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Candied Nuts

Sweet or sweet and spicy.

By Lynn WheelerPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
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Candied mixed nuts

I love nuts of all kinds. They are delicious, healthy, and do a great job of helping you sustain energy and feel full. I love them raw, lightly salted, smoked......you name it I will eat it.

Here I am sharing a great, simple recipe for candied nuts that make a perfect snack, party appetizer, or can be packed up as gifts. I make these and sell them at farmers markets along with a line of gourmet jams and other items. My favorite part about this recipe may be the way the whipped egg whites combine with the sugar to form almost a crispy shell around the nuts. I think that also helps to keep the nuts fresh a little longer without having to keep them in the refrigerator or freezer.

You have a lot of flexibility with this recipe as well. I used mixed nuts for the variety but you can choose to do just one kind of nut or omit one kind if you have a specific food allergy - I have a friend that is allergic to walnuts but can eat all other nuts. You can also add cayenne pepper to spice this up a bit - but if you don't like spicy foods you can omit it - or if you like it HOT you can add more. Honestly, you can add any spices you like.

This recipe uses cinnamon, sea salt, and cayenne pepper - you could add nutmeg, ginger, cracked black pepper - I always suggest following a recipe pretty close the first time you make it and then play around a little more the next time you make it.

I hope you enjoy!!

Ingredients:

3-4 pounds nuts (mixed or otherwise)

3 egg whites

3 tbsp cold water

3 cups granulated sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp kosher or sea salt

1-2 tbsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne if using. For a barely noticeable background heat use one tablespoon cayenne and adjust up from there depending on what you like. Set this mixture aside.

Place the egg whites and water in a large mixing bowl and whisk together vigorously until soft peaks form.

Note: if you don't have cayenne pepper on hand but you have hot sauce you can whisk the hot sauce into the egg whites for the same effect.

Add the nuts to the egg white mixture and toss to coat all the nuts in the egg whites. The egg white mixture will help the sugar and spice mixture adhere to the nuts. Once all the nuts are coated with the egg whites add in the sugar mixture and toss to coat. Be sure there is not any dry sugar/spice mixture settled in the bottom of the bowl. Spread the coated nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour at 250 degrees stirring every 15 minutes.

Allow the nuts to cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to a month or package in small containers or bags to give to friends or guests attending a party.

These nuts are great as a stand alone snack or with a cocktail. They are perfect to pair with cheeses and make a beautiful addition to a big board of cheeses and charcuterie. And they also make a great addition to any salad - I like to make this recipe with pumpkin seeds and add a handful on top of an arugula salad with some roasted butternut squash, brussel sprouts, and shaved parmesan cheese for a fall lunch.

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About the Creator

Lynn Wheeler

Self taught chef with a over 25 years experience in the restaurant business.

Grew up in rural Ohio & moved to NYC in 1998.

Executive Chef Third & Vine in Jersey City 2014-2017.

Moved to Florida in 2017 and opened Duck Truck Gourmet in 2019.

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