Candied Nuts (Vegan + Gluten-Free)

These Candied Nuts are salty-sweet, perfectly crunchy, incredibly moreish and satisfying. They're super easy as they take less than 10 minutes 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 of protein and fibre and are much healthier than the shop-bought version. They're perfect for sharing as an appetizer or dessert, great as a snack for meal prep, and make great edible gifts.

How to make this recipe

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the 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 use any type of oil eg. coconut oil, vegetable oil, olive oil etc and the agave syrup can be substituted with honey if you're not vegan.

• 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 has turned a nice golden brown colour.

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 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.

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 an airtight container for about a 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 any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! 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 10 minutes to make! 

4.67 from 6 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 256 Calories 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!

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