My foolproof method, honed in over 20 years as a pastry chef, turns out candied nuts coated with a thin glaze of glossy, crunchy caramel. They look fancy, but they only take 10 minutes to make on the stovetop. Use any nuts you like, including hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, and more!
Chop these pretty glazed nuts to bake into cookies or bars, or use them to garnish cakes or other desserts. They're so fun to make – and eat! – and they'll make you feel like a pro pastry chef.
Many candied nut recipes result in crystallized sugar bits stuck to nuts. These candied nuts look matte, and they have a grainy mouthfeel. But this method, made on the stovetop, turns out nuts that are coated in a shiny, golden layer of buttery caramelized sugar.
I learned this method at one of my first pastry jobs at a fancy-pants San Francisco restaurant and I've never looked back. I learned many pastry skills at this job, including my go-to homemade ice cream formula, and how to temper chocolate. I'm very grateful for my time there!
These are the candied hazelnuts that I stir into my homemade gluten-free biscotti dough to add bursts of caramelly, nutty goodness. And I used candied pecans made with this same method in maple bourbon pecan ice cream.
Method & Ingredients
This recipe makes a small batch – about 1 cup of candied nuts – so feel free to double or triple the recipe if you like. It takes about 10 minutes to complete, start to finish. The trickiest part is caramelizing the sugar, but my foolproof method sets you up for success.
Here's what you need to make them:
- toasted nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts, pine nuts, or any others you like
- granulated sugar
- butter
- salt
- a touch of corn syrup, honey, or golden syrup (to prevent the sugar from crystallizing)
All you have to do is:
- Caramelize sugar with water and a little corn syrup or honey to keep the sugar liquified
- Add a pat of butter and the nuts, stirring to coat the nuts evenly with the caramel
- Spread on a pan and let cool
- Feel like a pro pastry chef!
See the recipe card for more detailed instructions and quantities.
How to Use
If you can resist eating them all straight from the pan, candied nuts are delicious in a variety of dessert recipes. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Stir candied pecans into maple bourbon pecan ice cream
- Mix candied hazelnuts into crunchy homemade biscotti or chewy gluten-free blondies
- Use them to garnish a layer cake or chocolate cake (I'm dreaming of this chocolate hazelnut torte coated in ganache and showered in candied hazelnuts)
- Sprinkle them on top of classic chocolate pudding, ice cream, or other creamy dessert
- Toss candied walnuts or pecans into a salad with chicories, apples, and goat cheese
If you try this method, please let me know which nuts you've used and how you served them in the comments below!
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How to Candy Nuts like a Pastry Chef
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Hazelnuts:
- ¾ cup (95 g) toasted hazelnuts (or almonds, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, or other nuts)
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons (37 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon corn syrup, golden syrup, or honey
- pinch salt (optional)
Instructions
- In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, add enough water to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Add the sugar to the center of the pot, moisten it evenly with the water, and wash any crystals that get on the sides of the pan down into the water. Add the syrup or honey and cover the pot with a lid. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil until the sugar has dissolved.
- Have the butter and nuts measured and at the ready, and have a sheet of parchment paper or a baking sheet ready on which to dump the candied nuts.
- Remove the lid from the pot, and, without stirring, boil the syrup until it reaches an amber caramel. (If the mixture begins to crystallize, you can save it by adding more water and beginning the caramelization process again.) Remove the pot from the heat and immediately swirl in the butter, then add the nuts and stir quickly to coat with a heat-proof silicone spatula.
- Dump and scrape the nuts out onto the parchment, and quickly separate the pieces with the spatula as much as possible.
- If using in biscotti or another baking recipe: when the nuts have cooled, chop them coarsely. Bigger chunks of hazelnut look pretty, but small pieces make the biscotti easier to cut, so choose your own adventure!
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