Orange Candied Almonds are a delicious and unique twist on traditional sugar-coated nuts. The bright citrus flavor elevates oven-roasted almonds to make them perfectly zesty, sweet, and crunchy. They're absolutely addicting, which is why they're also the perfect homemade holiday gift!
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🍊 The Best Candied Almonds For Christmas
Candied nuts are absolutely irresistible during the magical holiday season. The tantalizing smell wafts through the air and the crunchy, nutty taste is simple but oh-so-satisfying.
Luckily, they're extremely easy to make at home! And instead of a traditional cinnamon or vanilla flavor, why not surprise your guests with Orange Candied Almonds? Citrus is in season in the winter, which is why it's also the perfect time to make Winter Citrus Salad or Lemon Chia Seed Muffins.
Orange zest and juice adds a subtle but bright flavor to the floral almonds. It's a fun and easy way to bring amazing fragrance to simple sugared almonds. Orange Candied Almonds taste great on their own or as a topping to sweet and savory dishes - so don't forget to sprinkle them on your Christmas dishes! But these are my secret weapon when I need a last-minute holiday gift. I always get rave reviews and I guarantee you will too!
Why You'll Love It
- Easy: These no-boil Orange Candied Almonds are extremely easy to make. You only need 6 simple ingredients! Plus, the prep only takes 5 minutes - the remaining hour is just waiting for the oven to work its magic!
- Versatile: These sugar roasted almonds go great with everything. Add a crunchy element to your salad, oatmeal, or ice cream. I also love sprinkling them on roasted vegetables like Roasted Carrots and Green Beans or Bang Bang Brussels Sprouts.
- Unique: This original recipe is guaranteed to wow your friends and family. And it's much more exciting to receive as a gift than a typical bottle of wine!
🧂 Ingredients
- Almonds: Make sure to use raw, unsalted almonds with the skins. Roasted almonds will become too crunchy if double-baked and the sugar coating won't stick as well.
- Sugar: Using both white and brown sugar creates a deeply caramelized flavor. But you could use all white or all brown sugar if you'd like.
- Egg: Only use the egg white. It'll act as our binder for the coating, like glue.
- Orange: I highly recommend using a fresh orange. Both the orange zest and juice will add tremendous flavor and fragrance. Choose one that feels heavy for its size and use a room temperature orange for more juice.
- Salt: To bring out the flavors.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use any kind of nut for this recipe. Almonds are one of my absolute favorite flavors (see Almond Milk Tea and Healthy Almond Cupcakes) but pecans, walnuts, or cashews would also be delicious. Even sliced almonds would work, but they'll become like a brittle and need to be broken apart.
- Any citrus would work for this recipe. Blood orange would be a great substitute for a sweeter taste. Lemon or lime would add a sweet and sour candy coating.
- Drizzle dark, white, and/or milk chocolate over cooled Orange Candied Almonds to create a zebra effect. Orange and chocolate are also a classic pairing!
👩🏻🍳 How To Make Orange Candied Almonds
⬇️ Please scroll down to the recipe card to see full ingredient amounts and instructions.
STEP ONE: First, preheat the oven to 250ºF and line a baking sheet with foil or a silicone mat for easy clean-up.
Then in a bowl, mix together white sugar, brown sugar, orange zest, and salt.
STEP TWO: In another large bowl, whisk egg white until frothy. You could use a handheld mixer with one whisk or milk frother for this. Then pour in the orange juice and whisk until combined.
STEP THREE: Add the almonds to the egg white mixture. Stir until the nuts are evenly coated.
STEP FOUR: Pour in the sugar mixture. Mix well, making sure to get as much sugar from the bottom of the bowl onto the almonds.
STEP FIVE: Spread nuts out onto the baking sheet, making sure it's not overcrowded. Roast in batches or multiple baking sheets if needed. Then bake for an hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.
💭 Top Tips
- Line the baking sheet. Since the sugars will melt and stick, foil would work best as it's disposable but sturdier than parchment paper.
