This straightforward method makes it simple to create candied walnuts at home. They’re such a special treat for the holidays that making them is well worth the time. Cooled nuts should be kept in sealed containers.
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 15 mins |
| Total Time: | 25 mins |
| Servings: | 16 |
| Yield: | 1 pound |
Ingredients
- 1 pound walnut halves
- 1 cup white sugar
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place walnuts onto a baking sheet and spread in a single layer.
- Roast in the preheated oven until nuts are fragrant and begin to turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stir sugar, milk, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; attach a candy thermometer to the saucepan and bring mixture to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 240 degrees F (115 degrees C), about 8 minutes. A small amount of syrup dropped into cold water should form a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed onto a flat surface. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in vanilla.
- Stir nuts into the pan until well coated. Spoon nuts onto waxed paper and use a fork to remove any clumps. Cool to room temperature.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 238 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 17 g |
| Cholesterol | 1 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Sodium | 39 mg |
| Sugars | 14 g |
| Fat | 19 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I make these every year during the holidays for my family and ALL my neighbors, I’ve been making them for 6-7 years!!!
Turned out perfect. better than Buccees…
Was craving something sweet and had a bag of walnuts so tried this. Changed slightly replacing sugar with coconut sugar and milk with almond milk. Used 4 cups of walnuts for this recipe. Absolutely delicious and super easy. Changes some of the nutrition facts for a somewhat healthier option
Excellent and easy. I made a half batch since I was using for salad. Considered the sugar “ready” after letting it boil for several minutes (it bubbles up). Used parchment paper on my sheet pan for easier cleanup. Delicious. How will I save them for the salad???
Great. Made these for stocking stuffers.This was very easy and delicious. I doubled the recipe and added some vanilla extract.
Now I know why the default amount is 1 lb. I made 1/4 of the recipe for a dinner salad topping tonight (who knew I’d want to eat them before/should have made more). Delicious, easy. It’s now my new go-forward candied walnut recipe!
We did these nuts at Christmas time. The were absolutely delicious and a big hit. Would give it 6 stars if I could.
Really like this. I think i added a tiny bit too much cinnamon. Thanks for the recipe.
I made this. I decreased the cinnamon to 1/2 tsp. and I’m glad I did; otherwise it would have been overpowering. Nuts are quite tasty and the recipe is easy to follow.
Amazing. Easy. Crowd pleaser.
Easy recipe even for me who does not bake or make. The real test will be when my hubby and family try them.
So easy and yummy! Added to salads , popcorn, or just by themselves. Thanks
Very easy. My family loved them. I make several batches for gifts.
I made this recipe today. We liked the sweet and spicy walnuts. I added orange zest from a naval orange to the recipe plus a teaspoon of allspice, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon cloves. I also added 7 1/2 tablespoons of half-and-half instead of milk.
Good recipe, but the instructions miss CRUCIAL information. The syrup needs to be cooked off (after adding the nuts), otherwise it’s much too difficult to separate the nuts from the syrup. Another reviewer mentioned this, but you shouldn’t have to read dozens of reviews to find out the best method.
So easy & extremely delicious! I already had all the ingredients & whipped these up in 10 minutes!
Since I have dietary needs that don’t allow me to have cane sugar or milk, I decided to try this recipe with my alternatives. I replaced the sugar with a heaping 3/4 cup of monk fruit sugar and used almond cooking milk (1/1 replacement). You won’t get the “ball” stage necessarily, but enough of a gooey stage worked for me. Turned out great!
I was out of milk so I used French vanilla creamer and omitted the vanilla extract. I also was working with a much smaller batch, so I cut the recipe down to an 1/8th. Turned out great!!
Yummy. I cooked the walnuts a bit too long, but it didnt keep my family from eating them;)
Made it and they are good! Easy and doesn’t take very long.
Great taste. Just the right amount of sweetness. It’s a keeper.