Butter Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts are crunchy walnut halves coated in butter, brown sugar, white sugar and salt. Give it an added flavor like rum, cayenne pepper, cinnamon or any spice you prefer.
Candied Walnuts are perfect for snacking, salads, topping for ice cream, yogurt and a great holiday give away.
Butter Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts are easy to make and addicting. These caramelized walnuts are great party snack, make sure you have more than enough as guest will be asking for more. It is that good and delicious.
If serving for a party, it is cheaper to get a big bag at Costco or Sam's Club (if a member). You'll find it in the baking section.
Have you ever bought candied walnuts that are hard instead of crunchy? Not this one!
What about glob of walnuts sticking to each other? Not this!
Try making it yourself and in no time you can have this crunchy, addicting, delicious candied walnuts and much cheaper too than store-bought.
Trick to Making a Perfect Butter Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts
Note: Stove top heat varies on brand and model, so use your best judgement regarding your stove top setting. Watch my video to see how I make it.
First, prepare a tray or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
Combine brown sugar, white sugar and butter in a skillet over medium heat. They will slowly melt. Stir occasionally. Add salt and rum.
Once butter has melted and sugar caramelized, it will turn to a dark syrup. At this point the syrup can easily burn and you have to be quick.
Reduce heat to low and add the walnuts. Stir until walnuts are evenly coated. While stirring, try to separate each walnut while in the skillet. This is easily done if you don’t overcrowd the walnuts.
Note: Again, if you prefer a grainy walnut coating, don’t wait till sugar caramelized.
Pour walnuts on prepared tray with parchment paper. Use two kitchen utensils or wooden spoons and quickly separate walnuts individually before it hardens, making sure they are not in clumps. Once it sets, it will be hard to separate walnuts.
Let it cool to harden before eating or storing.
Note: It can be oven roasted and it is good as well.
Can I Double this Recipe?
Yes, you can as long as you’re able to quickly separate walnuts when tranferred to parchment paper. Otherwise, do it in batches.
Storing Candied Walnuts
I don’t know if I should even address this. My last step states, let it cool to harden before eating or storing. Guess what, as soon as I transferred it on the parchment paper I was munching on it.
It is crunchy and delicious even though not completely cooled. It is super addicting and if you are like me, there’s nothing left to store.
Anyway, keep it in an air tight container at room temperature, not in the fridge, for a month. Nuts will go rancid when kept too long.
Adding Flavor to Candied Walnuts
In my Candied Walnuts recipe, I added a twist of Banana Rum instead of water. If you don’t have Banana Rum, plain rum works as well. Sprinkle spices like cinnamon, nutmeg or cayenne pepper to make it spicy.
It doesn’t hurt to be creative. While writing this post, I thought about using Crown Royal Apple next time. It sound like a good flavor.
Butter Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts Recipe and Video
Not a big fan of walnuts, try this recipe with pecan or almonds.
Recipe
Butter Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts
Ingredients
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons banana rum plain rum or water
- 2 cups walnut halves
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Prepare baking sheet or tray lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat, combine brown sugar, white sugar, butter, salt and banana rum. Ingredients will slowly melt. Stir occasionally.
- It will start turning into a dark syrup when butter has melted and sugar caramelized. Reduce heat to low and add the walnuts. Be quick and stir walnuts until evenly coated. Try to separate each walnut while stirring. This is easily done if walnuts are not overcrowded.
- Note: If you like a grainy walnut coating, don’t wait till sugar caramelized into a syrup.
- Pour candied walnuts on prepared tray with parchment paper. Quickly separate walnuts before it hardens using 2 kitchen utensils or 2 wooden spoons. Make sure there are no clumps. It is hard to separate walnuts once caramel hardens.
- Set aside to cool and harden before eating or storing. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- This candied walnut recipe can be oven roasted and it is good as well.
- You can double the recipe but be quick in coating walnuts with syrup or it can burn easily.
Dahn says
Candied walnuts are sooo addictive! I could eat them all day. I especially love them in salads. Great recipe!
Fortune says
Yes, they are addictive! Thank you Dahn.
Fran Sidwell says
Omg!!!! These are the best
Things ever!!! I used your exact recipe and I can’t quit eating. I’m going to Food City Grocery store, here in Hazard, Ky to get more walnuts tomorrow!!! I’ll definitely need more of these for my Thanksgiving celebration! Thank you for this fabulous recipe!!!!
Fortune says
Oh, I'm the same way, can't stop eating it! Glad you like it.
Karri says
What can I use as a substitute for the rum?
Fortune says
You can use water instead of rum. I haven't tried vanilla but some people use it for flavoring.
Ginger says
Made exactly as directed using regular rum (didn’t have banana rum). Turned out perfectly - I watched like a hawk till it turned just dark enough. This is a keeper.
Fortune says
Glad you like it. Thank you.
Cathy says
So easy and delicious!! I added pumpkin pie spice and mmm mmm!
I was giving them alongside a harvest candle and tea towels as a thank you gift.
Thank you for this recipe!
Fortune says
Yes, pumpkin pie spice adds deliciousness! Glad you like it.