Candied Jalapeños (aka Cowboy Candy) are the kind of southern snack that disappears fast. They’re sweet, spicy, and just the right kind of tangy. This small batch recipe with 5 ingredients comes together quick and adds a little sweet heat to everything from pimento cream cheese and crackers to burgers to collard greens.
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Cowboy candied jalapeños can be shelf stable with an easy water bath canning method or simply store in your fridge for Refrigerator Candied Jalapenos. You only need one pound of jalapeño peppers to make two half pint jars for gift giving or enjoy right away.
I had a bumper crop of jalapeño peppers in my garden this year, so I've been making these canned candied jalapeños on repeat.
With so many peppers, I've also made pepper jellies like my Freezer Blackberry Pepper Jelly, Easy Peach Pepper Jelly, and Freezer Jalapeno Pepper Jelly. I even chopped and froze some of these hot peppers to make Cranberry Pepper Jelly later on when cranberries are available.
My favorite way to eat them is on cream cheese or goat cheese slathered on a cracker. You can also add them to your party charcuterie boards in a tiny little bowl.
Most of the time, I just have small amounts of jalapeños in my garden, so I developed this small batch recipe for cowboy candy jalapeños that just makes a total of two cups (two half pints or one pint jar. The recipe easily doubles if you have more peppers than you know what to do with!
What is Cowboy Candy?
Cowboy candy is a nickname given to candied jalapeño pepper slices cooked in a sweet and tangy vinegar syrup. They might remind you of the flavor of bread and butter pickles, only slightly spicy. They serve as a quick appetizer when served on cream cheese and often piled on a burger or sprinkled on nachos.
A jar of these candied jalapeños with a ribbon tied around it would is a perfect hostess gift, come Christmas-party-time. If you think someone will wonder "What are candied jalapeños?", just add a decorative tag to the ribbon and how to serve them.
My husband loves to top off his grilled venison burger with a spoonful of these quick candied jalapenos.
And of course, I tested this recipe many times to get the flavor and candied consistency just right for you!
Shortcuts
- No need to take the time to remove the seeds! I tested it with all the seeds and membrane removed and I might as well have used bell peppers-no heat at all.
- Small batch recipes require less prep, less cooking time, smaller pots and pans, and fewer dishes to wash.
Ingredients for easy candied jalapeños
What you will need to know how to candy jalapeños.
Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.
- Jalapeño peppers- Use green or red or a combination. No need to remove the seeds.
- Sugar- You can actually use firmly packed light brown sugar, too!
- Vinegar- I prefer apple cider vinegar, but you can also use white distilled vinegar.
- Turmeric- This adds the slight "golden" color to the candied jalapeno peppers.
- Garlic powder- This can be optional, but I always opt-in! It adds just the right flavor to balance the sweet and spicy with a bit of savory in my humble opinion.
Substitutions & Variations
Trade "this" for "that" in this small batch recipe.
- Add some color - Trade out half the jalapenos with red jalapeno peppers for a colorful quick holiday appetizer.
- Spices- I've seen coriander seeds, celery seeds, and bay leaves added to candied jalapeno. For a little extra heat, add ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or add one hot Thai chile pepper to each jar.
How to make Cowboy Candy Jalapeños
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
- If you're using the water bath canning method, sterilize your two half pint jars or one pint jar and put on a large pot of water (8 quarts) with a metal rack in the bottom. The water should cover your jars by 1-inch.
Note: You can also can the cowboy candy in four ½ cup-size canning jars. You can use a smaller pot, but the water still has to cover the jars by 1 inch. Boil these jars in the water bath for 5 minutes.
- Slice the peppers.
- Cook them in the syrup mixture.
- Spoon the jalapeños into the jars.
- Put the syrup back on to boil according to the printable recipe below.
Canning candied jalapeños (water bath)
- Pour the hot "candy" mixture over the cooked jalapenño peppers in the jars.
- To can the jars of cowboy candy and preserve it to be shelf stable, simply lower them in a pot of boiling water on top of a shallow rack and boil according to the printable recipe below for half pints and pint jars.
