Spiced Candied Nuts

Name: Spiced Candied Nuts Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup dark brown sugar; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 egg white, room temperature; 1 Tablespoon water; 1 pound mixture of walnuts, pecans, almonds, and/or hazelnuts (raw and unsalted)

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Spiced candied nuts that are the perfect combination of smoky, sweet, and salty, and with a touch of heat. Make them for game nights, add them to a cheese board, or present them as a homemade gift!

spiced walnuts, pecans, and almonds on a plate with spoons of spices.

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Have you ever been at a party, in the middle of a conversation, and mindlessly started eating the candied nuts that were nearby? And then you became so preoccupied with the amazing flavor of the nuts that you were no longer listening to the conversation?

Well, these nuts are that distractingly delicious!

They are incredibly addictive, with the perfect combination of sweet, salty, smoky, and a touch of heat. The molasses in the dark brown sugar adds a deep and complex flavor, and the cayenne pepper gives a nice pop of flavor.

Smoked paprika provides smokiness and cinnamon adds lots of warmth. I use a mixture of walnuts, almonds, pecans, and hazelnuts, but I encourage you to use your favorite combination of nuts; there is no wrong answer when it comes to nuts in this addictive snack!

This is a foolproof recipe that only requires 5 minutes of prep time: Toss your spices and sugar into a bowl, add nuts to your frothy egg white (this will help to develop that crunchy coating), and pour sugar mixture onto nuts. Bake for 30 minutes (your house will smell amazing!) and try your hardest not to start eating them immediately.

For more easy snack recipes, try chocolate covered pecans, chocolate pecan bark with rosemary, and smoked paprika hummus.

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⭐️Why This Recipe Works
🌰 Ingredient Notes
🧀 How To Use Spiced Candied Nuts
🥄 Step-By-Step Instructions
⏲ Pro Tips
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
🍫 Related Recipes
Spiced Candied Nuts Recipe

⭐️Why This Recipe Works

Sweet and savory
Quick, easy and foolproof
Naturally gluten-free
Crunchy, roasted goodness
Just 5 minutes of prep time
Makes an excellent homemade gift

🌰 Ingredient Notes

Dark brown sugar - Contains molasses so has a richer and deeper flavor than white sugar
Granulated sugar - You can use more or less depending on how sweet you want your candied nuts to be.
Smoked paprika - This is where we get that beautiful smoky flavor.
Cayenne pepper - Adds just a slight pop of heat
Cinnamon - Spiced nuts always need the warm aroma of cinnamon.
Walnuts, pecans, almonds and/or hazelnuts - Use your favorite combination of nuts!
Egg white - This is what will help to bind our sugar and spices to the nuts.

🧀 How To Use Spiced Candied Nuts

Add to a cheese or charcuterie board
Serve for game night or as a game day snack
Mix in with popcorn
Serve on top of ice cream
Add into granola or overnight oats
Give as holiday, hostess, or birthday gifts

🥄 Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. and place piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Mix sugars, salt, paprika, cayenne, and cinnamon, making sure there are no lumps; set aside.

Step 2. Beat egg white and water until frothy but not stiff. Add nuts, and stir to coat evenly.

Step 3. Sprinkle nuts with sugar mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Spread sugared nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Step 4. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven, and separate nuts as they cool. When completely cool, pour the nuts into a bowl, breaking up any that stick together.

spatula scooping up spiced nuts from baking sheet

⏲ Pro Tips

Make sure you use nuts that are unsalted and raw. If you start with toasted nuts, they will become too toasted in the oven. And using unsalted nuts allows you to control the amount of salt in your candied nuts.
Buy nuts in bulk (they can be expensive!) and store in the freezer to keep them fresh.
Play around with the amount of sugar and spices in this recipe - you can make it as sweet or spicy as you like!
Use your favorite mixture of nuts, or change up the variety each time you make this.
Separate nuts as they cool. They will be a bit sticky when they come out of the oven, but will harden as they cool.
Storage: Store them (in an airtight container) at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
How to freeze: You can freeze them for up to 2 months. Make sure no moisture gets into your freezer-safe container or they will become soggy.

spiced walnuts, almonds, and pecans spilling out of a glass jar.

💬 Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my candied nuts sticky?

The nuts should harden as they cool. If they are still sticky at this point, it usually means that they were not baked long enough.

Can I substitute one of the sugars for maple syrup or honey?

You should be able to without any problems, but I have not tested this myself. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out!

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