Candied Pecans Recipe
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This easy candied pecans recipe features the perfect blend of sweet, cinnamon, and a hint of salt to make a great holiday snack or gift.
Candied pecans go by many names, like sugar and spice pecans, sugared pecans, sugar-coated, and . But no matter what you call them, this is the best candied pecans recipe. I look forward to making it every year because it is just the right blend of crunchy, sweet, cinnamon, with a hint of salt to set it all off to perfection.
Thankfully, this recipe is easy and uses five simple ingredients: pecans (of course), cinnamon, sugar, an egg, and salt. All you need to do is mix the ingredients together and then bake the candied pecans in the oven. In no time you’ll have one of my favorite holiday snacks and gifts. I love placing a handful in a festive bag or box to gift to friends, family, and teachers.
The only problem with making a candied pecans recipe is the price of pecans. If pecans are a little out of your budget, feel free to make this candied nuts recipe with other nuts as well. Candied walnuts are also delicious, and peanuts, cashews, and even almonds would be delicious when prepared this way.
Recipe Ingredients
- Sugar
- Egg
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Pecan halves (or you can substitute for any other nut or combination, like almonds, cashews, walnuts, or peanuts)
How to Make My Candied Pecans Recipe
Combine sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt in a small mixing bowl.
Stir that up really well.
In a mixing bowl, place your egg white and 1 tablespoon of water.
Save the yolk for something else if you like, but you won’t need it for this recipe.
Beat that egg white with an electric mixer until it is frothy.
Throw your pecan halves (or of your choice) into the mixing bowl with the frothy egg white.
Stir them up until they’re coated pretty well.
Spray a rimmed and large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Taking a few raw pecans at a time, toss them into your cinnamon sugar mixture and flip them around a bit with your hand to coat and place the on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat until all pecans are coated.
Place this in a 325-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
TIP: Don’t cook your candied pecans any longer than this and keep an eye on them in case your oven cooks hot and they get done faster.
They will lightly brown, but you don’t want them to get dark brown.
Remove from oven, stir again, and allow to cool.
For this candied pecans recipe, you can store the bite-sized treats in gift bags, a decorated , airtight containers, or just keep them for you and your family.
These make wonderful holiday gifts come December, but I never get around to gifting them because we eat every last one! lol
See more Christmas Candy and Gift ideas by clicking here.
Storage
One of my favorite things about this homemade candied pecans recipe is that they last a long time! When stored in an airtight container, they’ll last up to one week at room temperature or three weeks when stored in the fridge. You can also store your completely cooled pecans in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months.
Recipe Notes
- You can substitute for dark or light or even if you like.
- To add more flavor to your , add a pinch of for heat or smoked paprika for a sweet/savory combination. Other spices you might want to add include a pinch of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, or 1/4 teaspoon of allspice.
- You can also add a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract to this recipe or 1 teaspoon of orange zest. There are so many ways to make this candied nut recipe your own!
Recipe FAQs
What is the difference between candied pecans, glazed pecans, and pecan pralines?
Okay, here’s a breakdown! Candied pecan recipes typically include egg white and white sugar, while glazed pecan recipes include brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Meanwhile, pecan pralines are basically caramelized pecans coated in a buttery brown sugar sauce.
How do you serve candied pecans?
While I’m all for using this easy candied pecans recipe for holiday snacks and gifts, there are many ways to serve homemade candied pecans, including:
- With vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
- On top of yogurt with granola or oatmeal.
- Toss them in your favorite salad, like this chicken and avocado Caprese salad.
- Sprinkle on top of your favorite seasonal cake or pie, like our no-bake pumpkin cheesecake, carrot cake, or easy pumpkin pie.
- Add to your homemade Chex mix.
- Sprinkle on your loaded sweet potatoes with marshmallows.
- Add to your next charcuterie board.
Can I double this candied pecans recipe?
Absolutely! Don’t be afraid to double or triple the recipe and use two baking sheets in the oven. If you do this, you might want to include mixed nuts to make a delicious candied nuts treat.
Here are more great homemade holiday gifts:
Southern Plate’s Must Make Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pound pecan halves about 2 cups *can use other nuts
Instructions
- Lightly grease a large baking sheet (rimmed is best, but use whatever you have).
- Place the egg white and water in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until frothy.1 egg white, 1 tablespoon water
- In a separate bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, and cinnamon until well blended.1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pour pecan halves into the frothed egg white mixture and stir to coat well. Then take a handful of raw pecans at a time and gently toss them in the cinnamon sugar mixture with your hands.1 pound pecan halves
- Place the coated pecans onto the prepared baking sheet and bake at 300 for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Nutrition
We also have 2 pecans trees in our yard here in Tx. and this year was a bummer crop we were able to share with relatives and friends, in CA., MT. MO. and Tx. Oh yes the squirrels do get their share also. It does help to have a strong wind to knock them down then we can pick them up. Our best day was 400 pecans and very very few bad ones. I understand every other year is suppose to be good for pecans so hang in there and get out early before the squirrels wake up. 🙂
Christy
I made your Holiday Fruit Salad for our family Thanksgiving Saturday night and it was a great hit. Family coming to me asking for the recipe which I have e-mailed since then. I have my immediate family on Thursday and then all of my family ( and their are lots of themm ) on saturday,
I am thankful that when I wake in the morning, I know that God loved me enough to keep me here. I am thankful for my husband and children, and my sweet Grandchildren. And I am thankful that there are so many people out there that have so many many wonderful recipes and are willing to share them with us.
And Christy, I usually hake Orange Pecans for Christmas, but will make these, they sound so delicious. Thank you. Guess that makes # 4, of things that I am thankful for. You. lol
Check out my post above in the reply to Christy about using Splenda on the nuts.
Linda
Thank you for the delicious sounding recipe, Christy! I’ve had the expensive ones from the mall and I know these will take just as good or even better. I plan on making some for my Beta Sigma Phi sorority sister for Christmas. I am thankful for my family, friends and good health and of course you Christy, for your wisdom and wonderful recipes!
I’m thankful for my husband and all four of our dogs, even though each one drives me nuts at times! Luckily all that nutty love comes in handy for a recipe like this! I’m also thankful that I have a job in these hard times, a roof over our heads and am able to keep us all in good eats! Thank you also Miss Cristy! I only follow a handful of blogs, and adore the ones I do, but you are my very favorite! Thanks for all your hard work and sharing.
I found the duck!
I found it!!! I love your recipes!
Found the duck and a great recipe! Merry Christmas Christy and family!
I am thankful for my family, my church and all my wonderful friends. I am also thankful for you and several other bloggers that I follow who welcome all of us into their lives and share wonderful recipes like these nuts. I will be making these as gifts.