Cinnamon and vanilla candied almonds are sweet and crunchy and warmly spiced.They are delicious on their own and a great nutty addition to salads, to top off desserts like my FRESH APRICOT SQUARES WITH CANDIED PISTACHIOS RECIPE, and will add a special sweet and cinnamony crunch to your ice cream, Greek yoghurt or oatmeal for a sweet breakfast.

These delicious, candied almonds make your house smell most delicious and will remind you of holiday markets and amusement parks. Their sweet cinnamon smell always brings me right back to my memories of going to the “Christkindlmarkt” (German Christmas market), fall fairs and Oktoberfest growing up in Bavaria where they are called “gebrannte Mandeln” (German for candied almonds).

Cinnamon and vanilla candied almonds are quickly made in a pan on the stovetop and always make a cute little homemade gift, especially during fall and for the holidays.

If you’re not a fan of almonds, you can use other nuts like pecans, walnuts, unsalted peanuts or pistachios instead. In case you are feeling extra adventurous, you can experiment with adding some ground cardamom, clove or pumpkin spice into your sugar blend or even a pinch of cayenne pepper to give your candied almonds an extra special flavour.

TIPS TO MAKE THE PERFECT
CINNAMON & VANILLA CANDIED ALMONDS

Don’t leave your pan with the almonds unattended and keep constantly stirring them on medium heat to avoid them from burning. Don’t let them get too dark or they will turn out burned and bitter!

Once you pour out the candied almonds on a baking sheet, separate them with a spatula or two forks and don’t touch the very hot almonds until they have cooled down to avoid burning your fingers.

To easily clean the sugary pan and wooden spoon simply soak them in hot water right away.

Store your cinnamon candied almonds in an airtight container for up to three weeks on the counter.

INGREDIENTS

Almonds - use raw almonds or shelled pistachios, pecans, peanuts, cashews, or walnuts instead for this recipe.

Sugar - you can use granulated or raw sugar to candy the almonds.

Vanilla - make sure to use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation vanilla if you can.

Cinnamon - use ground cinnamon for this candied almond recipe.

The full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

MATERIALS

medium-sized pan
wooden spoon
baking sheet
parchment paper

INSTRUCTIONS STEP BY STEP

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Add the sugar and water to a pan and bring to a boil.

Add in the ground cinnamon, vanilla and your almonds and turn to medium heat.

Stir constantly with a wooden spoon on medium heat until the sugar is caramelized and sticks to the almonds. Once the water is evaporated it will look dull and like dry sugar. Keep stirring patiently and the sugar will melt again, and the almonds will slowly caramelize and look golden brown again.

Spread onto your prepared baking sheet and don’t touch the hot almonds until they are cooled down.

Store your candied almonds once they’re fully cooled in an airtight container or enjoy your sweet, nutty snack right away!