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Candied Pecans are deliciously crunchy and decadent thanks to brown sugar, cinnamon, and a few other holiday spices. This recipe is lightning fast, kid-friendly, and a snap to make for a last-minute gifts or bake sales.
All I want for Christmas is candied pecans that taste as good as they smell. Because sometimes that doesn’t happen!
Have you ever walked passed a street vendor in Chicago during the German Christkindlmarket peddling deliciously sweet and aromatic nuts? And then you buy them and eat them, and somehow inexplicably the nuts don’t taste nearly as good as they smelled?
Not today, folks. These candied pecans are the real deal. No broken dreams and empty promises here! Make some for your holiday snack board and maybe a few batches to give away to friends, teachers, and any nice neighbors.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Egg white: Beaten egg white acts as the “glue” for the spices and sugar on the nuts.
- Pecans: Raw, unsalted, whole pecan halves work best for this recipe, as opposed to the smaller pecan pieces. I like to order nuts in bulk online for this project, because grocery store pecans can get a little pricey. Warehouse stores like Costco have affordable nuts, too, especially around the holidays.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk egg white until frothy. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.
- Add pecans and stir until all the nuts are coated. Pour onto prepared baking sheet in an even layer.
- Bake, flipping nuts occasionally, until coating is dry, about 30 minutes. Cool completely before serving.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 pound of nuts (4 cups) , so double or triple as needed.
- Storage: Store pecans out at room temperature in an air-tight container. They’ll be good for a week or so. They’ll keep in the fridge for at least 3 weeks.
- Freezing: Candied nuts will keep in the freezer for 2 months.
- Don’t over bake: Don’t let the pecans get too toasty in the oven. Keep your eyes peeled; when the nuts appear dry, they’re ready to take out.
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Candied Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 egg white (see note 1)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups pecans (1 pound, see note 2)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk egg white until frothy.
- Add brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.
- Add pecans and stir until all the nuts are coated. Pour onto prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake, flipping nuts occasionally, until coating is dry, about 30 minutes. Cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Egg white: Beaten egg white acts as the “glue” for the spices and sugar on the nuts.
- Pecans: Raw, unsalted, whole pecan halves work best for this recipe, as opposed to the smaller pecan pieces. I like to order nuts in bulk online for this project, because grocery store pecans can get a little pricey. Warehouse stores like Costco have affordable nuts, too, especially around the holidays.
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 pound of nuts (4 cups) , so double or triple as needed.
- Storage: Store pecans out at room temperature in an air-tight container. They’ll be good for a week or so. They’ll keep in the fridge for at least 3 weeks.
- Freezing: Candied nuts will keep in the freezer for 2 months.
- Don’t over bake: Don’t let the pecans get too toasty in the oven. Keep your eyes peeled; when the nuts appear dry, they’re ready to take out.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
will any type of nut work with this recipe?
Hi Joyce, I don’t see why not! I would make sure to use an oven thermometer and watch the baking time, since the size of the nut may vary. Take care! – Meggan
I followed the recipe exactly and at the 20 min mark they were too burned to use! So disappointed and just wasted time and money!
Hi Terri, I’m so sorry the pecans burned! It’s possible that the oven temperature may have been too high. Oven temperatures vary quite a bit, so I recommend using an oven thermometer, as checking on items in the oven to monitor how they are going. Flipping occasionally will help us keep an eye on the nuts. I’m sorry again they didn’t work out! – Meggan
Wonderful!! My grandsons are making short work of them. I like that they are not “super” sweet.
So glad you liked them Cindy. Thanks! – Meggan
While I love every recipe I have tried on your website (and I have made many!), this one is not my favorite. The seasonings leave the taste of a somewhat burned pecan. As much as I love your recipes, I think I prefer just cinnamon to season pecans. Everyone else loved them, so I still gave the recipe 4 stars.
Thank you Barbara! I’m so sorry you didn’t care for them. Sometimes simpler is better! I’m glad everyone else liked them, though. – Meggan