Sweet and crunchy slow cooker cinnamon sugar candied almonds are just like you get from the mall or a festival but made right in your slow cooker!
Crockpot Candied Almonds
Over the weekend I was browsing through Pinterest and saw this recipe for slow cooker cinnamon sugar candied almonds in my feed. I had other things to do but I knew I wanted to try it out immediately.
Once in a blue moon, I like to get the warm sugared almonds from the mall or in the little paper cone at a festival so how cool would it be to make them at home?
Slow Cooker Cinnamon Sugar Candied Almonds
While you’re making these almonds, you may have your doubts that they’re going to turn out right. For awhile, it will just seem like you’re stirring around some almonds in a pot of sand.
But, like magic, in that last hour, after you pour the water in, they come together and you get perfectly candied almonds.
Though the process is a little time consuming, you’re not actually doing much, you just need to stir them every 20 minutes. I prepped them then made baby food and dinner while they were cooking. Your house will smell amazing.
I got the almonds from Sam’s Club and they were just under $13 for 40 oz/2 lbs. You can also get them on Amazon for a few dollars more, but it’s convenient if you don’t have a Sam’s membership.
If you bag these up for gifts, you could give 9 people a half a cup with that $13 worth of almonds. I think it’s a cute gift – especially if you wrap them up in holiday packaging.
Candied Almonds Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.
- Almonds – Of course. You’ll want to use raw almonds, not roasted. Like I said, I got mine at Target and they were slightly cheaper at Sam’s Club. If you have time, Amazon is convenient and comparable.
- Sugars – You’ll use a combo of both granulated white sugar and light brown sugar.
- Cinnamon – I say this all the time but get a good quality cinnamon, especially when its a key ingredient.
- Salt – To balance the sweetness.
- Egg White – The egg white acts as a glue to hold the sugars to the almonds.
- Vanilla – Again, I know vanilla is expensive, but you a good, quality pure vanilla extract and not imitation. I get mine in bulk at Sam’s Club.
- Water – Adding water is one of the final steps and it helps create the crunchy coating.
How do I make these vegan?
If you want to make these almonds vegan, you can swap out the egg whites for chick pea juice (aquafaba). 3 Tablespoons of aquafaba replaces one egg white.
I first published these sugared almonds in 2014 and they’re always popular around the holidays.
I’ve made them successfully many times but I wasn’t sure why some of you were having issues, so I wanted to test. I went back in, tweaked some of the measurements, and I’ve made another version that works really well.
I’m sure there are variations in slow cookers (including age), which I can’t really guess or accommodate for.
I will put the modified recipe below the recipe card (below) if you want to give that one a shot. The recipe in the card is the original. Both work really well for me!
Equipment you’ll need
- Slow Cooker – Whether you have a Crock Pot brand or different slow cooker, you’ll need one for this recipe. I’ve had this Hamilton Beach version for years and love it.
- Holiday treat bags – These almonds make really cute (& delicious gifts) when you portion them out into pretty little bags!
- Whisk – You’ll need to whisk up the egg white with the vanilla until it’s frothy.
- Large Mixing Bowl – I talk about these mixing bowls all the time because they’re my favorite. They make a great gift.
- Baking Sheet – Once the almonds are done in the slow cooker, you’ll need to spread them out onto a baking sheet to separate and cool. I like baking sheets with lips so nothing slides off the edges, especially when you’re dealing with almonds.
Need more cinnamon treats in your life? Try these:
- Chocolate Stuffed Cinnamon & Sugar Pull Apart Bread
- Cinnamon Quick Bread
- Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls
- Candied Pecans
- Candied Cashews
Slow Cooker Cinnamon Sugar Candied Almonds
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups granulated white sugar
- 1.5 cups brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg white
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4.5 cups raw almonds
- 3 Tablespoons water as needed
Instructions
- Spray your slow cooker with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk together.
- In another large bowl, add the egg white and vanilla and whisk until frothy.
- Pour the almonds in the egg mixture and toss them around to coat thoroughly.
- Pour the coated almonds into the sugar mixture and toss to coat.
- Pour the entire mixture into the slow cooker and turn to LOW.
- Cook for 3-3.5 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. It will look like not much is happening for a long time but your house will smell good!
- After 3 hours, pour in 2 Tablespoons of water and stir well. If they look dry, add another 1 Tablespoon of water. This is going to make the crunchy coating and things will start looking right.
- Replace cover & cook for another 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- When done, pour the almonds onto the prepared baking sheet and separate any that stuck together. Let them cool slightly to harden then enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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.
Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying/pasting and/or screenshots of full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Content and photographs are copyright protected.
