Crunchy, tangy pickles get turned into Candied Dill Pickles with a healthy dose of sugar and some pickling spices. These pickles are an old fashioned treat that is perfect for those pickle cravings.

We have been on a pickle kick lately! If you want more dill pickle recipes, you have to try this Dill Pickle Potato Salad. Make this Dill Pickle Sauce on Pickle Juice Marinated Chicken for an amazing dinner idea. Or Frozen Chicken Breast in the Air Fryer, made with pickle juice and a homemade Panko breading.

An open jar of sliced pickles with two smaller jars in the background with a yellow towel.

It’s easy to transform every day dill pickles into sugary spectacular pickles with this easy to follow pickle recipe.

This is a version of sweet pickles that isn’t quite like eating just a normal sweet pickle that you would buy at the grocery store, it’s a candy pickle.

Real sugar and white vinegar get poured over sliced dill pickles, add some pickling spices if you like and put it all back in your pickle jar. Flip the jar overevery day and you will soon have sugared pickles that are ready for snacking.

PRO TIP! Don’t get rid of that leftover pickle juice, there are other ways to use it. Save it in an airtight container in the fridge to use in other recipes like this dill pickle martini or dill pickle potato salad.

I’m not someone who does canning, I have always wanted to learn just haven’t gotten to it yet. In the meantime, I stick with overnight refrigerator pickle recipes, like these pickled red onions.

What are Candied Pickles?

The sliced pickles get mixed into a sweet and salty brine of sugar and vinegar. Soaking them for a few days will allow the flavors to fully meld together.

No difficult “canning” method here. The great thing about this candied pickle recipe is that it’s made with store-bought dill pickles, so we aren’t actually pickling cucumbers in this recipe.

What do Candied Pickles taste like?

They are still dill pickles just with sugar added to them, so they end up tasting like sweet dill pickle, but not like the store bought sweet pickles. They are sugary and tangy pickles with a delicious bite!

A forkful of candied pickles above the jar.

Why we Love this recipe

Great party appetizer: Bring this along to all of those summer picnics, potlucks, and barbecues.
Partially homemade: You are going to feel like Martha Stewart making your pickles at home and these are a bit easier since the pickling has already been done for you.
An old fashioned pickle recipe: This may bring back fond memories of spending time with your grandmother.
Everyday snacking: These can be a little addictive and it may be difficult to stay out of them, great for a sugary pick me up.
Great for other recipes: These tasty chips work great in any recipe where you would use regular dill pickles. Use them instead of plain dill pickles in potato salad, pickle sauce, chop them up small to use in egg salad or tuna salad sandwiches, or add the slices right to our favorite burgers.

Candied Pickle Ingredients

These are the basic ingredients you need to make this easy pickle recipe. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for full instructions and amounts.

Pickles: You will need a big jar of whole dill pickles.
Sugar: Granulated sugar is all you need.
Vinegar: I like to use white vinegar but apple cider vinegar can also be used.
Pickling Spices: Helps to give the pickles more flavor. But is optional.

All of the ingredients to make sugared pickles.

How to Make Candied Pickle Recipe

STEP 1: Strain pickles. Place a colander over a large glass bowl and strain the pickles. Pour all of the extra pickle juice into an airtight container for use in other recipes. Wash out the pickle jar.

STEP 2: Cut pickles. Cut the whole pickles into thick slices (1/2″ slices) and put back into the glass bowl.

STEP 3: Sugar and vinegar. Pour the cups of sugar and vinegar over the pickles and mix well. Leave the pickles out at room temperature for about four hours until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the sliced pickles to a bowl, mix in the sugar and vinegar.

STEP 4: Pickling spice. Add the pickling spices to a metal tea ball or square of cheese cloth and tie up with string. Place it into the pickle jar.

Add pickling spices to a tea ball or tie up in cheesecloth.

STEP 5: Put in jar. Pour the pickle mixture into the clean pickle jar or a 1-quart sized jar with a tight fitting lid.

Add the pickling spices and pickles to a glass jar.

STEP 6: Flip the jar daily. Put lid on the pickles and place into the refrigerator. Once a day flip the jar upside down, can shake the jar if you like.

STEP 7: Ready to eat. The pickles will be done after 4-5 days and they may be wrinkly (like in the pictures) this is fine.

Tips for Success

Good quality. Use good quality pickles for best results. I like really crunchy pickles so I use Vlasic pickles, Claussen pickles or Mt. Olive pickles.
Flip jar. Flip the jar over every day to keep the liquids over the pickles.
Keep refrigerated. Since this is not a canning recipe, these pickles won’t last on your pantry shelf. Make sure to keep them in the fridge.

Recipe Variations

Make them spicy. I haven’t tried this for this recipe but it sounds yummy. Add in 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. I would start with the lesser amount to start out with to make sure they aren’t too spicy. Remember that they get spicier the longer they sit. You could also try adding slices of jalapeño or some hot sauce like tabasco for spicy flavor.
Other sugar. You could try this recipe with brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey (may turn the liquid brown though). This is try at your own risk lol, because I haven’t tried any other sugar besides white sugar, but let me know if you try it in the comments. I have heard that Splenda may work in this recipe
Homemade pickling spice. You can make your own pickling spice by combining a small bowl: 1 tablespoon of whole mustard seed, 1/2 tablespoon whole allspice, 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds, 1/2 tablespoon whole allspice, 1 small crushed bay leaf, crushed. This will make more than you need for this recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make candied pickles at home? You can definitely make this easy recipe at home yourself. No actual canning is involved so it’s super simple.

Do candied pickles need to be refrigerated? Yes, they need to be refrigerated. If you don’t get stored in the fridge they will go bad because they are not shelf stable.

Can I use pre-sliced pickles? Yes, you can cut down on some time by using pre-sliced pickles, but I prefer to slice my own so that I get the thickness I like.

Can I use baby dill pickles? This recipe will work with baby dills, just make sure to use a 32 ounce jar. If using a smaller jar of pickles reduce the sugar down.

How to Store Candied Pickles

Any leftover pickles will last in an air tight container or jar in the fridge for about a month.

Above view of pickles in a jar with a yellow towel and measuring spoons.

Try these other pickle recipes!

Dill Pickle Dip
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast – made with pickle juice
Pickle Juice Marinated Chicken
Dill Pickle Martini
Dill Pickle Potato Salad

If you’ve tried this candied pickle recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes!

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