Easy Cowboy Candy Recipe (Candied Jalapeños) – Lower Sugar, Water Bath Canned
Craving a sweet treat with a spicy twist? Then you will love this cowboy candy recipe – also known as candied jalapeños – that is lower in sugar and absolutely delicious. Enjoy the perfect blend of sweet and spicy, without the worry of excessive sugar, and then water bath can them to be shelf-stable. Give the jars as a unique, homemade gift for family and friends, or eat them all yourself, topping nachos, burgers, cream cheese or adding to things like tuna salad. The possibilities with this condiment are endless!
Want more delicious and unique jalapeño recipes? Try these fridge or canned pickled jalapeños, quick and easy fermented jalapeños, or this lower sugar jalapeño jelly!
I could start this recipe with all the usual stuff – how great this cowboy candy recipe is, how we love to use the candied jalapeños on everything, blah, blah.
But I’m going to be honest – I really had no interest in making candied jalapeños or developing a different, lower sugar recipe.
Shocking confession from a food blogger, isn’t it?
It’s mainly because in all the foods we like to use preserved jalapeños, we use plain pickled jalapeños or the fermented version. If I do want a sweet-hot flavor profile, I have jars of honey jalapeño pepper jelly ready to spread on cream cheese, top burgers, or glaze baked chicken.
BUT, this is literally the most requested recipe I’ve ever had! I started getting requests a couple of years ago and they haven’t stopped since.
So I researched and tested and developed a lower sugar recipe for candied jalapeños that – guess what?
We do really enjoy!!
Lessening the amount of sugar allows the flavor and spice of the jalapeños to shine and I think creates a much nicer balance of the sweet-to-spicy ratio.
So far my favorite way to use this cowboy candy is chopped up in a tuna salad, on a cheese plate to add to the top of any cheese on crackers (really – it’s good on cheddar, feta, and gouda as well as the traditional cream cheese), and as a topping for baked or grilled meats.
I guess the lesson is to be open to new things because now I’m glad to have jars of cowboy candy on my shelves AND I’m excited to gift them to friends and family!
Let’s Talk About The Sugar
Many of you know that I routinely lower the sugar of many recipes – sometimes my own recipes that have been on the site since the beginning (way back in 2009!) like addictive tomato chutney and apple caramel dip.
Why? I do get comments all the time about a recipe being a “treat” or that it’s just a small amount that we use (like a tablespoon of chutney, etc.) so why bother.
But one thing I’ve learned over the years of working to lower sugar in my family’s diet is – ALL the little changes matter because it ALL adds up. And even though sugar isn’t “addictive” like some substances, we have noticed these important changes:
- It’s been amazing to me how our tastes have changed. The sugar-laden things we used to enjoy just taste like sugar now, with no other flavors – they aren’t even tempting anymore (yes, “you can train your tastes buds to enjoy things that aren’t as sweet“).
- We’ve found that lowering the sugar allows the other ingredients to create a more pleasing flavor profile.
- And we eat less of things that are less sweet, so we’re impacting our health in ways beyond just less sugar in that particular recipe.
Original Recipe vs. Lower Sugar
With regards to this particular candied jalapeño recipe – I was shocked that the original recipe people sent me contained SIX CUPS of sugar to just 3 pounds of jalapeños!
And what cracks me up is that along with the link I’d get things like “everyone just loves this!!” Um, yeah, because it’s candy and not many people say they don’t like candy.
There was no way I was going to make anything with that much sugar (I mean I stopped doing that with jam decades ago!), so the goal became how low I could go and still get the sweet-hot flavor profile people love?
By using a combo of sugar and honey (which has a sweeter flavor profile than the same amount of sugar) – and only a total of 2 cups – I think it’s a great option for a lower sugar version!
While the jalapeños aren’t “candied” like they are with more sugar, they are infused and coated with enough that you get that sweet-hot taste, but with the emphasis on the pepper flavor instead of sugar.
I hope you like this as much as we do now!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this lower sugar cowboy candy canning recipe:
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Jalapeños: You can use all green peppers or a combo of green and red – whatever you can find.
- Vinegar: I prefer apple cider vinegar for this as it has less of a bite than white, but you can use plain white if that’s what you have.
- Honey: I include this as it has a bit more sweet flavor than white sugar – if you can’t have honey you can use 1-1/4 cup white sugar. You may be able to use maple syrup, but I haven’t tested it to know how the flavor would be impacted.
- Sugar: Cane sugar still provides a way to create a syrup when cooked down, so I chose to keep half the sweetness from sugar. I haven’t tried it will all honey.
- Seasonings: These are all optional, though I feel they add more to the flavor especially as we’re lowering the sugar. You cannot use fresh garlic, though, when canning this, so keep to the granulated garlic (or garlic powder).
