My sweet and crunchy Candied Walnuts Air Fryer recipe is so easy to make! Use them as a salad topper, in baked goods, over popcorn, or for the holidays. Prepped and ready in just 15 minutes!
Candied Walnuts Air Fryer
The first time I made a batch of candied walnuts in the air fryer they were fantastic! If you love a roasted candied snack, this one is for you — it’s so easy!
I’ve always loved candied walnuts but never seem to have time to make them. But with just a few ingredients and a couple of minutes, walnuts toast up so beautifully in the air fryer. Ever since I created this recipe, it’s become my family’s go-to snack.
Eat them straight from the jar, add crunch to a salad, sprinkle them in popcorn, top your oatmeal, with ice cream, or keep a bowl out as a snack around the holidays. They’re so versatile — as soon as you try my candied walnuts air fryer recipe, you’ll want to make them weekly!
And if you’ve been looking for even more Air Fryer Nut Recipes, a few favorites include my AIR FRYER SPICY PEANUTS, HONEY ROASTED WALNUTS AIR FRYER, AIR FRYER PINE NUTS, AIR FRYER BARBECUE ROASTED MIXED NUTS, and AIR FRYER CORN NUTS.
Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Candied Walnuts
- Incredibly easy — the air fryer does all the work!
- Ready in minutes
- Full of cinnamon sugar flavor
- Perfectly caramelized
- Crunchy on the outside, tender inside
- Crowd-pleaser
- So delicious!
Watch How to Make Candied Walnuts in Air Fryer
Ingredients Needed to Make Air Fried Candied Walnuts
There’s no need to purchase expensive store-bought candied walnuts when you can make them yourself at home! You only need a handful of ingredients.
For complete ingredients and quantities, as well as the nutritional information, keep on scrolling until you get to the bottom with a printable recipe card.
- Walnuts: My favorite brand of walnuts is from Costco, so grab a huge bag next time you go! Or, if you don’t have one near you, you can pick up a pack from Amazon.
- Butter: I like unsalted butter for these — I find salted sticks to be a little too salty, so I like to add the extra pinch myself.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: For a touch of warm flavor. Walnuts and vanilla pair so well together.
- Sugar: I use both granulated sugar and brown sugar for my candied walnuts air fryer recipe! Alternatively, you can use only granulated.
- Cinnamon: It wouldn’t be a candied nuts recipe without some added cinnamon in my opinion! It’s spicy in the best way.
How to Make Candied Walnuts in Air Fryer
Below you’ll find the easy step-by-step instructions to make air fryer candied walnuts! It only requires a few minutes of prep work, and then about 10 minutes of cooking time.
Step 1: Toss in butter
Place the walnuts in a large bowl with the softened butter and toss until evenly coated.
Step 2: Add the cinnamon sugar
In the same bowl, add the brown sugar, vanilla, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt.
Step 3: Mix
Toss and mix well to coat the walnuts in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Step 4: Air fry
Place the coated walnuts in the air fryer basket and set the temperature to 200 degrees F. Air fry for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket frequently during the process so the nuts cook evenly. Let your air fryer walnuts cool a bit before serving, and enjoy!
Candied Walnuts Air Fryer Pro Tips
- Walnut Prep: Make sure to dry the nuts with clean paper towels before you add the coating! Otherwise, they may not caramelize like you want them to.
- Add extra spices that you like. I used ground cinnamon, but you can easily make them with chili powder or ground cumin.
- Toss Well: Make sure all of the walnuts are well-coated with the butter mixture. This way, when the heat hits them, they roast evenly.
- Prevent Sticking: You can lightly spray your air fryer basket with cooking spray so that the walnuts don’t stick if you’d like.
- Avoid Overcrowing: Arrange the candied walnuts in air fryer in a single layer for the best results. They’ll cook more evenly if there is enough room for the hot air to circulate.
- Remember to shake the basket several times as the nuts cook. This is the trick to making candied nuts in the air fryer! It ensures they cook up evenly on all sides so they become crispy when cooled.
- Adjust if Needed: All air fryers are different, and walnuts may vary in size. Start at 200 degrees F for about 8 minutes and adjust the temperature and air frying time if needed.
- Let Them Cool: The air fryer candied walnuts will be very hot and sticky when they’re done. I like to cool them on a wire rack so they harden and crisp up before storing.
- Air fried candied walnuts make for great gifts. Place them in small glass jars with a pretty ribbon for a nice presentation.
- Storage: Store your nuts in an airtight container in a cool, dark place like your pantry. They should keep for up to 1 week. Otherwise, they will start to get soft. I would avoid putting them into the refrigerator, as the butter will harden them. If you need to store them for longer, you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Ways to Use Candied Walnuts
- Around the holidays for a snack
- As an appetizer at a barbecue
- Salad topping (excellent in the summer!)
- Yogurt bowls
- With granola
- On an ice cream sundae
- In trail mix
- As a fun hostess gift
Air Fryer Candied Walnuts FAQs
Almost, although glazed walnuts are often made with corn syrup. Since I knew the air fryer would not cook corn syrup well, I used butter and white sugar to make them candied. The two snacks taste about the same!
I typically don’t soak my walnuts before air frying, but I know some others swear by it for extra crunchy results. If you’d like to try it, you can soak the nuts for about 10-15 minutes before you add the cinnamon-sugar coating. Just remember to dry them very well.
Since we’re not using corn syrup in my candied walnuts air fryer recipe, they won’t stick like some others can. I also find that shaking the basket really helps keep them separated.
It’s important to let them cool completely before storing them! The nuts need that extra time to fully harden and caramelize. If you add them to an airtight container when they’re still warm, the condensation will cause them to soften.
Yes, all candied nuts go bad after a while — after about a week, the butter begins to break down. You shouldn’t run into this problem because you’re making such a small batch in your air fryer, and these go fast! However, if you’re worried about not using them within a week, feel free to cut the recipe in half for an even smaller batch.
More Air Fryer Snack Recipes
- AIR FRYER BUTTERMILK CHICKEN TENDERS
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Candied Walnuts (Air Fryer Recipe)
Description
Ingredients
- 4 cups walnuts, diced
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the walnuts and butter.
- Add the brown sugar, pure vanilla extract, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt, mix well, and coat all walnuts.
- Mix until all of the walnuts are coated.
- Toss the coated walnuts into the air fryer basket, and set the temperature to 200 degrees F, air fryer setting, for 8-10 minutes. Shake the basket frequently during the cooking process, so all of the walnuts cook evenly.
- Plate, serve, and enjoy!
Equipment
Notes
Some Pro Tips:
- You can lightly spray the basket with cooking spray so that the walnuts do not stick.
- Shake the basket several times during the cooking process.
- Try to get the walnuts on a single layer.
- Add some spices that you like, I used ground cinnamon, but you can easily make them with chili powder or ground cumin.
Nutrition
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