Candied Nuts
Updated November 19, 2025
- Ready In
- 1 hr
- (40 min, plus cooling)
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm
1 tablespoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne or more to taste
1 pound unsalted whole mixed nuts (any combination of pecans, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, macadamias and cashews)
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar or other coarse sugar
Nutritional analysis per serving (16 servings)
12 grams carbs; 8 milligrams cholesterol; 220 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 18 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 88 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein; 7 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 300 degrees and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Step 2
In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, salt, cinnamon and cayenne. Whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the nuts and use your hands to toss the nuts in the mixture until they are evenly coated.
- Step 3
Spread the nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until the nuts are toasted and fragrant, 30 to 40 minutes. The sugar mixture will bubble as it cooks, so take care not to touch it with your hands while you stir the nuts.
- Step 4
Set the pan on a wire rack and immediately sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top. Let the nuts cool completely before serving. (Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.)
Private Notes
Comments
Looking over the recipe I was surprised to see it calls for 1 Tablespoon Diamond Crystal Salt. Perhaps this should have been 1 teaspoon? The nutritional information shows 88mg of sodium for a serving of 1/16 (1 oz) of the recipe. If 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt = 1120 mg sodium then 1 Tablespoon (three teaspoons) = 3360 mg sodium. 1/16 of 1120 mg (1 tsp) = 70 mg sodium. 1/16 of 3360 mg (1 Tablespoon) = 210 mg sodium.
I just made these and they were a bit overdone at 40 minutes. I should have watched them more carefully.
I love candied nuts, especially around the holidays when the days are dark and gloomy. This recipe is easy and versatile (I omitted the cayenne). I used salted nuts and salted butter and didn't add salt as called for and they turned out quite delicious. I also omitted the turbinado sugar and found them to be plenty sweet.
I used walnuts for this recipe. I found 40. minutes is too long to bake the nuts; 25 to 30 would be sufficient. The addition of turbinado sugar at the end of baking is a good contrast to the spice.
One egg white whisked lightly with a little water until frothy, added nuts and tossed. NO butter. Used only brown sugar, 1.25 tsp Diamond salt, 1/2 tsp each Ceylon cinnamon and Korintje cinnamon, slightly more pepper. I thought the cinnamon would be overwhelming, it was NOT. Stirred every 15 minutes, it got stickier at the 40 minutes mark, crisped up beautifully as they cooled. So, so tasty.
Very disappointing. Sweet and mildly spicy, but not "candied" after 40 minutes. Kinda feel like I wasted a pound of organic pecans.