These candied cashews are addictive! They make the perfect homemade gift or topping for a salad. The best part? Only 3 ingredients are needed and they're ready in 15 minutes.
These caramelized cashews are really tasty. Dangerously so. I only made a fairly small quantity, but the recipe easy doubles, triples, etc. if you need to feed a crowd.
The recipe is written for 1 cup of nuts. I used a pretty small saucepan to make these. Just use a skillet or larger pan if you are doubling/tripling/etc. the recipe.
This recipe is pretty foolproof as long as you watch the nuts closely. At first it won't seem like they're really doing anything, but it's important to keep stirring them or else you will end up with a mess that is NOT fun to clean. Don't ask me how I know this. 😉
Candied nuts always scream Christmas to me, but really they'd work for any occasion where you want candied nuts haha.
How to make candied cashews
Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, then add the sugar and nuts.
You will see the sugar begin to melt after a few minutes. It then melts at a faster rate, and you need to keep stirring to ensure they won't burn.
Once the sugar is totally melted and the nuts are coated, they're done! This process takes about 10-15 minutes total. Possibly a little longer if you're doing more nuts.
I used cashews for this recipe, but it would also work with most nuts. Go nuts! (See what I did there?).
You may also like my maple roasted pecan recipe.
Hope you love these candied cashews!
Easy Candied Cashews
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup unsalted cashews
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions
- Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat and let it melt.
- Add the sugar and cashews.
- Stir the mixture frequently (it burns easily so watch it closely) until the sugar melts and caramelizes over the nuts. Once all the sugar has melted and coated the nuts, they're done.
- Spread them onto a plate or piece of parchment paper so they don't all stick together. Some will clump together, which is fine.
- Allow them to cool then store them in a sealed container.
Notes
- Recipe easily doubles, triples, etc.
Berta says
Darn, came out more like cashew brittle. Any thoughts?
Natasha says
So you mean it all clumped together? I try to separate them really quickly since they will clump together as the sugar hardens. It's normal for a bit of clumping, though.
F says
Works great! I plan to use this for salads. Thanks for sharing!
Natasha says
Enjoy!! 🙂
Susan says
These turned out great! I sprinkled cinnamon on top of half of them and they were even better. Thank you!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! 🙂
Millerroom says
This is my go to recipe for quick candied nuts. I've made it with several types of nuts, and it turns out consistently perfect. Sometimes I change things up- adding dried herbs like rosemary, swapped brown sugar for white, add salt, chili flakes, etc. The sky is the limit!! Thanks for an awesome recipe.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
We love those creative additions! Thrilled you enjoy the recipe 🙂
liz says
proportions seemed to be way off...
Natasha says
It worked for me?
Linda K Ponce says
I made this recipe and this was No where near enough butter, I trip l Ed the recipe and it took 2 cubes of butter, 1 Tablespoon of butter per cup of cashews won't even melt the sugar, after adjusting the butter, it turned out delicious
Abby says
The butter doesn’t melt the sugar. Sugar melts on its on, you technically wouldn’t even need the butter but it adds flavor and makes it less likely to burn/cook unevenly. Glad it worked out for you tho, not my recipe but just trying explain a little of the science behind it in hopes it helps. I’m an avid caramel maker so I know a good bit about sugar and it’s caramelization properties.
Rachel says
I kept my burner on 3-4 heat (medium low) and these turned out great! Slow and steady wins the race here. Keep stirring, it’ll feel like the sugar won’t ever dissolve, but then it’ll start caramelizing and that’s when you need to keep stirring! Before you know it you’ll have completely caramelized cashews. I like to add black lava salt to mine for a nice texture.
Natasha says
So happy they worked out, Rachel! 🙂
Elyza C says
When I made these, the suger would not melt after I added it. I don't blame the creator of this recipe at all though! The only reason I could think of why this happened was because of the butter I used, which was salted, but then I just added a few teaspoons of water and the suger immediately melted and they turned out great! Thank you so much!
Natasha says
That's very sweet of you! I am glad that you were able to find a workaround, Elyza 🙂
Megpie says
Same here. I added two capful of vanilla and they're perfect!
