Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews

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Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews — Make the fancy store-bought kind at home! Salty-and-sweet, ready in 30 minutes, and so good!

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews (GF) - Make the fancy storebought kind at home! Salty-and-sweet, ready in 30 mins & so good!

Easiest Candied Cashews Recipe 

You’ll never need to buy those extremely over-priced fancy candied cashews again. The kind that are so good you can’t stop eating them. Like, $20 dollars worth in 20 minutes.

Never again. You can make your own. This is best and easiest recipe for homemade candied nuts I’ve tried.

The recipe is adapted from my Classic Candied Nuts recipe and I made it even easier.

Everything is mixed in one bowl and they’re ready in 30 minutes. Can’t beat it.

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews (GF) - Make the fancy storebought kind at home! Salty-and-sweet, ready in 30 mins & so good!

They’re salty-and-sweet with just the right amount of cinnamon to add great depth of flavor. Add a pinch of cayenne for extra shazaam.

Although almonds seem to be a cult favorite, I’ve never been as big of an almond fan as either cashews or peanuts. I could eat honey-roasted peanuts all day long, and the same goes for these candied cashews.

Cashews are softer and more buttery than almonds, which I prefer. I use them in vegan desserts as a butter replacer.

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews (GF) - Make the fancy storebought kind at home! Salty-and-sweet, ready in 30 mins & so good!

The cashews have the perfect amount of satisfying crunch, thanks to the cinnamon sugar coating. It’s crunchy and really bakes in rather than just falling off, which is all too common with homemade candied nuts.

The secret? An egg white. It serves to coat the nuts before they’re tossed with cinnamon and sugar so it adheres. And while baking, the egg white binds and solidifies the coating onto the nuts.

Between the salty-and-sweet factor along with the crunch factor, I went to town on the cashews immediately as they came out of the oven. The scent in your house while they bake is just heavenly.

They make excellent easy, inexpensive, and impromptu gifts, but because they’re so addictively good you may not have any left over to give.

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews (GF) - Make the fancy storebought kind at home! Salty-and-sweet, ready in 30 mins & so good!

What’s in the Candied Cashews?

For this easy candied cashews recipe, you’ll need: 

  • Egg white
  • Water
  • Cashews
  • Granulated sugar
  • Light brown sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • Kosher salt
  • Cayenne pepper (optional) 

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews (GF) - Make the fancy storebought kind at home! Salty-and-sweet, ready in 30 mins & so good!

How to Candy Nuts

First, you’ll want to whisk the egg white and water until frothy. This will take about 2 minutes. 

Then, stir in the nuts and the remaining ingredients. Transfer the nuts to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, making sure they’re in an even layer. 

Bake the cashews for about 30 minutes. The coating will appear bubbly and soupy and wet in the center of tray even when nuts are ready to be pulled from oven.

It will seem like nuts should bake longer so the coating dries out more, but it firms up dramatically as nuts cool. 

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews (GF) - Make the fancy storebought kind at home! Salty-and-sweet, ready in 30 mins & so good!

Can I Use Another Type of Nut?

Yes! The recipe works with almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, and peanuts, although you may need to adjust the baking time slightly.

Can the Egg White Be Substituted? 

No, not to my knowledge. The egg white helps bind the sugars and spices to the cashews. 

How Long Do Candied Nuts Last? 

If stored in an airtight container (like a jar) at room temperature, the candied cashews will last up to 1 month. 

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews (GF) - Make the fancy storebought kind at home! Salty-and-sweet, ready in 30 mins & so good!

Tips for Making Candied Nuts 

I used whole roasted, lightly salted cashews from Trader Joe’s. Their nuts are the best value for me. I don’t have room to store Costco-sized quantities of things. I prefer using already roasted rather than raw nuts because they have more flavor.

The cashews firm up and get crunchier as they cool so waiting an hour — or even overnight — is best. But I couldn’t.

I highly recommend adding a pinch of cayenne to the spice mixture for a salty-sweet treat with a kick of spice at the end. Delicious! 

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews (GF) - Make the fancy storebought kind at home! Salty-and-sweet, ready in 30 mins & so good!

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4.42 from 50 votes

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews

By Averie Sunshine
Make the fancy store-bought candied cashews at home! Salty-and-sweet, ready in 30 minutes, and so good! Add to salads, granola, and more!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Cooling Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
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Ingredients  

  • 1 egg white, whisked to very frothy
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 3 cups cashews, I used 1 pound bag of roasted, lightly salted; substitute with almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts or a combo
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon, or to taste (I used 2 heaping teaspoons)
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste (salt will vary based on preference and if you’re using salted or unsalted cashews)
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional and to taste (reduce to 1/4 teaspoon for milder heat)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Don’t skip lining your baking sheet; set aside.
  • To a large bowl, add the egg white, water and whisk vigorously until very frothy, foamy, and bubbly, about 2 minutes by hand.
  • Add the nuts and stir to coat.
  • Add the sugars, cinnamon, salt, and optional cayenne, and stir to coat evenly.
  • Turn nuts out onto to prepared baking sheet, spreading them in an even flat layer.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (I baked 28 minutes); don’t overbake or nuts can burn. Coating will appear bubbly, quite soupy and wet in the center of tray even when nuts are ready to be pulled from oven. It will seem like nuts should bake longer so the coating dries out more, but it firms up dramatically as nuts cool. As always, use your judgment and let your nose and eyes be your guide to doneness.
  • Allow nuts to cool on baking tray for at least 30 minutes. Ideally, leave nuts on baking tray and exposed to air to cool overnight; this helps them get extra crispy and crunchy.
  • When nuts are cool enough to handle, break apart large clusters.
  • Transfer nuts to airtight containers or jars.

