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You are here: Home / Recipes / Snacks / Candied Pecans Recipe

Candied Pecans Recipe

October 24, 2020

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2 image collage of candied pecans in bowl and on a spoon with center color block and text overlay

Sweet and crunchy Candied Pecans are so easy to make and even easier to eat! With just a handful of ingredients, this delightfully easy recipe makes for a delicious holiday gift and is the perfect topping for desserts, breakfasts, and salads! This really is the best candied pecan recipe you’ll ever try! Love pecans? Make sure to try my Pecan Pralines and Mini Chocolate Pecan Pies! 

candied pecans in small gray bowl sitting on baking sheet with more pecans title overlay in upper right corner

Candied Pecans

This classic recipe for homemade Candied Pecans is easy and delicious! It’s a favorite around the holidays but we enjoy these candied nuts year round.

This recipe makes a lot of candied pecans so it’s a wonderful recipe to make during the holiday season that you can share with friends and family. Package in a small jar or cellophane bag, put on a cute tag and you’re good to go.

candied pecans in small red container with the word nuts printed on it

How To Enjoy Candied Pecans

Candied Pecans can be enjoyed in many ways but here are a few of our favorites:

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  • on a salad – especially delicious on a simple fall salad with sliced apples and blue cheese or gorgonzola!
  • a delicious addition to your favorite charcuterie board!
  • as a topping for pancakes, waffles, and French toast!
  • gifts for the holiday season!
  • by the handful – these Candied Pecans are so delicious and make the perfect crunchy, sweet snack!

candied pecans scooped up on spoon with a sheet pan underneath covered with more pecans

Candied Pecans Ingredients

You might be surprised at how few ingredients there are in this candied pecans recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • pecan halves – you want the fancy pecan halves, unsalted, and you’ll need one full pound or approximately 4 cups.
  • egg white – this is what helps the cinnamon and sugar to stick to the pecans. That extra egg yolk will be perfect for a batch of chewy chocolate chip cookies.
  • vanilla extract – during recipe testing I found that adding a little vanilla extract to the egg white really enhanced the flavor of the candied pecans.
  • water – a couple teaspoons is all you need to help loosen up the egg white and make coating the pecans easier.
  • granulated sugar – I prefer a more granulated sugar in my candied pecans than brown sugar – it adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
  • brown sugar – the hint of molasses flavor from the brown sugar really rounds out the flavor in this candied pecans recipe.
  • ground cinnamon – I used cinnamon in this recipe but you could also substitute pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice for more complex flavors.
  • salt – for flavor and to help balance the sweetness.

candied pecans ingredients measured out into small bowls sitting on white surface

How To Make Candied Pecans

These candied pecans are really so simple to make. The process is very easy which makes this recipe great for kids that want to help in the kitchen.

  1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet
    • The pecans will be baked at 300F so preheat the oven and then line a large, half sheet baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Both work great.
  2. Egg White Mixture
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the egg white, vanilla extract, and water until foamy, about 2 minutes.
    • Fold in the pecan halves and stir until completely coated in mixture.
      how to make candied pecans 4 image collage showing step by step
  3. Prepare Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
    • Whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
    • Pour over the top of the pecans and toss until pecans are completely coated in cinnamon sugar mixture.
  4. Bake
    • Spread the pecans onto the prepared baking in a single layer. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring after the first 15 minutes, then every 10 minutes thereafter until the sugar mixture has hardened.
    • Remove the candied pecans from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet before transferring to an airtight container.
      three image collage of pecans being mixed together spread on baking sheet and close up of pecans about to go in the oven

TIP: You may be tempted to stir the pecans before the first 15 minutes is up. DON’T. When testing this recipe, I initially was stirring every 10 minutes and noticed that I was losing a lot of the cinnamon sugar coating. Waiting for 15 minutes really allows the coating to start to adhere and keeps it mostly intact when stirring.

Variations To Try

I tried so many different variations of this recipe during testing and I wanted to share that with you! Here are some fun ways to change up this recipe:

Substitute a different spice or spice mix for the cinnamon. I tried both pumpkin pie spice and apple pie spice during testing and both were delicious! A fun twist on the classic flavor profile and perfect for the holidays.

Add a little heat. Add a quarter teaspoon of cayenne to the cinnamon sugar mixture for a pop of heat.