- Remove the jars and let cool completely. The jars are sealed when you hear that "pop" sound and the lid is slightly indented on top.
If you're going to eat them right away or up to two weeks, just store them in the fridge without giving them the water bath treatment.
Don't throw away the sweet and spicy syrup left in the empty jars! The candied jalapeño pepper syrup is perfect for drizzling over pizza or collard greens or anywhere you might use hot honey.
Pro Tips
Be sure to wear latex or vinyl gloves when handling hot peppers like jalapeños and don't touch your fingers to your mouth or eyes.
Helpful information
Absolutely! Freezing jalapeño peppers in the summer when they are plentiful is a good make ahead idea for making candied jalapeños later on. Slice the peppers and spread evenly on a parchment paper-line sheet pan. Freeze, then pack them into a freezer zip-top bag or air tight container. No need to blanche them, just make sure as much air is out of the freezer bag as possible. Thaw and drain before using. You can also freeze them whole!
How to serve cowboy candy
There are so many ways to serve these candied jalapeno peppers!
- Chop them up and stir into dips and salad dressings.
- Use the leftover candied syrup in place of hot honey or any flavored syrup over cornbread, yellow squash fritters, or even a dip for potstickers!
- Serve over cream cheese or goat cheese.
- Top off your deviled eggs and pimento cheese with them.
- Stir them into your potato salad or tuna salad.
How to store
- To Store: Store opened jars of canned candied jalapeños (or jars that have not been canned in the water bath process) in the refrigerator, covered or in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks. Canned candied jalapenos can be stored in a cool dark place for up to 1 year or longer if sealed properly. Store in the fridge after opening.
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Candied Jalapeños (Cowboy Candy)
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Equipment
- 8 quart stock pot (or medium size canning pot)
Ingredients
- 1 pound jalapeno peppers 16 to 18 small to medium (4 cups sliced)
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar 5% acidity
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds or ¼ teaspoon celery seeds (optional)
Instructions
Water Bath Canning Prep:
- If you’re going to water-bath can the jars to make them shelf stable, put your 8 quart (or taller for a pint jar) pot of water on to boil with the trivet/small rack in the bottom. Place your jars in the boiling hot water so they can be sterilizing while you prepare your jalapeños and syrup.
- Wash and dry two half pint jars or one pint jar.*
Refrigerator Method Prep and Canning Method Prep:
- Rinse the jalapenos well. Remove the stem ends. Using latex or vinyl gloves cut the peppers into ¼ -inch-thick slices. No need to remove the seeds. You should have about 4 cups of sliced peppers.
- In a 3 quart saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, garlic powder, turmeric and, if using, mustard or celery seeds. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Let it boil, without stirring 3 minutes.
- Tip: It will look like it’s not much syrup, but the peppers will release plenty of liquid when added.
- Add the sliced jalapeno peppers and bring up to a rolling boil, stirring once or twice. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- If you are water-bath canning, during this time (if you haven’t already), carefully remove the sterilized jars from the boiling water with a canning jar lifter and drain out all the water from the jars.
- With a slotted spoon, spoon the jalapeno slices evenly into the jars.
- Return the syrup to a boil in the pan and boil 2 to 3 minutes or until it is reduced slightly, stirring twice. Mine measured ⅓ cup. Carefully pour the hot syrup over the jalapeño slices. Wipe the rims clean and screw on the rings… not too tight.
Refrigerator Method:
- That’s it! Let your Cowboy Candy cool completely at room temperature, then store in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Water-Bath Canning Method:
- To make your jars of candied jalapenos shelf stable, carefully lower the jars into the pot of boiling water onto a small metal rack so the jars do not directly contact the bottom of the pan. The top of the jars should be covered by 1 inch of water. Bring the water back to a boil and boil 10 minutes for half pint jars and 15 minutes for a pint jar. Carefully remove the jars with a canning jar lifter and place them on a kitchen towel. Let the jars cool to room temperature, then store in a cabinet for up to one year.
- Yield: two half pint jars or one pint jar (2 cups)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
S Phillips
Just the right amount of sweet and heat.
Kathleen
I agree! We love to pile them high on a burger or chop them up and stir into a dip.