Emma says
How long will they last do you recon? Gonna make them with my daughter for her to give to her dad for father's day
Natasha says
Hmmm there's no preservatives, so it's hard to say. What country are you in? In USA and Canada (I'm in Canada), Father's Day was back in June... so I'm not sure how long you were planning on keeping these? I would say a couple weeks should be fine, but they will likely start to taste stale at some point, especially since they won't be properly sealed in an airtight container like you would if you purchased them.
Emma Lee says
I am in Australia so pretty far away haha
Our fathers day is in 2 weeks time
I might make a small batch and see how it is in a week and then make more if I need too
Thansk heaps
Natasha says
You're welcome!! Let me know! 🙂
mary bell says
The sugar mixture did not coat the nuts, it just separated into lumps and they are very greasy.
Didnt turn out at all.
Natasha says
Hmmm that's odd... it worked for me and other readers. Sorry that happened. 🙁
Abby says
It sounds like either 1 your sugar crystallized which can happen if the sugar doesn’t dissolve evenly and a sugar granule ends up back into the dissolved sugar mixture and turns the whole thing back into sugar crystals or 2 sometimes the fat and sugar can separate if it is heated too quickly and not stirred enough. Normally if it crystallized you would just put it back on the heat add water and redissolve the sugar but idk how that would work since the cashews were already added. Don’t blame the recipe tho, it’s not her fault that it wasn’t done properly and I think that’s a little harsh to give her a 2 star review because of something caused by how you carried out the recipe.
Amelia Spaulding-Carlton says
Could I use Splenda?
Natasha says
Hi Amelia! Honestly, I've never worked with Splenda, and I have no idea if it will melt/behave the same way as sugar.
Abby says
Hi sorry for commenting so much I’m just bored and thought I could help but Splenda won’t work because it doesn’t have the same caramelization properties as sugar so they would have to find a recipe specifically catered to using Splenda. The exception being Splenda allulose which I have used and can verify works perfectly in place of sugar when making caramel.
Colleen Geis says
I stirred continuously and it still burnt. Possibly making the caramel first, as in dissolving the sugar in the butter before you add the nuts may have helped.
Natasha says
Sorry to hear that! Maybe it was at too high of a heat?
twee says
Do you have any idea if I can substitute coconut oil? Also, what kind of sugar? Also, I have raw cashews. Should I roast them first? Thank you so much.
Natasha says
Hi! I haven't tried coconut oil, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. I used granulated sugar (white sugar). You can roast them first if you want that roasted taste. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Aimee says
Made these with planters salted cashews and it was amazing tasted very much like a payday candy bar!
Tonight I used pecans and they caramelized much nicer tonight.
I substituted butter for dairy free margarine!
Absolute new favorite snack 🙌☺️
Natasha says
Yay that's awesome! Thanks for letting me know, Aimee! 😀
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
Cashews are my fave!
Natasha says
Same 🙂
Sarah Fennel says
Oh yum! I would definitely eat all of these!
Natasha says
Thank you!!
Lindsay Cotter says
Such an easy holiday food gift idea! Could snack on these all day!
Natasha says
Thank you!!
Jennifer Farley says
I want an entire bowl!
Natasha says
Done! 😉
Tieghan Gerard says
I would eat ALL of these in one sitting. SO GOOD.
Natasha says
Right?! Thanks, Tieghan!
Matt Robinson says
Those look insanely addicting!!
Natasha says
Thanks, Matt! 🙂
Gina @Running to the Kitchen says
I bet these are so addicting! I wouldn't be able to stop eating them!!
Natasha says
I had a few issues myself. 🙂 Thanks, Gina!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Love how easy these are! Perfect for last minute gifting!
Natasha says
Thanks so much!! They totally were a last-minute brainwave for me as well. 😛
Leigh Ann says
I could eat a whole batch of these myself!
Natasha says
I almost did. 😀
Natasha's Sister says
If these are so quick and easy, I trust you'll be making some for me?
Natasha says
No.