Candied Almonds (Cinnamon Roasted Almonds)
Posted Oct 21, 2020, Updated Nov 27, 2023
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This candied almonds recipe is easy to make with 6 ingredients. Homemade cinnamon roasted almonds are even more delicious than the nuts you can get at the mall or fair!
These homemade candied almonds are better than the cinnamon roasted nuts you find at the mall or fair (like these cinnamon sugar pecans)! They are easy to make with only 6 ingredients and make your house smell like absolute heaven while they’re roasting!
These cinnamon roasted almonds can be eaten warm as a sweet snack, served as a salad topper, etc. They also make great gifts for friends and neighbors for the holidays! Wrap them in a cute cellophane bag or mason jar and give your loved ones an extra special treat they will love!
Plus, they’re freezer-friendly, so you can make a large batch and munch on them for months!
Candied Almonds: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Raw Almonds. Use raw, unsalted almonds in this recipe. I don’t recommend any substitutions, although I have had other people using a variety of nuts with great success (try these candied pecans and candied walnuts)!
- Egg white. I do not recommend making any substitutes for the egg white.
- Vanilla Extract. Technically you can substitute 1 Tablespoon water for the vanilla extract, although I do not recommend that substitution. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Granulated Sugar. Regular granulated sugar and organic cane sugar are the two varieties I have used to make these cinnamon sugar almonds.
- Fine Sea Salt. If you only have iodized table salt, you will need to cut the amount of salt in half.
- Ground Cinnamon. Use a high-quality ground cinnamon for the absolute best flavor.
How to Make Candied Almonds
This candied almonds recipe is so easy! As always, we’ll walk through the process step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by combining the sugar, sea salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl, then set it aside.
Next, beat the egg white and vanilla with a whisk until frothy (about 1 minute). I use whisk and beat by hand, but you could use a hand-held mixer.
Then, add the almonds to wet mixture and stir until evenly coated.
Once the almonds are coated, sprinkle the dry ingredients over the almonds and stir until evenly distributed. Make sure to scrape any extra cinnamon sugar mixture off the sides and bottom of the bowl and incorporate it into the almonds.
Spread the almonds evenly, in a single layer, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 250 degrees F for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes. Even if they look done after 45 minutes trust me and bake for the full hour. Baking them low and slow is the key to the best candied almonds that retain their crispiness (no soggy almonds here) and light texture.
After one hour remove the almonds from the oven, give them a final stir and let them cool on the baking sheet or enjoy them warm!
Serve
There is no wrong way to enjoy these cinnamon almonds. I can’t keep my family away from them, so many end up getting eating warm, straight off the baking sheet. Here are some other suggestions:
- Serve with this balsamic vinaigrette on a salad for a delicious combo.
- Sprinkle some on these roasted beets! SO GOOD!
- Add a few to this burrata salad, brussel sprouts salad and this roasted vegetable quinoa salad!
- Sprinkle some on top of these overnight oats with yogurt!
- They make a great topping for the best homemade vanilla ice cream (or this Paleo vanilla ice cream).
Store
This cinnamon roasted almonds recipe makes a lot of nuts. I always make the full recipe and enjoy some, then freeze the rest for later. I like to have them on hand to pull out and use on salads or eat as a snack. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Freeze
- Let roasted almonds cool completely
- Transfer to a freezer-friendly, airtight container.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Let thaw at room temperature and enjoy! They thaw very quickly, and even taste great frozen!
Recipe FAQS
These last for up to 1 week at room temperature, 2 weeks in the refrigerator, and 2 months in the freezer.
Yes! These freeze very well. Let them cool completely then store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
If they are soft you likely did not bake them long enough. Follow the directions exactly. If you did and still ended up with soft almonds, it’s likely your oven isn’t heating to the correct temperature. Use an oven thermometer to check and make sure it’s heating properly.
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Candied Almonds (Cinnamon Sugar Almonds)
Ingredients
- 16 oz raw almonds (about 3 cups)
- 1 egg white
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet. (Do NOT use parchment paper or foil. Bake directly on the greased pan).
- In a small bowl, combine sugar, sea salt, and cinnamon, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whip egg white and vanilla with a whisk until frothy (about 1 minute).
- Add almonds to wet mixture and stir until evenly coated.
- Once almonds are coated, sprinkle the dry ingredients over the almonds and stir until evenly distributed. Make sure to scrape any extra cinnamon sugar mixture off the sides and bottom of the bowl and incorporate it into the almonds.
- Spread the almonds evenly, in a single layer, on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 250 degrees F for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes. Even if they look done after 45 minutes trust me and bake for the full hour.
- After one hour remove the almonds from the oven, give them a final stir and let them cool on the baking sheet or enjoy them warm!
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer!
Video
Notes
- Raw Almonds. Use raw, unsalted almonds. I don’t recommend any substitutions, although I have had other people using a variety of nuts with great success.
- Egg white. I do not recommend making any substitutes for the egg white.
- Vanilla Extract. Technically you can substitute 1 TBS water for the vanilla extract, although I do not recommend that substitution. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Granulated Sugar. Regular granulated sugar and organic cane sugar are the two varieties I have used to make these cinnamon sugar almonds.
- Fine Sea Salt. If you only have iodized table salt, you will need to cut the amount of salt in half.
- Ground Cinnamon. Use a high-quality ground cinnamon for the absolute best flavor.
- Let almonds cool completely
- Transfer to a freezer-friendly, airtight container.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Let thaw at room temperature and enjoy! They thaw very quickly, and even taste great frozen!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Making my second double batch as I am posting this. These almonds are better than any I have ever gotten elsewhere. This recipe is a keeper for sure. And I will be sharing. Thanks!
I’ve made this recipe several times with amazing success each and every time. It is super easy. I’ve tried this recipe with almonds, pecans, and walnuts (separately). All are fabulous! Thanks for this fabulous recipe.
hello i wanted to make these day!! but i have a question. i have tons of bagged dry roasted almonds, am i able to use those??
No, they need to be raw.
Note that when recipe is multiplied.. it still says 3 cups almonds!!!!!
Do you mean in the instructions? Multiplying the recipe only changes the quantities in the ingredient section – unfortunately it cannot change the written instructions.
Very easy to follow with great results. I do wish for a thicker candy and more cinnamon flavor but I needed a gluten free snack for my hubby and here is one! Thanks for sharing!
I LOVE these almonds! So easy to make, and so tasty!
Why not use parchment paper?
because the liquid from the almonds soaks into the parchment paper instead of the nuts. You can use a silicone baking mat, but really you don’t need either.
What do you use to grease the pan an how much?
As in the video, I use a non-stick spray. I imagine you could slather the cooking sheet with a thin coating of shortening. The egg whites makes the mixture stick to even non-stick pans if not coated.
Love this recipe, and have made these almonds several times already in the past year. The almonds are super easy to make, and I’m always sure to have the ingredients on hand at any given time. When neighbors pop by and I happen to be baking these, the house smells so divine that they always ask what is in the oven, and you can see their eyes light up when I tell them.
I’m planning on making small gift portions to give along with my homemade almond liqueur for friends and neighbors this Christmas.
I’m really looking forward to making these…can a Silpat be used in place of greasing the baking sheet without detriment to the end result? Thanks –
Yes it can!
I’m going to start this review by saying that almonds are not my favorite nut. I love baking with almond flavoring, but almonds are usually the last nut I’ll pick from the mixed nut jar. Well, I made these this morning and I can NOT stop eating them. The only word I can use to describe these are DIVINE! I will definitely be making these again and will probably give these nuts away for gifts come Christmas. Thank you Laura, for a recipe that finally made me adore almonds.