Torrone Candy
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Torrone Candy is a classic Italian nougat candy made with whipped egg whites, honey, sugar, and roasted nuts wrapped between delicate sheets of wafer paper. It’s as stunning as it is delicious!! The soft-yet-chewy texture melts in your mouth, and each bite is packed with toasty almonds, pistachios, and a subtle hint of citrus. Make a batch for the holidays, a potluck dessert, or just because. Find any excuse to make it, and I think you’ll wish you had done it sooner!!
Table of Contents
Torrone Candy
There’s just something special about Italian desserts. With a few exceptions (I’m looking at you, bomboloni), they aren’t overly heavy or rich.
Instead, they’re all about highlighting the natural flavors of the ingredients. And that’s what I love about Italian nougat candy!
I’ll be honest… this isn’t your quick and easy Tuesday night treat. But it’s absolutely worth every single stir of the spoon.
Once that sugar and honey mixture starts coming together, you’ll feel like a candy-making pro. And when you press that last sheet of wafer paper on top? Pure magic.
Light as air and sticky sweet, biting into a piece of fluffy nougat is like taking a mouthful of a lemony, nutty, honey-flavored cloud.
Italian torrone candy is the kind of treat you make once, and then everyone begs for it every holiday after that. Good thing each batch makes plenty!!
INGREDIENT NOTES
- Wafer Paper: The foundation for every respectable Italian torrone recipe!
If you have a hard time finding it in the grocery store, you can snag wafer paper on Amazon. In a pinch, another option is rice paper. - Honey: The sweet, sticky flavor of honey is absolutely heavenly alongside the nuts and lemon!
Good substitutes for honey are maple syrup, molasses, or corn syrup… But they’re not nearly as tasty. Use honey if possible! - Eggs: Whisking the egg whites will be so much faster and easier if you let your eggs come to room temperature first.
- Almonds & Pistachios: These two nuts define the torrone, but don’t let that stop you from using a different type of nut instead.
Cashews, walnuts, or pecans could be yummy. Just be sure to toast them so they’re softer and easier to bite into. - Lemon Oil or Zest: The oil is your best bet for a strong, noticeable citrus flavor. But use it sparingly… a little bit goes a long way! You only need 3 or 4 drops for brightness.
If you’re using lemon zest, you’ll need at least one large-sized lemon. - Almond Extract: Entirely optional, but it adds that authentic, bakery-style aroma!
VARIATIONS
Chocolate-Dipped: Dip each cut piece in melted dark chocolate once cooled.
Hazelnut Torrone: Swap almonds and pistachios for hazelnuts.
Festive Mix: Add chopped dried cherries or cranberries for color and tang.
Orange-Almond: Replace lemon with orange zest.
ITALIAN NOUGAT CANDY FAQ
Yes. In fact, you’re meant to!
Italian nougat and torrone are one and the same! There are other kinds of nougat, including brown and German, but this Italian torrone recipe makes a white nougat.
The perfect Italian nougat should be soft and springy, almost like a sponge! There are also bits of crunchy roasted nuts in the center, so it has a fantastic mix of textures.
You might notice that it turns hard as it gets a few days old… which is why I never leave it uneaten that long!
Is torrone candy soft or hard?
The perfect Italian nougat should be soft and springy, almost like a sponge! There are also bits of crunchy roasted nuts in the center, so it has a fantastic mix of textures.
You might notice that it turns hard as it gets a few days old… which is why I never leave it uneaten that long!
Over the years, I’ve tested countless torrone methods, and trust me: slow is smooth and smooth is fluffy.
Cooking the nougat base too fast or skipping the constant stirring ruins the final texture. This is a lesson in low and slow confection science.
The transformation is driven by the Maillard reaction and the gentle denaturation of egg proteins. Just enough to stabilize the mixture without turning it grainy. I’ve found that weighing it down gently helps set the shape perfectly.
And once you master the art of cooking until the nougat holds its shape on a test drop? You’re golden. Literally and figuratively.
DONNA’S PRO TIPS
- Keep the bowl of egg whites grease-free. Even a tiny bit of yolk or oil will keep your egg whites from whipping up properly. Wipe your bowl and whisk with a little vinegar or lemon juice if needed before starting.
- Use a silicone spatula and stir in figure-eights. This helps scrape down every bit of the mixture evenly and keeps the sugar from settling and scorching in the corners.
- Don’t skip the parchment test blob. It’s the best way to check if your torrone candy is ready without ruining the whole batch. If the blob spreads, it’s not ready. Period.
- Keep nuts warm. Cold nuts can cause the soft nougat to seize up and stiffen too quickly. Keep them in a warm oven until the exact moment you stir them in.
- Warm your serrated knife before slicing. Run it under hot water and dry it off before slicing. It’ll glide through the nougat more cleanly, especially if it’s sticky.
- Trim wafer paper cleanly with scissors. It cuts easier than trying to saw through with a knife. Do this before and after pressing if needed for clean edges.
- Store with parchment between layers. If stacking the candy in containers, add a layer of parchment or wax paper in between to prevent sticking and protect the wafer paper from getting damp.
