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It doesn’t matter if you call them Candied Jalapeños or Cowboy Candy, this sweet and spicy concoction is downright irresistible! With just a few ingredients, fresh jalapeños are turned into something extra special and perfect with burgers, sandwiches, salads, and appetizers or anything else that suits your fancy.
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been doing quite a bit of celebrating. Our youngest son is graduating from high school and he also received his Eagle Scout award. With both of those events being major accomplishments, we’ve been attending parties, lunches, brunches, and ceremonies. In between all of that, I was able to seek in a great “girls night” with two of my best friends. Jeannie, Hope and I meet through our kids when they were in elementary school. With similar personalities, we became fast friends and over the years, have grown closer, sharing many of life’s ups and downs.
We knew this day would come – our “littles” would turn into young adults, and head out into the world, so it was fitting that we get together to share in this special time. After a few text messages were exchanged, we had a plan for our fun evening together and that’s when I went into party mode. I’d been wanting to try a new appetizer recipe for weeks and with these girls, I knew I could spring anything on them, even something like Cowboy Candy.
This recipe is so easy to make and can be used in loads of different ways. It has just a few ingredients and the total time spent at the stove is less than 30 minutes. Once the batch of Candied Jalapeños is cooked, they are put into jars, cooled and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy them.
What you’ll need to make Candied Jalapeños:
- one to one and a half pounds of fresh jalapeños
- white sugar
- garlic power
- celery seed
- red pepper flakes
- ground turmeric
- apple cider vinegar
- food-safe gloves
- pint jars with lids
I served my Candied Jalapeños spooned onto cool cream cheese. When I brought out this interesting appetizer to the girls, there was the expected, “what is that?” and “ooh, that looks good!” comments. Then, we grabbed some crackers and smeared on a big helping of that goodness. After the first bite, we were all three huge fans and started talking about all the ways we’d use it.
At the end of the evening, there’d been lots of stories told, past escapades remembered and so much laughter that sometimes we cried. It was absolutely wonderful. Good friends, sharing a great evening preparing to move on to a new stage in life. I think we might need to get together more often.
Ways to serve Candied Jalapeños:
- As an appetizer with cream cheese, goat cheese or any other of your favorite cheeses.
- On burgers and Hot Dogs.
- Add to Avocado Egg Salad, chicken or tuna salad.
- Chop and add to 1000 Island Dressing for a spicy kick for salads or for as dip.
- Garnish Deviled Eggs with a few sprinkles.
- Add some syrup to Bourbon Basil Lemonade for an extra bold flavor.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh jalapeños
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Using food safe gloves and a sharp knife, slice Jalapeños into rounds. Set aside.
- To a medium-size pot or dutch oven, add sugar, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, celery seed, turmeric, and red pepper. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, until sugar is completely melted.
- Add sliced jalapeños and stir. Bring mixture back to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every so often.
- Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove peppers from pot and place into pint jars. Bring remaining liquid up to a boil to reduce mixture, cooking for approximately 5 minutes.
- Carefully pour syrup into jars, over the peppers and let cool. Cover with lid and store in refrigerator. Can be stored for up to three months.
**makes 2 pints
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We have a few jalapeno plants so I am definitely going to try this.
Awesome, Stacey! This stuff is crazy good. Let me know how you like it.
XO,
~Donya
Do the jalapeños stay crunchy?
Hey Shari!
No they don’t stay quite as crunchy as they are raw, but there is still a little crunch. It’s a great sweet and spicy combo! Let me know how you like it.
~Donya
I bought some of these a few weeks ago and I cannot get enough!! I am definitely going to try to make them myself! Thank you!
Can these be water bath canned to extend shelf life
Hey there Cameron!
