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Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews

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Easy Candied Cashews are crunchy, a little bit salty, and a little sweet with the cinnamon sugar coating. Perfect for snacking or gifting!

overhead shot of cinnamon sugar candied cashews in a white bowl

Cinnamon Sugar Cashews

Making these candied cashews only takes a few minutes to prep and under an hour to crisp up in the oven. They are the perfect blend of salty and sweet and will make your house smell AMAZING.

Years ago I published my slow cooker candied almonds recipe and it is always really popular around the holidays.

Without fail, I get asked “can I make these with pecans?”, “can I make these with cashews?”. The answer is yes. And here they are.

Even better, mix all three together for some candied nuts that you won’t be able to stop snacking on.

white bowl filled with sugared cashews

Ingredients you’ll need

You only need a few ingredients to candy cashews. I’ll list them below with possible substitutions and helpful tips. **Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.**

Cashews – Use unsalted cashews, unless you like a sharp sweet/salty contrast. I like to buy them in bulk from Sam’s Club or Costco. They’re especially easy to find around the holidays but you can also order them.

Egg White – You’ll whisk up an egg white to use as a binder for the sugars to the cashews.

Vanilla Extract – I know that vanilla is pricey but using real instead of imitation really makes a difference. This is another one I always stock up on from Sam’s Club or Costco for a bit of a price break.

Sugars – I use a mix of granulated white sugar and light brown sugar. You can use all white sugar, if you prefer.

Cinnamon – For the best flavor, try to use a high quality cinnamon like ceylon.

Salt – To balance the sweet, use a bit of salt. I like kosher salt but table salt works as well. If you’re using salted cashews, you can skip the additional salt.

overhead shot of labeled ingredients in bowls to make candied cashews

Things you’ll need

You don’t need much to make sugared cashews – just a few kitchen staples. This recipe is for the oven but you can also make them in the slow cooker like the almonds, but it really isn’t any easier.

  • Baking sheet – You’ll want a lipped baking sheet so your cashews don’t slide off and hit the floor.
  • Mixing bowls – When I’m not using my classic glass mixing bowls, I love these with the grippy bottoms.
  • Whisk – To froth up the egg white, you’ll need a whisk (or a fork if you don’t have one).
  • Treat Bags – These cashews make a great gift if you bag them up into cute little bags.

How to make cinnamon sugar candied cashews

  1. STEP ONE: To a small bowl, mix together the sugars, salt, and cinnamon. Then, to a medium bowl, whisk the egg white, vanilla extract, and water until frothy. Then, pour the cashews in and stir to evenly coat. Next, pour the sugar mixture over the cashews and stir to evenly coat again.
  2. STEP TWO: Pour the coated cashews onto a lipped baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat and spread them around so they’re in an even layer.
  3. STEP THREE: Bake in a preheated oven at 250° F, for 50 minutes, stirring after the first 20 minutes.
  4. STEP FOUR: Remove from the oven and let set/chill. Once they’ve cooled down, break the cashews apart, if any are stuck together, and serve!
collage of three photos showing the process of making candied cashews

Candied Cashews FAQs

Why are my candied cashews sticky?

If your cashews are sticky, it is likely you didn’t let them cook long enough. Sugar has to get hot enough to get to that brittle, candied state so that it crisps up.

Is a cashew a nut?

Fun fact: cashews are not nuts, even though most people think they are. They’re very similar to other true nuts like chestnuts and hazelnuts.

Walnuts, pecans, almonds, and pistachios also aren’t true nuts. They’re seeds of drupes, just like cashews. Learn more here.

You can use cashews in many recipes like trail mixes or nut butters and they’re rich in healthy fats and protein.

How do I make these candied cashews vegan?

The egg white is used to bind the sugars to the cashews. If you’re vegan, or allergic, you can whisk up aquafaba (chickpea juice) or I’m told flax seed will also work. Here are some other alternatives.

How to store them

Store your cinnamon sugar cashews in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Longer than that, move them to the fridge for a couple weeks. Longer than that? Freeze them. I like to keep them in a freezer bag and grab a handful every time I pass them…

close up of candied cashews in a white bowl

Can I freeze them

Yes, candied cashews freeze really well. First, let them cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container (a ziplock bag will work, just press out excess air), then place them in the freezer. They’ll keep frozen for a couple months.

How to serve them

Candied cashews are delicious straight out of the bowl as a snack or grazing food, but they also make a great homemade gift.

If you’re going to package them up for gifts, serving them out of mini glass jars is perfect because they’ll be airtight, or putting a pretty ribbon around them in a treat bag is also easy.

Need more recipes nutty recipes? Try these:

Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Crockpot Peanut Clusters

Click here for my entire collection of dessert recipes.

candied cashews with text reading "candied cashews"

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overhead shot of cinnamon sugar candied cashews in a white bowl

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Cashews

Melissa Williams | Persnickety Plates
Easy Candied Cashews are crunchy, a little bit salty, and a little sweet with the cinnamon sugar coating. Perfect for snacking or gifting!
4.83 from 52 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 4 cups
Calories 822 kcal

Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 250° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugars, cinnamon, and salt.
  • In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white, vanilla, and water until frothy.
  • Pour the cashews into the egg white mixture and stir to evenly coat.
  • Pour the cashews into the sugar mixture and stir to evenly coat.
  • Spread the cashews evenly onto the prepared baking sheet, trying to keep them in a single layer.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, stir, then bake another 30 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and let set. Once slightly cooled, break apart any cashews that are stuck together and serve.

Video

Notes

  • If you like a sharp salty to sweet contrast, you can use salted cashews or increase the salt to a full teaspoon.
  • If you prefer, you can use all white sugar in place of the brown sugar.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature. Longer than that, move to the fridge. If storing longer than two weeks, freeze in an airtight container for up to two months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 822kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 24gFat: 57gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 31gSodium: 324mgPotassium: 887mgFiber: 5gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 9mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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  1. Ryan says

    Are these gluten free?

    • Melissa Williams says

      You would have to check your individual ingredients.

  2. Dianne says

    So how much cayenne pepper?!

    • Melissa Williams says

      This recipe doesn’t call for cayenne pepper. You could add 1/8-1/4 tsp, or however much you like.

  3. Marla says

    Can I substitute Swerve granular and Swerve brown sugar to make it diabetic friendly?

  4. Chris says

    Does it matter if you use salted and roasted or unsalted and unroasted?

    • Melissa Williams says

      Not really, it just depends on your preference. I start with plain since you’re doctoring them.

  5. Hannah Gonzalez says

    Hi there! Can I use unroasted/ raw cashews

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