I seriously cannot recommend these Candied Nuts enough: an insanely moreish and satisfying snack that takes less than 10 minutes to make!
Why you’ll love these Candied Nuts:
- they’re so addictive
- they’re salty-sweet
- they’re crispy and crunchy
- they’re not too sweet
- they require just a few basic ingredients
- they take just 10 minutes to make
- they’re so easy to make
- they’re perfect for sharing as an appetizer or dessert
- they make great gifts
- they’re great as a snack for meal prep
- they’re a good source of protein and fibre
- they’re filling and satisfying
- they’re much healthier than the shop-bought version
- they’re vegan and gluten-free
- they’re refined sugar free optional!
How to make these Candied Nuts + top tips
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 type of nuts should I use?
You can use any type of nuts or seeds you want, such as:
- almonds
- peanuts
- hazelnuts
- macadamia nuts
- pecans
- walnuts
- brazil nuts
- pistachios
- pumpkin seeds
- sunflower seeds.
How can I make these Candied Nuts 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?
These Candied Nuts 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 this 20-second video:
Candied Nuts (Vegan + GF)
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
- 1/4 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
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!Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you click through and purchase any of the 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.
Emma
This looks really yummy. I’m definitely going to try this
Rhian Williams
Please do! Hope you like them 🙂
Dan
so easy and nice 🙂
Rhian Williams
Thank you!
Becca
really great recipe
Rhian Williams
Thank you!
Pat Connolly
Difficult to stop eating these delicious candied nuts. Very easy to prepare with Rhian’s recipe
Rhian Williams
Thank you, so glad you like them!