Fantastic Sugared Walnuts With Some Spice

These addictive sugared walnuts are sweet and salty and have just a touch of heat from cayenne pepper. Serve them as a nibble at your next cocktail party, or give them as a hostess gift, wrapped in a pretty bowl.

Recipe card & instructions updated 3/21/22.

Regarding nuts there are two camps –one group just loves nuts and all things nutty and one group not so much. I guess that I fall somewhere in the middle. In my opinion, nuts make a good snack on their own. I make them often enough when we are entertaining to munch on with our cocktails. I like them in salads or sprinkled on my veggies, but I am not a huge fan of nuts in sweet treats.

That being said, I am crazy for sugared nuts! I love honey roasted peanuts to be sure, but my hands-down favorite are sugared spiced walnuts or pecans. I love them on my caramel apples and in my oatmeal, in my winter salads and just right out of the bowl. And nuts are good for me, right? Practically a health food, I think!

In Cape Cod there is a woman who makes these amazing sugared walnuts called Wicked Walnuts. They are outrageously delicious and addictive and the recipe is obviously a closely guarded secret. Even though I do have a slight walnut sensitivity, that is a small price to pay for eating them! So since I am not currently on the Cape, a few years ago, I successfully recreated the recipe myself….and it’s close enough to tide me over until our next visit.

We give often them to neighbors and friends in lieu of holiday cookies. And as a bonus, these make a lovely, last minute hostess gift. I can’t think of  a more beautiful, festive (and delicious) gift than these sugared, spiced walnuts.

Love these sugared walnuts? Here are some great recipes to accompany them for the holidays:

• An Easy Cocktail Recipe for Holiday Parties
• An Easy and Impressive Salad for Thanksgiving
• Peppermint Ice Cream

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Sugar & Spice Walnuts

Alison Needham

These addictive walnuts are sweet and salty and have just a touch of heat from cayenne pepper. Serve them as a nibble at your next cocktail party, or give them as a hostess gift, wrapped in a pretty bowl.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 1 pound

Calories 3856 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pound walnut pieces and halves
• 1 egg white
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ cup sweetened dried cranberries

FOR THE SUGAR TOPPING:

• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch cayenne
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Beat the egg white in a large bowl until it’s quite foamy. Toss walnuts with egg white so they are thoroughly coated.
• Place sugar, salt, and spices into a large zip top bag. Remove walnuts from egg white with a slotted spoon, letting any excess egg drip out. Place nuts in the sugar bag and shake vigorously to coat.
• Pour out onto greased cookie sheet and separate nuts. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until dry and toasted.
• Mix sugar topping in a large bowl. Gently break apart walnuts with a fork or spatula. Place in the bowl with the sugar and toss to coat. Place back on the cookie sheet to cool. When cool, toss with the cranberries and seal in air-tight containers.

Nutrition

Calories: 3856kcalCarbohydrates: 300gProtein: 72gFat: 297gSaturated Fat: 28gPolyunsaturated Fat: 214gMonounsaturated Fat: 41gSodium: 2534mgPotassium: 2260mgFiber: 35gSugar: 241gVitamin A: 306IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 512mgIron: 23mg

Keyword candied nuts, nuts, quick

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