Quick and Easy Candied Jalapenos

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


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
candied jalapenos ingredients
  1. 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.
  2. You will then dump the jalapenos into a large container.
    pickled jalapenos in a plastic container
  3. Add 5 cups of sugar to the peppers and stir them up very well.
    pickled jalapenos and sugar in a container
  4. 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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candied jalapenos over cream cheese on a platter next to crackers

Quick and Easy Candied Jalapenos

These quick and easy candied jalapenos are perfect for gifts or your own personal enjoyment.   These candied jalapenos have just the right amount of spice and sweetness.
4.94 from 15 votes
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Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Gift Recipes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 70
Calories: 65kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 pounds pickled jalapenos
  • 5 cups sugar

Instructions

  • Drain jalapenos in a large sieve or colander for about 15 minutes. You may need to do this in batches. You can save the drained juice for other recipes.
  • Pour drained jalapenos into a large container that can be closed with a lid, or wrapped with plastic. Pour five cups of sugar over the jalapenos and stir well. Cover container and place into the refrigerator.
  • Stir the jalapenos once a day for five days. On the sixth day, you may repackage the peppers into smaller glass jars. Store these in the refrigerator. These will stay fresh for about 60 days.

Video

Notes

 

  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 649mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 660IU | Vitamin C: 3.9mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.7mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. JWarren

    Hi! Is it possible to make these with pickled peppers other than slices, such as strips, chunks or whole pickled jalapeños?

  2. Wilhelmina

    5 stars
    Can these be pressure canned or done with a water bath after the 6 days and repackaged into smaller jars? If so which was is best and does it affect the quality?

  3. Michael Ferguson

    I have a 16oz.jar of sliced pickled peppers .About how sugar should I add for this small amount?Thank You it seems since COVID, I can’t find candied peppers in stores!

  4. Jennifer

    Can you can these after you complete the 5 days of stirring them in the refrigerator? Would you heat them in a stockpot before adding them to the jars in order to can them? Please advise! This is the best recipe I have found and am excited to use it soon!

      • John

        4 stars
        I gave it a 4 star rating because I know it has it’s applications but if I was comparing to the traditional, I would be hard pressed to give it a 2. I have been making the traditional for years and can’t make enough each growing season to keep up with the demand from family and friends. I have seen a few of these recipies that call for pickled vs fresh and my wife finally convinced me to try it. Yes without a doubt it’s quicker and much less work but it doesn’t come close to the flavor and taste of the real thing. We even gave the remainder to a friend who wasn’t told the difference. He called the next day and stated ” I hate to sound ungrateful but my wife and I both noticed a big difference with this year’s cowboy candy, doesn’t taste the same”.I laughed and told him he was our taste tester, explained the deal, and told him to stop by for the real thing. He brought the faux jar back and we trashed it… I apologize for posting this opinion but feel that it’s important to point out the truth. This isn’t cowboy candy.

  5. Jacki

    I’m confused, do you add the original pickling juice back to the jars of the sweetened jalapenos? Don’t you need liquid to cover them in storage?

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