Gebrannte Mandeln (German Candied Almonds)
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A Gebrannte Mandeln recipe (German candied almonds) the way you know and love them from the German Volkfests and fairs!
Growing up in Germany, I went to the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) with my family every year. Home was Stuttgart which proudly boasts one of the oldest and largest Christmas markets in Germany, but we also loved visiting other Christmas markets around the country. Most large cities and even many smaller towns around Germany have their own Christmas markets and each has its own unique aspects and charms.
Whichever Weihnachtsmarkt we visited, I don’t think there was ever a time I went to one without getting some Türkischer Honig, a hot mug of Kinderpunsch (non-alcoholic spiced punch), and a package of Gebrannte Mandeln (candied almonds). That trio of goodies can be found at every Christmas market and they were my favorite treats to enjoy while strolling up and down the stalls and enjoying all the sights, sounds and smells of the Weihnachtsmarkt.
Since moving to the U.S. twelve years ago I’m not longer able to visit the German Christmas markets every year like I used to. But what I can do, and have done, is create many of my favorite Weihnachtsmarkt treats.
Today I’m going to show you how to make Gebrannte Mandeln. They’re made on the stovetop and there’s a key difference that distinguishes them from other candied almonds: Whereas many recipes will say the almonds are done once the sugar has melted and then thickened, the process for making German candied almonds continues through two additional stages that results in a fantastic flavor and texture. If you’ve never tried them before, you’re in for a treat!
And if you’ve had Gebrannte Mandeln before and love them as I do, I wish you a wonderful stroll down memory lane!
German Candied Almonds Recipe
Let’s get started!
Place the sugar, cinnamon, salt, vanilla extract and water in a heavy, well-seasoned cast iron pan or non-stick pan and bring it to a boil until the sugar is dissolved. Add the almonds and reduce the heat to medium-high.
Regularly stir the almonds. The process will take about 20-25 minutes.
The sugar will begin to turn darker.
The sugar mixture will become thicker. At this point stir constantly.
Before you know it the sugar will begin to crystalize.
The sugar will become dry and resume the appearance of crystalized sugar. Before you scream, “oh my gosh, what happened to my almonds?? They’ve seized and there’s no rescuing them!”, don’t panic. This is normal.
To prevent burning, turn the heat down to medium and continue stirring. Within a couple of minutes the sugar will begin melting. Stir continually, coating the almonds in the melted sugar.
Once the sugar has mostly melted and the almonds have a rough/bumpy coating around them, they are done.
Dump the roasted candied almonds out onto parchment paper and spread them out to cool down.
They are ready for eating!
Enjoy!
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Gebrannte Mandeln (German Candied Almonds)
Ingredients
- 2 cups cane (or regular) sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons quality pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups raw almonds
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients except for the almonds in a heavy, well-seasoned cast iron pan or non-stick pan. Bring it to a boil until the sugar melts. Add the almonds and reduce the heat to medium-high.
- Stir the almonds continually. The process will take about 20-25 minutes as the sugar caramelizes, crystalizes, becomes dry and powdery and then melts. Once the sugar dries and becomes powdery (don't panic, this is supposed to happen!), reduce the heat to medium to prevent burning. Stir constantly until the sugar begins to melt, stirring to coat the almonds with the melted sugar. Once the sugar is mostly melted and the almonds are rough and bumpy, they are done.
- NOTE: This is more of an "advanced" recipe as it is very easy to ruin. It requires the proper equipment and constant attention.
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
I used brown sugar instead of white sugar and they turned out great. Your recipe did’t say you can use brown sugar. But I followed your recipe to the letter otherwise. Is that okay?? Stan Solocinski
Please revised the recipe to correct the following and notify me of the revision. I would like to try it again.
The sugar did not turn dry and powdery, it remained thick and gooey until it was burned, see similar comment, below.
I poured it onto a sheet of wax paper, which it stuck to, so was completely inedible.
Hi Karen, there is no revision needed, this is the standard method and ratio of ingredients. There is a learning curve in the method and it does take some practice to get the hang of it.
The recipe worked just took longer than 20-25 minutes of constant stirring. My objective was successful. I used white sugar and light brown sugar. Will see tonight if my church friends from: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints liked it or not. Having a White Elephant Christmas Party tonight. Stan Solocinski
I used Walnuts- and they are addicting!
I tried this recipe and the flavor was perfect. However, I got the texture wrong. I followed the recipe, but my almonds were smooth and crispy – great glaze but no bumpy texture. Did I go too long at the end or did I not give it enough time? Your advice it very appreciated!
I loved these! This recipe isn’t for the faint of heart… it takes some work but it’s worth it. They turned out like almond candy for me. They were really crunchy and delicious! And it smelled so good in my house all day.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Steven, thank you!
I dont know what I did wrong but mine were not crunchy. Disappointing! How can I make them crunchy? I only used 1 and a half cups sugar and there were still too sweet.
Not sure about the temps. Mine burner before the dry stage.
I made these today for an Oktoberfest party and they were a huge hit! Super crunchy and soooo good!!
Follow the instructions and you can’t go wrong. Watch your heat so you don’t overcook and definitely don’t turn away while in the “dry” phase.
Fantastic, Becca, I’m happy you enjoyed them, thank you for that feedback!
The ingredients and final product are good but the temperature suggestions were WAY off for me. First time I ended up with a scalding tar mess and almost ruined my pan, however I gave it another try at MUCH lower temperatures and had success. Will make again but using low-medium low cook temperatures.
Love this recipe thankyou I have tried them twice now and perfection everytime
Thank you so much, Lindsey, I’m happy you enjoyed them!
Almond Cremation should be the name of this recipe. Followed as written and ended up with a black tarry mess. All I can say is the temperatures and times are definitely not correct and I wouldn‘t be surprised if the ingredient amounts are wrong, too. A scalding hot water wash for 15 minutes rescued my precious pan but I‘ll doubt ever recipe here from now on.
I’ve used this recipe as written for many years now as a Christmas gift for my German grandmother. It has never failed me! But it is easy to mess up since it’s a difficult process! Don’t give up, or if someone else reads this, please don’t think it’s too hard to do :) I believe in you. There’s definitely nothing wrong with this recipe :)