Glazed Walnuts

These glazed walnuts have a crunchy coating of pure maple syrup! They’re easy to make and healthier than candied nuts: perfect for salads and snacking.

Here’s a trick that’s perfect as a crunchy topping for salads, oatmeal, or just sneaking a few as a snack. Glazed walnuts! These walnuts are glazed in a crunchy coating of pure maple syrup, and they taste incredible. When Alex first made them for me, I couldn’t stop eating them! We made them as a part of our Spinach Apple Salad, and they’re the true icing on the cake. A healthier spin on candied walnuts, they could not be easier to make. Really, they beat a candied nut through and through!

Want to glaze pecans instead? Go to Maple Glazed Pecans.

How to make glazed walnuts: the basic steps!

These glazed walnuts are so easy to make, I almost doubted Alex when he created this recipe. It’s really that simple? Then why haven’t we been making these for years? Well, after making them I found it really is that simple…and I have no idea why they weren’t yet part of our repertoire! They’re so crunchy and the perfect addition to any green salad. Here’s everything you need to know about how to make them.

Step 1: Simmer the walnuts and maple syrup 6 to 8 minutes.

Make sure to use pure maple syrup here: none of that corn syrup version pretending to be maple! Combine ¼ cup of it with 1 cup walnuts. (You could actually do this with any type of nut you’d like.) Heat them in a non-stick skillet and when it just starts to bubble, turn down the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally.

Step 2: In the last minute, stir constantly then remove from heat.

Here’s the only tricky part: in the last minute when the maple syrup looks like it is mostly evaporated, start to stir constantly! The maple syrup will become very thick and dark brown. This means that it’s done! Immediately remove the walnuts from the heat. It’s important that you watch very closely during this part so it doesn’t burn!

Step 3: Place on parchment paper and cool to room temperature.

Place the walnuts on parchment paper and allow them to cool to room temperature so that the maple shell hardens. This should take about 15 minutes. At this point, you can store the glazed walnuts in a sealed container at room temperature, and the coating will stay crunchy!

How to serve glazed walnuts

Now, you’re left with a beautiful bowl of shiny glazed walnuts! How to serve them? They’re a perfect easy salad topping (even better than croutons, in my opinion). Here are a few great ways to use them:

1. Spinach Apple Salad This salad features a zingy balsamic dressing, apples and pears, and crunchy glazed walnuts.
2. Strawberry Spinach Salad or Blackberry Salad These nuts would also go perfectly on a berry salad, with red berries and strawberry salad dressing, or blackberries and balsamic dressing. Or, go savory and put them in a sweet potato salad!
3. Best Oatmeal or Instant Pot Oatmeal They add the perfect crunch to oatmeal! Try with a sliced banana and spoonful of peanut butter.
4. Ice cream Why not add walnuts to an ice cream sundae? Instant party!

What other ways would you serve glazed walnuts? Let us know in the comments below!

This glazed walnuts recipe is…

Vegetarian, plant-based, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free.

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