Candied Pecans
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
This candied pecans recipe is an absolute must for the holidays! Sweet, salty, and crunchy nuts are perfect for serving with cocktails and appetizers, topping salads, or just snacking by the handful.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
These sweet, spicy, and salty candied pecans are madly delicious. They’re perfect for serving with cocktails or just keeping on hand as a snack during the holidays. They also make a fabulous homemade gift, and the simple ingredients come together in just minutes. Pair them with a cheese board for a delightful pop of sweet flavor and crunch, or use them to jazz up roasted vegetables, salads, or grain bowls. They’re almost like candy but packed with protein, so you can totally justify grabbing a handful (or two!). The best part? You only need four ingredients and 15 minutes to make them. What are you waiting for?
“I made these just as written and they are PERFECT!! I plan to make another batch to take on a car trip next weekend. I’ll need to pack them in the trunk so I don’t eat them all before I get there!”
What You’ll Need To Make Candied Pecans
- Confectioners’ sugar: Combined with water, it creates a syrupy glaze when baked, coating the pecans evenly and caramelizing the exterior. Do not substitute granulated sugar or brown sugar.
- Kosher salt: Adds a savory balance to the sweetness of the sugar.
- Cayenne pepper: Provides a subtle kick. While the candied nuts aren’t spicy at all, you can omit the cayenne or replace it with ground cinnamon if you prefer. Alternatively, if you want to up the heat, you can add a little more cayenne to the glaze mixture.
- Water: Mixed with the sugar and seasonings, helps create a syrupy consistency to coat the pecans evenly.
- Pecan Halves: Pecans make wonderful candied nuts because their crevices absorb the flavorful glaze during baking. While smooth nuts like almonds and cashews can work, walnuts make the best alternative to pecans.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the Confectioners’ sugar, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and 4 teaspoons of water in a medium bowl.
Whisk until combined.
Add the pecans to the sugar mixture and stir until evenly coated.
Place the nuts on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the nuts are crusty on top and caramelized on the bottom.
Slide the parchment off of the baking sheet onto a countertop; this stops the nuts from overcooking on the hot baking sheet.
When the nuts are completely cool, use your hands to break them apart. Transfer the nuts to a bowl and serve.
Make-Ahead & Storage Instructions
The nuts will keep nicely for a few weeks stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Feel free to store them in the refrigerator for a slightly longer shelf life.
Video Tutorial
You May Also Like
Candied Pecans
This candied pecans recipe is an absolute must for the holidays! Sweet, salty, and crunchy nuts are perfect for serving with cocktails and appetizers, topping salads, or just snacking by the handful.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Confectioners' sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 teaspoons water
- 2 cups pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the Confectioners' sugar, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and water.
- Add the pecans to the sugar mixture and stir until the nuts are evenly coated.
- Transfer the pecans to the prepared baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Do your best to make sure the nuts are evenly spread out (if they are clumped together, they won't cook evenly). Scrape out every last bit of glaze from the bowl and drizzle over the nuts. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the pecans are caramelized and the caramel on the baking sheet is a rich brown color but not burnt. (The nuts around the edges will darken first; watch closely so they don't burn.)
- Immediately slide the parchment off of the hot baking sheet and allow the pecans to cool completely on the countertop (this stops the cooking process and prevents the nuts from burning). Once cool, remove the pecans from the parchment, breaking apart any clusters if necessary, and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
- Note: If the nuts are sticky after cooling, that means they are a bit undercooked. Pop them back in the oven for a few minutes and let cool again.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (8 servings)
- Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 217
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 178 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I just made my first batch and they are so good! I have to admit, I ate quite a few as I was putting them in a container. Great recipe!
Awesome recipe. This is my very first time trying a candied pecan recipe. I love spicy foods, so I added a little more cayenne. I will do this again.
Just made the candied pecans for New Years Eve party and they came out perfect. Only problem was when I served them. Party was in an open house in humid Florida and they got icky. I recommend keeping them in the air conditioned rooms.
Also, so easy to make!!
I Love candied pecans and this recipe is not only easy but satisfies all 3 cravings in one!! I will be making this for our New Years dinner.
For those having problems with stickiness, I have a few suggestions. The most likely reason for stickiness is that the pecans did not cook long enough and therefore the sugar did not reach a high enough temperature. The goal is to get the sugar to the hard-crack stage, which is between 295 and 309 degrees. If you have an infrared thermometer, that helps a lot.
Another thing I do, which seems to help, is immediately after the pecans come out of the oven, I put them in a large metal bowl, spray lightly with canola oil and stir until they cool. This seems to help with keeping them separate, not sticky and gives them a nice gloss.
Thanks for the recipe. They are amazing.
I did 2 batches and loved the ease and simplicity of your recipe. Some tips I would like to share: pumpkin pie spice pecans is yummy, add the water to the spices and mix well before adding nuts and non stick aluminum foil is the way to go! Thx for the recipe.
This recipe is awesome! First time making candied pecans and it won’t be my last. I followed recipe to a T, but after I transferred wax paper to cool on counter the pecans are stuck and when I try and take them off some of the wax paper is coming off too! A little wax paper won’t stop me from eating them, but what’s your advice for my next batch? Thanks!
Hi Sara, Glad you liked them. Wax paper is not non-stick. Next time use parchment paper and you’ll have no issues 🙂
How long can they keep in a glass jar?
Thanks!
They’ll keep well for about a week.
I made 2 1/2 pounds of pecans and they turned out awesome!!! But sadly, I’m allergic to them. But happily, I used cashews and peanuts that I had on hand and were delicious too. Great recipe!
Very tasty but we threw away as many pecans as we kept because they were stuck to the parchment paper. What did we do wrong?
So strange Lynn because parchment paper is non-stick. Are you sure it was parchment and not wax paper? I use Reynolds Parchment with a lot of success.
Same thing happened to me (may not have let them cook long enough). However, after placing the parchment paper and pecans all together in a tin for a day or two they were no longer sticky and came off the paper without my help.
I suggest you didn’t bake them long enough for the sugar to set up firm. Even a minute or two short in the oven will cause them to be sticky.