These German Candied Almonds Are Sweet and Delicious!
Searching for the perfect addition to your holiday snacking game? German candied almonds – or Gebrannte Mandeln in German – are for you!
Made from fresh almonds, sugars, and fragrant spices like cinnamon, our German candied almond recipe is so easy to follow.
These candied almonds are actually a pretty versatile recipe to make. Sure, candied candied almonds are great around the holidays (with cinnamon and vanilla filling your kitchen).
But they also make a great sugary, snack-size treat for movie night during the rest of the year.
You might find candied almonds called German roasted almonds. To be fair, these almonds aren’t roasted at all – it’s the candied sugar coating that gives them their coloring.
Gebrannte Mandeln literally translates to “burnt almonds” but it’s just a way of saying that they are coated in sugar.
Looking for more holiday treats? Try our cinnamon stars, rum balls, mulled wine (we also have a mulled white wine), and vanilla crescent cookies!
Sugared almonds are a classic German Christmas market recipe. We’ve had them in Germany countless times where they scoop them into a paper cone and off you go snacking as you wander through!
How to Make German Candied Almonds (Step-by-Step)
If you want to make candied almonds, you can follow the recipe card below and have a look at the process photos. This way, you have an idea of what the various steps might look like!
Add water, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon into a large – still cold – pan on the stove. Turn on the stove to medium heat and stir the ingredients consistently.
Your mixture will get brown and look similar to the photo above. Once the sugar mixture is bubbling you can add the almonds.
Turn down the heat slightly and keep the mixture simmering until the water evaporates. This will take around 6-8 minutes. Stir the almonds regularly.
As you can see in the photo above, the sugar mixture will begin to thicken as the water evaporates. Keep stirring!
Eventually, all the water will have evaporated. Once the almonds begin to really stick together and stack on top of one another you are pretty much done.
Remove the almonds from the pan and spread them out on parchment paper. Some of the almonds might stick together slightly. You can gently separate them with a fork. Let the almonds rest until they have cooled sufficiently.
In our opinion, German candied almonds taste best when they are fresh. However, you can store them in a container with a lid for around 4-5 days if you made too many. Just know that they might not be as crispy as the first day.
Enjoy our German candied almond recipe and bring some Christmas market atmosphere into your home!
German Candied Almonds (Gebrannte Mandeln)
Ingredients
- 2 cups almonds, with skin
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Add water, sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to a large pan. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon and heat up the ingredients on your stovetop on medium heat. Keep stirring consistently.
- When the mixture is boiling (and bubbling), add the almonds. Turn the heat down slightly and keep the mixture simmering until the water evaporates and the sugar gets brown (around 6-8 minutes). Keep stirring the almonds around.
- Once all the water has evaporated and the almonds are coated in the sugar mixture, remove the almonds from the pan and place them on some parchment paper to let them cool. Separate almonds that got stuck together with a fork before you let them cool.
Notes
- Keep an eye on your stovetop temperature – if it’s too hot, the sugar might not only brown but start to burn in the pan.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
These are wonderful and so easy to make. I used unsalted roasted almonds. They were soft at first but went back to crunchy as they cooled. I am going to try salted roasted almonds next time. Will be making these again.
A great hit at a family reunion. Thank you very much. Will never store buy again.
I’m so happy to hear that, Karen – thanks for sharing! I also prefer the homemade ones (with the exception of candied almonds sold at christmas markets or fairs… they are really good). /Lisa
Made it! Delicious and very easy! This recipe is a keeper!
Can I use Pecans or Walnuts for this Recipe?
Pecans work well, but I have not tried it with walnuts so I can’t say for sure. You can always give it a try (I think it should work) – just watch them closely.
I mixed pecans and almonds!
AmaZing I swear I have no reason to ever buy somewhere else again. No lie every recipe says how great there’s are and the reviews talk about how great they are too and everyone loved them when they made them. THIS IS THE RECIPE THAT DESERVES THAT CREDIT!!!!!!!!!!
I made them and FANTASTIC! I don’t need a nut cooker. U can do it right in ur pan.
Oh my, the smell of these nuts at markets, fests and walkplatzes is one of my favorite memories of our time in Germany! Thank you for sharing this recipe, I WILL be making them soon. I just discovered your blog and am loving all your recipe posts and the memories they are bringing me! I’ll be trying many of them!