That is an excellent question! Personally I’ve never dabbled in canning so I don’t know if I have enough information to answer this question. However, I’ve found you a resource that may be more helpful and I will copy the link down below. I hope you still try the recipe, it still does well in the fridge for a while. If you do try it, let me know what you think! I hope you enjoy, have a great rest of your day!
https://www.foodiewithfamily.com/candied-jalapenos/
~Donya
Can I use regular vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar?
Hey there Bernice!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe! You can definitely substitute distilled white vinegar for the apple cider vinegar in this recipe, it’ll give the recipe a slightly different flavor but it’ll still taste delicious and have the same texture. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the recipe!
~Donya
Mine came out to hot even after removing the seeds. What kind of jalapeno do you use?
I know I’m late, but just so y’all know. We make this every year and waterbath can it. Works wonderful and bigger batches mean more for later, or to give as gifts.
Hey there Bekah!
Thank you so much for sharing this, I am not a big canner myself so I appreciate you sharing your experience! I am so happy to hear that you’ve been enjoying this recipe, thank you for your support. If you ever have any questions about another recipe, please don’t hesitate to reach out, I’m always happy to help!
~Donya
Has anyone made this using a sugar substitute?
Donna, clean out seeds and membrane and soak in 7-Up (not diet) for 15- 20 minutes. Now you have mild to medium heat level.
Hey there Baltisraul!
Thank you so much for sharing, that sounds like a really good idea! I hope you enjoy these Candied Jalapenos, if you ever have any questions about any recipes I’d be happy to help!
~Donya
Can I use stevia monkfruit sweetener in place of sugar? Diabetic and eat ketogenic.
Hey there Sandy!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that’s a good question! I’ve never personally tested this recipe using a sugar substitute, but it should work just as well. It’s definitely worth a try, I would recommend using the same measurement of stevia as you would sugar. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out if you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
You don’t mention the heat factor. Do you use all seeds? Some? Few?
I leave the seeds in but you can certainly take them out.
~Donya
Love this recipe, but I used 1.8 lbs of jalapeños to make a larger batch— and barely got 2 pints! Delicious but next time I’ll use 4 lbs.
I like this. Delicious. Does it get thicker. Mine is runny.
Hey there!
As the jar sits in the fridge, the sauce should thicken up.
Enjoy,
~Donya
Agreed. Super easy to follow yummy recipe BUT I used 2 lbs of jalapenos (doubling your recipe that is supposed to yield 2 pints) and only got 2pints. This recipe must yield 1pint or a single 16oz jar.
Hey there CJ!
I am glad to hear you liked this recipe, it’s not too hard to make but it is definitely tasty! I am not quite sure why yours didn’t yield as much as the recipe states, I based the recipe’s quantity on how much I was able to get from these ingredients. I suppose next time you might need to triple it, but I am so glad to hear you liked these Candied Jalapeños. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with this recipe, I appreciate your support!
~Donya
After refrigerating, do you heat it up to serve? Mine turned very hard in the fridge so I can’t imagine it will spread well.
Hey there!
I don’t normally heat mine up before serving, but if you put your jar under some warm water it should loosen up the texture a little bit! Hope you enjoy!
~Donya
How many pints does this recipe make? Sounds delish!
Hey Dana. This fills two pint size jars. Enjoy!
~Donya
How many jars will this amount fill?
Hey Pia, this recipes fills two pint size jars. Enjoy!
~Donya
Can you preserve this with a hot water bath to seal the jars so they wouldn’t need refrigerating?
Julie, I don’t do any “official canning” but I’m sure you can process that just like you would if you were making jelly. I hope this helps. Keep me posted!
Have a great day,
~Donya
The jar that is pictured is a half pint jar,so the recipe makes 4 of the half pint or 2 pints is that correct?
Hey Dean. I got a little under 2 pints and I used the half pint jars. I hope this helps. Let me know how you like the recipe!
Have a great day,
~Donya
Can I use Banana Peppers?
Ky,
Great idea. Let me know how things turn out.
~Donya
I used hot banana peppers, as well, and they were amazing.
