a bag of flour

In Germany, candied almonds are traditionally sold at fairs and Christmas markets. They are made fresh on the spot and packaged in small paper bags, so you can enjoy them while they are still warm and super crunchy.

The good news is, you can easily make candied nuts at home in just 20 minutes. All you need is whole almonds (or other nuts), sugar, water, cinnamon, vanilla pulp, and salt. If you don’t have a vanilla bean, you can substitute the pulp with three teaspoons of vanilla extract. Not only are these candied almonds a delicious holiday treat, they also make your house smell heavenly. If you are feeling generous and want to share the joy, they make great nibbles for any party and are a lovely inexpensive holiday gift.

Once you have made candied nuts at home, I promise you will never go back to the storebought varieties. But beware, they are highly addictive!

Candied nuts keep for about two weeks, if stored in a dry and cool place. To make sure your candied almonds stay nice and crunchy, package them in a zipper-lock bag or other type of airtight container, or fill them into decorative cellophane bags. Sugar is a hydrophilic substance, meaning it has a strong affinity for water and will draw moisture out of the air. So if you don’t package them properly, they will get sticky and lose their crunchy texture.

Tip: Don’t throw away scraped out vanilla beans. Instead, add them to a canning jar filled with sugar to make vanilla sugar. Simply leave the beans in the jar, top off with more sugar when needed, and add more vanilla beans whenever you have leftovers. It’s great for baking, adding a hint of vanilla to coffee or tea, or flavoring whipped cream and custard. (A little jar of homemade vanilla sugar also makes a nice gift for the bakers in your life.)

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 vanilla bean
• pinch of salt
• 1.5 cups whole raw almonds (if using peanuts, only use about 1 cup, due to the increased surface area)

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the pulp with the back of a knife.
   
3. In a large uncoated saucepan, combine sugar, water, cinnamon, vanilla pulp, and salt. (Don’t worry, the little clumps of cinnamon and vanilla pulp will break up once you add the almonds and start stirring.)
   
4. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
   
5. Add the almonds and stir continuously to make sure the sugar does not burn.
   
6. After about 6-7 minutes, the sugar will get dry and crumbly. Reduce heat to medium-low.
   
7. Continue stirring until the almonds are evenly coated and the sugar is starting to caramelize on the outside.
   
8. Spread out to cool on the baking sheet. If some of almonds are sticking together, gently pull them apart using two forks. Be careful, they are still really hot.
   
9. For super easy clean-up, soak the pan with warm water for several minutes before washing it.

Enjoy!