There’s something so nostalgic about homemade nougat — soft, chewy, sweet, and studded with nuts and fruit. This gluten free version is a holiday favourite in my kitchen, and it looks beautiful on any dessert tray. I load mine with pistachios, almonds, and dried cranberries for the perfect balance of creamy, crunchy, and tart. It’s one of those treats that feels fancy but is surprisingly simple once you get the hang of it, and it makes the most gorgeous edible gift.
Whether you like your nougat soft and marshmallowy (this is how I prefer mine) or slightly firmer and chewier (still delicious), this recipe gives you that classic texture without any gluten. Slice it into squares, wrap them up for gifting, or enjoy a piece with a cup of tea — it’s a festive tradition you’ll want to make every December.
What is nougat?
Nougat is a classic confection made by whipping egg whites with hot sugar syrup to create a light, chewy, marshmallow-like candy. It’s traditionally mixed with nuts, dried fruit, or chocolate. Or you can also find it inside some chocolate bars such as Mars Bars or Snickers (check to make sure they are gluten free before consuming). Depending on the recipe, nougat can be soft and pillowy or firm and chewy — but it always has that signature airy texture and sweet, melt-in-your-mouth bite. It’s simple, festive, and endlessly customizable, which makes it perfect for homemade holiday gifting.
Flavour Combinations for nougat
It is one of those Christmas candies, that are super easy to make, but look complex. You can make one batch, split it into bowls and flavour them differently, or stick to one flavour for the whole recipe. These are some flavour combinations I think would work well.
- Pistachio, Almond, Dried Cranberry – this recipe
- Hazelnuts and dried cherries
- Almond
ingredients
- Honey
- Corn Syrup (use the white/clear one so it stays nice and bright white)
- Water
- Sugar
- Egg Whites
- Dried Egg White Powder to stabilize the mixture, however you can use cream of tartar as well or omitted just make sure you go to stiff peaks before adding in the sugar.
- Pistachios
- Almonds
- Dried Cranberries
- Vanilla
- Icing Sugar
- Corn Starch
Tools
- Stand Mixer
Storing
Nougat stores beautifully as long as you keep it protected from moisture:
Room Temperature:
Store pieces in an airtight container, layered with parchment paper so they don’t stick. It will stay fresh for 1–2 weeks.
Nougat
Ingredients
- 175 Grams Honey
- 175 Grams Corn Syrup
- 40 Grams Water
- 230 Grams Sugar
- 2 Egg Whites
- 3 Grams Egg White Powder or Cream of Tartar
- 1 Gram Salt
- 175 Grams Pistachios
- 150 Grams Almonds
- 100 Grams Dried Cranberries
- 3 Grams Vanilla Bean Paste
- 25 Grams Corn Starch
- 25 Grams Icing Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200F.
- On a baking sheet with parchement paper, add all the dried fruit and nuts. Place into the oven at 200F until you are ready to use them. This will not really toast them, just ensure they are the same temperature as everything else.175 Grams Pistachios, 150 Grams Almonds, 100 Grams Dried Cranberries
- In a pan (I used a loaf pan) cover it in parchment paper. Shake some icing sugar and corn starch over the pan to have an even layer. If you add too much, you can get it off later before cutting.25 Grams Icing Sugar, 25 Grams Corn Starch
- In a pot, add in the honey, corn syrup, water. Without stirring it with any utensils, swirl it around for the water to coat the sugar. Place it on medium heat until it reaches 144C.175 Grams Honey, 175 Grams Corn Syrup, 40 Grams Water, 230 Grams Sugar
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip egg whites, salt and the egg white powder until soft peaks. If you are not using the egg white powder, go to medium peaks.2 Egg Whites, 3 Grams Egg White Powder or Cream of Tartar, 1 Gram Salt
- When you are at temperature on the sugar, slowly pour it down the bowl and into the egg whites while on a low/medium speed. Add vanilla after and whip until doubled in volume and shiny.3 Grams Vanilla Bean Paste
- Pour it into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle some corn starch/powdered sugar over the top and pat smooth. This helps get out air bubbles (it shouldn’t be too hot to touch).
- Let it sit over night.
- Remove from the pan, peel off the parchment paper and slice as you see fit. I wrapped mine in wax paper.Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
Lovely. Now let me know how you liked it and how easy it was to bake. Tag @laurabakesglutenfree on Instagram and hashtag it #laurabakesglutenfree.
While I have you here, may I suggest few you try next:
Until next time. Keep following and commenting. Join me on Instagram, where I will be revealing my secret tips and tricks! Yes, that’s right!
