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These tasty and easy walnut recipes make the most of this versatile nut! Try them glazed, in nut butter, pesto, and more.
Got a bunch of walnuts and not sure how to use them? This healthy nut works for so much more than candied nuts. This collection of easy and tasty Walnut Recipes highlights the versatility of walnuts: from creamy, cinnamon-spiced walnut butter to basil walnut pesto! Walnuts are a powerhouse of important nutrients like plant-based omega 3’s, protein, and fiber. Here’s our top 10 ways to add them to your diet!
And now…our top 10 tasty walnut recipes!
Here’s one of the tastiest ways to cook with walnuts? Try this Candied Walnuts recipe! This no-fail recipe makes a crunchy, cinnamon-spiced candy coating for the rich, chewy nuts. They taste incredible by the handful and they’re endlessly versatile: use them as a topping for salads, ice cream, pancakes, oatmeal and more.
Here’s an easy walnut recipe that's a great 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. A healthier spin on candied walnuts, they could not be easier to make.
Got walnuts? Here’s a great way to use them: Walnut Butter! This homemade nut butter comes out lusciously creamy, flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. In fact, we like it better than peanut butter! It’s fast and easy to make at home with a food processor. Harvest all the healthy fats of these superfood nuts in this creamy spread.
Another great way to use walnuts? In pesto! This Italian sauce typically calls for pinenuts, but they're expensive. An easy swap? Use walnuts instead along with the fresh basil, garlic and olive oil! The flavor is great and they're much more economical.
Here’s a fun walnut recipe that will rock your world. Meet this Walnut Vegan Taco Meat! It might sound odd, but the combination of mushrooms, walnuts, and spices makes a mixture that’s very similar in texture and flavor to real meat. We’ve had a few testers try this and everyone agrees: it’s so delicious! Use it in tacos, taco salad, and even in chili.
Toasting does two things for a nut: it makes it crunchier and it brings out its nutty flavor. Try a raw walnut vs one that’s toasted, and you can immediately taste the difference! Take the time to toast them if you're use them as a pancake topping or on a salad. Here’s how to toast walnuts: two ways.
Do you like your banana bread…nutty? Meet this ultra Classic Banana Nut Bread! This one is just like Grandma’s: moist and cinnamon-scented, with bursts of crunchy walnuts throughout. Toast the nuts in a skillet to bring out their nutty undertones before gently folding them into the batter.
Here's a go-to salad that's perfect for any occasion: Spinach Apple Walnut Salad! It’s got a tangy balsamic dressing and crunchy maple-glazed walnuts. No one will believe it took only minutes to put together!
Walnuts in a sandwich? Turns out savory cream cheese, sweet pear, and crunchy nuts is a unique yet delicious flavor combination! Try it as a healthy lunch idea for a desk lunch at the office, or a snack on the run. Somehow all the ingredients meld together perfectly to make for a light yet filling sandwich.
This tasty cabbage salad recipe features Savoy cabbage, a mild cabbage with frizzled leaves. When thinly sliced, the leaves look like beautiful confetti. They're perfect in this salad with apples, toasted walnuts, Pecorino Romano cheese, and a tangy sweet tart dressing. Step it up: use those Glazed Walnuts.
Last up in our top walnut recipes: this Vegetarian Meatloaf, aka Nutloaf! It's made entirely of walnuts, cashews, rice, mushrooms, onions, herbs, and cheese. Somehow, it all melds into an appearance and texture just like a meatloaf. And it tastes amazing: better than the meat version!
More recipes with nuts
Love cooking with nuts? There are so many versatile ways to use them, from salad toppers to sauces to desserts. Outside of these walnuts recipes, hare a few more collections of ways to use popular nuts:
- Almonds: Try these 15 Delicious Almond Recipes, from honey sesame almonds to skillet cookies
- Cashews: Go for 15 Tasty Cashew Recipes, from cashew fettucine alfredo to cashew pesto
- Peanuts: Who doesn’t love PB? Try these 15 Peanut Butter Recipes
- Pecans: Try these Top 10 Pecan Recipes, from pecan butter to pecan-crusted salmon
10 Tasty Walnut Recipes
Here’s how to make candied walnuts: a no-fail method that works every time! Add a crunch to ice cream and salads, or just eat by the handful.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
- Category: Essentials
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (12 ounces) raw walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Whisk the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white, water and vanilla extract until foamy. Toss the walnuts with the egg white mixture with a spatula until well coated. Add half the sugar mixture and stir with a spatula until fully coated, then add the remaining sugar mixture and stir until coated.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the nuts in an even layer on top. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven and stir (the nuts will look foamy at this point). Bake for another 15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool about 10 minutes before eating and completely (about 45 minutes) before storing. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks and frozen in a freezer-safe bag (with the air removed with a straw) for up to 2 months.
Let us know if you try it!