Perfectly sweet & spicy, caramelized, and crunchy, Vegan Candied Nuts. Easy to make with aquafaba instead of the usual egg whites! Make a double batch because everybody will go nuts for these (sorry....couldn't resist)!
Let's talk about these salty, smoky and sweet Vegan Candied Nuts, because they are SO good!
In this post - Everything you need to make Vegan Candied Nuts:
I'm sure you've realized while shopping, that a lot of candied nuts are not vegan. That's because egg white is used to coat them and make the sugar and spices stick nicely. Bummer, eh?
Well here is your solution! Whip up a batch of your own Vegan Candied Nuts. No egg required!
They are really easy to make with just a few minutes of hands on time, and are just perfect for snacking, serving as an appetizer when entertaining, or for adding to meals. Salty, sweet, smoky, cinnamony nuts make everything better!
Ingredients
Here is what you'll be needing to make these naturally gluten-free Vegan Candied Nuts:
And a few ingredient notes:
- Nuts - Use any type of raw nut you like in this recipe such as pecans, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts etc. Personally I love to use a mix.
- Sugar - A mix of brown and cane/white for ultimate flavour and texture. Brown for caramel flavour and a little stickiness, white to crisp them up.
- Aquafaba - In case you're wondering, aquafaba is the liquid you find in a can of chickpeas. Simply drain it off and use in this egg-free candied nuts recipes. Whenever we eat chickpeas I drain them and store the liquid in a pot in the freezer so I've always got some of the aquafaba handy. Have no aquafaba? Give my stovetop candied pecans a try instead.
- Spices - I love the smoked paprika and cinnamon combo, but you can totally go in your own direction with the spices. Pumpkin pie spice would be a great sub!
Tip - Drained chickpeas will keep in the fridge for a few days, or a pot in the freezer for months. Use them up in another meal like my Chickpea Curry Soup or Tomato Chickpea Salad.
How To Make Vegan Candied Nuts
No step by step pics required because this is so easy! Simply mix nuts and aquafaba together in a bowl then add everything else. Stir to coat evenly, spread out on a lined baking sheet and bake. It's as easy as that!
I love to use my Silpat for recipes like this. It's a silicone baking mat that is reusable (I've had mine for years), and dishwasher-safe. Nothing ever sticks to them and they save so much parchment paper!
Prefer a stovetop recipe? Check out my Stovetop Candied Pecans!
Serving Suggestions
Vegan Candied Nuts make for the perfect snacking situation, and are great to serve as nibbles alongside drinks or cocktails when entertaining. Whip some up for your holiday celebrations and I can guarantee you will have happy guests all night long!
You can also sprinkle them on salads, oatmeal, ice-cream or vegan yogurt, and you can gift them. Fill mason jars and tie some pretty ribbon or twine around the top. Perfect!
Storing Candied Nuts
Make sure they are completely cool then store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. They are safe to eat past that time but might become a little less crunchy.
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!
Recipe
Vegan Candied Nuts
Author:Ingredients
- 1½ cups (200 grams) raw shelled nuts , any variety or a mix
- 3 tablespoons aquafaba *
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar , or coconut sugar
- 4 tablespoons cane or white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a large baking tray with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Put the aquafaba into a mixing bowl and add the nuts. Stir to coat.
- Sprinkle in all of the other ingredients (the two sugars, smoked paprika, cinnamon and salt) then stir again really well to coat the nuts in the mixture.
- Pour everything out (including any liquidy bits) onto your prepared baking tray and spread out into a single layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes then take them out, stir them about a bit and put them back for about another 20 minutes, until fragrantly toasty smelling, and the sugar coating is bubbling and caramelized. (The coating will continue to harden and dry once the nuts are out of the oven).
- Remove from the oven and push the nuts apart a bit with a fork so they don't dry hard in a big clump then leave to cool and harden on the tray.
- Once cool gently break any clumps up with your hands and store in tightly closed jars or other airtight containers.
NOTES
NUTRITION
This recipe was originally published on December 29th 2015. I've updated the post and now I am republishing it for you. The actual recipe remains the same. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!
Amy Reed says
Delicious!
Karen says
I made these for my vegan daughter and her vegan boyfriend for Christmas Eve. She just texted that they are so yummy.
Michelle says
I’m not vegan but always looking for new ideas. Using egg whites can be a drag as I’m clumsy at separating them and what do you do with the yolks? Will make these as a birthday present for a friend who was talking about aquafaba meringues.
Ashley D says
I just made this recipe with pecans and I can’t stop eating them! Thanks for introducing me to aquafaba; I am still new to veganism and had no idea chickpea brine was so magical! For this recipe, I did reduce the sugar by half because I was worried about the nuts being too sweet. I also added more smoked paprika, so these were more “sweet and spicy” than “candied.” I’ve added this recipe to my collection and will definitely be using it again! Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Sweet and spicy sounds good. I love the smoked paprika flavour and often add more. You will find aquafaba used in a lot of my recipes. It is magical stuff!
Monique De Martin says
Yes Mel, I did thanks. I tried candied pecans to garnish a raw salted caramel and pecan cake. They looked beautiful and shiny on top. I was thinking about trying this chickpea miracle (first time I've used it) in raw chocolate icing to give it a shiny appearance...that would be amazing... more things to research and play with now! :) thanks again
patti says
I just made these and they are de-lish. Thanks for the recipe!! :)
I'm adding them to a mixed green salad with mandarin oranges and slices of yellow sweet pepper and chunks of avocado. YUMMY!!
Leon says
I never knew about aquafaba. To think I've been throwing that stuff out when making my humus. A little googling and I found it can be used for all kinds of things.
Louanne says
Aquafaba is brilliant! These were delicious; I subbed Swerve with a 1/2 teaspoon molasses for the sugars, Happy New Year!
A Virtual Vegan says
It's like a miracle ingredient isn't it? I am glad you enjoyed them. Hope you didn't eat them all in one go like me! Lol
Happy new year to you too!