These maple walnuts couldn’t be any easier! They only call for 3 ingredients and take just 5 minutes to prepare. They also make excellent homemade Christmas gifts! They’re also naturally paleo and vegan since they only use maple as a sweetener.
These aren’t your average, overly sweet candied nuts. These are entirely maple-sweetened and have just the right amount of sweetness. Add a little vanilla and salt, and you’ve got an excellent healthier fall treat!
Ingredients
You likely already have this stuff. And if you don’t normally have maple syrup on hand, and you’re not sure what else to use it in, I have 111 maple syrup recipes that you could check out. Or just use it on some pancakes! (these Eggless Pancakes are my favorite).
- Walnuts – pecans also work.
- Maple syrup – I used the lightest (and cheapest) type of maple syrup. If you prefer a stronger maple flavor, definitely go with what was previously called Grade B. It’s now called “Dark Color, Robust Flavor.”
- Vanilla – you can omit this if you must, but added vanilla is always a good idea. ;)
- Salt – you’ll definitely want to add this. I love salt and used ¼ teaspoon but you may not want to use that much. I list ⅛ teaspoon in the recipe and say to add more after tasting.
I also tried these maple walnuts with pumpkin pie spice, thinking that I’d created the best candied nuts ever, but those just tasted weird. They tasted less strange with just cinnamon, but I oddly preferred them without the extra spice.
One time, I toasted the walnuts first, thinking that the final product would even be yummier, but they just tasted too roasted after the candying process.
If you prefer to soak your nuts first, I have directions on how to do that in my Walnut Butter post. But you’ll want to go with the dehydrator option, because like I said, toasting them once in the oven and once in the pan is just too much.
Do note that this recipe yields a thin coating. It’s not like other candied walnuts, made with granulated sugar, which have a thick sugary coating. Those are definitely nice but not what I was going for here.
I was going for healthy, or at least healthier (though they don’t taste healthy!). Sugar is sugar, but I’ll take these over the traditional version any day. Feel free to use more maple syrup or fewer nuts if you want more coating.
How to make them
These maple walnuts are super easy to make. Let’s get started!
Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or a Silpat. This is a must or the candied walnuts will stick to the pan.
Preheat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. It’s important to preheat it first so that the maple syrup caramelizes properly.
Add the walnuts, maple syrup, vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt to the pan.
Stirring almost constantly, cook for 2-5 minutes or until the syrup has caramelized.
There should be no runny liquid left in the pan. The maple syrup coating will seem soft but will harden as it cools.
Spoon the walnuts evenly onto the lined baking sheet and spread. Test one of the nuts, but make sure that the maple coating isn’t so hot that you burn your tongue.
If it’s not salty enough, add more salt. If you don’t want the nuts to be clumped together after cooling, make sure to separate them now.
These harden within about 20-30 minutes, but you need to let them cool for about 2 hours before placing them in an airtight container. When not kept in an airtight container, they start to get a little sweaty.
They can be kept at room temperature for several weeks. If you want to make them as gifts, I recommend keeping the nuts stored properly until you give them away.
So don’t put them in a tin can, that’s not airtight, and then let them sit a few days. Better would be to pack them in little cellophane bags, tie them very tightly with ribbon, and then place them in an airtight container until you’re ready to give them away.
If using them as a topping
If you want to use these as a topping for a cake or pie, you can either leave them whole or chop them up. But for both, you need to add them just before serving if they’re sitting on something kind of liquidy.
The maple syrup coating will dissolve if it’s sitting on something liquidy, like a soft cream cheese frosting. If it’s on a firmer frosting, they should be okay. But it’s safest to just add then just before serving.
If you want to leave them whole to place on a cake, then just follow the recipe.
But if you want to chop them up and place them all over the cake, you’ll need to chop them up (and leave behind any dusty nut remains) before candying them. That way you maximize the amount of maple coating.
