Caramelized Candied Peanuts

By
Christine Benlafquih
Christine Benlafquih
Christine Benlafquih
Christine Benlafquih is a freelance writer and cooking class instructor with a background in Moroccan cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/24/22
Candied peanuts

The Spruce

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 8 servings

Sugar-coated candied peanuts (or caramelized peanuts) are a popular snack food in many countries. It's really no wonder. They're crunchy, sweet, and very satisfying, especially when they're freshly made.

This is one of the best snacks you will find in Morocco and a specialty of many street vendors. There's no need to travel, though. Instead, you'll be pleased to know that caramelized peanuts are fairly easy to make at home. The only secret to success is to be patient and work over low heat to avoid burning the sugar as it caramelizes.

Enjoy them as is, or use them as a topping for your favorite homemade ice cream or salad.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for candied peanuts
    The Spruce 

  2. Line a large baking sheet or pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Set aside. 

    Line baking tray with parchment paper
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  3. In a heavy-bottomed skillet, combine the peanuts, sugar, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens into a syrup.

    Combine peanut, sugar, and water
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  4. Continue cooking and stirring for about 10 minutes, or until the liquids evaporate and a sandy-textured sugar mixture coats the peanuts.

    Cook and stir for about 10 minutes
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  5. Lower the heat a bit and continue stirring as the excess sugar in the pan begins to melt. This will take several minutes. Once the syrup begins to form, it will change in color from clear to golden to amber. Stir constantly and be careful that the heat is not so high as to burn or darken the syrup too much.

    Continue cooking and stirring
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  6. When the syrup is a light to medium amber color, and the sugary coating on the peanuts has glazed, remove the skillet from the heat.

    Remove from heat
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  7. Sprinkle the salt and orange flower water (if using) over the peanuts and stir.

    Sprinkle with salt and orange flower water
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  8. Turn the peanuts out onto your prepared pan and quickly spread them into a single layer. Allow them to cool and harden before serving. 

    Spread peanuts onto prepared pan to cool
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  9. Be sure the caramelized peanuts have cooled completely before storing them in an airtight container. Enjoy.

Tips

  • Make a double or triple batch, as these peanuts will go fast.
  • They are also perfect for holiday gift-giving. Just put them in a Mason jar or gift bag and tie them with a ribbon.
  • Jazz them up with different kinds of salt, add spices such as cayenne pepper for some heat, or add cinnamon for some sweetness. Or for the holidays, sprinkle them with gingerbread spice. 

Caramelized Peanuts in Morocco

In Morocco, caramelized peanuts are sold as a snack food by street vendors and small shops that also offer roasted hummus, nuts, sunflower seeds, and other treats. In Ramadan, a vendor who sells candied peanuts near our home after night prayers makes them on the spot from his cart. He likes to add a little orange flower water or rose water for a unique touch.

Snacks such as these are often purchased in very small quantities in Morocco. The handful of nuts is carried home, sometimes still warm, in cones or packets quickly fashioned from scraps of paper.

Sometimes, the paper is torn from discarded school notebooks or workbooks. It's a perfectly efficient packaging for the peanuts and a great way to recycle paper. On more than one occasion, we've challenged our kids to some of the exercises found on those papers. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
304 Calories
18g Fat
31g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 304
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 7mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 258mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)