Does it have to be granulated garlic pepper or can I use regular garlic powder?
Shelby,
Just use garlic powder.
Have a great day,
~Donya
Made this today,going to try it on burgers tonight! So easy to make and smells delish!!! Thanks for sharing.
Can you use any vinegar I.e. spirit vinegar?
Hey there.
I’ve never used anything other than what’s written in the recipe. Give it try and let me know how things turn out.
~Donya
Think sounds delish. I was thinking of trying it in my instant pot, just melting the sugar first. Thoughts?
Hey Dana!
You could try that. It really doesn’t take that long to make the recipe and having your IP come up to temp might be about the same time as it would take on the stovetop. Just thinking out loud. Let me know what happens.
Have a great day!
~Donya
I love theses and have made them a few times. I’ve even made them for gifts at Christmas.
Good recipe,great flavor and heat. For those who want a mild version just use a jalepeno popper pepper corer th remove the seeds and some of the veins.Core them,slice them and wallah mild candy. Medium core just half of the peppers.This makes deviled eggs fly off the plate.
Absolutely addicting condiment. I have been making something very simular for over 25 years. Once a year a make a small batch. This year it was 45lbs. If I can only find a quicker way to slice them?? I put some in the blender for my hummus, and my BBQ Team puts them on everything!! Thanks, enjoy.
Perhaps a salad shooter? You’d still need to slice off the ends by hand, but if you are ok with thinner slices you could slice up a few at a time that way!
Hey there Laura!
That’s a great idea! Definitely worth giving it a shot, I hope you enjoy the recipe!
~Donya
I have lots of jalapeños in the freezer from my garden last year. Do you think these will work in your delicious recipe?
Hey there!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that’s a terrific question! You can absolutely use frozen jalapenos for this recipe, I would recommend defrosting them to the point where they’re sliceable, and then you’re good to go. I hope this helps, let me know how everything turns out!
~Donya
I just won 2nd Place in the Nation SC Chili Contest and put a pinch of this on every sample. People kept coming back for more!!! I had bought some in a grocery and came home and made my own.
My hubby and I love jalapeños, can’t wait to try. So glad I found this recipe, making it tonight with pork chops. Keeping all the seeds in 🤭🔥
This is AMAZING! I thought this would last for a bit in our home bu my family gobbled it up within 3 days! Used it on cream cheese as an app, on sandwiches and ate it right out of the jar! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
WOW! Kim, thanks for letting me know. I’m happy you like the recipe.
Have a great weekend!
~Donya
I’m diabetic. Is there a reduced sugar version of this recipe? Sounds delicious. My husband said make it now!
Hey Tommie.
Unfortunately, I do not have a reduced sugar version of this recipe. I hope you can work some changes to fit your eating style.
Have a great day,
~Donya
If I want to can for the shelf, how long would I have to cook in a hot bath?
Hey Kathy.
I’ve never “canned” this recipe. If you are a fan of canning I’m sure that general preserving instruction would apple.
Have a great day,
~Donya
OMG! My mouth was watering making this. I weighted my jalapeno’s after I cleaned and sliced them to 1 lb. I followed the recipe and it only made (3) 1/2 pints. I will definitely double or maybe triple the recipe next time. Awesome recipe! Kudos!
Does this have to set in the refrigerator for a few weeks?
Hey Cynthia!
Nope, you can enjoy them right after they’ve cooled.
Have a great day,
~Donya
Hey Donya… I just found your blog and I’m loving it( Ga girl). My husband and I grow jalapenos and freeze them to add to everything! My question is that once frozen jalapenos defrost they are not crispy, but kinda mushy. Is that still ok to use in this recipe?
Hey Pamela,
I’m glad you found me because if y’all are jalapeno people you will love this recipe! You can absolutely use the defrosted jalapenos it should still work well, if you wanted to grill them up a little bit before adding them in I think that could be great too! Let me know what you end up trying.
