Candied Pecans
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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
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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
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- 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.
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Comments
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Hi Jenn, your recipe online is different from your cookbook. The salt, cayenne pepper amounts are different as is the directions for mixing in the water. Why?
Thanks
Mo, Sorry for any confusion. The one on the blog is the most updated version. If the book goes to a second printing, it will be updated. Hope you enjoy if you make them!
2 words…… Thank You!
💗 You’re welcome!
My family loved these! I made a single batch yesterday, which disappeared in a flash. So today I made a double batch. Something I learned: while a double batch fits on a single baking sheet, the nuts remained sticky, even after baking them several minutes longer and until they nearly got too dark. I’ll continue to make double batches to have enough for snacking, but I’ll bake them on two sheets to allow more room for the nuts.
These are excellent, and the recipe so simple. I’ve made them twice now. Texture and flavor are over-the-top good and that hint of heat from the cayenne is a great touch. Unbroken halves in a pretty jar make a welcome hostess gift, and broken or chopped nuts are delicious scattered over desserts like pudding, ice cream and, over pumpkin pie with whipped cream. This is an A++++ recipe.
I just made these and the 12 minutes was perfect. My only problem is to leave them alone so that I will still have enough to take to my friend’s place later!!! Yum!!!
This recipe is so so good. My vegan daughter-in-law loves these!
Thank you for a great recipe!!
These are absolutely delicious and ridiculously easy to make! I add more cayenne, because we really like spice in our household, but that’s up to your personal taste. I find that they need to be toasted at least as long as the recipe calls for, or even a little more depending on your oven. That way they get really good and crispy. They are delicious with goat cheese on a cracker or added to a salad for a sweet and spicy crunch. Of course, they’re great on their own with a cocktail. Super tasty!
These are super easy and quick to make and always wow my guests. There are so many uses for these fantastic nuts. My family likes heat, so I like to kick up the cayenne juuust a little bit. I have also eliminated the cayenne all together from some of my heat intolerant friends. Either way you try it, they always turn out amazing!
This is a delicious recipe but the nuts did not get crusty and caramelized after the 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees, or after extending the cooking time, whereupon they burned. After checking other similar recipes, I made changes to the cooking time as follows –
Bake the nuts at 250 degrees for 40 minutes, stir, turn oven down to 200 degrees and bake for an additional 40 minutes. Stir and set aside to cool. (If nuts still don’t look crusty enough after the second baking for 40 minutes, put them back in the oven for about 5-10 minutes more.
This recipe is excellent! I quadrupled the recipe, using a 2 lb (8 cup) bag of pecans from Costco. I didn’t have powdered sugar so I substituted granulated sugar (2/3ds of the called for powdered sugar). I dissolved the sugar in a sauce pan with the cayenne, salt, and water by bringing it to a boil, then poured it over the nuts, then baked as called for on 2 parchment lined cookie sheets. I stirred the nuts and spread them back out twice between the 8 and 16 minute mark. My nuts turned out perfectly!!!! Gorgeous and delicious. I cooled the nuts on a clean baking sheet with gel ice packs underneath it.
Thank you so much!!!! Looking forward to sending these with my husband to work and making more for our family Christmas Eve party. Yum!
One more thing. Altitude could be a factor. I’m at about 4700 ft above sea level. The higher you go, the longer it takes to reach the correct temperature.
Jenn,
This recipe is AMAZING…..how far in advance can I make these if I am giving as gifts? I plan to put in mason jars. Thanks!
Lucia
Hi Lucia, Glad you like these! They’ll keep well for about a week.
These sound great. I have been making candied pecans for years and I can make them well in advance for gift giving. Can this recipe be frozen?
I don’t think these would freeze very well, Carol — sorry!
Jenn
This recipe looks amazing and simple to make. What kind of pecans do you use? Roasted and salted?
Thx
Mary
Hi Mary, either raw or roasted pecans will work, but I’d go with unsalted. Hope you enjoy!