Candied Pine Nuts

Candied Pine Nuts

These Candied Pine Nuts are irresistibly rich and delicious. They are buttery and sweetened with maple syrup, with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon. And the best part is that they will be ready in less than 15 minutes (Plus the cooling time.)

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Candied Pine Nuts

Hello friends! I hope you are doing well, and you are ready to enjoy the weekend. Any great plans?

We have some too. Burning wood to heat up the house (And also, for some added cozy ambience), enjoying some hearty and warming soup (like this Chunky Sweet Potato Soup), and drinking a lot of tea. Why? We are expecting a very cold night and partly – tomorrow afternoon. They promise ~ 25 C below zero with the windchill being around 40.

You see, we will need a lot of tea. And something delicious, too.

Like these scrumptious Candied Pine Nuts!

Indeed, I have not made and photographed any sweet recipe this year yet. (On a side note, it does not mean we do not eat desserts. Oh, I wish! Perhaps, way too many desserts.) So this is the recipe from last winter – and it’s too good not to share.

Pine Nuts

I know what you are probably thinking. Pine nuts are super expensive to use them so generously for recipes – especially these days when groceries are getting less affordable for so many people.

Agreed. But the thing is we ALWAYS buy nuts – as we eat a lot of them – at Costco (Not advertised; the opinion is entirely my own.) You see, a ~600 gr. bag of pine nuts here costs just a little more than 20 Canadian dollars which is not too bad. But if you buy pine nuts at other grocery stores, they would cost you $10 for what? 150-200 grams maybe. You see the difference? The same applies to other nuts and seeds. The Costco package of nuts can last for a while for many people. Not for our family, though. As you can see, that’s a great deal. And if you don’t buy nuts (and not only) at Costco or similar companies, then you should consider doing that!

Candied Pine Nuts

These Candied Pine Nuts are made just with six ingredients, with four of them being optional. Butter, maple syrup, pine nuts, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon.

First, you will need to combine and boil for a few minutes the butter and maple syrup, until thickened and lightly browned. Then you will need to decrease heat, add the pine nuts, and cook, stirring often, for about ten minutes, until the nuts are nicely toasted. Optionally, you can add vanilla extract and cinnamon, for the added flavour.

Probably, the most challenging part would be waiting until the nuts are at least slightly cooled, but it will take about 20 minutes or so.

Because the syrup, Candied Pine Nuts will form easily breakable clusters. But they are soft (not really caramelized, more like sugared) and not like brittle – just do not overcook the syrup, otherwise the coating layer could turn into a harder candy!

I used two cups of pine nuts here, but of course feel free to reduce the amount to one or even 1/2 of cup. But trust me, they will disappear fast!

If you don’t like or don’t have pine nuts on hand, you can definitely use other nuts of your choice. For the softer version, think of cashews and pecans. For the crunchier dessert think of walnuts or almonds.

I hope you like these Candied Pine Nuts, and you will give them a try shortly. If you make it, let me know in this post or send me an Instagram message or share your photos adding the hashtag #havocinthekitchen.

Cheers!

Candied Pine Nuts
Candied Pine Nuts

Candied Pine Nuts

Recipe by Ben | HavocinthekitchenCourse: Snacks, Dessert
Servings

8-10

servings
Cooking time

15

minutes
Cooling time

20-30

minutes

Candied Pine Nuts are rich and delicious soft type of candied nuts. Made with butter, maple syrup, and a hint of vanilla and cinnamon.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups pine nuts

  • 100 gr. butter

  • 1 and 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • pinch of salt

  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Directions

  • In a small-medium heavy-bottom saucepan melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the maple syrup and salt. Boil for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened and lightly browned.
  • Decrease heat to low (or medium low.) Keep the syrup over this heat for 30-40 seconds to cool down a bit.
  • Stir in the pine nuts, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon, to coat.
  • Keep cooking, stirring very often, for about 10 minutes, until the nuts are pleasantly browned. Keep an eye on the saucepan because pine nuts can easily be burned – so you might need to adjust the heat.
  • At the end, if desired, stir in the vanilla extract and (or) cinnamon. Stir for a few seconds and turn the heat off.
  • Transfer the pine nuts on a large plate or tray, linen with parchment or foil, flattening with a spatula or spoon. Let it cool for about 20 minutes or so then break into clusters and enjoy. Store the leftovers in air-tight container.

28 thoughts on “Candied Pine Nuts

  1. JenniferS says:

    I made a half batch of this recipe with a scant 1cup of pine nuts I had left over from the Holidays, cutting everything exactly in half. Came together very fast. My pine nuts didn’t really seem to change colour but I could tell the syrup mixture was reducing well and getting thicker. I’m not an expert candy maker by any stretch but have a decent amount of experience. I can see someone trying candy for the first time maybe taking it a bit too far. I was very happy with the set. It broke up nicely. Flavour is great. My kids who are not huge on Nuts enjoyed them too. They aren’t converted, but add enough sugar to anything and most kids will eat it hahaha. I’d make it again for sure. It’s a winner.

  2. Raymund says:

    Wow, sounds like you’re all set for a cozy and delicious winter weekend! Those candied pine nuts sound amazing, I love the idea of adding some extra flavor with vanilla and cinnamon. And thank you for the tip about buying nuts in bulk, it’s great to know about cost-saving options. Can’t wait to try this recipe and enjoy the weekend. Thanks for sharing!
    Raymund recently posted…Hapuka NuggetsMy Profile

  3. David @ Spiced says:

    We always buy nuts at Costco, too, Ben! (Well, Sam’s Club here since we don’t have a Costco…but similar type of store.) I do love candied nuts, but I have never used pine nuts in a recipe like this. I need to try it out! And I hope you guys stayed warm during this little cold snap – I do miss having a wood-burning fireplace!
    David @ Spiced recently posted…Muffaletta Olive SaladMy Profile

  4. Michelle says:

    Never thought to candy pine nuts, but these look amazing! We also get our nuts from Costco — definitely most economical!

  5. Neil says:

    Pine nuts are REALLY expensive here in Scotland. I tend to only buy them to make my own pesto. But your candied pine nuts do look delicious so I’m tempted to make them. Also never tried candied nuts of any sort before! Keep warm there Ben!
    Neil recently posted…Leftover Chicken Noodle SoupMy Profile

  6. Shashi says:

    This Candied Pine Nuts recipe is such a winner, Ben! I love that you only need 6 ingredients to make this! And you are not kidding about the rising price of nuts as well as the deal you can get by buying nuts (and more) at Costco! I think I might be the only single adult household that still shops at Costco – but the deals are hard to beat! I have some walnuts from there, and I might need to use some to make a candied walnut recipe based on this! I hope you all stay warm up there – a windchill around 40 below is no joke!
    Shashi recently posted…Oat PuddingMy Profile

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