If you candy them first and then chop, you’ll have a lot of exposed uncandied walnuts.
I’ve only tried this method with walnuts and pecans, but I imagine it’d work with other types of nuts – but I’m not positive. If you try it out, let us know in the comments!
What to use them on
These maple pecans are great in a lot of fall recipes. I actually used pecans in the following recipes, but you get the idea. :)
Here you see them on my Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake. If you’re vegan, also check out my post on Is Maple Syrup Vegan? Some manufacturers use an animal product during production that you may or not be okay with.
And here they are on my Paleo Pumpkin Cake.
They’re also fantastic on these mini Maple Cheesecakes!
Benefits of Walnuts
Walnuts are great for adding antioxidants and omega-3 fats to your diet. And nothing is sweeter than having candied walnuts to add a little variety, too.
So here are the most common benefits:
- Compared to other nuts, walnuts have higher antioxidant activity.
- They have the highest level of omega-3 fat than any other nut.
- They can help decrease inflammation, which is a key culprit in many chronic diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease.
- They help support weight control and may contribute to lower blood pressure.
- They promote a healthy gut.
- They help manage type 2 diabetes and may also lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
It’s amazing to me that these little nuts can have so many benefits, plus, they’re easy to add to your everyday diet. Especially when candied! ;)
Other recipes with walnuts:
If you’re hooked on walnuts, you might also try some other yummy baked goods with, you guessed it, walnuts!
These Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies are vegan, gluten-free. They’re made with oats and oat flour making them 100% whole grain and so good!
These Cinnamon Walnut Blondies are gooey, chewy and full of cinnamon. With a dairy-free option.
This Paleo Vegan Apple Crisp is perfect for the season. It’s a healthy maple-sweetened treat with a crunchy walnut topping and gooey warm sweet apples. It’s vegan, gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free.
Whatever you decide to make, I’m always interested in hearing about it. If you make these Candied Walnuts for yourself or as a gift, don’t forget to snap a pic and tag #texanerin so I can find them easily!
Healthier Maple Candied Walnuts
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (165 grams) walnuts1
- 1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (plus up to 1/8 teaspoon more)
Directions
- Get out a Silpat or a piece of parchment or wax paper.
- Preheat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. It's important to preheat it first so that the maple syrup caramelizes properly.
- Add the walnuts, maple syrup, vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt to the pan.
- Stirring almost constantly, cook for 2-5 minutes or until the syrup has caramelized. There should be no liquid left in the pan. The maple syrup coating will seem soft but will harden as it cools.
- Spoon the walnuts evenly onto the Silpat and spread. Test one now (making sure that the maple coating isn't so hot that you burn your tongue!) and if it's not salty enough, add more salt. If you don't want the nuts to be clumped together after cooling, make sure to separate them now.
- These harden within about 20-30 minutes but let them cool for about 2 hours before placing them in an airtight container. When not kept in an airtight container, they start to get a little sweaty. Can be kept at room temperature for several weeks.
Notes
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54 comments on “Maple Walnuts (super quick, easy, 3 ingredients!)” — Add one!
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I just made these – soooo goood!!! Not sure there will be enough left before I can put them in the air right containers 😅
Haha. I hope there were a few left. ;) Thanks for your comment!
Hi! I was wondering if I can use dark corn syrup instead of maple syrup, would they still turn out fine?
I’ve never used corn syrup so I’m really not sure. It’s quite a bit stickier and thicker than maple, so I’m not very hopeful. Sorry I don’t have a more definite answer!
When the nuts cooled I put them an airtight container but they all stuck together. Is there a way to fix this?
Hmm. I’m stumped! If they were totally cooled and you used an airtight container, that shouldn’t have happened. Had the maple syrup mixture cooked away or was it still very liquidy / sticky? The only thing I could think of is to cook them a little longer and then refrigerate the nuts.
