Guinness Glazed Nuts

Guinness Glazed Nuts – a sweet and crunchy snack made with Guinness, sugar, vanilla, salt and peanuts…

With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, I thought it would be fun to incorporate Guinness in an easy-to-make snack.  When I think of beer food, I automatically think of nuts so what better snack to make with Guinness than these sweet and crunchy Guinness Glazed Nuts.  These nuts are great for snacking on and are totally addictive.

Why This Recipe Works

The peanuts are glazed with a simple mix of Guinness, sugar, vanilla and a touch of salt.  You really can’t taste the stout in the glaze because of the sweetness of the sugar but there is a slight tanginess to them, which I love.

About four years ago, my family and I took a trip to Ireland.  We brought along my husband’s parents and it was a wonderful family vacation.  My husband’s mother’s parents grew up in Ireland and since she still has relatives living near the town of Galway, we wanted to make visiting them a big part of the trip.

We flew into Dublin, rented a small van and drove west to the town of Renvyle, our home for the next week.  The cottage we rented was near the ocean and the beautiful Connemara National Park was just minutes away.

My kids loved the rugged terrain near our cottage.  They climbed hills, explored castle remains, enjoyed watching the wildlife near the water and since we were in Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day, we even got to see a few St. Patrick’s Day parades.

The part of Ireland we visited was perhaps the most peaceful place I’ve ever been to.  We didn’t miss not being in a big city, we simply enjoyed being together and exploring a part of Ireland like locals.  We did our share of sightseeing in the area for sure, but we also enjoyed eating at the local pubs, shopping for groceries in the tiny market and picnicking in the hills of the park.

Towards the end of our trip, we made our way back to Dublin to stay for the night.  We arrived in the early afternoon, which didn’t give us nearly enough time properly tour the city but it was all the time we had.

For most of the trip, my husband went places he knew that his parents and the kids and I wanted to see.  But one place he really hoped to visit was the Guinness factory where Guinness beer is made.

Our day was speeding by and we realized that the Guinness factory would only be open for an hour longer. My husband had almost given up on the prospect of visiting, but I insisted we give it a try and hoped we could make it before it closed.  We hailed two taxis and made it to the factory with only minutes to spare.  Fortunately, we were the last tour to go through!

Ingredient Notes

See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.

• Peanuts
• Granulated sugar
• Guinness
• Vanilla
• Salt

How To Make This Recipe

1. Add peanuts, sugar, beer, and salt to a medium-sized pot and medium-high heat, stirring until mixture comes to a boil.
2. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat and stir until the syrup has almost dissolved.
3. Remove pot from the heat and stir in vanilla.
4. Spoon nuts onto the prepared baking sheet and spread with rubber spatula.
5. Bake in a preheated 300 degree F oven.

Expert Tips

• When the syrup cools, break the nuts apart. The sugar will cause a few nuts to clump together, I think it’s nice to leave a few like this.
• Be sure to let the Guinness glazed nuts cool before eating or transferring into a jar.
• If you don’t have or like Guinness, feel free to use any other stout.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Should I Store Guinness Glazed Nuts?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

What Does Guinness Taste Like?

Guinness is a rich black beer that is slightly sweet and slightly bitter with notes of coffee and chocolate. It’s smooth and velvety in texture and surprisingly contains less alcohol than a typical draught.

What Should I Do With Leftover Beer?

If you have a leftover beer, you might like to use the rest to make a small loaf of Beer Bread, Irish Stew, or a Guinness Float.

Enjoy!

Guinness Glazed Nuts

By: Joanie Zisk

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 2 cups

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Guinness Glazed Nuts – a sweet and crunchy snack made with Guinness, sugar, vanilla salt and peanuts that are perfect for watching the game or for a party.

Ingredients 

• ▢ 2 cups peanuts , unsalted
• ▢ 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup Guinness (or other stout)
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

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Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
• Add the peanuts, sugar, beer and salt to a medium-sized pot and heat on medium-high, stirring until mixture comes to a boil.
• Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and stir until the syrup has almost dissolved (about 10 minutes).
• Remove pot from the heat and stir in vanilla.
• Spoon nuts onto the prepared baking sheet and spread with a rubber spatula.
• Place the tray in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove tray and stir the nuts on the tray. Place tray back in oven and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
• Remove the nuts from the oven and cool on tray. Separate the nuts and store in an airtight container.