated with the hot, caramel sauce.

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (14)

Turn off the heat and pour the coated nuts onto your prepared lining. Spread them out evenly with the spoon. They will still be very hot! Resist the urge to burn your tongue in tasting one and allow them to cool 🙂

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (15)

After they are cool to touch, you may find some of the almonds have clustered themselves into little families. You can easily break them apart again before storing them in an airtight container.

Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (16)

This, my friends, is my family’s favorite way to serve candied almonds…decorating homemade black brownies, chocolate coconut sauce, whipped cream and a few chopped dried cherries.

Out.Of.This.World.

Enjoy!

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Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (17)

Created by: Lynette Rice

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Candied Almonds Recipe


Course Side

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 9 minutes minutes

Total Time 14 minutes minutes

Servings 8 -10

8 -10

Make candied almonds from home to top your favorite desserts or for a snack in themselves.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped all natural almonds or walnuts; pecans
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325˚ F.

  • Coarsely chop 1 ½ cups of nuts. Spread the chopped nuts on a baking sheet and put into the preheated oven. Set the timer for 9 minutes.

  • Place a piece of parchment paper on a separate baking sheet and set aside.

  • Meanwhile, in a heavy bottom saucepan, pour ¼ cup granulated sugar and place on medium high heat. Give the pan a little shake to even out the sugar. Do not stir, just shake the pan here and there. The sugar will begin to melt.

  • When there is just a small amount of granulated sugar remaining and the liquid form begins to turn light brown, stir the remaining granulated portion into the liquid until all is melted. Working quickly, stir in 1 T. butter and then ¼ t. vanilla extract.

  • Keeping the same heat level, quickly pour in your hot nuts straight from the baking sheet. Stir until all the nuts are coated with the hot, caramel sauce. Turn off the heat and spread the coated nuts onto your prepared lining.

  • After they are cool to touch, break them apart and store in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 44IU | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg

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Candied Almonds Recipe (You can make it with pecans or walnuts, too!) (2024)

FAQs

Which is better for you, almonds, walnuts or pecans? ›

Almonds have a mild taste and a bitter skin. Their nutritional value is also a point of difference as walnuts have more Vitamin B2, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and folate than pecans and almonds. Pecans are rich in vitamins A, B1, and K.

Why are my candied almonds chewy? ›

If your sugared almonds are sticky rather than crunchy on the outside, it's likely because you didn't bake them for long enough. Next time, bake the almonds for an additional 5 minutes. Just don't be tempted to increase the oven temperature as that could result in burnt almonds!

Can you mix walnuts and almonds? ›

Combine them together and you'll end up with a super nutritious snack that will equip you with all the ammo you require for a speedy recovery! Soak your Almonds & Walnuts, consume them first thing in the morning, to improve digestibility and nutrient absorption of these nuts, suggests Aakriti Arora, Nutritionist.

Why are my candied pecans so sticky? ›

If after they have cooled down, the pecans are still sticky, this means that the sugar mixture never reached a high enough temperature when on the stove. To fix them, place the nuts back into the skillet and cook a bit longer.

How many almonds and walnuts should I eat a day? ›

One serving of protein is equivalent to 12 almonds, 24 pistachios or 7 walnut halves, or 1 tablespoon of nut butter. Research reported that eating one serving of nuts daily may reduce the risk of heart disease by 27%, compared to those who eat only one serving per week, which lowered the risk by 4%.

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.

What is another name for candied almonds? ›

They are a typical open air fair snack in several countries where they receive different names. In France, praline is the common name but sometimes they are simply called "Amandes grillées". In Spain they are called "Garrapiñadas". In Switzerland and Germany they are called "Gebrannte Mandeln".

What is the shelf life of candied almonds? ›

How long do candied almonds last? Quite a long time, actually! If you store them in the freezer, they will last up to 6 months. If you store them in the fridge, they will last up to 2 months.

Do walnuts and almonds raise blood sugar? ›

Nuts can be a good snack for people with type 2 diabetes because they may help prevent heart disease, keep blood sugar controlled, and even aid weight loss.

What should not be eaten with nuts? ›

And although nuts are a healthy choice by themselves, they'll quickly become detrimental to any diet when paired with sugary or salty toppings or mixes.

Why should you soak walnuts before eating? ›

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.

What is the white fuzz on my pecans? ›

A: The fuzz that you are seeing on your pecans is nothing to worry about. It should not affect the flavor, it just doesn't look right -- if you were trying to sell them, that could be a problem, but for home use, it is fine. That lingering fuzz on the nuts is usually an indication of drought during the growing season.

Do candied pecans go bad? ›

If you don't plan on eating your candied pecans right away, you may want to consider storing them in the refrigerator or freezer. Refrigeration can keep the pecans fresh for up to three months, while freezing can extend their shelf life for up to six months.

Can dogs eat pecans? ›

Why are pecans bad for dogs? These nuts are toxic for dogs. Eating them can result in pets becoming sick and needing immediate veterinary care. “The reason pecans are considered toxic is that they contain a compound called juglone, also found in walnuts, that is harmful to dogs,” advises Dr.

What nuts are good for your gut? ›

The best nuts for easiest digestion are cashews, walnuts, and almonds- for their array of vitamins, minerals, and their combination of insoluble and soluble fiber. If you have digestive issues, some nuts high in fiber can help you improve your digestive health.

Are walnuts or pecans better for your brain? ›

Compared to other nuts, walnuts offer twice as many antioxidants, which counteract cognitive decline, and they are packed with DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, which helps fight inflammation.

Are pecans the healthiest nuts? ›

Yes, pecans are a delicious and nutritious food choice that offer multiple health benefits. They're high in nutrients, heart-healthy, may improve digestion, lower blood sugar levels, aid in weight loss, promote brain function, and may even help prevent cancer. However, there can always be too much of a good thing.

Which nut has the most protein? ›

Peanuts are the highest protein nut containing 6.58 grams of protein per 1-ounce serving. Peanuts are closely followed by almonds and pistachios, which contain 6.07 and 5.81 grams of protein per 1-ounce serving respectively.

References

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