Nuts are perfect for snacking! This easy cinnamon-spiced walnut 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!
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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 healthy and a great way to entice kids to eat them. You can easily adjust the amount of sugar you use in the recipe, making this cinnamon-roasted walnuts recipe easy to customize.
Why I love this homemade candied walnut recipe:
- Cinnamon is a warm, comforting spice that gives the nuts a delicious aroma and flavor. It adds a sweet, slightly spicy, and fragrant taste that enhances the overall flavor of the nuts.
- Cinnamon-flavored nuts make a versatile snack. They can be eaten as a standalone snack, added to salads or yogurt, or used as a topping for oatmeal or smoothies.
- I love this recipe because it is so easy to make and much cheaper to make flavored nuts than to buy them in the store.
- Not only are these cinnamon-spiced walnuts easy to make, but they are also perfect for snacking!
These candied walnuts also make a perfect DIY holiday gift, teachers’ gift, etc. They are naturally gluten free, dairy-free, and egg-free! If you love cinnamon, try my popular Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls and these Gluten Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon Biscuits recipes.
I’ve been using these as a topping for my salad and they work perfectly. Thanks for the great recipe!”
Hannah, blog comment
Allergen Information:
This candied walnut recipe is gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, oat-free, and soy-free.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Walnuts – You can use walnut halves or pieces in this recipe. If you don’t have walnuts, you can use ANY 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.
- Ground Cinnamon – Any variety.
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
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.
🔑 Sandi says: The best way to ensure your recipe turns out is to use a digital candy thermometer to test that your sugar mixture is at the right temperature.
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 over them. My photo in step 4 is blurred because of the steam. Mix well.
Step 5: Spread the walnut mixture onto a parchment paper-lined
After the walnuts have cooled, you can serve whole or crush them into small pieces and place them in a serving dish.
Ways To Enjoy Candied Nuts:
- Sprinkled these cinnamon walnuts on yogurt
- Crushed to make a praline topping for cake or pie
- On your favorite ice cream
- By the hand full plain!
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can make this recipe with whole walnuts, halves, or pieces!
These walnuts should keep fresh for up to one week in a sealed container.
If your nuts were sticky, your sugar mixture wasn’t hot enough to create that hardened, brittle effect.
You can arrange the nuts on a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake them at 325º F for 5-15 minutes, then allow them to cool completely.
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 Gluten Free Snack Ideas:
- Gluten Free Blueberry Scones – Scones make a great tea-time snack.
- Homemade Cinnamon Granola – Granola is one of my kids’ favorite snacks. It is so easy to make, too!
- Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins – These muffins make a great mid-day snack.
- Gluten Free Cheez It Crackers – These delicious crackers are tasty on their own or served with a dip.
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Cinnamon Spiced Walnuts
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups walnuts * see note
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
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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
- You can use walnut halves or pieces in this recipe.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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.
Did I miss something?
when do you add the sea salt?
Hi Susie, Add the salt to the cinnamon and ingredients in the pot. I will make it more clear in the recipe.
I’ve been using these as a topping for my salad and they work perfectly. Thanks for the great recipe!
I love these on our salads too!
Will this work if I substitute Xylitol or Erythritol instead of sugar?
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.