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
November 24, 2015 at 11:37 amThis looks really yummy. I’m definitely going to try this
Rhian Williams
November 24, 2015 at 11:45 amPlease do! Hope you like them 🙂
Dan
April 4, 2018 at 12:11 amso easy and nice 🙂
Rhian Williams
April 4, 2018 at 9:50 amThank you!
Becca
April 4, 2018 at 12:12 amreally great recipe
Rhian Williams
April 4, 2018 at 9:49 amThank you!