Let’s Make This Cowboy Candy Recipe
Here are a few helpful visual instructions – the full instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Canning Prep: Fill a canner with water and set to heat over medium-high heat. Wash 8 half-pint jars and keep warm (I fill with hot water). Wash lids and rings.
New to canning or need a refresh? Check out my full tutorial here.
Step 1: Prep jalapeños. You will be slicing three pounds of these hot peppers so my #1 tip is to please wear gloves! Every time I think I don’t need to I have burning hands for hours afterwards.
Step 2: Make syrup. Add all the ingredients except the peppers to a large saucepan (I used a 6-quart pot, but a 4-quart will work). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and gently boil for 10-15 minutes, or until it is slightly thickened.
Step 3: Cook cowboy candy. Now add the pepper slices and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. You should see bubbles and steam, but not a rolling boil again.
Step 4: Add candied peppers to jars. Use a ladle to add the peppers and syrup to a prepped half-pint canning jar with 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles (I use a flat spatula) and wipe rims with a damp cloth. Add lid and transfer to the rack in a canner. Repeat with remaining jars.
Step 5: Process jars, cool and store. Once all the jars are added to the canner, lower rack, add the lid and turn the heat to high. When it comes to a boil, start a timer for 15 minutes (adjusting for altitude). Once timer is done, remove the lid, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes.
Remove the jars with a jar lifter to a towel-lined surface. Let cool 12-24 hours without touching, then remove bands and check the seals (refrigerate any that didn’t seal). Label and store for up to 18 months.
Jami’s Tips
- I like to use a towel-lined tray to hold the jars after processing while they cool. Then it’s easy to move them if needed without disturbing the jars.
- While you can enjoy these right away, if you can wait for 2-4 weeks the flavor will be the best after that!
What do you eat cowboy candy with?
There are lots of ways to use this condiment – here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Use as a topping for cream cheese served with crackers.
- Top pizza slices for a delicious kick.
- Use them to add some sweet heat to a stir-fry dish.
- Top a grilled cheese sandwich.
- Add some spice to your mac and cheese.
- Use as a topping for any dip, from ranch to hummus.
- Add them to breakfast eggs.
- Mix into tuna salad for a fun change.
And of course they are a wonderful topping for any type of Mexican food, from nachos to fajitas to enchiladas!
More Easy Canned Condiment Recipes to Try
- Jalapeño Pepper Jelly (Low Sugar, Honey Sweetened)
- Easy Canned Chipotle BBQ Sauce Recipe
- Delicious Green Tomato Chutney (Lower Sugar)
I hope you enjoy this cowboy candy recipe! If you make it, be sure to leave a rating and review so I know how you liked it!
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Easy Cowboy Candy Recipe (Candied Jalapeños) – Lower Sugar, Water Bath Canned
Equipment
- 4-6 quart saucepan
- 8 half pint canning jars and lids
- water bath canner
- jar lifter
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey*
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder, optional
- 2.5 pounds jalapeños
Instructions
- Prepare a water bath canner, wash and keep warm 8 half-pint canning jars, lids and rings. Slice jalapeños (remember to wear gloves).
- Combine the honey, sugar, vinegar, and seasonings in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10-15 minuted, until slightly thickened.
- Add the sliced jalapeños to the syrup and simmer another 5 minutes. It should steam and bubble a bit, but not boil hard again.
- Ladle the hot peppers and syrup into one hot jar at a time, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace. Use a non-metal spatula or chopstick to remove air bubbles and wipe the rim with a damp cloth. Attach lids and rings and place in rack of canner. Repeat with remaining jars.
- Lower rack and bring canner to a boil over high heat then start timing 15 minutes to process the jars (adjusting for altitude). Once timer goes off, remove the lid, turn off heat and let jars sit in canner for 5 minutes.
- Remove the jars to a towel-lined surface (Tip: a tray with a towel allows for them to be moved if needed) and let cool 12-24 hours without disturbing.
- Remove the rings and check lids for sealing – refrigerate any that don't seal (rare!) – and then label and store for up to 18 months. If you can wait 2-4 weeks before opening, that will be the best flavor!
Notes
Nutrition
Your Questions Answered
According to The Kitchn, in 1922 on WHH Ranch, a 7-year-old named Mindie Heironimus decided to pickle her family’s extra jalapeños like she did with cucumbers, layering them with sugar and spices.
Yes, I use the peppers in whatever stage they are (as you can see in the photos). Be aware that the red jalapeños are fully ripe, which usually means they are spicier as well.
There are about 12 – 15 jalapeños peppers per pound, depending on size.