Originally published November 18, 2014
Here are the modified measurements, in case you were part of the 20% that had problems & want to give this a try:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg white
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4.5 cups raw almonds
- 2-3 Tb water
I have been using this recipe since 2014 and I love it! I make these every year as gifts. My coworkers love getting them at our work Christmas party! I actually have a batch in the crock pot right now. I see nothing wrong with this recipe. Everyone is going to have their own personal taste. I use 6cups of almonds and half the cinnamon.
Thank you for reporting back! I love that it’s a tradition for you ❤️
I tried this recipe in my (4-quart) crockpot and after following the recipe to the end, there seemed to be way too much sugar/cinnamon mixture still leftover, and the water didn’t seem to evenly distribute, and a taste-tested candied almond seemed still pretty raw. I decided to put 1/3 of the mix onto a cookie sheet, 1/3 of it in a cake pan, and left the last 1/3 in the crockpot to cook longer. I added a bit more water and let things cook longer, and it turned out much better! I think my issue was not having a larger sized crockpot. My family is so excited to snack on these for the next few weeks!
The smaller size could definitely be an issue. I use a 6 quart. I’m glad they turned out in the end!
Worked really well cutting the recipe in half and turning the crockpot down after 2 hours from low to warm. Very good!
Yummy and super easy! Taste just like the ones at the fair❤️
So happy to hear that! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
I only have roasted almonds
Can I still use them?
Yep
These are so good! I was wondering how you would store them. How long will they stay fresh? Or can I freeze them? Thanks for posting this!
I have never tried freezing them but they last for up to a week in an airtight container. Mine rarely last that long though 🙂 I’m glad you liked them!
Omg! Made these this morning and they are wonderful. I used your regular recipe just added a few more tablespoons of water. Turned out beautifully. Thank you so much for recipe. Will be making all the time.😊
Thanks so much for reporting back & I’m so happy to hear that 🙂 Merry Christmas!
My crockpot has a high or low setting. Can I use low for 3 hours?
Yes, that’s what the recipe calls for 🙂
Yum. I followed the modified directions and this will be my ‘go-to’ sweet gift this year! Easy and delicious.
I love that – thanks for the review! Merry Christmas 🙂
Would you change anything about the process if you wanted to candy a different kind of nut? My dad prefers walnuts and I’d like to make something for him.
I haven’t tested with walnuts, but I think they should work the same.
I made this and it turned out great. I did have one question, why an egg white? Could I just use water instead to coat the almonds?
I’m glad you liked them! Water isn’t going to “grip” like the egg white does. But you could try!
What temperature should the cockpot be set on?
LOW. Step 6 🙂
You said in one of the comments that they would last up to a week in an airtight container. Could you keep them longer?
Yes, I think they’ll be fine longer as long as they’re keep in a container…mine have just never lasted that long 🙂
Egg white…? How many? Just one? I’ve read thru the entire post and even clicked thru 9n the Print link to see he recipe card. It doesn’t mention how many egg whites.
Thanks
Forgive me. Found it!, My mistake. 🤦🏻♀️
Lol ok 🙂
Are the Almonds supposed to be kind of stale tasting? I’m not sure if I cooked them too long or not long enough. I am using a 6 quart crockpot. Maybe it’s not big enough?
No, they shouldn’t taste stale. They do firm up as they’ve cooled/set. Did they get better for you?
Too liquidly and almonds were all stuck together. I’ll try another recipe next time.
It shouldn’t have been too liquidy & you break apart any almonds after they set.
Your recipe calls for 1/4 water. But no where is the recipe states to what or when to add 1/4 of water
Yes it does –
After 3 hours, pour in 2 Tablespoons of water and stir well. If they look dry, add another 1 Tablespoon of water. This is going to make the crunchy coating and things will start looking right.
Over the top easy and delicious recipe!
Yay, thanks!
These almonds turned out excellent. I followed your recipe & it was perfect. I will definitely be using this recipe again. Thank you.
Thanks, Liz!
Love love love these! I’ve been making them around the holidays for a few years now. I double the amount of almonds with the same measurements for everything else and they turn out perfect for me. Also I add a teaspoon of salt instead of an 1/8th and use an extra egg white to get good coverage on 9 cups of almonds. Thank you so much for these. Love making and sharing them 💕
Thanks for reporting back, Audrey!
I don’t think it’s the recipes fault but I don’t recommend using a liner in the crockpot with these. We wasted the whole recipe because the liner melted and got all over the almonds. Will try again but without the liner next time.
I’m sorry that happened. I never recommend using a liner.
Followed the second recipe using 4 C almonds.
Absolutely perfect. I will keep this and make it again. I like the option of using a little less sugar.
Thank you, Teena! Happy to hear that 🙂