How to Make Wet Walnuts (Classic Ice Cream Topping You’ll Love)
If you’ve ever had a hot fudge sundae with that rich, sweet, slightly gooey walnut topping… you already know how irresistible wet walnuts are. Learn How to Make Wet Walnuts (Classic Ice Cream Topping You’ll Love) at home quickly and easily!
And if you haven’t? Oh… you are in for something seriously special.
Wet walnuts are one of those old-school ice cream shop favorites that somehow disappeared, but once you make them at home, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. They’re soft, syrupy, perfectly sweet, and absolutely made for spooning over everything from ice cream to pancakes.
Even better? They’re incredibly easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.
Wet walnuts are simply walnuts coated in a sweet syrup instead of being baked into a crunchy candy. That syrup keeps them soft, glossy, and perfectly spoonable, which is exactly what makes them so addictive.
Unlike candied nuts or pralines, these stay soft and syrupy, making them perfect for drizzling, layering, and piling high on desserts.
Think of them as:
- the upgrade your ice cream has been missing
- the secret weapon for breakfast treats, yogurt is a go-to item to put them on, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, and French toast are all great options
- And OMG this makes a great cheesecake topping!
- and don’t forget to use it for these Maple Walnut Cupcakes
- the “what IS that?!” topping everyone asks about
You may be asking yourself, Why would I want to know this, and what would I use them for…
Trust me, we’ll get to that, and if you like them as much as I do!
Breaking News: I heard that Smuchers discontinued their Wet Walnuts… just one more reason to make homemade!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
This isn’t just another topping… it’s one of those “put it on everything” recipes.
- Quick and easy – ready in about 10 minutes
- Better than store-bought – fresher, richer, more flavor
- Versatile – works on breakfast, dessert, and snacks
- Make-ahead friendly – keeps beautifully in the fridge
And honestly… once you taste them warm over vanilla ice cream, there’s no going back.
HOW TO STORE
Store your wet walnuts in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.
- They stay fresh for several weeks
- Reheat slightly for that just-made texture
- The syrup may thicken when cold, just warm it gently
I still remember the first time I had these piled high on a sundae… and honestly, I think I was more excited about the walnuts than the ice cream.
I’m not sure how many times I looked at the photo above, only now to realize there is a typo. LOL! Too bad I can’t use an eraser.
The walnuts will soften a bit when soaked in the syrup. One of my favorite ways to enjoy Wet Walnuts is on a Hot Fudge Sundae!
It reminds me of my first job, where I worked at an ice cream shop, and I made wet walnuts often and loved them on Hot Fudge Sundaes.
Check out this post on How to Make Hot Fudge Sauce.
And you will want to take that maple syrup and put it on…
Pancakes!
Yep, it’s all about basics today. You will want to make a big stack of pancakes and drizzle them with Maple Syrup. Here is the recipe for the Yummiest Pancakes.
You will want to pile on the Wet Walnuts, too. I love the Wet Walnuts heated with diced apples all piled on my pancakes!
another option…
Buttermilk Pancake Cupcakes with Maple Frosting and Bacon, and yes, it’s perfectly fine to serve these for breakfast if you ask me!
You’ll be using maple extract for the frosting, so really that is just one more reason to run out and get some if you don’t already have it.
Drizzle the syrup over the frosting!
Here are a couple more recipes using maple extract:
OMG, you have to make some chocolate maple cupcakes… these are amazing, and then you’ll have one more amazing thing to put the wet walnuts on top of.
And one more all-time favorite walnut recipe I have to share with you is these Candied Rosemary Walnuts!
Wet Walnuts
Ingredients
- 3 cups walnuts add more or less depending on how much syrup you’d like, you can chop the walnuts or leave them whole/halved. the finer you chop the more nuts you can add
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
- alternatively, you can heat maple syrup and add the walnuts
Instructions
- Bring water and sugar to a boil, boil for one minute.
- Stir in maple extract.
- Place in a jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator.
- Serve it over ice cream, cupcakes, cake, and other great treats.
Notes
Click on the links below to find each syrup recipe:
- Blueberry Syrup
- Cherry Syrup
- Apple Cinnamon Syrup
- Chocolate Syrup
- Lavender Syrup
- Lemon Syrup
- Coffee Syrup
- Pineapple Syrup
- Maple Syrup
- Peach Syrup
I love the flavor of maple syrup! I have a collection and I’m siked to try out some of these recipes….the number of bottles is getting a little excessive 🙂
I’ve never heard of wet walnuts but they make perfectly delicious sense!
Wet walnuts? So intrigued!
I love the name! And I love how easy it is to make yourself.
sounds good, can these be canned? I have a black walnut tree and would like to can as many as possible.
I haven’t canned them, but I think they will can well, another alternative is to freeze them. I’m so envious a black walnut tree sounds fabulous!
I can’t wait to hear how it works out for you.
can’t wait to try these! Happy friday
I’ve never thought about making these at home–I’ve only had them at ice cream shops. I love this!
I have never heard of wet walnuts but maple and walnuts sounds excellent together, I want to put them on everything!
HOW FUN! Love this idea, D!
The link for your maple syrup recipe brought me to this page… I’m so disappointed too because I need to make it before I can make these!
oh yes… the circle of the love and all things maple!
For the wet walnuts u say alternately use maple syrup. do u mean instead of the sugar and water
thank you
Yes, you can heat maple syrup and add the walnuts.