Enjoy!
~Donya
I can get roasted chilies. Would they work?
Marita, I’m not sure about that. I’ve never used that ingredient. If you work it out, let me know.
Have a great day,
~Donya
This sounds amazing!! Have you ever tried honey instead of refined sugar? I always use local honey instead to make my simple syrups.
Hey there Rebecca!
Thanks so much for your interest in this recipe! That’s a great question! I have never personally tried using honey in this recipe, but that sounds like it would work wonderfully. Using honey would be a terrific way to make the simple syrup, if you end up trying this recipe I would love it if you could let me know how it worked out, I’d be very interested in trying it! Thank you so much for your support, have a great rest of your day!
~Donya
This is seriously some awesome stuff. You don’t need to wait until 2 weeks for flavor. Next day it was amazing. Thickened in the fridge too. I’m making this again. Great recipe.
Hey there Andrea!
Wow! Thank you so much for this kind comment, I am so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, it’s one of my favorites too! It definitely does thicken up in the fridge, one of my favorite ways to eat it is with crackers and goat cheese, its delicious! Thanks again for all your support, let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe. I hope you have a great day!
~Donya
I don’t have any tumeric. Is there anything I can use instead or do you think it would change the taste if I omit it completely? If it is a big part of the flavor I will wait til I go to the store to get some.I haven’t made these so I won’t be able to tell if there is a big difference.
Hey there Joan!
That’s a terrific question! Honestly, I would just omit the turmeric instead of trying to replace it. Turmeric is a very unique flavor and while this recipe is delicious with the addition of turmeric, it’s not really necessary. I would say, if you want to make the recipe right away just make it without the turmeric, but in the future you might want to try it, the turmeric compliments the jalapenos really well. I really hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know how you end up liking it! I hope you have a great rest of your day!
~Donya
Holy cow these are delicious!!! I also doubled the recipe and only got about 2 pints. Can’t wait to try the simple syrup in a margarita. We were eating the peppers right out of the pot! And the house smelled divine while they were cooking.
Hey there April!
Wow! Thank you so much for your incredible rating and your sweet words! I am so happy to hear you’ve enjoyed this recipe, it’s definitely something special. I’ve never thought to put this Jalapeno simple syrup in a margarita, but I am absolutely going to be trying that, sounds amazing! I really appreciate your support, if you ever have any questions about a recipe please don’t hesitate to reach out!
~Donya
This recipe is fantastic. I love it.
Hey there Ed!
I so happy to hear you liked this recipe, this “cowboy candy” is one of a kind and tasty as all get out! If you ever have any questions please feel to reach out, thank you so much for your kind words of support!
~Donya
I make these just as the recipe calls for and everybody LOVES them!
Hey there Wendy!
Wow! I am thrilled to hear that everyone enjoyed this recipe, ‘cowboy candy’ is always a fun treat to share with folks! Thank you so much for your kind words and this phenomenal rating, I really appreciate your support!
~Donya
Is this recipe appropriate for canning in a hot water bath to extend its shelflife?
Hey there Shelly!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that is a fantastic question! Honestly, canning foods is not my area of expertise, but I have seen recipes for Canned Candied Jalapenos. This recipe has a good amount of sugar in it, which is perfect for serving immediately, but I’m not quite sure how the sugar would react in a hot water bath, I think it might overcook and harden since this recipe already requires the sugar to be cooked once. I would recommend finding a Candied Jalapeno recipe that is specifically meant for canning to extend the shelf life. If you’re looking for other recipes to can, you should check out my Slow Cooked Homemade Apple Butter recipe, I know that recipe cans very well. Thank you for your support, I hope this is helpful!
~Donya
Next time try these on a goat cheese lag for a different cheese. Muy sabrosa!!!!!!
Hey there!
I like the way you think, these Candied Jalapenos would be a wonderful topping for a goat cheese appetizer! Let me know how everything turns out if you give it a try!
