Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts make a quick & easy garnish for your favorite dish or a delicious homemade gift for the holidays. They have a sweet, rich taste and crunchy texture, and they're SO much less expensive to make than purchase pre-made!
Candied walnuts are a game-changer. In fact, let me level with you here; I did not like walnuts before I learned how to candy them. But in the five minutes it took me to make these Brown Sugar Walnuts for the first time, I had a change of heart.
Like tangy kumquats simmered in a sweet sugar syrup, walnuts take on an entirely new level of flavor once they're all toasty and coated in brown sugar. Even if you don't like them normally, I guarantee that with this recipe, their buttery smell and sweet, nutty taste will win you over! They're perfect for adding flair to baked goods, garnishing a salad, gifting for the holidays, or just snacking. Just be warned, if you decide to give these as a gift, you're absolutely going want to make extra for yourself!
Tips for Making the Best Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts:
Use Brown Sugar: While you can caramelize walnuts with granulated sugar, the rich, molasses-like taste of brown sugar really compliments the nuts and adds another layer of flavor.
Watch Them Closely While Cooking: I'm not kidding when I say that this is a five-minute recipe. Brown sugar and walnuts both burn quickly on the stove, so keep your eye on these the entire time you're cooking!
Add a Touch of Sea Salt: As I mentioned earlier, this is a tip I got from you guys! Many readers who have already made this recipe mentioned how good it is with a sprinkle of sea salt. About ¼ teaspoon of sea salt is enough to amplify the flavor in these walnuts without making them taste salty. Feel free to use less or more to suit your tastes!
Looking for more recipes like these Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts?
If you love pecans, these Candied Pecans are just as easy to make - and every bit as good! Or, for another sweet homemade treat you can gift, try my cinnamon baking chips recipe.
Have you made this recipe?
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DIY Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts
Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts make a quick & easy garnish for your favorite dish, or a delicious homemade gift for the holidays. They have a sweet, rich taste and crunchy texture you won't be able to get enough of, and they're SO much less expensive to make than purchase pre-made!
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 1 ½ cups candied walnuts
- Category: snack
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (5 ⅝ ounces) raw walnut halves*
- ½ cup, packed (3 ¾ ounces) brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Prep baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine walnuts and brown sugar: Mix walnuts and brown sugar together in a large saucepan and set on a stove-top over medium heat (or just below).
- Cook: As the brown sugar melts, use a wooden spoon to move the mixture around in the saucepan, making sure that all of the nuts get coated and none of the sugar stays in one place long enough to burn. Don't walk away from the stove; this will happen very quickly! Cook for about 5 minutes at the most, until all of the sugar has melted and all of the nuts are coated (or immediately if you smell anything burning).
- Transfer to baking sheet: Remove pan from heat and quickly spread the nuts out on the lined baking sheet to prevent them from drying in a clump.
- Garnish: Sprinkle nuts with sea salt, if desired, and allow to cool for a couple minutes before eating or using in a recipe.
Notes
*Shelled walnuts are typically sold as halves, but if you happen to have whole ones, simply cut them in half before mixing with the brown sugar.
Quick Note: This is an updated version of a post that originally appeared on Bright-Eyed Baker in 2012. The update includes new text & photos, as well as a slight modification to the original recipe. I've increased the brown sugar by a small amount and added a touch of sea salt per reader comments. I've also added a few extra notes to the instructions for clarity.
Rachel
Yes I did
alexandra
Had all of the brown sugar melted already before it turned to rocks? If it had, perhaps you just cooked it too long...
Rachel
No, it had not all melted before it turned into rocks.
alexandra
Well, I'm sorry but I really have no other idea what might have gone wrong. Wish I could be of more help, but sometimes it's hard to figure out these kinds of issues without being there. :(
Rachel
This did not work for me. The brown sugar started to melt and then turned into small rocks, then was smelling like it was going to burn so I removed it for the heat
alexandra
I'm sorry to hear that, but I honestly have no idea why that would have happened to you. Everyone else who I've heard from who's tried the recipe has had success. Did you use regular brown sugar?
