5-Ingredient Candied Hazelnuts
quick and easy 5-ingredient candied hazelnuts
Not only are candied nuts a delicious treat all on their own, they’re also a great way to elevate everything from appetizers to dessert. This particular recipe, for quick + easy candied hazelnuts is, well, as the name implies, quick + easy. Everything is done right on one baking sheet, and they only take a few minutes of toasting in the oven before they’re done. The key to their deliciousness {aka the secret ingredient} is pumpkin pie spice. It adds a well-balanced warmth to the finished nuts, which is especially nice during the fall/winter months and the holiday season. Bonus- you only have to measure one spice versus 5 {or more}. Talk about easy. Oh, and another bonus, these also make a great little hostess gift, or holiday party favor. Just pour them into a cute jar or container, add a bow and they’re good to gift!
WHAT 5 INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE CANDIED HAZELNUTS
HAZELNUTS- you can use raw or toasted; I prefer toasted for a little additional flavor
MAPLE SYRUP- this will act not only as the sweetener but also the binding agent to bring all the other ingredients together
PUMPKIN PIE SEASONING- this will add lots of flavor without having to use lots of ingredients; homemade or store bought works great and if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice you can always just use cinnamon
SEA SALT- to balance out the sweetness
BUTTER- this helps to the maple syrup to caramelize and the nuts to turn golden brown
HOW TO MAKE CANDIED HAZELNUTS
Candied hazelnuts are so incredibly easy and simple to make. It literally takes mere minutes and just a couple simple steps.
STEP 1- Toss the nuts with the maple syrup and seasonings. Spread them evenly on a baking sheet. Cut the butter into cubes and distribute them evenly across the hazelnuts.
STEP 2- Bake them until the nuts are toasted, the butter has melted and the maple syrup is bubbling.
STEP 3- Let the nuts cool until the mixture has set and hardened (they key here is not to disrupt or mix up the nuts).
STEP 4- Once they nuts are cool, you can then break them apart, chop them up, leave them whole, use them right away or store them away for later.
WHAT TO DO WITH CANDIED HAZELNUTS
Candied nuts are such a great addition to so many things. Sprinkle them on ice-cream or top an ice-cream sundae, decorate a cake or cupcakes, sprinkle them on cookies, mix them with popcorn and chocolate for a fancy little snack mix, add them to a salad for a sweet crunch, sprinkle them on top of roasted carrots or sweet potatoes, or, honestly you can even just enjoy candied nuts all on their own.
HOW TO STORE CANDIED HAZELNUTS
Candied hazelnuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, preferably in a pantry or somewhere out of sunlight. They should last for a month or two when kept this way.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups raw or toasted hazelnuts
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie seasoning
A generous pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter {you can use salted butter, just omit the additional salt}, cut into cubes
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
On an unlined baking sheet, toss together the hazelnuts, maple syrup and seasonings just until the nuts are coated. Then, distribute the butter cubes evenly across the top of the hazelnuts. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the hazelnuts are toasted, the butter has melted and the maple syrup is bubbling a bit.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool, but avoid mixing the nuts. Letting the nuts cool untouched will allow the butter, syrup and spice mixture to set and harden and give you that caramelized candied texture and taste.
Once the nuts are cool, you can break them apart, leave them whole or chop them up for topping things like ice-cream sundaes or salads.
NOTES
Candied hazelnuts can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.