Fall baking and nuts go together and these Caramelized Walnuts are fun to make and wonderful to munch on. They are also great for topping cakes or cupcakes. If you have had caramelized nuts at the county fairs, you’re going to love how easy it is to make them. I love different nuts in all forms: Raw, roasted, smoked, salted, unsalted, and of course caramelized.
My love of nuts has been with me since I was a little girl growing up in Tabriz, Iran. Iran has some of the best nuts in the world. Persians love nuts so much that there are several large nut stores in most cities that exclusively sell nuts. Some of the more traditional stores roast their nuts in the premises, and oh man it smells so good. These nut stores are called “Ajili.” So to put it in a nutshell, Persians are nuts about nuts!
So to begin making Caramelized Walnuts, add all the ingredients to a medium nonstick skillet and stir over medium low heat until the sugar dissolves and a syrup forms. Keep stirring until the syrup starts bubbling. Keep stirring.
After about 8 minutes or so the water cooks off and all the sugar that has coated the walnuts starts to crystallize, keep stirring!
Now the crystallized sugar starts to melt into a shiny coat that covers the walnuts. Continue stirring until all the sugar has melted. Transfer the walnuts in a single layer onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Wait until walnuts cool completely before you try one, because trust me nothing burns your tongue like a caramelized walnut!
So here it is… so beautiful, so crunchy and delicious, that you might have a hard time waiting to use them over your cakes or cupcakes. I like to serve them as a crunchy healthy snack but I also use them as garnish for my baking; they taste wonderful on my Carrot Cake.
This recipe was adapted from here
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- 1½ cups walnut halves
- ⅓ cup + 1 TBSP granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ cup water
- Add all of the ingredients to a medium nonstick skillet and stir over medium low heat until all the sugar dissolves and the syrup starts bobbling.
- Keep stirring for about 8 minutes, or until all the water cooks off and the sugar that has coated the walnuts starts to crystallize.
- Continue stirring for another 7-8 minutes until the crystalized sugar starts to melt.
- When all the walnuts are caramelized and shiny, remove the skillet from heat and spread the walnuts on an aluminum foil to cool over the counter. Don’t get tempted to try one before completely cooled, they will be very hot!
- These walnuts make a great snack, also are perfect for topping cakes or cupcakes.
- Store the cooled Caramelized Walnuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Fantastic recipe, great for multiple use.
Thanks Fae, they are great as a decadent snack too 🙂
I just found Persian mama an hour or so ago. I am still not done looking through all of your delicious looking recipes! Thank you for sharing! This walnut recipe looks delicious. I make something like it and use pumpkin pie spice.
Hello and welcome dear Mary! I think you’ll find many favorite recipes here, and I hope you’ll write me back and share your cooking experience! Have a great weekend!