Homemade Almond and Cranberry Nougat
Sweet and delicious, it is easier than you think to make homemade nougat. This recipe has no glucose or corn syrup and can be made with ordinary household ingredients. Perfect for Christmas gifts!
It’s a chilly morning, there’s jazz on the radio, and as usual I’m in the kitchen cooking up some delicious sweet treats. Today I’m making candy, a deliciously chewy homemade Almond and Cranberry Nougat.
If you’re a longtime reader, you’ll know that I love candy making, especially as I know exactly what the ingredients are that go into my food!
Why make your own nougat?
No industrial ingredients! Many recipes for old fashioned sweets like nougat or caramel are full of corn syrup or glucose.
While there is nothing particularly wrong with these modern inventions, when these recipes were invented they didn’t exist! They are shortcut ingredients, used for making commercial products, which means at home we can leave them out altogether.
Homemade Nougat is a perfect Christmas gift
Homemade nougat is fun and simple to make. In essence, nougat is just a very well set type of meringue with nuts and other treats stirred through.
Nougat makes a terrific gift, so it’s a great recipe to have up your sleeve pre-Christmas. When I was very young my great grandmother would often have some nougat ready for us when we arrived to visit her, so for me, it always brings back lovely childhood memories.
Equipment
You will need a candy or cooking thermometer to make nougat, as well as a stand mixer which does most of the hard work.
Ingredients
Nougat is made with simple ingredients:
- White sugar: Use ordinary white sugar for making nougat for the best colour.
- Honey: Clear, runny honey gives the nougat a lovely flavour.
- Egg white: Nougat is a type of set meringue, so you’ll need 1 large egg white for this recipe.
- Vanilla extract: Use a good quality vanilla extract for optimum flavour.
- Almonds, Pistachios and Cranberries: For crunch and chew. The cranberries and pistachios look lovely and festive!
I like to fill my nougat with a Christmassy combination of almonds, pistachios and cranberries, but you can let your imagination run wild.
You could try candied peel and walnuts or dried rose petals and hazelnuts. Everything tastes good!
The complete ingredient list and detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Storage
Traditionally, nougat is poured onto rice paper which stops it sticking and clumping together.
Rice paper is virtually impossible to come by in Germany so I simply pour the nougat onto greased baking parchment paper and wrap it in the same. If you can get rice paper where you are, go right ahead and use it.
Nougat keeps in an airtight container for several weeks at room temperature so can be prepared in advance.
How to clean up afterwards
You’ll find that sugar and meringue stick like glue to your bowls and pots as they set. Don’t worry!
There is no need to scrub and chip it off, simply allow your dishes to soak in very hot water and the sugar will dissolve.
Hot sugar kitchen safety!
When you are making candy it is important to be very careful with the hot sugar syrup. Sugar syrup is much, much hotter than boiling water and it will stick to any skin it touches.
Be sure to clear the kitchen of distractions, animals and small children before you start.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do you tell if homemade nougat has set?
As I always say, candy-making is a science. Test your thermometer in boiling water to ensure it reads 100°C or 212°F (if you live at altitude, you may need to adjust for local conditions). If the mixture reaches 140°C / 285°F (it will continue cooking a little while you beat the egg whites) and you have followed the recipe correctly, then it should set.
How long does homemade nougat keep?
It can be stored for several weeks at room temperature in an airtight container. Humidity is the enemy of candy, so keep it as dry as possible and do not store it in the fridge.
I have a nut allergy. Can I still make nougat?
Absolutely! Use dried fruit of your choosing and any seeds that you can eat – sunflower seeds give a satisfying crunch, and if you are not allergic, pine nuts are delicious too.
More homemade Candy!
Loved this recipe? Try my Soft Honey Vanilla Caramels or Homemade Marshmallows next!
Homemade Nougat Recipe Card
Homemade Almond and Cranberry Nougat
Sweet, crunchy and incredibly moreish, it is easier than you think to make homemade Almond and Cranberry Nougat. This recipe has no glucose or corn syrup and can be made with ordinary household ingredients. Perfect for Christmas gifts!
Ingredients
- 150 g whole almonds
- 50 g shelled pistachios , unsalted
- 300 g white sugar
- 175 g runny honey
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g dried cranberries, chopped
optional:
- 2 sheets of rice paper
Instructions
- PREPARE: Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas 6. Grease a 20cm square baking dish well with oil, line with a rectangle of baking parchment paper leaving an overhang on two sides, brush the baking paper with a little oil and set aside. Prepare a stand mixer with the whisk attachment fitted.
- ROAST THE NUTS: When the oven is hot, spread the almonds and pistachios over a small baking dish and roast for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and keep warm.
- MAKE THE SUGAR SYRUP: In a deep, heavy-based saucepan, combine the sugar, honey and water. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat up and boil until the sugar reaches 140°C / 285°F on a sugar thermometer, swirling the pan once or twice to even out the temperature.
- WHISK THE EGG WHITES: As soon as the sugar syrup has reached the correct temperature, remove from the heat. In the bowl of the stand mixer whisk the egg white until it forms soft peaks. With the mixer running, carefully pour the hot sugar syrup down the side of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract then continue to whisk for 5 minutes (see note).
- IN THE NEXT STEP IT IS CRUCIAL TO MOVE QUICKLY! Take the nuts out of the oven and have your prepared baking dish ready.
