Candied Pecans Recipe
Published October 12, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
These easy-to-make candied pecans make for the perfect topping to any salad or dessert and are even great served as a sweet snack. You will love the flavors of this wonderful recipe and the simple ingredients used, and I promise it’ll be hard to put them down after you try them.
I love including nuts in my cooking to enhance the flavors and provide some different textures. Check out how I use almonds in my Peach Cobbler or pecans in my Zucchini Bread.
Candied Pecans
Candied pecans are encrusted with cooked or baked sugar to sweeten, cook, and provide texture. They are then commonly served in sweet or savory dishes they can even be eaten as a snack all by themselves. Pro Tip: They are especially good in nut mix, especially during the holiday season.
There are a couple of ways to make this easy candied pecans recipe, but I believe this is the best and the most fool-proof procedure that renders excellent, consistent results each time I make them and has just the right amount of sweetness. In addition, there are other ways to enhance the flavor of the pecans, like adding in other spices such as nutmeg, ground allspice, mace, or cardamom. Feel free to get creative with this recipe and serve it with dessert or as a salad topper.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pecans – You will need pecan halves for this recipe.
- Egg Whites – One large egg white will work.
- Vanilla – Use a good vanilla extract in this.
- Sugar – I like the combination of regular white sugar and brown sugar for these candied pecans.
- Ground Cinnamon – This will add some awesome flavors.
- Salt – A little bit of sea salt will help balance out the flavors. You can also use kosher salt.
How to Make Candied Pecans
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon until combined. Set it aside.
Next, in a large-sized bowl, whisk together the egg white and vanilla until it becomes frothy. This takes about 2 to 3 minutes of vigorous continuous whisking.
Add the pecans to the bowl with the egg white mixture and fold together until completely combined.
Pour in the cinnamon sugar mixture and fold the ingredients together to combine.
Spread the pecans on a single layer on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 300° for 30 to 35 minutes.
Every 15 minutes until they are done cooking, stir the pecans around using a rubber scraper so that they cook evenly.
Let them cool at room temperature until they are completely cooled before serving or storing. They should have just the right amount of crunch outside and be tender in the center.
Easy Stovetop Instructions
If you do not have an access to a stove and want to cook this on your stovetop, don’t worry because it is possible to pull it off. Here is what you’ll need for ingredients:
- 1 cup of light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons of water
- 1 pound pecan halves
You can add the same amount of vanilla, salt, and cinnamon to this easy candied pecan recipe as well. Here is what you’ll need to do for procedures:
- In a large pan over medium-high heat, add the brown sugar, butter, and water and cook until it is boiling and becomes very thick, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the pecans and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the caramel sauce completely coats the pecans.
- Spread the pecans on a sheet tray lined with a rubber mat or parchment paper and cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make these up to 1 week ahead of time.
How to Store: Cover and store in an airtight container or mason jars at room temperature for 7 to 10 days. You can refrigerate them covered for up to 4 weeks. Cover and freeze the candied pecans for up to 3 months.
Chef Notes + Tips
- You can do this same process with walnuts, cashews, or almonds if you want to candy them.
- For a great simple snack, try serving this over the top with some ice cream.
- You can substitute the regular sugar for equal parts corn syrup or maple syrup.
- Take this easy recipe to the next level using pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon.
More Nut Recipes
Candied Pecans Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg white
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 pound pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the sugars, cinnamon, and salt until combined. Set it aside.
- Next, in a large-sized bowl, whisk together the egg white and vanilla until it becomes frothy. This takes about 2 to 3 minutes of vigorous continuous whisking.
- Add the pecans to the bowl with the egg white mixture and fold together until completely combined.
- Pour in the sugar mixture and fold the ingredients together to combine.
- Spread the pecans on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 300° for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Every 15 minutes until they are done cooking, stir the pecans around using a rubber scraper so that they cook evenly. They should be slightly crunchy on the outside and al dente/tender on the inside.
- Let them cool at room temperature until they are completely cooled before serving or storing.
Just made these today and they are perfect. Very tasty with just the right amount of sugar and cinnamon (before they are baked the cinnamon seems a little overpowering). I baked them for 32 minutes. One comment – I followed the recipe exactly – 1 pound of pecans. However, the pictures with this recipe are deceiving in that mine completely filled a half-sheet pan so they were either touching or on top of one another. When they were done and cooled most of them were stuck together and had to be broken apart so they don’t look quite as neat as in the pictures – they still look good but not as individual looking as the photos. There is no way the picture of the nuts on the sheet pan is one pound – I suspect they used two sheet pans which I will do next time to be able to space them out a little more.
I have used a similar recipe in the past that calls for just mixing the pecans with an egg white with out beating it first. I whipped them for about one minute with my electric whisk and it was very frothy – I think that makes all the difference in how nicely these turn out. Thanks for a great recipe Billy!
Thank you!
Easy and delish!
Yes indeed!
After years of trying many different recipes and methods, I’ve finally found this fool-proof and delicious recipe. The nuts are perfectly sweetened and not sticky!!
5 star on pumpkin roll
I can’t stop eating them
This is such a great recipe! Works with different types of nuts. Pumpkin pie spice for my next batch!
These are So Easy and Absolutely Amazing!!!
so good!!
Just great! I like to add to summer salads with apple pieces. Refreshing.
so good!!
Made these for Father’s Day.
Hubby said they were so much better then the recipe I have used for years. I think the difference is the brown sugar.
This is now the only recipe I will use from now on.
appreciate you trying it
Just like all your recipes and videos…. these were great!!
thank you so kindly!!
Great for holiday gift giving. Now if I could just keep my husband from eating them all…😉
Great taste, it was gone in no time. Very easy to make
perfect!
Double the recipe. You’ll be so glad you did. Eminently craveable, and a lovely gift, too.
excellent!
So easy and delicious!