These Sugared Almonds Are Perfect for Snacking
Sugared almonds are a delicious and novel way to enjoy almonds, which are one of the healthiest nuts. Although a sugar coating certainly isn’t healthy, the almonds that lie beneath are an excellent source of omega 3’s.
Sugared almonds are often sold in stand-alone carts in malls but for a pretty penny. Served in paper cones, a small handful costs close to $5.00. Sugared almonds can be made at home for far less, especially when almonds are on sale.
Emerald almonds were BOGO at Publix a few weeks ago, so I stocked up. For less than $5.00, I made three cups of sugared almonds that we can grab for an occasional snack, toss into popcorn, or use in homemade trail mix.
Since this recipe uses natural, raw almonds, the nuts are soft and slightly chewy on the inside. The sugary coating hardens as the nuts cool, after which they become slightly crunchy on the outside. It does take the almonds several hours to harden completely, so it is best to make these ahead. They keep well in an airtight container or well wrapped in the freezer.
These nuts remind me of Jordan almonds, the lovely pastel-coated almonds often served at weddings. Although these aren’t as pretty and don’t have a hard shell, the texture and flavor are very similar. For at-home snacking or for teacher treats, these are a wonderful and budget-savvy option.
What can I use sugared almonds in?
Sugared almonds can go in so many different things. As I mentioned earlier, they can be great just for snacking or a trail mix, you can also add them as a topping to desserts or gift them to someone. If you keep these almonds out, they will be gone before you know it. You won’t be able to stop snacking on these delicious almonds!
How long will sugared almonds last?
Sugared almonds can last a long time as long as you store them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. If you do this, you can keep these almonds for up to two weeks. If you want to freeze them then you should be able to store them for up to two months. They are so delicious odds are they won’t last that long anyways!
How do you get a hard coating on sugared almonds?
The process of boiling the sugar, water, and cinnamon creates the mixture that will be the hard coating around the almonds. Once the mixture is boiling then you are going to want to add in your almonds and stir. Stir the mix until the almonds are dry and sugary. Once they are dry and sugary, you can spread them on wax paper to cool for about an hour.
Can I try this with other nuts?
Absolutely! This recipe would also work wonderfully with other nuts such as cashews or walnuts. Almonds are my favorite, but you can experiment with some other nuts to switch it up. Regardless of what you use, this recipe makes such a sweet and delicious treat!
If you don’t have a candy thermometer, no worries. Simply add the nuts to the syrup soon after it begins to boil, then stir until all water is gone and you are left with completely dry, sugar-coated pieces. This takes roughly 20 minutes, and you’ll need to stir the whole time.
I didn’t want to stand over the syrup for quite as long, so I used a candy thermometer and let the syrup boil to soft ball stage. I used this Polder candy/deep fry thermometer, which is less than $10.00 and can be thrown into the dishwasher. After the syrup reached softball, I added the almonds and stirred until they were completely dry and sugary (about 8 minutes).
Sugared Almonds For Snacking
These nuts taste very similar to the nuts sold by vendors in malls at at festivals (but they are much less expensive)!
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw almonds (whole)
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 2-3 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Put water, sugar, and cinnamon in saucepan.
- Bring to a boil; boil to soft ball stage on thermometer. (If no thermometer, just add nuts at the beginning and cook & stir until dry & sugary.
- When syrup reaches soft ball, stir in almonds.
- Stir continuously until almonds are coated with dry, sugary exterior.
- Spread on wax paper to cool.
- After an hour or more, pour nuts into airtight canister to store.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 3679Total Fat 214gSaturated Fat 16gSodium 13mgCarbohydrates 399gSugar 321gProtein 91g