- COMBINE THE INGREDIENTS: After 5 minutes, stop the mixer and remove the whisk attachment. Add the warm almonds, pistachios and the cranberries to the bowl and use a large metal spoon to quickly fold them through. Spoon the nougat into the prepared dish working as quickly as you can as it will be beginning to set.
- ALLOW TO SET: Place a second piece of baking paper on top of the nougat, using your hands to press down firmly and smooth the surface. Allow the nougat to cool completely at room temperature for at least three hours, the nougat is then ready to cut. The baking paper will stick to the nougat until the nougat is firmly set.
- CUT THE NOUGAT: It is best to cut the nougat into long strips and wrap in baking paper until needed. Before serving or gifting, slice into bite-sized pieces. If you can't find rice paper it is fine to wrap the individual pieces in baking paper.
Notes
NOTE:
The nougat meringue is very stiff which can be very taxing on older or weaker mixers so is best made with a high powered machine. In saying that, my kitchen mixer is well over 20 years old and going strong!
Imperial and cup measurements are approximate. For best and most accurate results I use and recommend a digital kitchen scale like the one below.
The egg whites in this recipe are cooked by the hot sugar syrup. If you have any concerns about using raw egg white, you can find pasteurised egg whites in the chiller at your grocery store.
Recommended Equipment
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Nutrition
Serving: 1piece | Calories: 91kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Tried this recipe?I’d love to hear how it went! Please leave a review or a star rating and let me know how it was! Use the hashtag #daysofjay on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations.
Great recipe. Can you substitute the sugar to Swerve sugar free sugar?
Hi Gina, thank you! Unfortunately in most candy making, sugar is the main molecular structure which makes it difficult to replace. There are some recipes online for sugar free nougat which might be worth having a look at? J.
Dear Jay,
This is the recipe!!! weather you are looking for nougat or torrone!! Everything came together exactly as instructed. Right texture and color without overdoing on any of the ingredients! and so pretty when finished. Tastes wonderful too which is the best part. Thank you for this wonderful candy! Merry Christmas and many blessing in 2024. truly fran
Hi Fran, thank you so much for your very lovely and kind words! You have truly made my day. I love nougat and I am so happy this recipe has been such a success for you! Wishing you a very happy Christmas and all the best for 2024! J.
Hi Jay, I have a general question though it does also apply to this recipe.
When whipping just one egg white in a KitchenAid mixer, how do you get it to whip up? The whisk attachment doesn’t go low enough to “catch” the eggs. Is there a trick?
Hi Lorin, this is actually an awesome question! One egg white can be really tricky to whip depending on which brand of mixer you have. Because egg whites whip up quite quickly by hand (especially at room temperature), I would recommend in this case to simply beat the egg white with a normal whisk in the mixer bowl until soft peaks, and then proceed with the recipe as directed. Thank you so much for your thoughtful question, I will update the FAQ’s! Happy cooking, J.
Does it matter what oil you use in the baking dish please?
Hi Tom, great question! Best to use a flavourless oil like sunflower or canola so that it doesn’t alter the flavour of the nougat where it comes into contact with it. Have a great weekend! J.
My grown up kids love nougat, made some for Christmas a few years ago and lost the recipe, nothing has worked well since then, until now! This recipe worked perfectly. I hand whisked the egg white in the stand mixer bowl as one white really doesn’t whip well in a big mixer, apart from that I followed the recipe with one exception, I put the mixture between two sheets of rice paper and rolled it out, trimmed off the extra bits, just to taste you understand.
Great recipe, thank you x
Hi Jane, thank you for your lovely comment! Nougat is a real Christmas favourite, so I am happy this recipe was a success for you! My great-grandmother always had some for us when I was a kid, and quite right, always between rice paper. Haha, nothing beats the extra bits, chef’s treats I call them! All the best for the festive season, J.
Hi there,
I’m about to try this recipe as my husband loves nougat, as do I, but it’s so expensive to buy, so my question is, is this a hard nougat or is it more soft?
Also, is there one that has a chocolate flavour that’s just as easy to make? Or could I just add some melted chocolate to it or would that alter the consistency too much?
Thank you.
Hi Lyn! Nice to hear from another nougat lover, it is one of my favourite sweets! This recipe makes a chewy nougat which is how I prefer it – brittleness in candy is altered by how hot you make the sugar syrup. In this case we heat it to the “soft crack” stage which means the nougat has a nice chew to it.
Chocolate can be a bit fiddly first time round as it is alkaline which can affect the sugar chemistry (I always say candy making is a science!) For your first attempt at nougat I would suggest sticking to the recipe and maybe drizzling the finished and cooled nougat with a little melted chocolate instead.
I am working on a chocolate nougat recipe in time for Christmas however, so watch this space!
Happy cooking, J.
Yes, will definitely make this one first, I’m actually about to start on it now, I hope it works. Lucky for me I invested in a Kitchen Aid mixer a few years ago, and it’s done a lot of work. Any other one would have worn out by now, I’m sure!
Great idea about drizzling some melted chocolate over it!
Thanks.
Good luck! Let me know how you get on! See the comments about whisking the egg white if your mixer isn’t picking it up 🤩 your Kitchen Aid sounds perfect for making nougat! J.
Hi Jay, I just tried this and it has worked beautifully. Thank you for the recipe and have a lovely Christmas.
Hi Angela, I am delighted to hear that this was a success! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know, I really appreciate it. Wishing you a very happy Christmas and all the very best for the new year! J.