Easy Holiday Candied Chestnuts – Quick Festive Treat

This holiday candied chestnuts recipe offers a shortcut to the classic marrons glacé experience – rich, sweet, and spiced – without the multi-day soaking and candying process. Instead, the chestnuts are simmered in a syrup of brown sugar, honey, butter, warming spices, and optional brandy, producing a delicious, festive snack or gift.

This post originally appeared in November 2024 and last updated (text and recipe card) in October 2025.

Hello, folks! How are you doing? I hope you are doing well this week, and that you are getting ready for the weekend. If you ask me, I was ready on Monday around 9 am!

Today I am going to keep it short and sweet. Besides, who needs long conversations when you have a delicious recipe? And these festive Quick Candied Chestnuts are utterly good, believe me.

Easy Candied Chestnuts Recipe v Marrons Glacé

Have you heard of Marrons Glacé? These are candied chestnuts, and I have wanted to make this recipe for years. A challenge? They require a lot of time and effort to invest – I am talking like 3 days from start to finish. Maybe, one day I can tackle this classic recipe, but not today, definitely not.

So, one day I was browsing the Internet for some inspiration, and I found it on the blog Drive Me Hungry – the recipe for Quick Candied Chestnuts. Cooking time? About 20 minutes plus time for cooling. Yes, these are different from Marrons Glacé, but I am taking it!

I followed Jamie’s recipe, with a few tweaks, to make it even more exciting. I used a combination of brown sugar and honey, as well as opted for a combination of warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. And a good splash (or a few!) of brandy never hurts. Chestnuts, honey, spices, and brandy… don’t this recipe scream: “Holidays!”? I think there is even more room for an experiment. Think of infusing the syrup by adding, for example, clementine zest or rosemary!

Why You’ll Like This Holiday Candied Chestnuts Recipe

• It dramatically reduces the time compared to traditional candied chestnuts (marrons glacé) while still delivering a deeply flavored treat.
• The method is straightforward and hands-on – no long steeping or multi-day candying.
• The combination of sweet syrup, warm spices, and a splash of brandy makes these chestnuts taste luxurious and holiday-worthy.
• They make fantastic edible gifts or additions to a dessert board.
• Once cooled, the chestnuts are sticky outside but remain soft and tender within.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Quick Candied Chestnuts

These Quick Candied Chestnuts require just a bunch of simple ingredients:

• Cooked, peeled chestnuts – the star of the recipe; soft, creamy nuts that carry the syrup. You can find vacuum-packed chestnuts in most supermarkets and Asian stores.
• Water – forms the base of the candying liquid and helps dissolve sugars
• Light brown (or golden) sugar – provides sweetness, colour, and rich caramel notes
• Honey – adds nuanced sweetness, depth, and a bit of chewiness to the syrup
• Butter – enriches the syrup, giving silky texture and a mellow fat presence
• Salt – balances the syrup’s sweetness and enhances overall flavor
• Cinnamon & ginger – primary warm spices that lend seasonal and aromatic notes
• Nutmeg (freshly grated, generous) – adds a subtle, warm autumnal undertone
• Brandy (optional splash) – introduces a refined, boozy nuance and helps lift the syrup’s richness

More Festive Chestnut Recipes

And be sure to check more festive recipes with chestnuts:

• Chestnut Jam
• Cranberry Chestnut Relish
• Cheese Chestnut Biscuits
• Chocolate Chestnut Shortbread Cookies
• Crêpes with leftover Turkey, Chestnuts and Cranberries
• Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Chestnuts

I hope you like this holiday candied chestnuts recipe, and you will enjoy it this holiday season. If you make it, let me know in this post or send me an Instagram message or share your photos by adding the hashtag #havocinthekitchen.

Cheers!

Print

Easy Holiday Candied Chestnuts – Quick Festive Treat

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: Christmas, Chestnut Recipes, Snacks and Treats

Servings

8-12

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

These Quick Candied Chestnuts have a soft and tender interior and a slightly chewy and sticky exterior. Chestnuts are candied in a mixture of brown sugar, honey, butter, warming spices, and brandy for a delicious holiday snack or even gift.

Adapted from Quick Candied Chestnuts Recipe – Drive Me Hungry

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Ingredients

• 400 gr. cooked and peeled chestnuts (I used vacuum-packed)

• 2 cups (500 ml.) water

• 2/3 cup (125 gr.) light-brown (golden) sugar

• 2 tbsp. (40 gr.) honey

• 2 tbsp. (30 gr.) butter

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and ginger, each

• a few generous gratings of nutmeg

• a few generous splashes (2-3 tbsp. or 30-45 ml.) of brandy (optional)

Directions

• Add the water, sugar, honey, butter, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to a pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the chestnuts and stir gently to coat them with the syrup, being careful not to break apart the nuts. Let the mixture boil uncovered until most of the liquid has evaporated evaporated, which should take between 15 to 20 minutes.
• At the end, if desired, add the brandy and let the alcohol burn down for a minute or so.
• Turn the heat off and let the chestnuts slightly cool. Then using a slotted spoon, remove the chestnuts allowing the excess of the syrup to drain and place them on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Let the chestnuts completely cool, about 30 minutes and enjoy!