- If you forget to line your baking sheet or are using a silicone mat, here's my trick for easy caramelized sugar removal. Pour hot or boiling water into the cookie sheet and let soak for 5 minutes. Then scrub with soap and hot water to remove.
- Bake low and slow for the best crispy almonds. Don't be tempted to turn the temperature up. An hour may seem like a long time, but roasting the almonds low and slow ensures perfect texture and prevents the sugars from burning.
- You can enjoy warm Orange Candied Almonds, but they taste best once they've cooled completely. Let them sit on the baking sheet and cool to room temperature. They'll achieve the best crunchy texture with a hardened candy coating.
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. Roast in batches and leave space between the almonds on the baking sheet to prevent too many clumps or steaming.
What To Serve With Homemade Orange Candied Almonds
These sugar coated almonds are extremely versatile and can be enjoyed with sweet or savory dishes.
- Breakfast: Add them to your granola mixture or sprinkle them on top of cereal, oatmeal, yogurt parfaits, or smoothies.
- Lunch: Sprinkle them on top of your favorite salad like Pea, Burrata, and Prosciutto Pasta Salad or Watermelon Beet Salad.
- Snacks: Orange almonds are a great portable snack for road trips, after school, or picnics.
- Dessert: Use Orange Candied Almonds as toppings for your favorite ice cream, pie, cake, or cupcake. Or simply dip them in chocolate for an easy treat.
- Holidays: Serve these on a charcuterie board or wrap them in little cellophane bags for a cute homemade gift.
🥡 Storing & Freezing
Storing: Let the Orange Candied Almonds cool completely and make sure they're absolutely dry. Then store in an air-tight container in a dark and cool area for 1-2 weeks.
Freezing: Sugared almonds are actually great for freezing! Store the cooled almonds in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw on the counter for a few minutes before enjoying.
Make Ahead: Orange Candied Almonds store well and can be made in advance for parties, gatherings, and events. I'd recommend making them 3-4 days maximum in advance to ensure freshness.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Candy coated almonds with a hard outer shell are called Jordan almonds, which are popular at wedding celebrations. There are also sugar coated almonds that can have an even layer of hard candy coating or crystallized sugar granules, like this one.
Low and slow. Nuts have a lot of oil so they can char or burn quickly. Since we're making sugared almonds, you should keep the temperature even lower so the sugars don't burn as well.
Soaking almonds before roasting can help with digestion. However, I would not recommend doing it for this recipe. The excess moisture will prevent the almonds from fully roasting in an hour, and extending the bake time will cause the sugars to harden too much.
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📋 Recipe
Orange Candied Almonds
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup white granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Zest from 1 orange
- 1 egg white
- 1½ teaspoon fresh orange juice
- 2 cups raw almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Line baking sheet with foil.
- To a bowl, add the white and brown sugar, salt, and orange zest. Stir well and set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk egg white until frothy, about 1 minute. Whisk in orange juice. Then add almonds and toss to coat.
- Add sugar mixture to almonds and mix well.
- Spread almonds onto baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes.
Notes
- I highly recommend using foil for easy clean-up. The sugars will stick to parchment paper, silicone mats, and a bare pan.
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. Roast in batches and leave space between the almonds on the baking sheet to prevent too many clumps or steaming.
- Storing: Let the Orange Candied Almonds cool completely and make sure they're absolutely dry. Then store in an air-tight container in a dark and cool area for 1-2 weeks.
- Freezing: Candied nuts are actually great for freezing! Store the cooled almonds in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw on the counter for a few minutes before enjoying.
KHardy
Can this be sped up by doing a smaller batch on the stove top? Also, what about adding a drop or two or orange essential oil? Wondering when would be the best time to add that in.
Jessica
Hi! I haven't tried this on the stovetop but I would be careful - you want to keep it low and slow so the sugars don't burn. Also, I would not recommend consuming essential oils. You can try orange extract instead - whisk that in with the egg whites.
Sherry
Can I use other nuts?
Jessica
Absolutely!