Easy Candied Nuts Pecans | A Sweet & Salty Treat

These easy candied nuts pecans are the perfect blend of sweet and salty with just the right crunch. Learn how to make candied pecans for the holidays or anytime!

One summer I bought a container of candied pecans at Costco. They were so good, and so addicting, that I ate the entire two pounds of nuts in 3 days.

Since then, I’ve been wanting more candied pecans.

We’re hosting a holiday party soon, and I wanted to come up with a snack that was not only healthier than the standard bag of potato chips but also something festive that would totally steal the show.

Enter homemade candied nuts pecans. This time, though, I’ll have to save some for the guests!

WHY MAKE CANDIED NUTS PECANS

Glazed pecans are addictingly tasty! They’re also:

• Super easy to make. Coat the pecans and pop them in the oven. No skillet needed!
• Mostly hands-off. Although they toast in the oven for about an hour, you’re free to do other things, and just come back to stir them every now and then.
• Perfect mix of sweet and salty. Sweet coated pecans have that great balance of both sweet and salty for a mouthwatering treat that will keep you coming back for more.
• A festive holiday treat! People may not splurge on a bag of pecan halves to make their own candied nuts pecans (although I think they should!), but I guarantee they’ll be a popular dish on your table.

EASY CANDIED PECANS RECIPE INGREDIENTS

The deliciousness in any candied pecans recipe really comes from the sugar. But I think it’s fair to say that anything coated in sugar tastes good, right?

My main goal here is to REDUCE the sugar, but I don’t want to sacrifice flavor at the same time. That means we have to be kind of sneaky with other ingredients to make sure we don’t lose any of the awesomeness we’ve come to know and love from candied pecans.

• Egg white. The pecans need to be coated with a liquid in order for the sugar to stick, and most candied pecan nuts recipes call for large egg whites and water.
• Vanilla extract. Instead of using water, we’re using vanilla extract. (Making your own homemade vanilla extract couldn’t be easier!)
• Molasses. I used black strap molasses. This increases the depth of flavor and hits the “sweet” spot of our taste buds in a different way. By adding molasses (one of the least sweet sweeteners), we’re tricking our brains into thinking we’re eating something that’s sweeter than it actually is.
• Pecan halves. Look for the full pecan halves for this candied pecans recipe, not the chopped pecans.
• Cinnamon. Using cinnamon is another trick to thinking something is sweeter than it actually is. When you compare it to the salt, it might seem like there’s a good bit of cinnamon, but I assure you that these nuts don’t taste like cinnamon.
• Salt. Salt is key to bringing out the flavor in almost any dish, and sweet dishes are no exception.
• Sugar. No candied pecan is complete without sugar, but I’ve drastically reduced the amount of sugar in this recipe AND I’m not using white sugar either. I used Turbinado sugar instead. The granules of Turbinado sugar are larger and take up more space in a measuring cup. If you happen to use white sugar in this recipe, I recommend reducing the amount to just ½ cup!

If you want a spicy candied nut, you can add warming spices like chili powder or cayenne pepper. Chili powder will give more of a savory flavor, and I’d even toss in a sprinkle of cumin too if you go that route. Remember to start small and add more if you’d like – you can’t take the pepper out once it’s in!

For a fun holiday twist, use pumpkin pie spice instead of just cinnamon. Tasty!!

HOW TO MAKE CANDIED PECANS

Ready to learn how to make candied pecans? It’s really simple!

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 250F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Step 2. In a very large bowl, whisk egg white, vanilla extract, and molasses until it’s frothy. Add the pecans and use a spatula to toss and thoroughly coat the nuts.

Step 3. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, salt, and sugar and mix well.

Step 4. Add the cinnamon sugar mixture to the pecans and again, use a spatula to toss and thoroughly coat the nuts with sugar.

Step 5. Place the nuts on the prepared baking sheet in a mostly single layer (it’s okay if some overlap, but you don’t want huge mounds of nuts).

Step 6. Bake at 250F for 1 hour, turning and stirring the nuts every 15 minutes (use a timer so you don’t forget).

Step 7. Remove the nuts and set the pan on a cooling rack to cool. When the nuts have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container with a lid (you can buy your containers locally at Walmart or have them shipped via Amazon). A mason jar works well too, especially if you give these as a gift!

Candied nuts pecans are good for at least a week at room temperature. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.

CANDIED PECAN NUTS RECIPE TIPS

• The egg whites are needed – there’s no way around that. They’re a binding agent and without them, you won’t get candied pecans. You’ll get toasted pecans sitting on a pile of toasted sugar. They also help the candied pecans turn out crispy.
• Sweet and salty candied pecans. I’ve kept the salt to a minimum in my recipe. Some versions call for up to 5 times the amount of salt that I use, and that’s certainly something to experiment with if you specifically want sweet AND salty candied pecans. I wanted classic candied pecans, so I kept the salt low.
• Try other nuts. Traditionally speaking, a candied pecans recipe uses only pecans (obviously), but you can really use any nut you want. Almonds are the most affordable, but walnuts, cashews, or macadamia nuts would be good too. Or save all the remnants of nuts you serve over the holidays and make one big batch of mixed candied nuts!
• Use this candied pecan nuts recipe for gifting! Wrap up a bag of candied pecans for a small appreciation gift for the holidays, like for teachers or postal workers.

SERVE CANDIED NUTS PECANS WITH

Candied nuts pecans make a great holiday party appetizer! Add them to your table with these other homemade appetizers.

Candied pecans also add a delicious crunch to salad sides or main dishes, like this Cranberry Apple Spinach Salad. And they’re amazing on top of Instant Pot Oatmeal or Vanilla Ice Cream!

MAKING CANDIED PECANS FAQS

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