Last Updated on August 30, 2016 by Diane Hoffmaster
Candied nuts are one of my all time favorite snacks. I can kid myself into thinking they are TOTALLY healthy because..hey, they are NUTS! But, they are also covered in a butter, sugar, spice combination that makes my mouth incredibly happy! If you look at the price of candied nuts in the grocery store it is ridiculous! Plain nuts are much cheaper and all you have to do is saute them up with some butter and sugar and a touch of cinnamon. This literally takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish and if you package them up in a pretty container with a bit of ribbon you have a wonderful holiday gift that really didn’t cost all that much to make at all.
How to Make Candied Nuts
So, what do you need to do to create your candied nuts? First off, decide what sort of nut you want to candy. Personally I like walnuts but seeing as I am in Georgia the price of pecans is much lower than walnuts so that is what I went with for my candied nuts today. I may try this same process with something like cashews or almonds just to get creative! Peanuts are probably your cheapest option if you are trying to save money.
The next step in making candied nuts is to find your MOST non stick pan (very important!) and place it over medium heat. Put into the pan 2 cups of nuts, 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 TBSP of butter…REAL butter! Now, just cook this for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon if you want. Don’t leave it unattended! You will need to pull it off the heat as son as you see the sugar/butter mixture starting to caramelize. Pour this immediately onto a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or wax paper. Spread the nuts out with your wooden spoon and let them cool. Break them into pieces and store in a decorative tin or sealed container until eaten.
So, have you ever made candied nuts? What is your nut of choice for this process?
This would be a great gift to make for teachers & such!