These Chinese Candied Walnuts are crunchy, sweet, salty, and delicious. Easy to make, they'll done in one step in UNDER 30 MINUTES. And, they'll save you a ton of money as they're so much cheaper than those outside. Plus, they're healthier as they're baked (traditionally, they're fried, but baked ones taste just as good!)
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⭐ Why This Recipe is a Star
- Chinese candied walnuts are fuss-free: As we're baking, not deep- frying- don't worry, they're still super crispy baked- you don't have to fuss with oil temepratures or discarding a large pot of hot oil!
- Budget-friendly: although walnuts are not cheap, this Chinese snack retails for very high prices in Chinese restaurants, so you'll save lot o making them at home.
These nuts make a great gift during the holiday season! For more Asian nuts recipes, click here.
🥘 Ingredients
You will only need a few simple ingredients for this walnuts recipe:
- walnuts: to save money, you can buy walnut halves instead of whole walnuts. You also get more of the sweet, crispy coating that way! Alternatively, substitute 1:1 with pecans. (I don't recommend a 1:1 substitution with other nuts, such as almonds, as the resulting snack will be a bit sweet and cloying, since almonds don't have the slight bitterness that walnuts do.) Remaining walnuts can be made into Chinese New Year walnut cookies!
- sugar: you can use light brown sugar or white sugar. (Brown sugar will make the walnuts a bit browner.) I have yet to experiment with maple syrup or honey but if you do, rememebr to use pasteurised honey, not raw honey. (Heating honey kills its nutrients. Pasteurised honey has already been treated and lost its nutrients, whilst raw honey has not.)
- salt: a pinch of salt will give the walnut brittle that sweet and salty flavor that will have you yearning for more!
- oil: Use a neutral-flavored oil, such as vegetable oil or canola oil. I don't recommen olive oil if you want authentic Chinese flavor. (I don't use butter as it's more troublesome- you can't just add the lump of butter to the nuts, you'll need to melt it first.)
- untoasted sesame seeds: if you don't have any, don't worry, just omit them. However, they will give that touch of authenticity and extra flavor to your walnuts. (White sesme seeds are traditional, and a very versatile pantry ingredient if you like Asian food, as you can use them in Japanese recipes, Korean recipes, and Chinese recipes.) Don't use toasted sesame seeds as you dont' want them to burn in the oven.
Variations
- Stove-fried: You can also stir-fry the walnuts over the stove, if you don't want to bake. This is NOT a passive cooking method, as you will need to stir the nuts non-stop.
- A dash of cinnamon and Brown Sugar: If you want to make something festive for the holidays, use light brown sugar and add 1-2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon powder to the mix.
🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F/ 177C/ 157C with fan. Line a baking tray or sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
1a. To reduce the bitterness of the walnuts: boil 2 Cups of walnuts in a small pot of water for 3-4 minutes. (You just need enough water to cover the nuts.) Reducing the bitterness will reduce the amount of sugar you need to add, making the snack healthier.
1b. Use a slotted spoon or sieve the walnuts.
1c. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet. Immediately place 3.5 Tablespoons of sugar, 1.5 Tablespoon of oil, 1 Tablespoon white sesame seeds, and a pinch of salt on the walnuts.
1d. Immediately massage the sugar, oil, and salt into the nuts till the sugar has semi-dissolved, then spread the nuts over the parchment paper in a single layer.
2a. Place the baking sheet in the oven (once it's reached 350 F/ 177C/ 157C with fan. )
2b. Bake for 10 minutes, then use oven gloves to carefully remove the tray, give it a shake, turn it around, then return it to the oven. (The walnuts should still be in one layer.) Basically, the part of the tray that was in front should now be at the back of the oven and vice versa.
2c. Bake for 12 more minutes, or till golden brown. (It can take up to 10 more minutes to get it nice and golden.)
2d. Allow to cool then store in an airtight container.
Note: if you don't want the nuts to stick together, make sure they're not touching when you bake them!
How to Eat
You can eat the sugar coated walnuts:
- as a snack on its own
- tossed into salads, such as this Asian mango salad (add the walnuts last, so that the sauce doesn't make them soft.)
- mixed with cereal
- sprinkled on oatmeal, ice cream, or yoghurt
They're a perfect sweet treat for Chinese New Year!
🥡 How to Store
Chinese walnut candy can be stored at room temperature, in an air-tight container, for 3-5 days.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
Tip #1: In Southeast Asia, we love to agak-agak, or guesstimate, when we cook. Don't do that with the oil in this recipe: if the oil: sugar proportion is wrong, you'll get a greasy roasted nut or one in which the brittle didn't form.
Tip #2: These Chinese walnuts make a great appetizer before a meal. (They're sometimes served as a pre-meal, crunchy snack at a Chinese banquet.)
💭 Recipe FAQs
Frying the walnuts in a pan is quicker than roasting the nuts. However, you can only make smaller batches at a go AND you'll have to contend with melting sugar, so you'll have to keep a close eye on the pan (which is very hot and can give you terrible burns.)
🥗 Other Chinese Cuisine Recipes
Enjoyed this easy Chinese style walnut brittle Recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below! If you REALLY liked this easy Chinese appetizer, please consider supporting it by buying me a bottle of soy sauce! 🙂 (No obligation though!) Thank you and have a great day!
EASY Chinese Candied Walnuts (Baked)
Equipment
- Small pot
- Slotted spoon OR sieve
Ingredients
- 2 Cups shelled walnuts Ideally walnut halves, if not walnut pieces work too.
- 3½ Tablespoons sugar Brown or white work.
- 1½ Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon white sesame seeds untested
- sprinkle salt Omit if you don't like sweet-and-salty snacks.
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 F/ 177C/ 157C with fan.
Reducing the bitterness of the walnuts
- Boil 2 Cups of walnuts in a small pot of water for 3-4 minutes. (You just need enough water to cover the nuts.) Reducing the bitterness will reduce the amount of sugar you need to add, making the snack healthier.
- Use a slotted spoon or sieve the walnuts.
Baking the Nuts
- Place the walnuts on a baking sheet (covered with parchment paper.) Immediately place 3.5 Tablespoons of sugar, 1.5 Tablespoon of oil, 1 Tablespoon white sesame seeds, and a pinch of salt on the walnuts.
- Immediately massage the sugar, oil, and salt into the nuts till the sugar has semi-dissolved, then spread the nuts over the parchment paper in a single layer.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven (once it's reached 350 F/ 177C/ 157C with fan.)
- Bake for 10 minutes, then use oven gloves to carefully remove the tray, give it a shake, turn it around, then return it to the oven. (The walnuts should still be in one layer.) Basically, the part of the tray that was in front should now be at the back of the oven and vice versa. Note: if you don't want the nuts to stick together, make sure they're not touching when you bake them!
- Bake for 10 more minutes, or till golden brown. (It can take up to 10 more minutes to get it nice and golden.)
- Allow to cool then store in an airtight container.
Notes
Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its veracity.
Nutrition
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