Last updated - ; Published - By Rhian Williams 8 Comments
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
These Candied Nuts are salty-sweet, perfectly crunchy, incredibly moreishandsatisfying. They're super easy as they take less than 10minutes to make, are made using basic ingredients and are made in a frying pan (not the oven). They're vegan,gluten-free, refined sugar free optional, not too sweet, a good source ofproteinandfibreand are muchhealthierthan the shop-bought version. They're perfect forsharingas anappetizerordessert, great as asnack for meal prep, and make greatedible gifts.
How to make this recipe
Scroll down to the bottom of the post forthe full recipe.
- Heat the water, oil and agave syrup in a large frying pan until it starts to bubble (should take around 30 seconds).
Tip:You can useany type of oileg.coconut oil, vegetable oil, olive oil etcand theagave syrupcan be substituted with honeyif you're not vegan.
- Add the nutsand stir until they’re coated with the oil and syrup mixture – do this for around a minute until they’re slightly brown and crispy.
- Mix together the sugar, salt and black pepper in a small bowl, then add to the pan and stir into the nuts.
- Keep the pan on a medium heat and stir continuously for a few minutes – the nuts should become nicely caramelised quite quickly.
- Remove the pan from the heat as soon as you think the caramel coating has turned a nice golden browncolour.
Tip: Be careful to not heat for too long as the sugar will burn very quickly.
- Spread the nuts out over a plate or a sheet of baking paper, separating out any clumps, and leave them to dry out for a while until completely cooled.
Tip: This step iscrucial to make the nuts crispy and crunchy - if you don't spread them out until cooled, the heat from the nuts will create moisture and they won't get as crispy.
What nuts can you use?
- Almonds.
- Peanuts.
- Hazelnuts.
- Macadamia nuts.
- Pecans.
- Walnuts.
- Brazil nuts.
- Pistachios.
- Pumpkin seeds.
- Sunflower seeds.
How to make these refined sugar free
For a refined sugar free version, you can use the same recipe but replace the sugar with 3 tablespoons agave (or maple syrup) and instead of using a frying pan, mix together all the ingredients and roast in the oven on a rectangular baking tray at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for around 10 minutes.
I have tried the recipe in a frying pan replacing the sugar with coconut sugar/maple syrup/agave syrup, but unfortunately it just doesn't seem to work!
How long do these Candied Nuts keep for?
They keep in anairtight containerfor abouta week.
More vegan appetizers
- Muffin Tin Sushi Cups
- Sausage Rolls
- Cashew Cheese Ball
- Lazy Samosa Lettuce Cups
- Vegan “Crispy Duck” Lettuce Wraps
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog,I’d really love to hear anyfeedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes onInstagram! Thank you.
Watch how to make it
Candied Nuts (Vegan + GF)
These Candied Nuts are an incredibly moreish and satisfying snack that takes less than 10minutes to make!
4.72 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: candied nuts, caramelized nuts, christmas appetizer
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 256kcal
Author: Rhian Williams
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or sub olive, vegetable or rapeseed oil)
- 1 tablespoon agave syrup (or sub honey if you're not vegan)
- 300 g (10 oz) mixed nuts
- 3 tablespoons sugar *see notes for substitution options
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat the water, oil and agave syrup in a large frying pan until it starts to bubble (should take around 30 seconds).
Add the nuts and stir until they’re coated with the oil and syrup mixture – do this for around a minute until they’re slightly brown and crispy.
Mix together the sugar, salt and black pepper in a small bowl, then add to the pan and stir into the nuts.
Keep the pan on a medium heat and stir continuously for a few minutes – the nuts should become nicely caramelised quite quickly.
Remove the pan from the heat as soon as you think the caramel coating turns a nice golden brown colour - be careful to not heat for too long as the sugar will burn very quickly.
Spread the nuts out over a plate or a sheet of baking paper, separating out any clumps, and leave them to dry out for a while until completely cooled – they may be quite soft at this stage, but ready to eat once they’ve cooled down.This step is crucial to make the nuts crispy and crunchy - if you don't spread them out until cooled, the heat from the nuts will create moisture and they won't get as crispy.
Keeps in an airtight container for up to a week.
Video
Notes
*For a refined sugar free version, you can use the same recipe but replace the sugar with 3 tablespoons agave (or maple syrup) and instead of using a frying pan, mix together all the ingredients and roast in the oven on a rectangular baking tray at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for around 10 minutes.
I have tried the recipe in a frying pan replacing the sugar with coconut sugar/maple syrup/agave syrup, but unfortunately it just doesn't seem to work!
Nutrition Facts
Candied Nuts (Vegan + GF)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 256Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Sodium 73mg3%
Potassium 264mg8%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 4g16%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 7g14%
Calcium 99mg10%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
More Baking & Dessert Recipes
- Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Madeleines
- Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Muffins
- Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Cake
- Gluten-Free Vegan Orange Poppy Seed Muffins
Reader Interactions
Comments
Emma
This looks really yummy. I'm definitely going to try this
Reply
Rhian Williams
Please do! Hope you like them 🙂
Dan
so easy and nice 🙂Reply
Rhian Williams
Thank you!
Becca
really great recipeReply
Rhian Williams
Thank you!
Pat Connolly
Difficult to stop eating these delicious candied nuts. Very easy to prepare with Rhian's recipeReply
Rhian Williams
Thank you, so glad you like them!