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    Home » Recipes » DIY & How-Tos

    Published: Nov 6, 2019 · Modified: Jul 31, 2021 by alexandra · This post may contain affiliate links

    DIY: Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts {gluten-free}

    Jump to Recipe

    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!

    Overhead view of brown sugar candied walnuts in a jar, with more walnuts scattered on a sheet of parchment paper below. this recipe

    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.

    Front-facing close-up of candied walnuts in a Weck Jar, sitting on a piece of parchment paper with scattered walnut pieces surrounding it.

    Whether or not you like raw walnuts, I guarantee that once you get them all toasty and coated in brown sugar, 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!

    Overhead view of walnuts in a measuring cup, sitting on a vintage tray along with other recipe ingredients: brown sugar and sea salt.

    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!

    Overhead view of candied walnuts in a jar, sitting on a vintage tray along with brown sugar and sea salt.

    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?

    By adding your feedback or sharing this recipe with a friend, YOU help make this blog possible. You can leave a rating and review in the comments section below, or click any of the social icons on the left side of your screen to help spread the word. If you snapped a photo of your creation, tag me on Instagram (@brighteyedbaker) and I'll give you a shoutout in my story. And if you really like what you see, subscribe to get email notifications when new recipes are published!

    Print

    DIY Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts

    Overhead view of brown sugar candied walnuts in a jar, with more walnuts scattered on a sheet of parchment paper below.
    Print Recipe
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    ★★★★★

    5 from 7 reviews

    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!

    • Author: Alexandra
    • Prep Time: 1 minute
    • Cook Time: 5 minutes
    • Total Time: 6 minutes
    • Yield: 1 ½ cups candied walnuts 1x
    • Category: snack
    • Method: stovetop
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Vegan

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 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

    1. Prep baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    2. 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).
    3. 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).
    4. 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.
    5. 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.

    Keywords: easy candied walnuts, brown sugar walnuts, candied walnuts, brown sugar candied walnuts, candied walnuts brown sugar

    Have you made this recipe?

    Tag @brighteyedbaker on Instagram and hashtag it #brighteyedbaker

    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.

    Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2019

    More DIY & how-to recipes

    • DIY: Candied Lemon Peel
    • DIY: Cinnamon Baking Chips (gluten-free, vegan option)
    • DIY: Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce {gluten-free, vegan}
    • Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew (DIY Starbucks Recipe!)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. Amanda Wren-Grimwood says

      August 08, 2021 at 12:48 am

      I could sit and eat a whole jar of these. Perfect for gifts too!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Anaiah says

      August 07, 2021 at 10:29 pm

      Love these candied walnuts! They're the perfect sweet treat to snack on throughout the day. Definitely going to add some as a topping for my ice cream also. It's delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Agnieszka says

      August 07, 2021 at 8:00 pm

      I love these candies walnuts to add to salads. They are crunchy and delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. Eliza Cross says

      August 07, 2021 at 4:45 pm

      YUMMM! Thank you for not only sharing another fantastic recipe, but giving me a fantastic holiday gift idea for my family and friends.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. Anjali says

      August 07, 2021 at 4:41 pm

      Love the idea of using these as a homemade gift for the holidays!! I will probably make an extra batch for myself too! :)

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    6. Fat Junie says

      February 28, 2016 at 5:42 pm

      Works with pecans too. I added just a tiny bit of butter to the saucepan because I'm too lazy to wait for the sugar to melt. And yes, it was all I could do not to eat the whole jar before company arrived. Some of mine graced the top of my steak pizza -- flank steak marinated in maple bourbon balsamic vinegar, caramelized onion, tomato, garlic, mozzarella, and candied pecans (with a dash of salt). KILLAH.

      Reply
      • alexandra says

        February 29, 2016 at 4:33 pm

        Yep it does! I did a pecan version here.
        The pizza sounds amazing!

        Reply
    7. Danielle says

      February 20, 2016 at 5:33 pm

      I really like it a lot. My daughter and I had to add water to make it coat the walnut.

      Reply
    8. Jane says

      July 25, 2015 at 4:01 pm

      If you brown sugar or old I find you have the problem of the sugar not melting and clumping, you need to just add a little liquid, butter, water coconut oil...
      This is the best way I have found to make candied walnuts. Thank you sooooo much

      Reply
      • alexandra says

        July 27, 2015 at 2:40 pm

        Thanks for the tip for those who have had that problem. Glad you like the candied walnuts too! :)

        Reply
    9. Sharmin says

      November 14, 2014 at 2:02 pm

      I had that clumping problem as well, but it was easily solved by adding a tsp of water and lowering temp once it starts melting. Coated much more evenly! Also, the tiniest pinch of salt made a big difference. Yum yum yum.