~Donya
I’ve made this recipe twice, with excellent results. But the last time, looking for more crunch, I jammed the raw, sliced jalapenos into jars and poured the boiling and slightly reduced syrup over them to cover. I let them sit, then topped off again with some more syrup and then closed up the jars.
They were delicious and kept their color and crunch well, too. So I wouldn’t say that this way is any better, just different and worth a try if you’re looking for crunch. You will need more jars, since the slices don’t have a chance to cook down in the syrup. I used three pounds of jalapenos and it must have made a couple of quarts (I can’t tell since I used different-sized, repurposed jars).
Hey there David!
Wow! Thank you so much for your kind words of support, I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! It sounds like you made quite a tasty batch of candied jalapenos, I will definitely be giving this method a try, thank you for sharing! If you ever have any questions about a recipe, please don’t hesitate to ask, I’m always happy to help!
~Donya
I saw this in my Facebook feed and immediately thought I’d like it. I made it yesterday morning and could not have been happier. It made my whole kitchen smell like my gramma’s house during canning season when I was a kid – I’m not a canner (or, frankly, a very enthusiastic cook), but these gave me that same feeling without all of the sweat and work of old-fashioned canning. I had some over cream cheese for lunch today with some crackers, and they’re even better than I thought they would be! I made a jar for myself and a jar for my sister, but I know that second jar will be gone here before I’ll see my sister again, so I picked up more jalapenos today at the store – good thing they’re only $1.29 A POUND. I have all of the other ingredients here, so this is an amazingly inexpensive (and satisfying!) handmade gift. I’ll definitely be making many more batches of these, as I can see myself packing some for a quick, easy lunch during school. I’m also saving that amazing candied brine when the actual jalapenos are gone, because it’s too delicious to toss and I can think of dozens of uses for it. Thank you!
Hey there Michelle!
My goodness, it is fantastic to hear from you, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe so much! I completely agree with you, they make a wonderful quick lunch and there are so many other great uses for them. During the holiday season I would definitely recommend making a couple batches of these Candied Jalapenos, they make terrific gifts for neighbors, friends, and teachers. Thank you so much for your amazing rating and you kind words, I really appreciate your support! If you ever have any questions about a recipe, don’t hesitate to ask!
~Donya
Hi Donya, do you think this recipe would freeze well?
Hey there Elaine!
That is a great question! I’ve never personally tried freezing this recipe, so I’m not entirely certain what the texture would be like after defrosting. That being said, what I would do is defrost it at room temperature for a couple hours, and then partially submerge your mason jar of candied jalapenos in a water bath over a low heat, this will re-melt the sugar and it should return the recipes to it’s original texture. Please let me know how everything turns out if you give it a try, I’m very curious. Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe and for your fantastic rating, I really hope you enjoy!
~Donya
I just made two wide mouth pints using two pounds of homegrown NC jalapeños. I removed the core seeds and membrane using a melon baller on about half of the two pounds. It’s plenty hot. Now I’m gonna water bath those two pints and get the jalapeños off my hands. Thanks for the recipe.
Hey there Freida!
Wow! It sounds to me like you made great use of this season’s homegrown jalapenos, canning this recipe as a terrific idea so you can enjoy it throughout the winter! Thank you so much for your kind words of support, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! If you like this one, you should check out my Cucumber and Onion Refrigerator Pickles, it’s another perfect recipe for saving and storing those delicious garden-fresh summer veggies. Please let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe, I’m always happy to help!
~Donya
Do you think this recipe could be made with habaneros? I have a ton of them from my garden!
Hey there Faye!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, these candied jalapenos are super easy to make, I think you’re really going to love them! I’ve never actually tried this recipe with habaneros, but I think it would work perfectly, you should totally give it a try I’d love to hear how everything turns out! Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you enjoy the recipe!
~Donya
Hi Faye, we used habaneros last year and turned out great!