Brown sugar and granulated sugar. This recipe works using all granulated sugar or all brown sugar. Change the ratios slightly to see what you prefer. Half and half is a good place to start!

candied pecans in small bowl sitting on antique baking sheet with spoon and lots of candied pecans strewn about

FAQs

How should I store the candied pecans? Candied pecans can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. They can also be refrigerated for up to 1 month. Pecans can be frozen for up to 4 months.

Can this recipe be halved? Yes! When I was testing, I was only testing for half of the recipe because let’s face it, pecans can be expensive! This recipe can easily be halved. For the egg white, simply whisk it together and then measure out about half of the egg white and continue on. Eyeballing it is fine.

up close candied pecans with cinnamon sticks and pecans scattered about

More Pecan Recipes

  1. Brown Sugar Pecan Pie
  2. Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
  3. Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Bread
  4. Cranberry Pecan Brie Bites
  5. Buttermilk Pecan Pralines
  6. Overnight Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

How To Make Candied Pecans

candied pecans in small gray bowl on baking sheet with more pecans
Print Pin
5 from 22 votes

Candied Pecans

Sweet and crunchy Candied Pecans are so easy to make and even easier to eat! With just a handful of ingredients, this delightfully easy recipe makes for a delicious holiday gift and is the perfect topping for desserts, breakfasts, and salads! This really is the best candied pecan recipe you'll ever try!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword candied pecans, candied pecans recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes minutes
Servings 16
Calories 248kcal
Author Trish - Mom On Timeout

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pecan halves unsalted (16 ounces or approximately 4 cups)
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk egg white, vanilla extract, and water until foamy, about 2 minutes. Fold in pecans and stir until completely coated in egg white mixture.
  • In a separate medium bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour over the top of the pecans and toss until pecans are completely coated in cinnamon sugar mixture.
  • Spread the pecans onto the prepared baking in a single layer. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes stirring after the first 15 minutes, then every 10 minutes thereafter until the sugar mixture has hardened.
  • Remove the candied pecans from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet before transferring to an airtight container.

Video

Notes

Pecans will be good for 2 weeks at room temperature and can be frozen for up to 4 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

By Trish - Mom On Timeout October 24, 2020 40 Minutes or Less, Appetizers, Christmas, Christmas Recipes, Fall, Holiday Recipes, Nuts, Recipes, Snacks, Thanksgiving

Previous article:
« Pumpkin Lasagna – Easy No Bake Pumpkin Dessert
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Lemon Pepper Wings – Baked or Air Fried! »

Comments

  1. Ashley says

    April 13, 2024 at 5:00 PM

    These were great, thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
  2. Lisa says

    December 11, 2023 at 9:52 AM

    Absolutely the best candied pecan recipe I’ve ever tried and I’ve tried many. Won’t be trying any more. This is my go to now! Thank you for this recipe!!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      December 26, 2023 at 11:51 AM

      Awww, thank you so much Lisa!

      Reply
  3. Vickie says

    November 25, 2023 at 8:44 AM

    Awesome recipe. I made 2 pounds this morning. The house smells wonderful and the nuts are delicious. Only thing I changed was to reduce the temp to 250 degrees and cooked for 1 hour. Tossed them every 15 minutes. Did this because I put two pans in the oven at the same time.

    Reply
  4. Stephanie says

    December 9, 2022 at 7:14 AM

    Big hit!! I added some pumpkin spices to the mix and had to watch the oven closely (temperamental oven), but, yeah…they’re wonderful!!

    Reply
  5. Parkplace says

    November 25, 2021 at 9:11 AM

    Omg the best easiest recipe for candy pecans ever!! I use them to garnish pumpkin pie slices by adding a half to a dollop of whip cream when serving and the nuts have everyone asking for more pecans.

    Reply
  6. Kelli Mayo says

    December 16, 2020 at 12:22 PM

    Omg! They came out amazing! I did cook them for 35 minutes total, stirred after the first 15 minutes, then 10 minutes and 10 more!

    Reply
  7. Maria says

    October 24, 2020 at 7:06 PM

    I wonder if we can use splenda brown sugar on this candied pecans?

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      October 25, 2020 at 8:18 PM

      I really don’t know Maria but I think you would be able to. Does the package say it’s a 1:1 substitute?

      Reply
  8. Dee says

    October 24, 2020 at 4:17 PM

    Awesome
    For neighborhood gifts!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      October 25, 2020 at 8:18 PM

      Definitely great for that Dee!

      Reply
5 from 22 votes (15 ratings without comment)

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Hi, I’m Trish!

Welcome to Mom On Timeout where I’m serving up real food for real families! Dinners, desserts, and everything in between!
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