Quick and Easy Candied Jalapenos

Name: Quick and Easy Candied Jalapenos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 6 pounds pickled jalapenos; 5 cups sugar

October 22, 2020 by Stephanie Manley, Last Updated October 30, 2020 63 Comments

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If you like sweet and spicy, you’ll love these Quick and Easy Candied Jalapenos, or Cowboy Candy as it’s also known. This recipe has only two ingredients, making it as easy as it is delicious (and addicting).

candied jalapenos over cream cheese on a platter next to crackers

Table of Contents

What Makes Candied Jalapenos so Good

There are so many reasons why you will love this recipe. First, it’s so easy. With only two ingredients, it makes whipping up this recipe for a snack or an appetizer a snap. Candied Jalapenos are also extremely addicting. You can’t just eat one. It satisfies your sweet and spicy craving.

Candied Jalapenos are also known as “Cowboy Candy” or “Kandy Crisp Jalapenos”. If purchased in the store, these are very expensive. So making these from scratch will also save you a ton of money and it makes a great gift idea.

What Kind of Jalapenos Do You Need?

When selecting jalapenos for this recipe, always grab pickled jalapenos. You will want to purchase a large can of jalapenos to start. Most grocery stores, as well as Sam’s and Costco, will carry these types of jalapenos.

If you can’t find them, also look under nacho pepper slices or pickled jalapeno slices. Make sure you purchase them in the large number 10 can.

If you like sweet and spicy, you’ll love this quick and easy candied jalapeno recipe. This concoction couldn’t be more simple- it only has two ingredients! Making it as easy as it is delicious (and addicting!). Once that first jar is cracked open, you’re not going to be able to stop eating these wonderful candied peppers.

What Makes Candied Jalapenos so Good?

There are so many reasons why you will love this candied jalapeno recipe. First, it’s a snap to whip up for a snack or an appetizer. Candied jalapenos are also extremely addicting because they satisfy your sweet and spicy craving. It’s a fact, you can’t just eat one! For such a simple recipe, these pack a ton of flavor.

Candied jalapenos are also referred to as cowboy candy or Candy-Krisp Jalapenos. If you purchase them in a store, they are very expensive. So making these from scratch will save you a ton of money, and they make a great gift idea.

What Kind of Jalapenos Do You Need?

When buying jalapenos for this recipe, always go for a large number 10 can of pickled jalapenos. You can find them in most grocery stores, as well as at Sam’s and Costco. If you have trouble finding them, look under nacho pepper slices or pickled jalapeno slices.

How to Make This Candied Jalapeno Recipe

Making candied jalapenos couldn’t be any easier. The only thing you may need other than pickled jalapeno peppers and sugar is patience. The first thing you need to do is drain the peppers for about 15 minutes. You will then dump the jalapenos into a large airtight container, add the sugar and stir well. Here’s where the patience comes in – you will need to stir the jalapenos every day for the next 5 or 6 days. (Keep the top on your container in the refrigerator until you are ready to stir.) After this time, a spicy-sweet syrup will have developed, and you will be able to enjoy your candied jalapenos. At this point, you can put your candied peppers into small jars.

Tips on Making Candied Jalapenos

I always save glass jars, so when I want to package up a few of these candied peppers for someone, I have something on hand to do so. Of course, you can always buy some small canning jars, but empty mustard jars work well too.

Use simple white sugar for this candied jalapeno recipe. You don’t need anything too fancy.
You’ll also need a large colander to drain the peppers and a large airtight container for the stirring process.

How to Enjoy Cowboy Candy

You can use these on hamburgers, stash them in sandwiches, tuck them into tacos, chop them up on baked beans, add them to rice, and bake them into cornbread. They also make a great cream cheese dip. You may even want to put one in a martini.

How to Make Candied Jalapenos

This recipe really can’t be any easier. The only thing you may need other than the ingredients is patience. Here’s what you’ll need:

6 pounds Pickled Peppers
5 cups Sugar
Canning Jars

The first thing, you need to do, is to drain the peppers. I opened my can and drained them for about 15 minutes before I continued.
You will then dump the jalapenos into a large container.
Add 5 cups of sugar to the peppers and stir them up very well.
Stir the jalapenos every day for the next 5 or 6 days.

A spicy-sweet syrup will develop, and you will be ready to enjoy these. At this point, you can put these into small jars.

Tips on making candied jalapenos

I always save glass jars so when I want to package a few of these peppers up for someone I have something on hand to do so. Of course, you can always buy some small canning jars to put these in, but the old mustard jars work well too.
Use simple white sugar for this recipe, nothing too fancy.
You’ll also need a large colander and a large airtight container. The colander for the draining of the peppers and the airtight container for the stirring process.

How to Enjoy Cowboy Candy

You can use these on hamburgers, simply poured over cream cheese as a great snack, or you may even want to put them into a martini. And considering how expensive this can be in stores, it makes a great gift!

candied jalapenos over cream cheese next to crackers

Love Jalapeno peppers? Try these recipes

Favorite Appetizer Recipes

There’s more! Take a look at the best appetizer recipes and more of my quick and easy recipes.

Are you ready to make Candied Jalapenos? Let me know in the comments below.

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