Notes

Storage: Nuts will keep airtight at room temperature for at least 1 month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 246kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g, Sodium: 401mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 14g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Easy Snack Recipes: 

ALL OF MY SNACK RECIPES! 

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Nuts — The smell of candied nuts is one of the best parts of holiday shopping! Munch on a these shopping mall-style candied nuts at home, year-round. 

Cinnamon Sugar Trail Mix — Marrying candied nuts with trail mix was one of the best, and most dangerous, kitchen decisions I’ve had. So addicting!  

Piña Colada Chex Mix — An EASY and addictively AMAZING salty-sweet Chex mix!! It’s crunchy, chewy, and between the pineapple, coconut, banana, and lime you’ll feel like you’re on a tropical vacation!!

Piña Colada Chex Mix - An EASY and addictively AMAZING salty-sweet snack!! It's crunchy, chewy, and between the pineapple, coconut, banana, and lime you'll feel like you're on a tropical vacation!!

5-Minute Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix — Two kinds of Chex, peanuts, pretzels, dried cranberries, and candy corn! If you need a quick fall party snack, make this! It’s dangerously fast, super easy, and SO CRAZY GOOD!!

Pumpkin Spice Crock-Pot Chex Mix— This Crock-Pot Chex Mix is LOADED with pumpkin spice flavor! It’s so easy to make and can easily be adapted to suit the ingredients you have on hand.

Dill Pickle Chex Mix Recipe— Loaded with dill pickle flavor thanks to the addition of dill pickle juice and dried dill, this Chex mix recipe is easily my favorite one yet!

 Big Clusters Maple Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Granola — The granola is a cinch to make, vegan, gluten-free, and highly adaptable based on personal preferences. Swap out the type of oil, nuts, or dried fruit based on taste preference. 

Big Clusters Maple Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Granola (vegan, GF) - Easy homemade granola for a fraction of the cost of storebought! Learn the secrets to creating those highly coveted big clusters!

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. Is there any reason not to mix the sugar and seasonings into the egg mixture before adding the nuts? I was thinking that would ensure even coverage, especially since I’ll be doubling the cayenne.

  2. 5 stars
    These are to die for good! Making them again for Christmas get together with family. Didn’t change a thing! ❤️❤️❤️

  3. 5 stars
    These are to die for good! Making them again for Christmas get together with family. Didn’t change a thing! ❤️❤️❤️

  4. Just made these for Thanksgiving – had to make a second batch because the first one disappeared too fast! The cayenne is definitely a great touch. I’ll confess I replaced the water with a tablespoon of bourbon!

  5. Gosh these were good. First batch was perfect, second batch I got greedy and tried to double on pan,…not as good because I think the nuts were too crowded (still good but not as perfect as the first batchJ. Third batch I used vanilla extract instead of water, loved that way too. Great recipe. Thanks.

  6. My husband bought some candied cashews recently and I knew I needed to make them at home. I just tried your recipe and can’t believe how amazing these turned out. So easy too! We both like them better than store-bought (it’s the cayenne I think). Thanks for sharing this recipe! We’ll be making them again soon! (Your comment cracks me up about them lasting 1 month. These will be lucky to see tomorrow!

    1. Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad you love it and that these turned out better than storebought!

  7. As another commenter mentioned, you might want to check at the 12 minute mark. My first batch burned at 15 minutes. I’m waiting for these to cool so I can safely toss these and try again. I might reduce the temp a tad too. The few I nibbled on were a great baseline though for endless flavor combinations :)

    Always too afraid to give these a try, this is a great simple recipe!

    Thanks!

    1. All ovens vary, climates, etc and with nuts they can sometimes surprise you with how fast they cook. Glad this is a good baseline recipe for you!

  8. So I’ve made this recipe a bazillion times and my friends LOVE them. However…. this year I have a few more friends who’ve gone paleo…. could I use maple syrup instead? And if so, how? Thanks!

    1. Not sure if that would work because it’s a liquid and this recipe uses dry sugars. You could experiment and see what happens. LMK!

    1. Sometimes baking a bit longer can help and/or drying out in the open air, provided it’s not humid where you live. Cashews aren’t a super crunchy nut to begin with compared to an almond for example, but as long as the flavor was great, that’s good to hear.

    1. Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! They’re very easy to get addicted to :)

  9. I know I’m a bit late to this post, but I just had to say that this nut recipe is de-licious!! I made the recipe with walnuts and pecans as they are currently in season, and followed the recipe as stated. SO good, Averie! Thanks for yet another keeper ?