This page requires that scripting be enabled in your browser to function properly. If you need help enabling scripting, please vist our
technical FAQ page.

READY IN 30 mins

Dawn's Candied Walnuts

Read Reviews (390)

"These walnuts are a special treat for Christmas, and are well worth the time it takes to make them." — Dawn Timmerman

Next Recipe

GO Baked Walnuts

Ingredients Edit and Save

Watch video tips and tricks

Sugar Glazed Pecans

My Amish Friend’s Caramel Corn

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies III

Quick and Easy Brownies

Sweet, Salty, Spicy Party Nuts

Aunt Teen's Creamy Chocolate Fudge

All about Walnuts

World's Best Peanut Fudge

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies I

Sugar and Sweeteners

All about Cinnamon

Types of Salt

Vanilla Extract vs Vanilla Bean

Original recipe makes 1 pound Change Servings

1 pound walnut halves
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Check All Add to Shopping List

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread nuts in a single layer over a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until the nuts start to turn brown and the smell of roasting nuts fills the kitchen.
Stir together sugar, cinnamon, salt, and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, or until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage of 236 degrees F (113 degrees C). Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla immediately. .
Add walnuts to sugar syrup, and stir to coat well. Spoon nuts onto waxed paper, and immediately separate nuts with a fork. Cool, and store in airtight containers.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 10 mins
COOK 20 mins
READY IN 30 mins

More Recipes Like This See all

Baked Walnuts

Sugar Glazed Walnuts

Sherried Orange Walnuts

Chinese Fried Walnuts

Linda's Fried Walnuts

Asian Coleslaw with Candied Walnuts

Candied Pecans

Orange Creamsicle Candied Pecans

Candied Almonds

Dawn's Sugar Cookies

ADVERTISE WITH US

Rate This Recipe

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

The "soft ball stage" is when you can dribble a bit of the mixture into a bowl of water, then scoopr it up and form it into a ball that can be flattened. In other words, the ball should hold its shape (i.e., not fall apart), but should be "squishable" --not like a marble. For me, this happened at 8 minutes without a problem, so you probably don't even need to worry about the soft ball stage.

—losangeles71

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 23, 2010

These are definitely overated and were such a mess. Not worth the time and trouble.

—Lu

See full review »

495 Ratings

See other versions of this recipe!

Jan 25, 2004

Wow! This took almost no time at all and are definitely addictive! Watch the sugar mixture carefully, because mine reached the soft ball stage after just 3-4 minutes at medium-low (I turned the flame down because I was using a small 2qt pot). If you're not sure how to tell when it's done, check out www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/sugar-stages.html. It has short videos of the different candy making stages and has been a lifesaver for me. These nuts are so crispy and delicious -- I'll bet pecans would be terrific too!

—CHILICAT

See full review »

Feb 09, 2009

Thank you so much for this perfect recipe!!!! My family LOVES these. If you don't boil the syrup enough, the nuts come out cloudy and the sugar forms crystals that are kind of powdery but they still taste good. Try using pecans and substituting a 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom or Chinese five spice powder instead of 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Also, I dump the nuts out on a SILPAT or on parchment paper to "dry". Last time I made them I must have not boiled the syrup enough, and I didn't think they were ever going to set, but I left them out on the parchment paper overnight, and they turned out perfectly. Thanks again.

—Pina

See full review »

Sep 29, 2005

First of all I want to say this recipe is great! I used pecans since I'm using them to decorate a butter pecan cake. I do want to warn some people that try to make this though. The first time I tried it my candy thermometer DID NOT read "soft ball" stage so I continued to cook it. It suddenly became so hard I couldn't even stir it. The second time around, I set the timer for 8 minutes exactly, per directions, and it did the same thing. The third time I cooked it I set a bowl of very cold water next to the pan and kept testing it until it reached the "soft ball" stage and it ended up perfect...only ending up cooking it about 4 1/2 minutes total. They taste awesome and my husband, who HATES nuts, said "wow, I could eat a whole lot more of those!"

—CAMIMCC

See full review »

Dec 03, 2006

I love candied walnuts but the calories are way too much! Since this recipe seemed easy enough, I used Splenda in place of the cup of sugar. They came out great! I served them up to people and they gobbled them up without any hesitation! I will definitely make again, change the spices slightly as I like a little more zip than the cinnamon alone provided.

—BURGER77

See full review »

Nov 16, 2005

It was quick and easy, even for a non-cook like me. I did not measure temp, just let the sugar mix cook for 8 min. I did add a little more cinnamon for added flavor. This recipe will be one of my "regulars".

—MEGANWITT26

See full review »

Jan 25, 2004

These are wonderful. I have made them with the walnuts, also with almond and pecans, all were great. You would have to be NUTS not to like these.

—SANDYNINA

See full review »

ADVERTISE WITH US

Nutrition

Calories
238 kcal
12%

Carbohydrates
16.9 g
5%

Cholesterol
< 1 mg
< 1%

Fat
18.6 g
29%

Fiber
2.1 g
8%

Protein
4.5 g
9%

Sodium
39 mg
2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Dawn's Candied Walnuts

Serving Size: 1/16 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 16
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 238
Calories from Fat: 168

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 18.6g 29 %
Saturated Fat 1.8g 9 %
Cholesterol < 1mg < 1 %
Sodium 39mg 2 %
Potassium 136mg 4 %
Total Carbohydrates 16.9g 5 %
Dietary Fiber 2.1g 8 %
Protein 4.5g 9 %
Sugars 13.5g
Vitamin A < 1 %
Vitamin C < 1 %
Calcium 5 %
Iron 9 %
Thiamin 10 %
Niacin 9 %
Vitamin B6 10 %
Magnesium 16 %
Folate 16 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.