I bet if you make these, put them in either a tissue lined Christmas tin or those pretty Christmas food gift bags they’d make great gifts😉 OR a great hostess gift if your traveling to someone’s house for Thanksgiving😊
Thank you for all your fantastic recipes!!💕
I love your ideas! I’ll have to try that this year. :) Thanks so much for the tips and your nice comment!
Thank you so much for this yummy maple syrup candied nut recipe. They are so delicious and so healthy! I like to eat them as a snack😋 I also tried this recipe with a curry powder and it was also very yummy and tasted great in my salad!
Yum! I love your curry powder idea. And I’m so happy you enjoy the nuts. :) Thanks for the tip and your comment!
Can recipe.be.doubled or.tripled?
Yes, it can! :)
Hi there. Can I use honey instead of maple syrup? Does the procedure remain the same?
Thanks.
I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure. Maple syrup is much runnier than honey so it may not work. If you decide to try it out anyway, let us know how it goes. :)
This is the 4th time I made these, this time used a mix of pecans, walnuts and whole salted almonds, and used dark maple syrup. Pretty sure they won’t last the day!
Yum! That sounds delicious. :) I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying them! Thanks for your feedback.
Made this recipe with pecans instead and they turned out great!
Yum! Pecans sound even better than walnuts. Pecans are so extremely expensive here that I never even thought about it! But once I find a cheaper source, I’ll have to try that. Thanks for letting me know that they came out well! :)
Love these
Thanks, Kaitlin! :)
Do you use pure maple syrup or artificial syrup?
Pure maple syrup.
I’ve never met a candied nut that I didn’t love. These sound amazing. YUM!
I’m with you! You can never go wrong with candied nuts. :)
These look like addictive little treats!
They are indeed! ;)
I love everything about these! I bet they are amazing on salads too. I can’t wait to make them!
I hope you’ll enjoy them! :)
I would happily eat these nuts plain, on a cake, on ice cream…well you get the idea :)
Oooh! I’m making ice cream soon and these would be amazing on it! Thanks for the idea. :)
I love candied nuts and the fact that your husband has decided to help you. :)
That’s my favorite part, too. :)
We are nut eaters around here, but you are right they are awesome candied!
Maple syrup is always an improvement. ;)
Hello sweet and salty deliciousness!
Right?! Love sweet and salty.
YUM! I bet these would be great on a salad! (you know, so you don’t feel guilty about a giant slice of that cake. ;))
Haha. That would be the healthy approach but I totally tossed mine on a cake. :D
The photos are styled beautifully – great job to your hubby! Also, These walnuts look dangerous. I would eat way too many!
Aww, thanks. I’ll pass on the message. :)
I’m also not huge on nuts unless they are candified :) So THESE I love :)
Yeah! We know how it’s done. ;)
I love that you used so little maple syrup but just enough to give it that traditional taste!
Thanks, Brenda! I have to admit that when I make them again, I may use more syrup, just to see what they’re like. :)
I am also a certified salt addict, so love that you did the salty-sweet thing here. And the maple syrup is a great substitute for brown sugar!
Agreed! I would like to put maple syrup in everything (especially in the fall!)
I love nuts no matter what, but candied nuts are definitely a bonus. The maple flavor would totally make these my nemesis, I’m sure (looooove). And I’m thinking these are the perfect use for the vanilla salt beckoning me from the counter!
Vanilla salt?! Oh my. Yeah. I’m looking into that right now. :)
I don’t think there would be any of such walnuts left for the cake if I would be making them :D
Haha. Yeah. It’s pretty difficult to put them down. ;)
These sure look yummy.
Thanks, Charlotte! :)
oh I love candied nuts but shy away because they are so addicting. These only having a little maple syrup shell sound amazing and a tad healthier like you said. I bet they are amazing with Brie and berries or apples. Thanks for sharing!!
Yes! Exactly. Candied nuts are just way too addictive. And ooh… I need to try combining these with apples! Thanks for the idea. :)