TOOLS NEEDED
- Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Silicone spatula
- Roasting sheet pan
- Half sheet pan or 9×9 baking dish
- Plastic wrap
- Serrated knife
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Torrone Candy
Ingredients
- 2 sheets wafer paper, 8×11 inches
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup honey
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional
- 3 –4 drops lemon oil, or 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 3 cups roasted almonds
- 1 cup roasted salted pistachios
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Line a half sheet pan (13×18 inches) or a 9×9-inch baking dish with plastic wrap. Place one sheet of wafer paper in the bottom of the pan and trim to fit if needed. Set aside.
- Heat the Sugar and Honey: Combine the sugar and honey in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Heat over medium-low, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula for 30–40 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Do not let it boil. Stirring keeps sugar crystals dissolved and prevents scorching.
- Whip the Egg Whites: While the sugar mixture is cooking, add the egg whites and kosher salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. This should take 3–5 minutes.
- Incorporate the Egg Whites: Whisk a scoop of the stiff egg whites into the sugar mixture on the stovetop. Continue whisking in one scoop at a time until fully incorporated. The mixture will turn pale and start to thicken.
- Cook the Nougat Base: Continue to cook the egg white/sugar mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for 45 minutes. The mixture should become thick, glossy, and white. This long, slow cook allows the nougat to set properly.
- Roast the Nuts: While the nougat is cooking, spread the almonds and pistachios on a baking sheet and roast at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, or until fragrant and golden. Keep the nuts warm until ready to use.
- Finish the Nougat: Once the nougat mixture is thick enough, remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla, almond extract (if using), and lemon oil or zest. Then immediately stir in the warm roasted nuts.
- Test the Set: Drop a small spoonful of nougat onto parchment paper. If it holds its shape and doesn’t spread, it’s ready. If it puddles or is too soft, return the pot to low heat and cook for 10–20 more minutes, stirring constantly, and test again.
- Assemble the Torrone: Pour the nougat mixture over the wafer paper in the prepared pan. Use a greased spatula to spread it evenly. Place the second sheet of wafer paper on top and press down gently to adhere.
- Press and Cool: Fold the plastic wrap over the top, then place a heavy flat object like a cutting board or another baking sheet on top to weigh it down. Let the candy cool at room temperature for 1–2 hours.
- Slice and Serve: Remove the plastic wrap. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the torrone into 1-inch squares. Clean the blade between cuts for best results.
Donna’s Notes
A Dutch oven is ideal because it distributes heat evenly and helps prevent hot spots that can burn the nougat. Stir constantly during cooking to avoid scorching or crystallization. If the nougat is golden rather than bright white, the temperature was likely too high. Low and slow is key. Wafer paper helps with handling the sticky nougat. You can find it on Amazon or specialty baking sites. If your nougat isn’t setting firm enough, simply return it to low heat and cook longer; it thickens with time.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published August 2022, updated and republished September 2025
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We’re Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
What is lemon oil? Buy it? Make it?
Hi Karen!
Lemon oil for cooking is made from the zest of lemons, there’s actually no oil in it at all. Typically, 1/2 teaspoon of lemon is equivalent to 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. If you’d like to try making it yourself, you could try this recipe.
TSRI Team member,
Becca
Rice paper question: does the rice paper stay on the top and the bottom of the candy after you slice it? Do people just peel it off or do they eat the rice paper along with the nougat slice?
This is the first time I’m working with rice paper so I kind of want to try to understand it a little better.
Hi Susie,
The rice paper does stay and and is edible. Hope this helps. Enjoy and let us know how it goes!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
I thought Nougat would be hard to make, but the recipe was easy to follow and it came out perfect!
Just made this candy. We lived in Sicily twice, 3 years each time and bought this candy and shipped to family back in the States. Everyone lived it. I was surprised to find the recipe and decided to make it to surprise hubby. It was A LOT of stirring!!! It’s gonna sit overnight before we cut it. Thinking of dipping cut pieces in white chocolate coating as that is how we got it in candy store. Thanks for the recipe, brings back lots of special memories!
Great recipe overall but a few things could have been detailed a bit better. I like to use temperature when making candy. I found another recipe that indicated 290F for temp of melted sugar/honey mixture prior to adding whites. I also decided to slowly add the hot candy to the cool whipped whites directly into my mixer as it was mixing and then completed in the mixer rather than mixing whipped whites into candy and putting it back on the heat. It worked out well and I did less mixing by hand. I followed this recipe otherwise. TY!
Oh my gosh!! I was so excited when I saw this recipe! When I was a young teen, the lady next door was born in Italy and was an excellent cook. She took me under her wing and taught me so many Italian recipes. I used to love to get invited to dinner on Tuesdays and Sundays for her wonderful pasta dinners! She used to make this candy for Christmas and I remember watching her standing next to the stove forever, stirring that pot! But it was sooo worth it!! Now I’m the old lady, and I have hand problems, but I think I’ll try to make this candy for the holidays and send some over to her daughters. I’ll get help with the stirring! Thank you so very much for sharing this winner of a candy recipe!! It sounds just like she used to make it!!
P.S.: I always look forward to your e-mails. I know there’ll be something good coming in!!
Made this last Christmas and it came out perfect!! Getting ready to make a batch now.
Hi Stephanie!
We’re so glad you enjoyed!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
Absolutely loved making this recipe! It was so easy and turned out perfectly.
Hi Savannah!
Glad that you enjoyed the recipe!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn