These sweet and spicy candied walnuts are so simple to make, and can be stored in an airtight container for later use. They are addicting with their crunchy exterior, and the combination of sweet, spicy, and savory flavors makes it impossible to stop eating them. They are perfect to put out as an easy cocktail snack, and they work great as a host or hostess gift.
I’ve made a lot of glazed and candied nuts before, but they always seemed to come out sticky, which made them hard to give as a gift. I’m excited to say that these sweet and spicy candied walnuts are not the least bit sticky, and come out as perfect little crunchy morsels.
Note that I used walnuts, but you can really use any nuts you like. Additionally, you can use the same proportions and bake time and switch up the flavors based on what you like.
Sweet and Spicy Candied Walnuts:
- 1 lb raw walnut halves (or any nut you prefer)
- 1 egg white
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ¼ teaspoon dried ground rosemary
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
Start by mixing the brown sugar, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and rosemary in a small bowl. Set this aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg white until it’s frothy. You don’t have to mix it much, but you just want to loosen it up and get the egg white frothy so it coats the walnuts better.
Next, add in the walnuts and mix to combine so that every walnut is coated in the egg white. Really mix this up and make sure there aren’t any dry spots. This is what helps keep the walnuts crunchy.
Once the walnuts are coated in the egg white, add in the sugar mixture. Again, really mix the walnuts so that the sugar mixture gets into all the little grooves. This is why a large mixing bowl is important. The large bowl lets you really get in there and mix the walnuts well. I like to even shake the bowl a little to toss them around and make sure everything is coated well.
Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. And spread the walnuts into one even layer.
Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, and rotate the pan half way through at the 15 minute mark. These sweet and spicy candied walnuts will come out fragrant, golden brown, and crunchy. Let them cool completely, (this is very important) then break apart any nuts that have stuck together, and enjoy!