Candied Almonds

Candied Almonds are the perfect treat for the upcoming holidays. The almonds are slightly sweet with a hint of cinnamon and taste like the nuts you get at festivals. These light and crunchy morsels are totally addictive.

Ingredients

These amazing Candied Almonds use only four simple ingredients: Water, granulated sugar, cinnamon and raw almonds.

The water, sugar and cinnamon form a syrup that then crystalizes on the almonds producing a sweet and crunchy coating to the almonds.

Making the Candied Almonds

Making the these tasty morsels is super simple. First, I added the water, sugar and cinnamon to a large saucepan set over medium heat. Then, I whisked the ingredients together.

I brought the mixture to a boil over medium heat and added the almonds.

Then, I reduced the heat slightly and stirred the mixture every minute or so over medium heat using a silicon spatula. The reason that I used the silicon spatula was that it was high-heat resistant. Also, the syrupy mixture wouldn’t stick to the silicon spatula.

During the cooking, I reduced the heat to medium low to make sure that the mixture wouldn’t burn.

After about 10 minutes, the liquid had evaporated and the syrup crystalized onto the almonds.

I dumped the Candied Almonds onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread the almonds out.

Finishing the Candied Almonds

After I let the almonds cool for about 15 minutes, I tasted one. I thought that although the sugar/cinnamon coating was perfect, the almonds lacked a nice crunch.

Therefore, to finish the almonds, I placed them in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 minutes, turning them half way through. This basically toasted the almonds, adding an amazing depth of flavor.

I ended up with a little over 3 cups of the most amazing Candied Almonds that you can possibly imagine. They were slightly sweet with a hint of cinnamon. The toasting of the almonds at the end produced an incredible almond crunch.

These Candied Almonds are totally addictive. If you’re looking for an edible Christmas gift, these should be at the top of your list. If you just want to indulge yourself, keep these tasty morsels close by. Yum!

Other Edible Christmas Gifts

If you’re in the market for additional edible Christmas gifts, look no farther.

• Chocolate Christmas Mice: Chocolate Christmas Mice are just in time for the holidays. They’re sure to bring a twinkle to the eyes of the grown-ups and a smile to the faces of your little ones. They are easy to make, albeit a bit finicky. 
• Holiday Caramel Chex Mix: If you like caramel corn, you’ll absolutely love Holiday Caramel Chex Mix. It’s made like my Old-Fashioned Caramel Corn using Corn Chex in place of popcorn, but dressed up for the holidays. It’s totally addictive and makes delicious gifts for those special people on your list!
• Holiday Cornucopia Treats: These adorable and easy to prepare Holiday Cornucopia Treats are sure to bring a smile to kids of all ages!
• Toasted Pecan Snowball Cookies: Packed with a toasted pecans and dusted with confectioners’ sugar, these buttery Toasted Pecan Snowball Cookies are a family favorite at Christmas. They are the perfect edible gifts for your loved ones during the holiday season.
• Peanut Butter Balls: If you like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, you’ll love these peanut butter balls! They have only 4 ingredients, and are super easy to make, albeit a bit time-consuming. They are the ultimate peanut butter and chocolate treat, and a perfect candy to make for the holidays!
• Chocolate Covered Roasted Pecans: If you like roasted pecans and chocolate, you’re going to love these easy to make chocolate covered roasted pecans! Whether you eat them as a snack, or give them as a holiday gift, you will quickly discover that they are totally addictive.
• Chocolate Pecan Toffee Clusters: Chocolate Pecan Toffee Clusters use only 4 ingredients and are super easy to make. These highly addictive treats are the perfect edible Christmas gift for those on your Christmas list who have a sweet tooth.
• 5-Minute White Chocolate Holiday Bark: 5-Minute White Chocolate Holiday Bark is not only easy to make, but also uses only 3 (maybe 4) ingredients. It makes awesome edible Christmas gifts, and is Oh So Good!

Chula’s Expert Tips

• You can use up to a tablespoon of ground cinnamon for a stronger cinnamon taste in these almonds. Personally, however, I prefer the more subtle taste that 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon, as noted in the recipe below produces.
• After about 8 minutes of cooking, the liquid mixture will start to thicken. At this point, you should stir the mixture constantly. The transformation of the sugar crystalizing onto the almonds occurs very quickly.
• It’s imperative that you let all of the liquid evaporate. Otherwise you won’t achieve the proper coating of the almonds.
• If you continue cooking the almonds after the sugar mixture has crystalized, the crystals will melt, coating the almonds in a hard caramel coating. The almonds are equally delicious if you allow them to caramelize.
• Even if your Candied Almonds are crunchy enough for your taste, I would recommend going this extra step of placing them in the oven. The result is a toasted almond covered in the sugar/cinnamon coating. Delicious!