Most crock pot candied nut recipes take a simple cinnamon‑sugar mixture, use beaten egg whites and vanilla to help it cling to the nuts, then let the slow cooker do the gentle “roasting” and caramelizing over a few hours. Mixed nuts—often a blend of pecans, almonds, cashews, and sometimes walnuts—are tossed in frothy egg whites and vanilla, coated thoroughly in a mix of white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and then cooked on low in the crock pot while you stir occasionally.
Toward the end, a small splash of water is sometimes added to help the sugar crystallize into that familiar, crunchy shell. Once done, the nuts are spread on parchment to cool and dry, and they set into shiny, crunchy, cinnamon‑sugar candied nuts that keep well and are dangerously easy to grab by the handful.
Equipment
- 4–6 quart slow cooker (Crock Pot) for “roasting” and candying the nuts.
- Large mixing bowl to hold the nuts for tossing with the egg white mixture.
- Medium bowl for whisking egg whites, vanilla, and sometimes melted butter or spices.
- Small bowl for combining sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon (and other spices, if used).
- Whisk or fork for beating egg whites until frothy.
- Wooden spoon or heat‑safe spatula for stirring nuts in the slow cooker every 20–30 minutes.
- Nonstick cooking spray to lightly grease the slow cooker insert.
- Rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper for cooling and drying the cooked nuts.
- Airtight jars, tins, or containers for storing the candied nuts and for gifting.
Ingredients (with measurements)
- 6–12 cups unsalted mixed nuts; a common home‑size batch is 6 cups, while some recipes double to 12 cups for big gifting batches.
- 2–4 egg whites (2 for about 6 cups nuts; 4 for 12 cups).
- 1–2 teaspoons vanilla extract (1 tsp for 6 cups, 2 tsp for 12 cups).
- ¾–2 cups granulated sugar (¾ cup for 6 cups nuts; 2 cups for 12 cups nuts).
- ¾–1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (¾ cup for 6 cups nuts; 1 cup for 12 cups).
- 1–2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (1 tablespoon for 6 cups nuts; 2 tablespoons for 12 cups).
- 1–2 teaspoons salt (1 teaspoon for 6 cups; 2 teaspoons for 12 cups), to balance the sweetness.
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water, added near the end of cooking to help the sugar crystallize and form a crunchy coating.
Some variations add melted butter (about 2–4 tablespoons) to the egg white mixture for richer flavor and shine, and spices like ginger, nutmeg, or allspice can be added to the sugar mixture for more complex spicing.
Instructions and steps
Making crock pot candied nuts is mostly about building a sticky coating that adheres well and then letting gentle heat dry and caramelize that coating.
It begins with mixing the sugar and spice blend. In a small bowl, granulated sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt (plus any additional spices like ginger or nutmeg) are stirred together until evenly combined. This dry mixture will be sprinkled over the egg‑white‑coated nuts so it sticks to every surface.
Next, the egg white mixture is prepared. In a medium bowl, egg whites and vanilla extract are whisked together until frothy—not stiff peaks, just bubbly and slightly thickened.
This frothiness helps the egg whites cling to the nuts and act as glue for the sugar and spices. If using melted butter, some recipes stir it into the egg whites at this stage along with the vanilla.
The nuts are then coated. Mixed nuts are placed in a large mixing bowl, and the frothy egg white mixture is poured over them. The nuts are tossed gently but thoroughly until each piece looks glossy and lightly coated in egg white. Immediately afterward, the sugar‑spice mixture is sprinkled over the nuts in batches, tossing between additions to ensure an even coating.
By the end, the nuts should be evenly covered in a sticky, sandy sugar mixture with very little dry sugar left in the bowl; if there is extra, it will still end up in the crock pot and contribute to the final coating.
Before adding the nuts, the slow cooker is prepared. The crock pot insert is lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or brushed with a bit of neutral oil or melted butter to help prevent sticking and make cleanup easier. The coated nuts are then poured into the slow cooker and spread into an even layer.
Cooking is done on low or high depending on the recipe, but most mixed‑nut recipes for large batches choose low heat. The lid is placed on, and the nuts are cooked on LOW for about 2–3 hours, with frequent stirring—typically every 20–30 minutes—to prevent burning and to redistribute the sugar coating as it melts and caramelizes.