Sue
Same thing happened to me. I now have 2 lbs of funky looking walnuts & brown sugar rocks.Such a waste plus now I need to find another hostess thing to bring to this event in a few hours.
Deborah
Raised in walnut orchards and had to pick my share of them and go to school with stained hands. Hated them! Now I take them home to SF from my Mom's trees and crack them while watching football. Everyone loves this recipe in every dish imaginable, thank you so much. Sea salt and cinnamon yes! Will try pepper next since I too have lbs in freezer!
alexandra
I'm so glad you liked them! I'll bet a touch of cayenne would be good, perhaps even with the cinnamon. :)
At least the walnut-picking stained hands thing didn't prevent you from liking them in your adult years!
TurtleDoctor
Right now is harvest time for my walnut trees. So far I've shelled just over 300 pounds. Everyone I know gets organic walnuts for the holidays. I will include a note with this receipe. Thanks loads they'll love these.
alexandra
Thank you, that's awesome!
Abby
Try it with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of honey,OMG it is so delicious!!!
alexandra
Ooh, sounds so good! I've heard from a few others that a touch of sea salt works well; I love the honey idea!
Marissa
These came out deliciously. I melted butter in the pan first and then to make things simpler, I just put the hot nuts onto a regular plate. They come off of there just fine, no need to waste parchment paper :) I put them on top of mashed sweet to give them some crunch.
alexandra
Good to know about the parchment - thanks! Sounds like a tasty dish with the sweet potatoes!
Zelie
Hey I have to try these!! They sound amazing!!:)thanx for sharing your recipe!!:)
alexandra
Watch out; they're pretty addicting!! You're welcome. :)
Lindsey
Any time someone needs a salad for a group party, i always bring a spinch salad with strawberries, goat cheese, a balsamic vinaigrette i make myself and some candied nut of some kind. I cant wait until the next potluck to try these in it =]
alexandra
I'll bet these walnuts would be awesome on that salad! It sounds yummy!
Zara from Ireland
Yummy to garnish a lovely crisp green salad,
sliced pear and blue cheese - with the candied walnuts.
Great starter dish.
alexandra
I agree, that sounds fantastic!
carolyn
Just made these with almonds (;cause that;s what I had,) Amazingly delicious! I just added a little salt, 'cause salt is good. :D Thank you for an easy, wonderful recipe.
alexandra
Oooh sounds amazing! I'll have to try the almonds sometime!
Brandy
I just made a butterscotch cheesecake for dessert tomorrow. I think I am going to make a batch of these to add as a topping. Thanks for sharing!
alexandra
Sounds fantastic! You're welcome :)
Barb
Just made these for a salad on Thanksgiving. So easy and they taste just like in a fancy restaurant salad!
alexandra
MMM that will be a delicious salad! We ate these so quickly I don't think they made it to dinner-time at our house!
Churchmouse
I make these lots for gifts and selling at my church's Bazaar. For fun, once, I added some cayenne pepper. That version sold out in minutes! Try it. It only takes about a quarter tsp and makes a nice, nippy difference.
alexandra
Cayenne pepper sounds great! I add it to my granola a lot of times and love the little bite it contributes to the flavor, so I bet I'll love it with this too. Thanks for the idea! :)
A J Daw
How about a sprinkle of cinnamon just before you turn them out of the skillet onto the cooling sheet ?
AJ
alexandra (brighteyedbaker)
I would say yes to that. :)
Stacey
OMG! I just made these - delicious! I am a sea salt caramel junkie, so I sprinkled sea salt on 1/2 of them while they were cooling - sooooo good.
brighteyedbaker
They're incredible, right?! Good idea :)
Cher-Cher
Shut up!!!!! These were great until I added sea salt and now they're effin amazeballs!! Thank you!!!
alexandra
Haha yay! So glad to hear it! I guess I need to add sea salt next time. :D
Julia {The Roasted Root}
I literally have 10 pounds of walnuts in my freezer. I'm ALL over this! Yum!
brighteyedbaker
Haha DO IT!