This recipe for salted candied walnuts with sea salt and cinnamon take only 5 minutes and 5 ingredients! Eat as a sweet treat, toss with a salad, or serve on a cheese board. Perfect as a holiday gift packaged in mason jars.
Melt butter (3 tablespoons) in heavy bottomed skillet (I used stainless steel)
Add walnuts (2 cups); stir to coat
Add white sugar (1/4 cup), brown sugar (1/4 cup), and cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon); stir to coat.
Continue stirring until sugars caramelize- they should not be grainy anymore, and begin to darken in color (about 3-4 minutes).
Spread nuts out on a parchment covered baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt, and allow to cool for at least ten minutes. If nuts are difficult to separate, you can break them apart after they've cooled for a bit.
Eat the candied walnuts on their own, or add to salads for a sweet touch!
Notes
Thinking of using honey or maple syrup instead of sugar for a more natural alternative? I don't recommend it. Think about these at room temperature, vs. sugar at room temperature. When the nuts cool, they will be left a sticky mess if you use honey or syrup, rather than harden to candy. Usually I'm all for the substitution, but not this time. A combination of honey or maple syrup and sugar may work, but I haven't tried it.
The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.