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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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