Candied Almonds Recipe (Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Almonds)
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These easy oven baked candied almonds are flavored with vanilla and cinnamon for a sweet, salty, and crunchy exterior. They’re perfect for snacking or using as a topping for everything from salads to ice cream. Bonus: no candy thermometer needed!
this recipe for Candied Almonds IS TOTALLY NOSTALGIC
When you look at this picture, you can taste it… Right? A carnival, a fair, the boardwalk, a mall even… Remember those things? (#LOLsob)
You’ve had these candied almonds before, I know it. And if you haven’t had them in almond form, you’ve had them in peanuts or cashews. And it’s one of those snacks that you can sniff out, isn’t it? You walk into a carnival, a fair, or the boardwalk and get a whiff of those warm sugared almonds and you know you’re in for the good stuff.
And now, you can quite literally bring that smell into your home and enjoy your own homemade batch of candied nuts, and you didn’t even have to put on any shoes.
No joke, dear reader– one pound of these sugar coated almonds, delightfully spiced with vanilla and cinnamon and just begging to be eaten only ever lasts about 24 hours in our house. And lucky for you, they’re as simple to make as they are to eat, so we’re in good shape for making these happen for your snack probably even today, if you have the ingredients available
Ingredients You Will Need
You only need 6 main ingredients: a pound of whole raw almonds, some granulated sugar, an egg white, a little salt, some ground cinnamon, and pure vanilla extract (or paste).
Here is a visual of what you’ll need, but be sure to visit the recipe card below to see exactly how much of each ingredient you will need.
I sometimes opt for vanilla paste because I love the little specks, but vanilla extract is the norm. Just be sure you’re using pure vanilla extract (or homemade!) because the vanilla flavor is pretty prominent and we don’t want it tasting fake.
STEP-BY-STEP: How to make Candied Almonds
Make the candy coating: combine the sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl, then whisk it all together to combine. Set it aside. We’ll use it in a bit.
Whip the egg whites: you can do this with an electric mixer or the old fashioned way with a whisk (obviously, this method takes longer), and you’re just looking to make it frothy, so don’t worry about making any peaks.
Add the vanilla: just a few revolutions of the beaters to incorporate this flavoring.
Coat the almonds: you’ll use your vanilla-d (technical term) egg white to coat the raw almonds, creating a glue for the topping to stick to and what will create the “candy” coating. Once coated, add the spiced sugar coating, stir again to coat completely, then spread out onto a lined baking sheet.
BAKE THESE ALMONDS LOW & SLOW
Bake the almonds: pop the baking sheet into a 250ºF (121ºC) oven, then set a time for 15 minutes and don’t go far.
Stir the almonds every 15 minutes: for an hour, you’ll be stirring the almonds every 15 minutes. Don’t overthink it! Just pop open the oven, pull out the tray, and give all the nuts a simple stir/toss. We’re just looking to make sure everything gets cooked and nothing clumps together too much (a few will buddy up together but for the most part, they’ll all separate).
How to Served Candied Almonds
We like to eat these at just above room temperature because it is JUST like how it is when you get them from the sugared nut stand. But of course, they’re perfect at room temperature, too. You really just can’t go wrong with these snackable almonds.
While we typically eat the entire batch of these straight up, these vanilla cinnamon candied almonds are also fantastic on a salad, on top of a brownie or ice cream sundae, or on top of yogurt.
They are also a lovely homemade gift for the holidays or a fun host/hostess gift. So many possibilities! Which is why you should probably get started on a batch now.
MY #1 SUCCESS TIP
These candied almonds are so simple to make, so I really only have one disclaimer to keep in mind: trust the process of the low and slow baking, and know that if the nuts still seem “wet” even after the full hour of baking, they will firm up as they cool. Just like homemade granola, the moisture dissipates as the food is heated, and once cool, the sugars cool and harden.
CAN I MAKE A DOUBLE BATCH OF THESE CANDIED NUTS?
You can absolutely scale this recipe up, but I don’t suggest baking the whole scaled up batch on one baking sheet. Split up batches into as many baking sheets as you have batches.
How to store Sugar Coated Almonds
The nice thing about these candied almonds is they keep for quite some time! As long as they are stored in a cool dry place in an airtight container, they will maintain their freshness. You can also freeze them if you really need to.
Love almonds as much as I do? Try any of these recipes featuring almonds: pignoli cookies, apple, quinoa, and almond kale salad, almond flour pecan sandies, and almond flour banana bread.
Easy Sugared Almonds Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 and ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg white
- 2 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract1
- 1 pound (454g) raw whole almonds2
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the center position and preheat it to 250ºF (121ºC). Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray (alternatively, you can line with foil, parchment, or a silicone baking mat and spray). Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 1 and ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg white on high until frothy (you don't need to look for any peaks, just lots of white bubbles). Add the vanilla extract and beat again just to combine.1 large egg white, 2 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract1
- Pour the almonds into the egg white and vanilla mixture, then stir with a large spatula to coat. Add the sugar mixture and stir again until almonds are coated mostly evenly (this won't be perfect).1 pound (454g) raw whole almonds2
- Spread the coated almonds out in a single, even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the almonds for 1 hour, stirring gently every 15 minutes. Allow almonds to cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack before serving (can be served warm or at room temperature). Candied almonds stay fresh covered tightly at room temperature up to 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
- Vanilla extract: you can also use vanilla paste, which just has a more prominent vanilla flavor along with little black specks. It is a 1:1 substitution.
- Almonds: you can, in theory, use any nut you prefer in this recipe. Be sure you’re using the raw form as anything else will need some flavor adjusting or run the risk of getting overbaked.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Absolutely delicious!
Thanks so much, Sherry!
Can you use Pecans instead of almonds? I find almonds too hard. Thank you!
Hey, Robin– absolutely 🙂 enjoy!
I’m super thankful for your recipes! This one is my favorite snack! ❤️😋
Thank you so much, Vicky!
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Thanks for trying it, Joyce!