Candied Mixed Nuts - Hungry by Nature (2024)

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Made in your slow cooker, candied mixed nuts are a simple and sweet homemade gift to give this holiday season!

Candied Mixed Nuts - Hungry by Nature (1)

I am a 100% believer in handmade Christmas gifts. A few years ago, I made huge batch of vanilla bourbon extract, packaged it in adorable brown bottles,and giftedthem out to all of my coworkers and friends. Last year was cookies… lots and lots and lots of cookies. And this year is candied mixed nuts!

Pat and I threw a holiday party over the weekend – you might have seen some of the details on my Insta stories– and these cute bags of candied nuts were sent home with all of our guests as a treat to enjoy the next day!

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Let’s talk about why these candied mixed nuts are amazing.

  1. This recipe can is made your slow cooker. The slow cooker I have is no longer available; but this is the improved version of mine and I hear it is wonderful!
  2. Change up the nuts! Do you have someone with an allergy to pecans or just hate walnuts? No fear – swap the nuts in an out as you would like. Just make sure to keep the same overall amount.
  3. Oh and they taste amazing. I’m embarrassed to tell you how many I ate as I was packaging these; let’s just pretend that it was zero, but I can assure you it was not.

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These Candied Mixed Nuts are an easy way to make homemade Christmas gifts for a crowd! If you make these or any of my other recipes, post a picture on social media anduse the hashtag #imhungrybynature for a chance to be featured!

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P.S.Thanks so those who started following me on Twitter!

P.P.S.I am still in need of someone to teach me how to use it… please advise :/

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Candied Mixed Nuts - Hungry by Nature (5)

Candied Mixed Nuts

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Ellie
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 3 hours
  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins
  • Yield: 25 small gift bags 1x
  • Category: Snack, Dessert
  • Method: Slow Cooker

Description

Made in your slow cooker, candied mixed nuts are a simple and sweet homemade gift to give this holiday season!

Ingredients

Scale

  • 4 cups pecans
  • 4 cups almonds
  • 4 cups walnuts
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons cinnamon
  • 3 egg whites
  • 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

  1. Liberally spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk egg whites and vanilla together until it becomes a little frothy. Add all of the nuts and stir until the nuts are coated with egg white mixture.
  4. Place nuts to slow cooker and add sugar mixture, stirring to combine.
  5. Cook on low for 3 hours, stirring every 20 minutes.
  6. When there is 20 minutes left, add water – this will help give the candied nuts a glossy finish.
  7. Cool nuts on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  8. Package in miniature cellophane bags and gift to your friends!

Keywords: candied nuts, holiday, hostess gift

What is your favorite homemade Christmas gift?

Candied Mixed Nuts - Hungry by Nature (6)

Candied Mixed Nuts - Hungry by Nature (2024)

FAQs

How to fix sticky candied nuts? ›

If you take your nuts out of the oven and the coating is still soft/sticky, pop the tray back in the oven until the nuts are more “crispy”.

Why are my candied pecans soft on the stove? ›

Why are my candied pecans soft and sticky? If your pecans are soft, it's most likely because they weren't baked long enough and are still retaining moisture. The sugar needs to bake long enough to caramelize and form a brittle coating on the nuts.

What temperature do you cook candy for nuts? ›

Your mixture should start to thicken up and turn darker in color. This is when I use my Candy Thermometer to monitor the temperature of the candy mixture… You want it to reach 'Soft Ball' stage which is 238 degrees F. IMPORTANT: Be sure the mixture is truly at 238 degrees!

How to package candied nuts for a gift? ›

I pack them up in a pint Mason jar and add a bow. Sometimes I include a small ceramic bowl to the gift so the recipient has both the nuts and the serving piece. But most of the time, they end up eating them straight from the jar!

Why are my candied nuts wet? ›

If your candied pecans are sticky, it is likely because the sugar syrup coating has not completely hardened. The syrup may still be wet, or it may have started to crystalize. If the syrup is still wet, you can try putting the nuts in the oven for a few minutes to help the syrup harden.

What is the best way to store candied nuts? ›

Storage Instructions: Candied nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for several weeks. Freezing Instructions: They freeze well in an air-tight container for up to two months.

How can you tell when candy is done without a candy thermometer? ›

Here are the steps to tell the temperature without a candy thermometer:
  1. Drop a small amount of the candy mixture with a teaspoon into a small bowl of cold water. ...
  2. If the candy forms a thin thread and does not "ball up", it is in the thread stage or 230°—235°F.

Do you have to use a candy thermometer for candy? ›

It is easiest to make candy by using a candy thermometer but you can also use the Cold Water Test. The Cold Water Test can also be used along with a thermometer for the most accurate results.

How do you know when hard candy is done? ›

Cold water is one of the most common methods for testing candy temperature without a thermometer. To use this method, place a small piece of the candy in cold water and wait a few minutes. If the candy hardens, it is ready to be used. If it does not harden, it is still being prepared.

What are candied nuts called? ›

Pralines, Gebrannte Mandeln, Chou Chou, Garrapiñadas - no matter what you call them, caramelised nuts are a delicious treat enjoyed by people all over the world. Pralines originated in France, where they were originally made with almonds coated in sugar and spices.

What nuts are Christmas tradition? ›

A Symbol of Christmas

Interestingly, nuts carry deep symbolism within the Christmas tradition. Their hard shell is seen to represent protection, while the nutritious interior symbolises the rewards of hard work and the promise of new life - quite fitting for the season of goodwill and renewal.

What nuts do you crack at Christmas? ›

Best of all, because it was easy and we did it together: we cracked almonds, Brazil nuts, filberts, walnuts, and pecans in shells. While reminiscing about our favorite memories from the past year, we would laugh at funny stories and sing along to old holiday tunes playing softly on the radio while we did this work.

How do you fix soggy nuts? ›

Just toasting them in a dry pan or oven should be enough to revive them, but they'll also go in any recipe that requires nuts. We got through most of ours by toasting them with spices, to eat as nibbles or to add crunch to soups, stews and salads.

Do candied nuts go bad? ›

Ba-dum-dum. Okay, all bad dad jokes aside, these candied walnuts will last quite a while. All nuts do go rancid eventually, but as long as you cool them completely and then store them in an air-tight container, they should be good for about a month. You might also like our Candied Pecans recipe or Candied Almonds!

Why are my candied almonds not crunchy? ›

Don't under bake the candied almonds, and be sure to turn them every 20 minutes. And perhaps the most important tip: let the cool before digging in! As they cool, they'll firm up and get crunchier. So if you taste one fresh from the oven, don't be alarmed if it's still a bit soft.

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