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 in this sweet and spicy pepper recipe.
They are perfect with burgers, roast beef sandwiches, salads, served as an appetizer, or when you want a burst of sweet heat.
Easy appetizers are my thing! Through years of hosting, I’ve developed the perfect formula for apps that everyone enjoys. There are the ones you make ahead of time, like salami cream cheese roll-ups, those you can pop in the crockpot, like slow cooker queso beef dip, and those you already have on hand and are just dressing up, like these DIY candied jalapeños.
Why I Love Spicy Jalapeños In Syrup
- I love stuffing them into sandwiches, chopped up on baked beans, sprinkling them on homemade soup, and using the syrup to brush meat on the grill. And my favorite, piled on top of a cream cheese cracker.
- They are so easy to make and ready in just 30 minutes! The hardest part is waiting for them to cool down.
- Absurdly delicious flavor that’s sweet and tangy from just seven ingredients.
Ingredients For Homemade Jalapeño Candy
- Fresh Jalapeños —You’ll need a half pound of thinly sliced jalapeños. I remove the stems but keep the seeds in because it’s easier, and my family enjoys a lot of spice with the sweetness!
- White sugar – This is where the sweetness comes into play. Honey will work too.
- Spices – For flavor, I add garlic powder, celery seeds, ground turmeric, and red pepper flakes (a pinch of cayenne pepper will work too). The half teaspoon turmeric gives these jalapeños a little bit of earthiness.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – This vinegar has a little sweetness yet is mild for vinegar, which is why I love it for this recipe.
Donya’s Success Tips
- Wear gloves when handling the jalapeño peppers to avoid getting any oils on your skin.
- You’ll be slicing 1 lb of peppers, so you’ll want either a sharp knife and cutting board, a food processor with the slicing blade attached, or a mandoline. to slice the peppers thinly and evenly.
- Make a double batch! Once you open that jar, you won’t be able to stop eating them. And I mean that, so make a double batch!
- Don’t waste the leftover syrup. It can be used as a sweet and spicy glaze for meat or vegetables.
How To Make Jalapeños That Are Candied
- Slice the jalapeños and set aside. Add the other ingredients to a large pot of Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Reduce and cook until the sugar is completely melted.
- Add in the pepper slices and bring back to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes or until soft, then remove the jalapeños with a slotted spoon. Continue to boil the liquid for another 5 minutes.
- Put the peppers into jars and carefully ladle the boiling syrup over them.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel and screw on canning jar lids. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
How To Store Homemade Spicy Jalapeño Preserves
When quick pickling, like this recipe, I like to use jars with matching lids. I also like to use half-pint jars with two-piece lids. These can even be leftover pasta sauce jars with lids. With recipes like this one that don’t require canning, you can use any old jar and lid for storage.
If you want to make them shelf-stable, you can process them in a traditional water bath, and they’ll last for a year. But again, that’s only if you’ve canned them.
Commonly Asked Questions
Cowboy candy jalapenos are a sweet and spicy candied jalapeño pepper recipe often served with cream cheese and crackers.
Cowboy candy jalapeños can last up to a year when stored in a cool, dry place. However, once opened, it should be stored in the refrigerator and used within a few weeks.
Yes, the leftover syrup can be used as a sweet and spicy glaze for meat or vegetables.
Yes, you can freeze them for up to 3 months but let them cool completely first and only freeze in a plastic freezer-safe container to allow for expansion.
Ways To Serve Sweet Pickled Jalapeños
It might take a while to tell you ALL THE WAYS to serve these yummy little things! I like to serve them on top of warm Sausage Dip and a spicy garnish for Deviled Eggs. To up my side dish game, I add them to Pineapple Slaw and sprinkle them over Southern Corn Fritters. My family is smitten with them served with Crock Pot Country-Style Pork Ribs.
More Easy Appetizers You’ll Love
If you tried this Candied Jalapeño Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
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
Notes
- Storage: When quick pickling, like this recipe, I like to use jars with matching lids. I also like to use half-pint jars with two-piece lids. These can even be leftover pasta sauce jars with lids. With recipes like this one that don’t require canning, you can use any old jar and lid for storage.
- If you want to make them shelf-stable, you can process them in a traditional water bath, and they’ll last for a year. But again, that’s only if you’ve canned them.
Nutrition
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I love theses and have made them a few times. I’ve even made them for gifts at Christmas.
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
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
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
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.
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
How many jars will this amount fill?
Hey Pia, this recipes fills two pint size jars. Enjoy!
~Donya
How many pints does this recipe make? Sounds delish!
Hey Dana. This fills two pint size jars. Enjoy!
~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
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