The Best (and Fool-Proof) Candied Nuts For Holiday Parties, DIY Gifts, Snacking, and Salads.

This is a fool-proof way to achieve candied nuts with a perfectly glossy, glassy candy finish. I learned this method from one of my sous chefs, who learned it from an Armenian chef he worked with at another restaurant. This is how kitchen knowledge travels.

When I was a young line cook working at the Pearl Cafe in Missoula, candied nuts were one of my prep items. I hated prepping these things. The method used was to melt sugar (with balsamic) in a skillet, stirring the nuts until well coated, and then baking them. Sometimes they would come out perfectly. Sometimes they would come out all crusty looking. It didn’t seem to matter how diligently I followed the recipe, or how attentively I monitored the sugar mixture or the nuts in the oven. It was a crapshoot every time which way it was going to go.

When I opened my own restaurant, candied nuts were nowhere on the menu. That was until my Sous Chef Zach recommended this method and assured me it was fool-proof. It has never let me down. As an added bonus, you end up with Walnut Simple Syrup as a byproduct which is amazing in an Old Fashion.

When I make these nuts, I make a big batch. 5 pounds or so. Usually around the holidays. Packed into mason jars with a bow, they make perfect little Christmas presents and stocking stuffers. These candied nuts are also just great to have on hand for Cheese Boards, party bites, snacking, and salads. They last for a long time at room temperature in an airtight container. The method is the same for smaller batches, but you can use less oil and smaller pots.

What You Will Need

2 pots

Nuts (Walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, etc or a combination of)

Sugar

Water

Canola or Safflower Oil

A sheet pan with a drying rack.

A wire skimmer (aka “a spider”) or a sieve that will fit into your pots. If you have neither of those things a slotted spoon will work in a pinch for small batches only.

The Method

In one pot make a big batch of thick syrup.

Combine 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. For a 5lb batch 4 cups sugar to 2 cups water works well. For a smaller batch you can do half that amount. Heat this to a boil. Add the nuts and boil for about 10 minutes in this mixture. Fit as many nuts as you can keep completely covered in syrup and do multiple batches if you need to. (The more batches of walnuts you cook in this syrup, the more concentrated and nutty your simple syrup will be at the end)

While the nuts are boiling, heat the oil in another pot. I use a smaller pot for this (so I can use less oil) and I fry them in a bunch of smaller batches.

Fry the nuts

Check the oil temperature by dropping one nut in when you think it is ready. If it immediately starts sizzling, the oil is hot enough.

Using your spider or strainer, transfer 1-2 strainer-fuls into the hot oil. If you don’t have a strainer or spider that will work and are using a slotted spoon, transfer 1-2 spoonfuls. Don’t transfer more than that at a time as it will take a while to fish them out of the pot and in the meantime they will burn.

Fry the nuts until the bubbles slow down. Depending on how hot your oil is and how much oil you have to nuts, this will take anywhere from 10 seconds to 2 minutes.

Transfer the nuts to the drying rack to cool. Sprinkle immediately with salt (optional).

Repeat until all of the nuts have been fried.

Store and Serve

Once completely cooled, store these candied nuts in an airtight container or ziplock bag or package them up as gifts in mason jars.

Enjoy.