Caramelized Almonds are perfectly sweet and deliciously crunchy. With only four ingredients, they are super easy to make. I like to package them for an awesome holiday gift or serve them as an addictive appetizer.
Some years back, I made candied peanuts which were inspired by David Lebovitz’s Candied Peanut blog. In the blog, Lebovitz indicated that almonds could be used instead of peanuts. The candied peanuts were incredible, so I thought that the almonds would be just as good. I was right!
Ingredients for Caramelized Almonds:
I used the following four ingredients for these delicious nuts: raw almonds, granulated sugar, water, fine sea salt.
The David Lebovitz recipe suggested using a wide, heavy-duty skillet. I ignored this when I made the candied peanuts, and discovered why a wide skillet should be used. The reason is that the skillet’s cooking surface is larger, and therefore the cooking time is less.
Making the Caramelized Almonds:
I started by heating the almonds, sugar, and water in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
I cooked the almonds, sugar, and water for a couple of minutes until the sugar melted and a thin syrup formed. As I continued cooking, the sugar crystallized on the almonds. At this point, I lowered the heat to medium low and continued cooking the almonds as the crystallized sugar began melting and caramelizing on the nuts. During this time, I stirred constantly with a silicon spoon to prevent the almonds and the caramel from burning.
When the almonds looked done, I sprinkled on a pinch of fine sea salt salt, gave them one last stir, and poured them onto a parchment lined baking sheet to cool.
After the nuts had cooled, I broke the clumps apart. I stored the Caramelized Almonds in an airtight container. All I can say is that these nuts are truly addictive! They have just the right amount of sweetness, and are perfectly crunchy. Yum!
- 2 cups raw almonds
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- Pinch of fine sea salt optional
- Combine almonds, sugar, and water in a heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and the mixture thickens into a syrup.
- Cook, stirring over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the liquids evaporate and a sandy-textured sugar mixture coats the almonds.
- Lower the heat to medium low, and continue stirring as the excess sugar in the pan begins to melt. Once the syrup begins to form, it will turn from clear to golden to amber. Stir constantly, being careful that the heat is not so high that the almonds and/or the syrup begins to burn.
- When the syrup is a medium amber color and the sugary coating on the almonds has formed a shiny glaze, add the salt if desired. Pour the almonds onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread into a single layer to cool completely. Break up any clumps. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2 -1/2 cups.
Leave a Reply