Candied almonds are the perfect combination of sweet, crunchy, and aromatic. Whether you need a quick snack, a topping for your holiday desserts, or a thoughtful homemade gift, this recipe has you covered. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a treat that’s as versatile as it is delicious. Follow our step-by-step instructions and tips to make your own batch of these irresistible cinnamon sugar candied almonds at home.
Follow our step-by-step instructions and tips to make your own batch of these irresistible cinnamon sugar candied almonds at home.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy: With minimal prep, this recipe is easy to make from start to finish.
- Simple Ingredients: No fancy tools or hard-to-find items—just raw almonds, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and water, that form a syrup and then crystalizes on the almonds, producing a sweet and crunchy coating.
- Versatile: Perfect for holiday gifting, party snacks, or topping your favorite desserts.
- Make-Ahead: Candied almonds can be prepared in advance and stored in an airtight container.
Here’s How to Make the Candied Almonds – Step-by-Step Instructions
Making these tasty morsels is super simple.
- Prepare the Mixture: Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and water in a large skillet or wide saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to boil.
- Add the Almonds: Once the sugar mixture comes to a boil, add the raw almonds. Stir to evenly coat the almonds.
- Cook Until Coated: Continue stirring until the water evaporates and the almonds are coated in a thick, sugary glaze. This process typically takes around 10 minutes.
- Continue Cooking until Crystalized: Continue cooking for several more minutes until the syrup crystalizes onto the almonds.
- Spread and Cool: Transfer the candied almonds to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread them out into a single layer to cool.
Finishing the Candied Almonds
After letting the almonds cool for about 15 minutes, I broke them apart and tasted one. The sugar/cinnamon coating was perfect. However, 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 halfway through. This 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. Toasting of the almonds at the end produced an incredible almond crunch.
Now that you know how to make candied almonds at home, you’ll never need to buy them again! These cinnamon sugar almonds are an easy, crowd-pleasing treat perfect for any occasion. Package them in festive jars for holiday gifts, or keep a stash on hand for snacking. Either way, you’ll be delighted by the irresistible crunch and flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve made this recipe many times and have never bothered to blanch the almonds.
Yes! You can omit the cinnamon or replace it with nutmeg or vanilla extract for a different flavor.
Absolutely! This recipe works well with pecans, walnuts, or cashews
Sugar is hygroscopic meaning that it has a tendency to absorb moisture from its surrounding environment. If the environment is humid, the sugar coating on the almonds absorbs moisture from the air making the surface sticky and less crunchy.
Store the nuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use a Wide-Mouth Saucepan: The first time I made these delicious nuts, I used a deep saucepan, and the recipe took much longer for the coating to set. Now, I use a saucier, which is a shallow saucepan. It takes much less time for the coating to set in a wide, shallow pan.
- Add Extra Crunch: I like my candied almonds extra crunchy. If they lack crunch after the coating hardens, put them in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes. This basically toasts the almonds while adding extra crunch, making them perfect.
- Be Patient and Watch Carefully: Be patient as the almonds are cooking in the sugar. You’ll notice that suddenly, the syrup transforms into a characteristic coating. At this point, quickly transfer them to the parchment-lined baking sheet to prevent them from hardening in the pan.
- Use a Silicone Spatula or Spoon: A silicone spoon or spatula makes cleanup much easier and ensures even cooking.
- Gift Packaging: The candied almonds make a wonderful edible gift for family, friends, and coworkers. Try packaging them in clear plastic treat bags tied with holiday ribbons or small mason jars with the recipe attached. Use your imagination!
Other Edible Christmas Gifts
If you’re in the market for additional edible Christmas gifts, look no further.
- Chocolate Christmas Mice
- Holiday Caramel Chex Mix
- Holiday Cornucopia Treats
- Toasted Pecan Snowball Cookies (Classic Christmas Cookie)
- Easy Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls (Perfect Holiday Gift)
- Chocolate Covered Roasted Pecans
- Chocolate Pecan Toffee Clusters
- Easy 5-Minute Cranberry Pistachio Holiday Bark
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Candied Almonds
Ingredients
- 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon (See Tip 1)
- ½ cup (4 ounces) water
- 2 cups (10 ounces) raw, unblanched whole almonds
Instructions
- Whisk together sugar, cinnamon, and water in a large wide-mouth saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. (See Tip 2)
- Cook and stir the almond mixture until the liquid evaporates and leaves a crystallized coating on the almonds, about 10 to 14 minutes. (See Tips 3, 4, and 5)
- Pour candied almonds onto parchment lined baking sheet and spread out. After about 15 minutes of cooling, taste to determine whether the almond has sufficient crunch. If more crunch is desired, bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, turning halfway through, until the desired crunch is achieved. (See Tip 6)
- Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
- Yield: About 3 cups of Candied Almonds
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Tips/Notes
- May use up to a tablespoon of ground cinnamon for a stronger cinnamon taste. Personally, however, I prefer the more subtle taste that 1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon produces.
- I consistently use my saucier to make this recipe
- After about 5 minutes, lower the heat to medium-low to ensure that the sugar and almonds don’t burn.
- After about 10 minutes of cooking, the liquid mixture will start to thicken. At this point, stir 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!
Susan Barnes says
I wonder if it might make sense to toast/roast the almonds first.
Chula King says
Susan,
Absolutely the almonds can be toasted first. Thanks for suggesting that.
Chula
restaurantthatdeliversnearme.website says
Thanks for the recipe.