These easy-to-make Candied Peanuts are delicately sweet, crunchy and healthful, made from peanuts, maple syrup, salt and cayenne — no added refined sugar—you can call them too caramelized peanuts, Once you make your first batch of candied peanuts, you’ll take pride in your accomplishment — plus, no candy thermometer needed!

Maple Candied Peanuts

I am always on the hunt for recipes that use maple syrup.

Maple syrup is something I rarely used in my kitchen years back, but my visits to Canada were an eye-opener about the wonders of this delectable sweetener, and I am always looking for new ways to incorporate it in my cooking and baking. In Canada, maple syrup must be made entirely from maple sap that comes out of the tree clear since it’s mostly water. The syrup gains its brown color through evaporation during the boiling process. It is nutrient dense and so flavorful. In my coming visit I would love a trip to a sugarbush or a sugar shack during syrup season to see this amazing process in action.

The taste is divine!

The maple candied peanuts are extra crispy because they are glazed on stovetop then baked in the oven for extra crunchiness. They have a hint of a salty, maple sweetness with a praline-like texture. They are really so addicting, beware!

How to make candied peanuts?

It is made on stovetop then popped a few minutes in the oven for extra crunch! All you need is to stack in a saucepan, peanuts, maple syrup, salt and  cayenne (if used). Over low heat. Stir well allowing the liquid to come to a low bubbling. Keep the temperature low to avoid burning and stir every now and then. At a certain point, the liquid (maple syrup) starts to evaporate, keep on stirring until no more liquid is visible, you will notice that it starts to crystalize and look like little flecks of sugar on the peanuts, this is an indication that it is time to remove from stovetop. The process takes about 20 minutes. Directly, transfer to the lined baking sheet, and keep to cool down.  You can enjoy them directly, but after testing, I found that baking them for further 20- 25 minutes over low heat will yield extra crunchy candied peanuts. Make sure to check before the mentioned time, simply because ovens are different. Bake for about 25- 30 minutes, stirring every a few minutes. Watch closely to prevent the peanuts from burning. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down completely before storing. Beware, these are so addicting!

To avoid a soft center!

Glazing the peanuts with maple syrup on the stovetop can get extremely hot which will eventually roast the peanuts and turn them into crispy and roasted nuts, so no soft center, but for extra crunch, pop them in the oven a few minutes, this will take your nuts from good to excellent!

Low temperature is the key!

No need to use a thermometer. Keep the temperature low on both stovetop or oven. to avoid burning! It is a delicate recipe that just needs patience, so please don’t ruin your efforts by rushing the process.

Don’t walk away from the stove!

Making caramelized peanuts requires some patience, but it’s a simple process that anyone can master. You just need to be a bit alert so please don’t walk away, you need to stir every few minutes, and you need to reach the crystalized stage! The process takes about 20 minutes.

It is an eggless, vegan and gluten-free recipe

Most candied nut recipes include egg white as a binder, since this helps the nuts to stick together into crunchy clusters. But with this maple syrup version, I found you can omit the egg white with great results!

Use your favorite nuts!

In this recipe I am using peanuts, but you can use any kind of nuts: Walnuts, macadamia, pecans, almonds or cashews, and really any other nut will work well here, but the baking time in the oven will differ a bit!

How to serve the candied peanuts?

There are so many ways to enjoy candied peanuts, starting from snacking, adding to cheese boards, tossing in salads, garnishing desserts, topping on ice creams or even gifting them to people you care about. They are really a lovely holiday treat!

You can play around with the spices!

You can play around and add more spices to your liking, cinnamon could be added, not for me in this recipe. I like to keep it simple with cayenne.

Can the recipe be doubled?

Yes! You can double the recipe if you have an extra-large saucepan, but then it may need more time to reach the crystalized phase.

Storage and shelf life!

Cool down completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for 10 days. Make sure to keep away from airflow to keep their crunch.

Only four ingredients needed:

• Unsalted roasted peanuts: the star of the show
• Pure maple syrup: to help caramelize and add sweetness to the nuts
• Sea salt:  balances the sweetness
• Cayenne pepper: adds an extra zingy flavor, optional

For those who are trying to cut refined sugars and leaning towards natural sweeteners, this candied peanut recipe is for you! And it is vegan and paleo!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups unsalted roasted peanuts
• 3/4 cup maple syrup, use 100 percent real maple syrup and not the pancake syrup
• 1 leveled teaspoon sea salt
• ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional but recommended

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F/150 °C and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a wide saucepan, mix the peanuts, maple syrup, salt and cayenne (if used). Stir well allowing the liquid to come to a low bubbling (on the stovetop). Keep the temperature low to avoid burning and stir every now and then. At a certain point, the liquid (maple syrup) starts to evaporate, keep on stirring until no more liquid is visible, you will notice that it starts to crystalize and look like little flecks of sugar on the peanuts, this is an indication that it is time to remove from stovetop. The process takes about 20 minutes. Directly, transfer to the lined baking sheet, and keep to cool down.  You can enjoy them directly, but after testing, I found that baking them for further 20- 25 minutes over low heat will yield extra crunchy candied peanuts. Make sure to check before the mentioned time, simply because ovens are different.
3. Bake for about 25- 30 minutes, stirring every a few minutes. Watch closely to prevent the peanuts from burning. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down a bit. Use your hands to break apart the clumps before storing.

Storage: Cool down completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for 10 days. Make sure to keep away from airflow to keep their crunch.

If you make the "Maple Candied Peanuts", share your pictures on Facebook! I would love to see your creations!Hashtag them #Hadia's Lebanese Cuisine

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