These chocolate covered candied walnuts are coated with a crunchy maple caramel, melted dark chocolate and then dusted with cocoa for an elegant gift or favor.
In my house there’s not a holiday that doesn’t involve a hefty dose of chocolate. If that sounds familiar to you, then you’ve come to the right place today.
This time of year is clearly devoted to cookie baking and homemade, buttery, sweet, cookies of every kind abound. December afternoons and weekends are spent filling up cookie tins and bellies alike, but I propose we spare a moment for chocolate.
These chocolate walnuts may just steal the spotlight, not to mention that they make pretty terrific gifts or favors. Oh, and did I mention how easy they are to make? I know I say that often around here, but speedy and simple makes me happy.
Maple glazed walnut pieces are coated in dark chocolate and dusted with cocoa. Candying walnuts naturally with maple syrup on the stove-top is quick and easy. The rich chocolate coating is also entirely sweetened with maple syrup which makes these cocoa truffled walnuts both vegan and paleo friendly as well as refined sugar free.
But irresistible is the only word for these. No matter how much you make, they’ll disappear like magic, which doesn’t surprise me because, when you wrap a walnut half in a rich chocolate shell, the results are bound to be good.
I know because I consumed them in rather extravagant quantities and can confidently state that just a look in their direction will do you in. And don’t think these truffled walnuts belong only to holidays; they are perfectly compatible with every month of the year.
Chocolate and walnuts make a fine match indeed.
Cocoa Dusted Candied Walnuts (Vegan, Refined Sugar Free, Paleo)
These chocolate covered candied walnuts are coated with a crunchy maple caramel, dipped in melted dark chocolate then dusted with cocoa.
Ingredients
For the Maple Glazed Walnuts
- 2 cups/ 200g raw walnuts
- ¼ cup/ 60ml maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
For the Chocolate Coating
- 5 ounces/145g 100% unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 ½ Tablespoons/20g melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon/75g maple syrup
- 1/2 cup/60g raw cacao powder or natural cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
- In a medium skillet, combine the walnuts, maple syrup and salt. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until golden and sticky and the walnuts are completely coated and separated (about 3 to 4 minutes).
- Pour nuts onto a silpat or parchment lined pan and use a fork to separate them. Allow the nuts to cool and harden completely, (about 15 minutes). You can place the nuts in the fridge to firm them faster.
- Meanwhile, place chocolate in a medium bowl along with the coconut oil; place bowl over simmering water and stir gently until melted (or alternatively you can melt on medium in the microwave).
- Add maple syrup to the melted chocolate and stir until fully combined.
- Transfer the candied maple walnuts to a large bowl, and pour the melted chocolate over the nuts. Stir until thoroughly coated.
- Transfer onto lined baking pan. Using two forks, separate nuts so none stick together. Return the nuts to the refrigerator until chocolate has just about set, around 10 minutes.
- Place cocoa powder into a shallow bowl or Ziploc bag. Toss the walnuts in the cocoa until well coated and sift out excess powder in a strainer.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Alternatively you can substitute an equal amount of melted bittersweet chocolate instead of the unsweetened, coconut oil and maple syrup if you prefer to dip the walnuts.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1/4 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 199Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 70mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 4g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she’s been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Where can I find 100% unsweetened chocolate?
It’s often labeled as baking chocolate and you should be able to find it in the baking aisle at most grocery stores.
Recently, I’ve fallen in love with some cocoa-dusted almonds – a tiny package costs $10 though – and I can’t actually justify buying them.
I hadn’t seen this recipe on your site, but I’m bookmarking it and making it soon!
Sylvie – these are my newest addiction. They are even better than I imagined!! x
Umm Umm good. Love all the flavors; can’t wait to try them. I ‘might’ have to add a touch of heat; seems chocolate and maple might both work with a smidgen of cayenne. Wish I had some now!
Nice recipe! I love walnuts and snack on them often so I must try this!
Hello Sylvie,
So I’m using your chocolate coating for another item, did a 10% test batch which worked out perfectly. However, I now have 2 coagulated disasters on my hands. Both subsequent full batches were weighed out, bain-marie at the right temp, exact same ingredients. I don’t have much experience with chocolate so I’m a little baffled. Have you encountered this?
Thanks for posting!
Hi Julian, I’m sorry to hear that you are having issues with the chocolate coating I have not had that problem before so I can’t say for sure why that would be happening. I’m not sure why it would be seizing up on you but it could be a temperature issue with the maple syrup. Maybe the quantity of maple syrup that is added to the melted chocolate is too great a temperature difference in the larger batch? Perhaps you could try warming up the maple syrup before slowly whisking it in and see if that helps. Additionally, it just takes a drop or two of water to make the chocolate seize up so perhaps some of the steam from the bain marie is getting into your chocolate?
They look wonderful. I am going to try this recipe. Maybe with pecans, because I’m out of walnuts :-).
Thank you for sharing and Happy End of the world and the rest of the Holidays 🙂