Are you searching for a crunchy, sweet, and savory snack that won't derail your keto diet? Look no further than keto candied walnuts! Not only are they easy to make, but they are sure to satisfy your cravings. Even better-with just a few net carbs per serving, these gluten-free and low-carb candied walnuts are also suitable for your keto diet. They're infinitely snack-able and have a knack for making salads, popcorn, crumbles, and cheese plates extra special.
Why Keto Candied Walnuts?
Empty calories full of carbs are a no-no, making these keto candied walnuts a favorite snack. While you can totally eat them by themselves, they’re also great to put on top of salads and side dishes and even mix with some dried fruit to make a holiday trail mix.
Ingredients You'll Need
There are only a few simple ingredients in these candied walnuts:
- Walnuts: Use shelled walnut halves to make this recipe. Walnuts are a keto-friendly nut. In one ounce of walnuts, there are only 2 grams net carbs.
- Sugar Substitute: Use your favorite sugar-free sugar substitute to keep these candied walnuts keto. A brown sugar substitute adds great flavor, but you could use a white sugar substitute if you prefer. Granulated stevia and monk fruit sweeteners actually melt!
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds flavor and warmth to this delicious snack.
- Egg White: To help the sugar adhere to the walnuts.
- Butter: Real butter, preferably unsalted, is best for this recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's how to make these delectable keto candied walnuts:
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Coat the Walnuts: Place the walnuts in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites a bit, just to loosen them up. Add the walnuts to the whites and toss until they are evenly coated - it'll take a minute or so.
- Sweeten and Spice: Sprinkle with the brown sugar substitute, cinnamon, and salt. Mix your walnuts extra well to ensure they are fully coated. You are going to get in there and stir these walnuts at TWO points, for minutes at a time. Once to initially coat the walnuts with the egg whites, and again once you stir in the brown sugar mixture. Really go for it.
- Bake: Transfer the nuts to the prepared baking tray and spread into an even layer. Roast the walnuts at 400 for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the walnuts are toasted golden and the coating is hard and dry. The walnuts and coating should be deeply golden where it touches the pan.
- Cool: Remove the pan from the oven and let the nuts sit for 10 minutes so that the sugar can harden. Let the candied walnuts cool for ten minutes or so before moving them around or taking them off the pan. Let them cool completely before serving.
Alternative Method: Stovetop Candied Walnuts
In fact, you don’t have to bake them at all!
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
- Melt: Melt butter in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat.
- Sweeten and Spice: Stir in vanilla, sweetener, cinnamon, and salt until the sweetener is melted.
- Coat: Remove pan from the heat and add the walnut pieces. Use a spatula to gently toss the walnuts until they are fully coated with the syrup. At first, not much syrup will adhere to the nuts, but keep working. The syrup thickens and adheres as it cools.
- Cool: Cool nuts completely before serving.
Tips for Perfect Candied Walnuts
- Don't Under-bake: Use all your senses to know when to pull the candied walnuts from the oven. Things should smell toasty when you open the oven. The sugar coating should be nice and deeply golden at the edges, where the coating touches the pan.
- Roasting: No matter if you’re roasting walnuts, whole pecans, almonds or any other nut, make sure that you’re adding them in a single layer to the baking tray. You shouldn’t have to stir them while they’re roasting as long as they’re not crowded.
- Melting Sweetener: Be sure that you’re standing and stirring when it’s on the stovetop so that it doesn’t burn.
- Cooling Time: It's crucial to let the candied walnuts cool completely.
Variations to Try
Once you nail down a great base recipe and technique for candied walnuts you can tweak them a thousand different ways with different spices, herbs, and flavors. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Sweet and Salty: Add a pinch of salt to the sweetener for an addictive salt and sweet flavor. The combination of sweet and salty are perfectly balanced in these keto brown sugar candied walnuts.
- Extract: You can add a little bit of flavor easily by mixing in some vanilla extract.
- Spicy Candied Walnuts: Add a scant 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
- Espresso Candied Walnuts: Add 2 tablespoons finely ground espresso powder to the brown sugar.
- Rosemary Sesame Candied Walnuts: Accent with rosemary and lots of sesame seeds. So tasty.
- Citrus Zest: Avoiding the white pith, use a vegetable peeler to strip the zest off a lemon, Meyer lemon, or orange. Cut into the narrowest slivers.
- Alternate Nut: Pecans are a great substitute. Or a mix of walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts.
- Crunchy Chewy Candied Walnuts: Add some dried or freeze-dried fruit. You can use chopped figs or dates here.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many great ways to serve candied walnuts:
- Always in salads.
- In baked goods. Work them into your favorite quick breads and batters.
- Add to cheese plates
- Mixing into popcorn
- Integrating into fruit crumble and crisp toppings or adding to granola.
- The merit of perfectly candied whole walnut halves is hard to argue with. It's my preferred size for salads, snacking and the like. But, candied chopped walnuts, in smaller pieces, make a wonderful topping for scoops of ice cream.
Storage Instructions
You have some options here. But the first step is to let them cool absolutely completely.
- You can store them in a sealed bag or container and keep them at room temperature in your pantry or on your counter.
- If you want to keep them in the fridge, you can also do so. For longer storage, you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- To freeze these candied nuts, let them cool down completely after being roasted, and then store them in a freezer-safe bag. As long as you keep them sealed in the freezer, they should be good for up to 3 months.
- Always reseal the container tightly after snacking.
Nutritional Information
There are 3 grams net carbs in each serving of keto candied walnuts. I suggest splitting the candied walnuts into four servings so that it helps with portion control.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information for this recipe is calculated as a courtesy and is an approximate only.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
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