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You are here: Home / Recipes / Baking & Desserts / Candied Nuts (Vegan + GF)

Candied Nuts (Vegan + GF)

Last updated - December 8, 2018; Published - December 8, 2018 By Rhian Williams 6 Comments

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I seriously cannot recommend these Candied Nuts enough: an insanely moreish and satisfying snack that takes less than 10 minutes to make!

Photo of caramelised nuts on a green plate against a red background

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.

A silver frying pan with water, oil and agave syrup

  • 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.

A silver saucepan with nuts and pumpkin seeds inside

  • Mix together the sugar, salt and black pepper in  a small bowl, then add to the pan and stir into the nuts.

A silver saucepan with nuts and pumpkin seeds and caster sugar

  • 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.

A silver saucepan with golden brown nuts and pumpkin seeds

  • 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.

Caramelised golden brown nuts spread apart against a sheet of brown baking paper

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.

Photo of caramelised nuts on a green plate against a red background

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:

Photo of caramelised nuts on a green plate against a red background

Candied Nuts (Vegan + GF)

These Candied Nuts are an insanely moreish and satisfying snack that takes less than 10 minutes to make! 
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: candied nuts, caramelized nuts, christmas appetizer
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 256kcal
Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary
  • 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 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

https://www.rhiansrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_0516.mov

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*
Total Fat 20g 31%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Sodium 73mg 3%
Potassium 264mg 8%
Total Carbohydrates 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Sugars 7g
Protein 7g 14%
Calcium 9.9%
Iron 7.8%
* 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 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.

 

Candied Nuts: an insanely moreish and satisfying snack that takes less than 10 minutes to make! Perfect as a shareable snack or appetizer for Christmas, Thanksgiving or any other occasion! Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free. #rhiansrecipes #nuts #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree #appetizer #christmas #thanksgiving
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Filed Under: Baking & Desserts, Recipes Tagged With: christmas, dairy-free, gluten-free, nuts, snack, thanksgiving, vegan

Previous Post: « Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cake
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emma

    November 24, 2015 at 11:37 am

    This looks really yummy. I’m definitely going to try this

    Reply
    • Rhian Williams

      November 24, 2015 at 11:45 am

      Please do! Hope you like them 🙂

  2. Dan

    April 4, 2018 at 12:11 am

    so easy and nice 🙂

    Reply
    • Rhian Williams

      April 4, 2018 at 9:50 am

      Thank you!

  3. Becca

    April 4, 2018 at 12:12 am

    really great recipe

    Reply
    • Rhian Williams

      April 4, 2018 at 9:49 am

      Thank you!

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Hi, I’m Rhian! I make easy, undetectably vegan + gluten-free recipes, including healthy comfort food and naturally sweetened desserts using plant-based ingredients. Learn more here.

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