      Reply
      • alexandra says

        November 15, 2014 at 11:46 am

        Thanks for sharing that tip for anyone else who has the same problem! I'm sure a bit of salt could never be a bad thing either! :)

        Reply
        • Hardhyan says

          January 04, 2015 at 9:33 am

          We live in the desert and our brown sugar dries out quickly, so I add a tb of coconut oil and a tb of water and cook on low stirring go frequently until melts and coated.
          Thanks for the recipe, Hardhyan

        • alexandra says

          January 05, 2015 at 2:14 pm

          Thanks for sharing your tips! :)

        • Matthew says

          August 31, 2016 at 1:55 pm

          I probably wouldn't add water if I had a bottle of bourbon around.

        • alexandra says

          September 04, 2016 at 4:37 pm

          LOL, I like the way you think ;)

    10. Grace says

      October 22, 2014 at 1:38 pm

      I've tried this recipe for the third time. Although the nuts are delicious, I can't get the brown sugar to melt. It remains crystallized and lumpy and not evenly distributed on the walnuts. If I increase the heat it just starts to smoke. I also tried heating the sugar til it starts to melt before adding the nuts, but same results. I tried melting a bit of butter to help liquify but it doesn't help. Any help or suggestions w would be appreciated. I'm looking for a more even smoother coating of brown sugar or is the crystallized version how it should be?

      Reply
      • alexandra says

        October 29, 2014 at 11:39 am

        Hi Grace! Sorry for taking a while to get back to you, but I thought I'd try out the recipe again since I haven't made it in a while, just so that I could better answer your question. For me the sugar does melt, and when it does it gets hot quickly, but as long as you don't leave it on the stove long, it doesn't actually burn. You'll still see bits of sugar on the nuts, so they do appear somewhat crystallized I suppose, but you should definitely see the sugar melting while cooking. I'm not sure why you're having this issue, but you could always use granulated sugar for a more even coating, since it tends to melt better.

        Reply
      • Katrine says

        October 10, 2015 at 3:15 pm

        I'm very late to the party, but wanted to mention that the sugar actually crystallises if you stir too much. So, stirring a little less (but keeping a close eye, burns fast) might help.

        Reply
        • alexandra says

          October 19, 2015 at 10:15 pm

          Yup, you got it! ;)

    11. Susie says

      September 15, 2014 at 1:00 pm

      Holy cow, I made one batch to toss in a strawberry, spinach salad and then had to immediately make 2 more batches. Yum!

      Reply
      • alexandra says

        September 18, 2014 at 4:58 pm

        Hahaha I know how you feel! So glad you're enjoying them. :)

        Reply
    12. Gwyn says

      July 29, 2014 at 11:26 am

      I had the same problem as Rachel, all of the brown sugar didn't melt and it more or less clumped up instead of coating the walnuts. I put that batch aside and started again with white sugar and the nuts came out beautifully coated and taste amazing. The brown sugar nuts are still edible, just not well coated. Thanks for the video and recipe.

      Reply
      • alexandra says

        July 30, 2014 at 3:46 pm

        Granulated sugar melts easier than brown sugar, so I can understand why it would have been easier to work with. I'm really not sure why you would have had an issue with the brown sugar in this case, but I'm glad you found a workaround!

        Reply
    13. cindy nickel says

      July 11, 2014 at 12:21 pm

      I pit cherries, cut them in half, sprinkle them on lettuce of choice, add blue cheese crumbles and candied nuts,& either a vinaigrette or blue cheese dressing, fantastic.

      Reply
      • alexandra says

        July 13, 2014 at 11:14 pm

        Sounds so good!

        Reply
    14. andrea says

      June 19, 2014 at 1:30 pm

      omg.. stumbled upon this recipe when searching for 'candied walnuts for salad'. I *literally* just finished making them and wanted to try it and to be honest, I don't think these are going to last long enough to put on my salad!! Thank you for the recipe! Others required butter and I was trying to steer clear from that!

      Reply
      • alexandra says

        June 19, 2014 at 3:25 pm

        I totally know what you mean about these not lasting long enough! When I made them for this bread I'm pretty sure I had to make them a second time because we devoured the first batch so quickly. I'm so glad you liked them!

        Reply
    15. Michelle says

      June 05, 2014 at 10:06 am

      Just wondering, can these candied walnuts be stored for a long time? and how should it be stored? room temp. or in the fridge?

      Reply
      • alexandra says

        June 17, 2014 at 6:33 pm

        I kept mine at room temperature. I'm really not sure how long they'll keep; I would say at least a few weeks, but possibly longer.

        Reply
      • Deb Webster says

        November 12, 2016 at 4:03 pm

        My brother makes these for Christmas. We store them in the freezer with Christmas cookies until we are ready to eat them. The flavor stays good, usually we finish them in two to three months, with lots of self control. I once found a container which had slipped behind packages. It tasted fresh and good, even eight months later.

        Reply
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