Las candied nuts or glazed nuts are a delicious sweet, a sugary snack you can't resist after eating one. Today I'll tell you how to make delicious candied pecans at home! Sweet and super crunchy — warning: they're highly addictive — and you'll only need a skillet to make them.
How to make candied nuts
To make candied nuts you'll only need pecans, sugar and extracts for flavoring.
They are often made without flavoring, with just sugar, but I suggest mainly using vanilla and cinnamon — they give a wonderful aroma (vanilla is commonly used at minimum). Also note we'll use mostly brown sugar rather than white because of the aroma it lends to the pecans (but you can use only white sugar for the syrup if you prefer its result).
How will we do it? With the sugar we'll make a syrup to coat the nuts, and it will be when it cools and crystallizes that you'll get textbook homemade candied nuts.
You could likewise make candied nuts with other nuts, like hazelnuts, walnuts, macadamia nuts, seeds... The flavorings I suggest in the recipe definitely pair especially well with all kinds of nuts and almonds.
Difference between English walnuts and pecans
Pecans are becoming very popular. They really do taste different from the English walnuts we've commonly used, and I highly encourage you to try and use them if you haven't yet.
You'll appreciate pecans for their flavor: they're less bitter than other walnuts; and you'll certainly spot them by their elongated, vertical shape. In texture you'll also notice their virtues: their flesh is buttery, oily and creamier.
For all these reasons it's preferable to use pecans for candying.
Ingredients
- 280 g pecans
- 80 ml water
- 100 g brown sugar
- 50 g white sugar (*see notes)
- ½ teaspoon (2.1 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon (5.2 g) cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) cayenne pepper (optional)
Preparation of the candied nuts
- First, toast the nuts in the oven: arrange the pecans on a baking tray, spread across the surface, and roast them for about 10 to 15 minutes at 170 ºC. From time to time, stir them with a spatula so they toast evenly on all sides. When they look toasted, remove and set aside.
- Prepare the syrup: in an iron skillet over medium heat, add the water and all the seasonings — that is, the sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne if you want to add it. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.
- Immediately add the nuts and return to the heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to coat all the nuts with the syrup and help the sugar melt and crystallize (about 10 minutes). In a few minutes you'll see a whitish sand forming around them. Increase the heat and keep stirring so it crystallizes but doesn't burn.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, and prepare a tray with parchment paper, to spread the candied nuts on (spread them over the tray, separated so they don't clump) and let the nuts cool).
- Once cool, you can serve them or store in an airtight jar.
Ideas to use and enjoy candied nuts
- You'll love eating candied nuts as they are: enjoy them as a snack — they're full of energy!
- Serve them with coffee, after a meal, and they'll be the final touch to the gathering (don't forget to say you made them — people will definitely ask how).
- They're ideal in green salads alongside aged cheeses, fresh cheese or fresh strawberries — they accept a wide variety of pairings.
- Put them in a jar or little bags: it's a lovely gift for parties, a thoughtful gesture for someone or when you have visitors.
- Do you make stuffed pasta at home? Those pear, cheese and walnut ravioli can be made with caramelized pecans — the sweet-and-salty contrast will be a guaranteed success.
- In baking! Use these caramelized nuts (chopped or whole) to decorate and add the finishing touch to your cakes. Also to top cookies and muffins — and all kinds of tarts!
Notes
- *It's common to make a syrup using only white sugar. You can make candied nuts with white sugar (replace the brown sugar with white, using 150 g total white sugar in this case), but I think the cane flavors of brown sugar are delicious with pecans.
- Think about the flavors you like: you can flavor them with only vanilla extract, or use ginger if that's what you prefer (together with a pinch of pepper it becomes very special).
- You can halve the nuts if you prefer a smaller bite or if you have very large pecans.
- Don't be alarmed by the pieces of caramel left when cleaning the skillet or mat! Remember you only need to soak it in water so the sugar dissolves before scrubbing with a sponge and soap.
I hope you enjoy caramelizing nuts a lot. Don't stop telling me which tricks or flavors you use to make them — it will be a great learning experience for everyone.
