Name: Candied Walnuts and Pecans
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 cup walnuts; 1 cup pecans; 1/2 cup maple syrup; 1 tablespoon cinnamon; 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Right now, my life is all about these Candied Walnuts and Pecans.

Yes, I’m in love. These are so easy to make that you should stop reading right now and go make them.

You can eat them by the handful or put them in lots of dishes like salads, granola, or even on top of pancakes or French toast.

You won’t regret making these. I promise. I also think these would be great sprinkled on top of rice pudding.

Feel free to use all walnuts or pecans, it’s your life. You do you, boo!

How to Make Candied Walnuts

Making candied walnuts on the stovetop is one of the easiest things you can do. All you need is a skillet, some maple syrup, a pinch of cinnamon, and your walnuts. Heat the maple syrup in the pan, toss in the walnuts, and stir until they’re coated and toasty. The whole process takes about 10 minutes, and your kitchen will smell amazing. Once they cool, they get that perfect crunchy coating. You can also swap in pecans or do a mix of both — that’s what I usually do!

Yield: 2 cups

Candied Walnuts and Pecans

5.0 Stars (2 Reviews)

These candied nuts are great on top of ice cream or stirred into oatmeal or rice pudding. They are perfect as a holiday gift!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup walnuts
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 350° F
Once preheated, toast the nuts for 10 minutes
Melt the butter in a medium pot.
Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla extract to the butter and heat on medium-high for about 5 minutes.
Add the walnuts and the pecans to the pot and coat evenly with a spatula.
Transfer coated nuts to the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir, let sit until completely cool.

Notes

Use all walnuts or all pecans instead of the combination if you'd like!

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Tips for Perfect Glazing

The key to a beautiful glaze is keeping your heat at medium—too high and the maple syrup can burn, leaving your nuts bitter instead of caramelized. Stir constantly once you add the nuts to the skillet so the coating gets evenly distributed and toasts all over, which usually takes about 8-10 minutes. Watch for the moment when the syrup turns golden and sticky and clings to each nut; that’s your signal to pull them off the heat. Let them cool completely on parchment paper before eating or storing, because they’ll continue to crisp up as they cool and you don’t want them clumping together while still warm.

Variations and Substitutions

The beauty of candied nuts is how flexible they are—you can swap out the walnuts and pecans for almonds, cashews, or pumpkin seeds if that’s what you have on hand. If maple syrup isn’t your thing, brown sugar mixed with a little butter works beautifully and gives you a deeper caramel flavor, or try honey for something a bit lighter and floral. Want to spice things up? Skip the cinnamon and add a pinch of cayenne pepper, sea salt, or even pumpkin pie spice for different flavor profiles. The cooking time stays the same at around 10 minutes regardless of your nut choice, though smaller nuts like almonds might toast a touch faster, so keep an eye on them. Mix and match your add-ins until you find your favorite combination—this recipe is really about making something you’ll actually want to eat.

Candied Walnuts and Pecans

How to Make Candied Walnuts