Candied Almonds
A delicious homemade candied nut recipe perfect for gifts, charcuterie boards or just enjoying as a decadent treat. These Candied Almonds have a crunchy brown sugar coating with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon that make them completely irresistible.
Candied Almonds Recipe
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is whipping up a batch of homemade candied nuts.
While I love indulging in these sweet and crunchy candied almonds, the actual reason I love making them so much is that it just makes my house smell like Christmas!
Roasted nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. It’s better than any candle you could buy.
The brown sugar coating has that light and airy, yet perfectly crispy texture thanks to the addition of whipped egg whites. There is absolutely no corn syrup in this recipe – and you won’t miss it! The addition of cinnamon and vanilla to the candy coating gives a delicious depth of flavor that prevent these candied almonds from being too boring or cloyingly sweet.
While I tend to enjoy these as just a snack, you can use them to top sweet or savoury dishes. Crush them up and sprinkle on salads, meat dishes, cakes, cupcakes, etc, or incorporate them into your favorite no-bake fudge recipe. The options to enjoy them are endless.
I’ve used this recipe to make a variety of candied nuts – candied pecans, candied walnuts and candied cashews – so feel free to swap out the almonds for your favorite variety of nut. (I’ll be honest – the pecan version is my favorite but these almonds disappear quickly in my house, too.)
I’ve made this recipe several times and one thing to keep in mind is that the baking time will vary nearly every time. It’s annoying but it has to do with the moisture content of the nuts and how frothy you whipped up the eggs. Since you are stirring the nuts every 15 minutes, you will be able to notice when the coating seems set and you can even test a couple out each time. They will still be a bit sticky but the crunch is what you will be checking for.
Also, make sure to use raw nuts for this recipe. Using roasted almonds will result in over-roasted/burnt nuts before the candy coating is set.
These candied almonds make a great homemade gift. You can use little cellophane baggies for packaging the nuts, or for best storage, gift in a mason jar and put the recipe on a little gift tag. (Or else your friends are going to end up begging you for more batches!)
These candied almonds will last in an airtight container for up to two months, but they never last that long in our house! You can store in the refrigerator or freeze in an airtight freezer bag or your favorite freezer containers to make them last even longer – but the moisture could affect the crunchy coating. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.)
Candied Almond Ingredients
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: while you can add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, I personally preferred these almonds without.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Electric mixer <– this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped
- Cookie Sheet
- Parchment Paper <– you can use a silicone baking mat or tinfoil but I found parchment paper to have the best results
How to Make Candied Almonds
Preheat oven to 275ºF.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and apply a light spray of cooking oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the egg white and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until light and frothy, about 4 minutes.
Beat in the vanilla until just combined.
Fold the almonds into the egg white mixture, coating completely.
In a small separate bowl, combine the white sugar, brown sugar and salt.
Stir the sugar mixture into the almond mixture until almonds are completely coated.
Transfer the coated almonds onto your prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to break up any clumps. Bake until the almond coating is as crunchy as you desire – they will be a bit sticky, but the stickiness will go away as they cool at room temperature.
Allow almonds to cool on the baking sheet fully before breaking up and storing or serving.
Pin this Easy Candied Almond recipe for your next baking session:
Grab your free printable recipe card for our brown sugar candied almonds recipe:
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Sugar, Spice and Glitter.
Candied Almonds
This crunchy brown sugar candied almond recipe is super simple and makes a great homemade gift. Add to charcuterie boards, use to top desserts or enjoy as as-is for a sweet treat.
Ingredients
- 1 Egg White
- 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 4 cups Almonds
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup White Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275ºF.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and apply a light spray of cooking oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg white and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until light and frothy, about 4 minutes.
- Beat in the vanilla until just combined.
- Fold the almonds into the egg white mixture, coating completely.
- In a small separate bowl, combine the white sugar, brown sugar and salt.
- Stir the sugar mixture into the almond mixture until almonds are completely coated.
- Transfer the coated almonds onto your prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to break up any clumps. Bake until the almond coating is as crunchy as you desire - they will be a bit sticky, but the stickiness will go away as they cool at room temperature.
- Allow almonds to cool on the baking sheet fully before breaking up and storing or serving.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Cream of Tartar, 2 Cups by Unpretentious Baker, Highest Quality USP & Food Grade, Better than Restaurant Quality, Non-GMO, Kosher, Gluten Free, Vegan, Slotted Cap Spice Shaker -
365 by Whole Foods Market, Almond Value Size, 32 Ounce
-
Reynolds Kitchens Non-Stick Parchment Paper - Amazon Exclusive 12 inch - 60 Square Feet
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
32Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 128Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 155mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 4g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family loves this candied almonds recipe as much as mine does – though I hope they last longer in your house than they do in mine!
For more decadent desserts, check out our full dessert recipe collection here:
For more thoughtful gifts, check out our full homemade gifts collection here:
While I love indulging in these sweet and crunchy candied almonds, the actual reason I love making them so much is that it just makes my house smell like Christmas.