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
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.
How To Enjoy Candied Pecans
Candied Pecans can be enjoyed in many ways but here are a few of our favorites:
- 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 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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!
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.
More Pecan Recipes
- Brown Sugar Pecan Pie
- Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
- Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Bread
- Cranberry Pecan Brie Bites
- Buttermilk Pecan Pralines
- Overnight Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
How To Make Candied Pecans
Candied Pecans
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.
Kelli Mayo says
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!
Maria says
I wonder if we can use splenda brown sugar on this candied pecans?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I really don’t know Maria but I think you would be able to. Does the package say it’s a 1:1 substitute?
Dee says
Awesome
For neighborhood gifts!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Definitely great for that Dee!