You can make these vanilla cinnamon candied almonds right at home, for a fraction of the price you’d pay at a festival, and they taste even better!
Sweet, crunchy candied almonds coated in a mouthwatering vanilla and cinnamon crust… guaranteed to make your house smell AMAZING! Perfect as a snack, or even to give away as a holiday gift!
Winter festivals are some of my favorite ones… the cold weather (maybe even a snow flurry), magical lights, hats and scarves, and the tantalizing smell of roasted candied nuts.
You can smell that amazing smell from a mile away! The aroma is SO insanely amazing… and now, you can have that smell, and those incredible candied nuts, right in your own house!
All you need in a handful of common ingredients and a little patience. Since we’re using raw almonds, they’ll need to to roast for about an hour to achieve maximum crispiness. But don’t worry, you won’t be hands on for that whole hour.
Here’s the Breakdown:
- Beat egg white until frothy
- Stir in almonds
- Stir in remaining ingredients
- Spread out onto foil lined baking sheet
- Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15-20 minutes
The smell that will waft through your whole house when you’re roasting these is going to drive you crazy… and you’ll want to stop roasting them just so you can eat some!
But resist that temptation and roast them for the full hour and you’ll be rewarded with the crispiest, most flavorful candied almonds you’ve ever had.
Another great way to enjoy these candied almonds is to package them up, maybe tie a pretty ribbon around the jar/bag and give them away as gifts during the holidays.
Everyone appreciates something homemade, and no one will be able to resist the sweet crunch of these nuts!
You could also use other nuts if you’d prefer them… walnuts, pecans or even cashews would be great too!
Do yourself a favor this holiday season and make these vanilla cinnamon candied almonds… I know you’ll love them!
Helpful Tools for This Recipe:
- HALF SHEET BAKING SHEET SET – I have several of these, they’re fantastic and hold up really well!
- RAW ALMONDS – In case you can’t find some in your local stores, or prefer to order online… this brand is a good one!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 egg white
- 1 lb whole, raw almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- To a small mixing bowl, add both sugars, cinnamon, salt and ginger and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Add egg white to a larger mixing bowl and beat with hand mixer until frothy. Add vanilla bean paste and beat again to combine. This can be done with a whisk, but will take longer.
- Add almonds to bowl with the egg whites and stir to combine. Add sugar mixture and stir again to combine.
- Spread almonds out in a single, even layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, stirring almonds every 15 minutes.
- After almonds have baked an hour, taste one almond to check for desired crispiness. Adjust baking time per your tastes.
- Let almonds cool, uncovered.
- Nuts can be served warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks.
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Ashleigh says
These are absolutely delicious! Amazing!
Deb says
Could use alittle more cinnamon.
The Chunky Chef says
Feel free to add more to your tastes 🙂
Kayla Schwartz says
Made these last year for Christmas and they were a huge hit. I read through the comments first and I do see my note here to double coat, so I’ll be doing that again and experimenting with flavor combinations such as mints, m&ms, chocolate chips, etc. as an addition because I like that idea Margaret!
Margaret says
I was just wondering if anyone added Christmas colored M&Ms, craisins, Hershey kisses to the almonds when they are done as a festive addition to give as a gift?
Jenny says
Huge success and a crowd-pleaser! I make them for the holidays every year! Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe!
Natasha says
This recipe is amazing! The only problem is that they did not last until my Christmas party because my family ate them all so I had to make another batch.
Terri says
Can you freeze the almonds after they have been candied in an airtight container?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested this recipe that way, so I can’t say for certain how well that would work.
Trish says
This recipe is the best! I made this recipe for the holidays with pecans for parties and xmas gifts. Everyone loved them so much that they are now requested and a must every year.
Sheri says
Hi Amanda,
I’ve made this recipe so many times – it’s wonderful!
I have often wondered if it’s possible to freeze the coated almonds?
Thank you.
Sheri
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Sheri 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe! However, I’ve not tested freezing this recipe, so I can’t say for certain how well that would work.
Joni says
I’ve always wanted to make these myself, and thanks to your recipe I finally did. They turned out great. Thank you for the clear directions!
Susan says
Can pecans or cashews be substitute
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve made this recipe with pecans (and it was excellent), but haven’t tried cashews. I would think it’d work though 🙂
Heather White says
I can’t wait to try this. I’ve been looking at recipes but I know this will have that crunchy crust I’m desiring. Thank you 💓
Jessica Hicks says
Delicious! I have made them 4 times already. Better and cheaper than Johnny Almond.
Naomi says
Can you use roasted almonds instead of raw almonds?
Amanda says
I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain if that would work. I worry they’ll get TOO toasted after the roasting process. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Catalina says
These turned out to be very good. The only thing I did not like is that I had to stay near by to stir the nuts every 15 minutes for an hour. I make a similar recipe on the stovetop. Thank you.
Joey says
The recipe tells you how long it takes and how frequently you had to turn them, yet you decided to make them anyway and then complain about it?
Hannah says
These are THE BEST candied nuts I have ever had! I make them for literally every special occasion/holiday/trip you name it. They are loved by everyone and always requested! I use pecans instead of almonds
Olga says
I made these for xmas gifts and everyone loved them! So I decided to make some more today lol
Pamela says
Followed recipe exact for 6 servings. Had to adjust cooking time somewhat, probably due to oven differences. Taste just like the nuts at festivals and fairs, everyone loved them. Will be making again and again. Thank you for the recipe!!!
Valerie says
My favorite recipe, thank you so much! So easy to make, everyone absolutely loves them!
Lilie says
Absolutely wonderful! Easy, quick to prepare.
Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.