Easy Pumpkin Spice Candied Nuts – 50-Minute Snack

These easy pumpkin spice candied nuts earn a permanent spot in my weekly rotation because they turn a plain bag of mixed nuts into something that disappears before it cools, and they cost less than a coffee-shop snack.

You whisk egg white and water into a frothy coat, toss the nuts through it, then dredge them in cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and sugar before a slow oven bake. That froth is the trick: it makes the spice mix cling instead of sliding off.

The nuts come out glossy at first and crisp up as they cool, so don't panic if they feel soft when you pull the tray out. They crisp as they sit, and they keep for a week in a jar.

About the Ingredients

4 cups (about 480g) raw mixed nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews)

Raw, unsalted nuts give you control over salt and toast evenly; roasted salted nuts work too, just cut the added salt to a pinch and shorten the bake by 5 minutes. Buy halves and whole nuts rather than chopped so they don't scorch.

1 large egg white (about 30g)

The egg white is the glue that holds the spice coating on. For a vegan batch, swap in 2 tablespoons of aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) and whisk it to a froth.

1 tablespoon water

Water thins the egg white so it coats every nut instead of clumping. Skip it and the coating turns patchy.

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

White sugar keeps the coating clean-tasting and crisp. Light brown sugar works for a deeper molasses note, but reduce the bake by 3 minutes since it browns faster.

1/4 cup (50g) packed light brown sugar

Brown sugar adds a soft caramel edge and helps the clusters form. Dark brown sugar is a fine swap if that's what you keep.

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Fresh cinnamon makes a real difference here; sniff the jar and if it smells flat, it is. Vietnamese cinnamon is the strongest and most pie-like.

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Ground ginger brings the warm bite that makes this taste like pumpkin spice rather than plain cinnamon sugar. Do not substitute fresh ginger, which is too wet.

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Nutmeg is the quiet hero of pumpkin spice. Grate it fresh if you have whole nutmeg; about 1/4 of a whole nut equals this amount.

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Cloves are potent, so measure carefully. A pinch too much turns the batch medicinal; if you're wary, use 1/16 teaspoon.

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Salt keeps the sweetness from becoming cloying. If your nuts are already salted, drop this to 1/4 teaspoon.

Tips & Tricks

Stir the nuts halfway through baking

At the 15-minute mark, slide the pan out and turn the nuts with a spatula so the edges don't over-brown.

Watch the last 5 minutes closely

Sugar goes from golden to burnt fast, so stay near the oven near the end.

• Whisk the egg white until foamy, not stiff: A loose froth coats nuts evenly, while stiff peaks leave bald patches where the sugar won't stick.
• Cool completely on the pan before storing: The coating sets as it cools; bagging warm nuts traps steam and turns them sticky.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat the oven and line a pan

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. A low oven dries the coating slowly instead of burning the sugar.

2. Froth the egg white

In a large bowl, whisk the egg white and water for about 30 seconds until foamy and loose, not stiff. You want a thin froth that clings to the nuts.

3. Coat the nuts

Add the mixed nuts to the bowl and stir for 1 minute until every nut is glossy and evenly wet. Any dry nut will shed its spice coating later.

4. Mix the spice sugar

In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt until no lumps remain. Break up any brown sugar clumps with your fingers.

5. Toss with the spice mix

Pour the spice sugar over the wet nuts and stir for about 1 minute until the sugar looks damp and clumps around the nuts. Some loose sugar in the bowl is fine.

6. Spread on the pan

Scrape everything onto the prepared pan and spread into a single layer with a spatula. Crowded nuts steam instead of crisping, so use a second pan if needed.

7. Bake and stir

Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 15 minutes, then stir and redistribute the nuts. Continue baking 15 to 20 more minutes, until the coating is deep golden brown and the nuts smell toasty, 30 to 35 minutes total.

8. Cool and break apart

Slide the pan onto a rack and let the nuts cool 20 to 30 minutes until the coating is hard and crisp to the touch. Break into clusters with your hands and store in an airtight jar.

Delicious Variations

Maple Pecan Version

Swap half the granulated sugar for maple sugar and use all pecans for a pancake-breakfast flavor.

Spicy Pumpkin Spice

Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne to the spice mix for a sweet-heat snack that pairs well with cider.

Seed and Nut Blend

Use 2 cups nuts plus 2 cups pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, baking only 25 minutes since seeds brown faster.

How to Store Easy Pumpkin Spice Candied Nuts

Frequently Asked Questions

Make a batch this week and watch how fast a jar of plain nuts turns into the snack everyone reaches for. Cook it your way, and tell me how it went.

Easy Pumpkin Spice Candied Nuts

Easy Pumpkin Spice Candied Nuts turn mixed nuts into crunchy, cinnamon-sweet clusters with a 15-minute prep and a warm spice coating everyone loves.

★★★★½ 4.8 (214 ratings)

15 minPrep time35 minCook time8Servings285 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 4 cups (about 480g) raw mixed nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews)
• 1 large egg white (about 30g)
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

📋 Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven and line a pan — Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. A low oven dries the coating slowly instead of burning the sugar.
2. 2Froth the egg white — In a large bowl, whisk the egg white and water for about 30 seconds until foamy and loose, not stiff. You want a thin froth that clings to the nuts.
3. 3Coat the nuts — Add the mixed nuts to the bowl and stir for 1 minute until every nut is glossy and evenly wet. Any dry nut will shed its spice coating later.
4. 4Mix the spice sugar — In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt until no lumps remain. Break up any brown sugar clumps with your fingers.
5. 5Toss with the spice mix — Pour the spice sugar over the wet nuts and stir for about 1 minute until the sugar looks damp and clumps around the nuts. Some loose sugar in the bowl is fine.
6. 6Spread on the pan — Scrape everything onto the prepared pan and spread into a single layer with a spatula. Crowded nuts steam instead of crisping, so use a second pan if needed.
7. 7Bake and stir — Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 15 minutes, then stir and redistribute the nuts. Continue baking 15 to 20 more minutes, until the coating is deep golden brown and the nuts smell toasty, 30 to 35 minutes total.
8. 8Cool and break apart — Slide the pan onto a rack and let the nuts cool 20 to 30 minutes until the coating is hard and crisp to the touch. Break into clusters with your hands and store in an airtight jar.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: If the coating looks sandy and loose after baking, you likely skipped the frothy egg white step or used too little of it; the nuts will still taste good, just less crisp.

Servings: 8

Cuisine: American

Course: Snack

Nutrition (per serving): 285 kcal · 6g protein · 20g carbs · 20g fat

Written by Mireille Baptiste

Mireille writes about weeknight cooking built around what is already in the pantry, with a focus on Haitian and Caribbean home dishes made simpler for busy kitchens. She favors short ingredient lists, honest substitutions, and recipes that forgive a missed step. Her angle is feeding a household well without a second trip to the store.