Stirring is key here: because slow cookers can develop hot spots, frequent stirring keeps the sugar from clumping or scorching on the bottom and helps each nut get evenly candied.
About 20–30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, a small amount of water—usually about ¼ cup—is added to the slow cooker and stirred through the nuts. This may seem counterintuitive, but that bit of water helps dissolve some of the sugar briefly and then, as it evaporates, encourages the sugar to recrystallize into that distinctive crunchy, slightly sandy candy shell. After the water is added, cooking continues with occasional stirring until the nuts look dry, glossy, and well coated.
Once cooking is complete, the nuts are immediately spread out on a parchment‑lined baking sheet (or several sheets, if making a big batch), in a relatively single layer so they can cool and dry properly. Some clumping is normal, but they can be gently broken apart with a spoon or fingers as they cool. Allowing them to cool completely at room temperature lets the coating fully harden and ensures they stay crunchy in storage.
Once fully cooled and dry to the touch, the crock pot candied nuts can be transferred to airtight containers, jars, or bags. Stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place, they usually keep well for up to a week or more; some sources mention they can last longer but may gradually lose crispness if exposed to humidity. For extra long storage, they can be frozen in airtight bags and thawed at room temperature when needed.
Variations
Crock pot candied nuts invite lots of variation in nut selection, spice blends, and sweetness levels while keeping the base method the same. For nuts, many recipes call for equal parts almonds, pecans, and cashews, but you can use any combination—walnuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, or even peanuts can be added or substituted.
Some cooks go with a bag of roasted, unsalted mixed nuts to simplify shopping and keep costs down, especially for large batches.
Spice profiles can be tailored to taste. The most common flavoring is cinnamon, often with just salt and vanilla to highlight it. For a more complex, “spiced nut” flavor, ground ginger, nutmeg, and allspice are sometimes added, turning them into something closer to a chai or pumpkin‑spice candied nut. A pinch of cayenne or chili powder can be included for a sweet‑heat twist that’s popular on snack boards and bar snacks.
Sweetness can also be adjusted. Recipes using more brown sugar than white sugar produce a deeper, caramel‑like flavor and slightly chewier shell, while those with more white sugar tend to give a lighter, more brittle crunch.
Using dark brown sugar leads to richer molasses notes, especially when paired with pecans and walnuts. Some health‑oriented versions reduce the total sugar and rely more on spices, though these yield a thinner coating and less of the classic “candy” shell.
Beyond cinnamon‑sugar, there are savory‑sweet variations. Some recipes incorporate rosemary, thyme, smoked paprika, or curry powder with reduced sugar for candied spiced nuts that are more suited to cheese boards or salads than dessert trays.
Adding a bit of maple syrup or honey to the egg white mixture is another way to tweak flavor; this creates a slightly stickier coating at first, but once dried, it infuses the nuts with maple or floral notes.
The method itself can be adapted, too. Although the crock pot is the star here, many of the same recipes include oven instructions as an alternative: the sugar‑coated nuts are spread on parchment‑lined baking sheets and baked at low temperature (often around 250–300°F) with occasional stirring until dry and crisp.
The slow cooker version, however, remains popular because it is more forgiving, less hands‑on, and does not tie up oven space during busy holiday cooking.
Serving ideas go beyond snacking. Crock pot candied nuts make excellent toppings for salads (especially spinach salads with fruit and cheese), oatmeal, yogurt, and ice cream. They’re also widely recommended as edible gifts: packed into mason jars tied with ribbon, added to cookie tins, or portioned into small bags for party favors.
Because they ship relatively well and don’t require refrigeration, they’re a convenient option for sharing homemade treats with friends and family who live far away.
In all these variations, the backbone of the recipe stays consistent: coat nuts in frothy egg whites and vanilla, toss them in a cinnamon‑sugar mixture, cook low and slow in the crock pot with regular stirring (and a finishing splash of water), then cool them in a single layer until crisp. That simple method reliably produces big batches of crunchy, aromatic candied nuts that taste like they came from a gourmet shop, with very little active time in the kitchen.