Candied Walnuts for Salad

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So usually, the classic Candied Walnuts are one of several ingredients that typically would go into a dish such as a lovely cake. However, Candied Walnuts for Salad dishes are a simply amazing combination. That was how we originally stumbled across this delicious recipe. As a garnish for some beautiful Salads. They taste so ridiculously good we believe they warrant their own dedicated recipe

Honestly, these Walnuts can (and should) be whipped up just as a decadent snack when you’re feeling like rewarding yourself. They are simply delicious. The toffee-like crunch that the Sugar-coating delivers is such a treat to bite into. Also, who doesn’t love a good Walnut?

Now this recipe will work equally good on your favorite type of nut, so feel free to experiment. I can see some beautiful Candied Peanuts, Candied Pecans, Candied Cashew Nuts. Hey, even Candied Pistachio Nuts would be amazing – just make sure you take those shells off first!

Patience is a Virtue

The secret to this recipe is to be patient. When you’re stirring the sugar in with the Walnuts it may seem like nothing is happening. Be patient! The Sugar will turn into a lovely syrup in a matter of moments, so be sure to pay attention as there is a finite window for true success when making the Candied Walnuts for Salad

The cooking time will depend based on everyone’s pans and stovetops, but we’ve found anywhere between the 4 – 7 minute mark is when the Sugar is likely going to melt and turn into that wonderful caramel / toffee consistency. You must keep your eyes on the pan the whole time, because once the Sugar turns to caramel you probably only have about 20 – 30 seconds of time before it will burn

Just keep stirring the Walnuts in the Sugar once you add them into the Pot and keep an eye out for that Sugar to melt. Once it melts it will form quite a thin liquid. You may be fooled into thinking it isn’t thick enough to coat the Walnuts. This is definitely not the case. In fact, the thinner the consistency of the sugar, the better

Too much Sugar on the Walnuts will make them overly sugary and taste more like toffee than Walnuts. The best consistency for your Candied Walnuts is to have a thin layer of crispy sugar coating, but not to have any excessive pieces of Caramel hanging off it

Other than Salad, what are some other uses for these beautiful Candied Walnuts?

Topping your favorite Salad dishes with these sweet Candied Walnuts is a great way to add additional flavor and texture to the dish. However, there are plenty of other ways you can utilize this fun dish to amplify your cooking

First of all, don’t add it to anything. Instead, simply make these tasty Candied Walnuts as a stand-alone snack to chow down on. They’re so addictive so why not whip up a batch and serve them to your friends when you’re catching up over a few drinks? They go great with any kind of Alcohol, or even just by themselves. So, if you’re bored of the regular old Chips or Pretzels, give the Candied Walnuts a try!

Another great use for them is as a garnish for meat dishes. Consider them a substitute for Peanuts, and a world of options will open up to you for consideration. Sprinkle them over some spicy Thai or Chinese food to balance out some of the heat. Crush them up and sprinkle them over Poke Bowls or other Rice / Noodles dishes for some added texture and flavor

In fact, we’ve got plenty of recipes that we think will benefit greatly from adding some of these delicious Candied Walnuts as a garnish at the end. Why not give some of these dishes a pairing with these Walnuts and let us know in the comments below how it went:

• Beef Skewers with Peanut Sauce
• Chicken Coconut Green Curry
• Pork Noodle Stir Fry
• Salmon Poke Bowl
  
  

This recipe utilizes Walnuts, but most other nuts will work just as well

The beauty of this recipe is the process of caramelization can be done on almost all other kinds of nuts. We’ve opted for Walnuts to stay true to the recipe that inspired it from Red Line Diner. However, any nuts will work well. Just replace the Walnuts with the nut of your choice and follow the recipe below. The cooking times won’t change at all

Some other popular nuts you can use are Pecans, Peanuts, Cashew Nuts, and Almonds just to name a few. Some of these nuts, particularly Pecans and Peanuts will benefit well from being candied and then used in desserts. Pecan Pie is naturally a popular one that utilizes Candied Nuts. So just let your creativity run wild and get Candying!

Candied Walnuts for Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups (16 oz.) Walnuts
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 1 tbsp. Butter
  
  

Instructions

1. Place the White Sugar and Butter into a Saucepan and begin to heat over medium / low heat
2. Add the Walnuts once you’ve added the Sugar and stir continuously with a spatula
3. Continue to stir until the Sugar starts to melt and caramelize. This process usually takes about 6-7 minutes so we’d highly recommend stirring consistently and monitoring the sugar. You have a finite window once the Sugar starts to caramelize before it burns so best to monitor continuously
4. Once the Sugar has melted and the Walnuts are coated, remove immediately from heat and place on non-stick foil or parchment paper
5. As soon as the Walnuts are on the parchment paper carefully separate them with two forks. The Sugar will solidify very quickly so you want to break up the Walnuts into individual pieces as soon as you can to avoid one big clump of Walnut sugar!
   
   

There you have it. These bad boys taste so darn delicious and pair surprisingly well with a lot of Salads. We’d highly recommend trying the Candied Walnuts with our Red Line Diner Berry Salad recipe. Happy Cooking!