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Cinnamon Spiced Walnuts

Cinnamon Spiced Walnuts

Published: Apr 5, 2021 by Sandi Gaertner · 8 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links

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A Pinterest pin image of the candied walnuts.

Nuts are perfect for snacking! This easy cinnamon spiced walnuts recipe is no exception! They are full of sweet delicious flavor. With just a few simple ingredients, you can enjoy these cinnamon sugar walnuts in about 20 minutes!

the top view of a jar of cinnamon spiced walnuts
Jump to:
  • Why this recipe is one of my favorites:
  • Ingredients and ingredient notes:
  • Recipe step by step directions:
  • Ways to enjoy candied nuts:
  • Tips and Recipe FAQ:
  • More delicious snack ideas:
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

I love making spiced walnuts. I leave them out on the counter in a bowl, and everyone loves to grab some. Candied nuts also make great gifts! If you love candied nuts as much as we do, you will also want to try my Honey Roasted Cashews recipe.

Walnuts are really healthy and they are a great way to get some nutrition into the kids. You can easily adjust the amount of sugar you use in the recipe, making this cinnamon roasted walnuts recipe easy to customize.

Why this recipe is one of my favorites:

I love this recipe because it is so easy to make, and it is much cheaper to make flavored nuts than to buy them in the store. Not only are these cinnamon spiced walnuts easy to make, they are perfect for snacking!

These candied walnuts also make a really good DIY gift for the holidays, teachers gifts, etc. They are naturally gluten free, dairy-free, and egg-free!

Ingredients and ingredient notes:

spiced walnuts ingredients
  • Walnuts - You can use walnut halves or pieces in this recipe. If you don't have walnuts, you can really use ANY type of nuts for this candied nuts recipe.
  • Sugar - White sugar works in this recipe. Coconut and brown sugars will not work well so I do not recommend substituting them.

Recipe step by step directions:

step 1 and 2 photos of making candied walnuts

Step 1: In a small saucepan, heat the water, sugar, and cinnamon over medium heat.

Step 2: Place a candy thermometer in the pan and allow the ingredients to melt. DO NOT STIR until it reaches 238º F. This will take about 8 minutes.

photos of steps 3 and 4

Step 3: Preheat your oven to 350º F. Place the walnuts (or any nuts you plan to use) onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes or until the nuts are lightly brown.

Step 4: Pour the nuts into a large bowl and pour the liquid sugar mixture on. You can see my photo in step 4, the steam sort of blurred the photo. Mix well.

candied walnuts on parchment paper

Step 5: Spread the walnut mixture onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Try to make sure the walnuts are not too bunched up so they harden individually.

After the walnuts have cooled you can serve whole or crush them into small pieces and place them in a serving dish.

Check out my candied walnuts web story for more tips!

Ways to enjoy candied nuts:

  • Sprinkled on yogurt
  • Crushed to make a praline topping for cake or pie
  • On your favorite ice cream
  • By the hand full plain!
a close up of the cinnamon sugar walnuts

Tips and Recipe FAQ:

Can you use different nuts to make this recipe?

You can easily use any nut in this recipe. Try macadamia nuts or pecans next :-).

Can you use walnut pieces to make this recipe?

You can use either whole walnuts, halves, or pieces to make this recipe!

How long will these spiced walnuts keep?

These walnuts should keep up to 1 week in a sealed container.

Why are the candied nuts sticky?

If your nuts turned out sticky, it means your sugar mixture didn't get hot enough to create that hardened brittle effect.

Can you fix the nuts if they are sticky?

Yes, you can fix the nuts by putting them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake them at 325º F for 5-15 minutes. Allow them to cool completely.

Can you freeze these candied nuts?

You can easily freeze these nuts. I put them into a freezer safe baggie and freeze them. They should keep up to 2 months.

More delicious snack ideas:

  • Gluten Free Blueberry Scones
  • Homemade Cinnamon Granola
  • Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins
  • Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
a Christmas tin filled with cinnamon spiced walnuts
These candied walnuts make a great holiday gift!

📖 Recipe

the top view of a jar of cinnamon spiced walnuts

Cinnamon Spiced Walnuts

Sandi Gaertner
A quick and easy candied walnuts recipe. They are cinnamon spiced and are delicious by themselves or on yogurt or ice cream.
5 from 8 votes
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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Gluten Free Candy Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 257 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups walnuts * see note
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350º F.
  • Place the walnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly brown.
  • In a saucepan over medium heat add the sugar, water, salt, and ground cinnamon.
  • Place a candy thermometer in the pan and allow the ingredients to melt. DO NOT STIR until it reaches 238 degrees. (This will take roughly 8 minutes.)
  • Remove from heat and immediately stir the hot sugar mixture into the walnuts.
  • Lightly spray a cooled baking sheet with non-stick spray. Spoon the walnut mixture onto it. (You can put the mixture onto parchment paper if you prefer for cooling.)
  • After the walnut mix has cooled you can serve whole or crush them into small pieces and place in a serving dish. Snack on it, or add it as a topper to yogurt or ice cream!

Notes

  1. You can use walnut halves or pieces in this recipe. 
  2. If you prefer, you can use pecans or any nuts you have on-hand. If you want to get fancy, you can add seeds like chia and sunflower to make a brittle.
  3. If your nuts mix turns out sticky, it means you didn't cook the sugar mixture until it was hot enough. To fix sticky nuts, place them onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake at 325º F for 5-15 minutes. Allow them to cool.
  4. These nuts will keep in an air-tight container up to 5 days. If you freeze them they will keep up to 2 months.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 257kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 4gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 98mgPotassium: 132mgFiber: 2gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 7IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @FearlessDining or tag #FearlessDining!

Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Susie Fasanaro

    December 12, 2021 at 2:25 pm

    Did I miss something?
    when do you add the sea salt?

    Reply
    • Sandi Gaertner

      December 13, 2021 at 9:13 am

      Hi Susie, Add the salt to the cinnamon and ingredients in the pot. I will make it more clear in the recipe.

      Reply
  2. Hanna

    April 12, 2021 at 7:15 am

    5 stars
    I've been using these as a topping for my salad and they work perfectly. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply
    • Sandi Gaertner

      April 12, 2021 at 5:30 pm

      I love these on our salads too!

      Reply
  3. Nellie Tracy

    April 12, 2021 at 7:11 am

    5 stars
    This is a great recipe for spiced nuts. LOVE it!

    Reply
    • Sandi Gaertner

      April 12, 2021 at 5:30 pm

      I am so glad you like them!

      Reply
  4. Ella Jeans

    April 11, 2021 at 7:08 am

    Will this work if I substitute Xylitol or Erythritol instead of sugar?

    Reply
    • Sandi Gaertner

      April 11, 2021 at 9:28 am

      Hi Ella, I have never used those sweeteners so I am not sure how they would behave in my recipe. If you try it, please let me know how it works.

      Reply

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