Candied Almonds
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.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 202kcal
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
Video
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!
Nutrition
Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 168mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 18g | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg
