Texas Cowboy Candy Recipe Pioneer Woman

What is Cowboy Candy?

Cowboy candy is candied jalapeños. Sweet, sour, spicy….and now smoky, too! It is more addicting than crack. For reals. Just ask anyone who has tried it.

It is a staple in the canning community and very popular as gifts during Christmas, due to the festive red and green peppers and delicious flavor.

Cowboy Candy is typically made with vinegar, sugar, and spices. Most recipes include turmeric, but this recipe has no turmeric. We didn't have any on hand and we did not miss it one bit!

How Do I Eat Cowboy Candy?

Cowboy Candy is eaten straight out of the jar, on crackers or bagels with cream cheese, on salads, on meat dishes…basically, you find any excuse to eat these!

The syrup also makes a great marinade for meats and is EXCELLENT for Spicy Cowboy Candy Peanut Brittle and Spicy Cowboy BBQ Sauce.

Your family and friends are seriously going to love you for making this. But, be prepared for CONSTANT requests to make these!

How to Make Cowboy Candy

You'll need red and green jalapeños. Now, the red and green aren't necessary and you can do either/or, but the 2 colors really make it pretty, especially if these are being made for holiday gifts.

cowboy candy canning recipe — It can be Christmas year-round with these!

You'll also need vinegar, sugar, and some spices: garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, celery seed, and smoked paprika.

First, you make the syrup. Add everything to a pot except the peppers and heat to a boil, then simmer.

Add the peppers then simmer.

Put peppers in hot jars, then top off with syrup. You WILL have leftover syrup. DO NOT WASTE IT! Pour the syrup in jars, too. It is liquid gold! Remember what I said above? There are lots of uses for the leftover syrup.

Now all that's left is to water bath can your candied jalapeños. This is one of those foods that the longer they sit in the jar, the more the flavors develop. We try not to open them for a couple of weeks. 'Try' being the operative word.

candied jalapenos canning recipe — Welcome to your new addiction.

We highly recommend you double or even triple the recipe. You'll find out why after you make these.

Tropical Cowboy Candy with Pineapple Variation

If you're in the mood for a more tropical taste (or Cowgirl Candy) all you do is simply add some pineapple chunks (fresh or canned without the juice) to the bottom of the jar before filling them with your peppers and syrup! Add as many or little as you want. Processing time and headspace remains the same.